Goldfish Summer

The community pool shimmered like liquid diamonds under the July sun, but Maya felt anything but brilliant. She tugged at the edges of her towel, wishing she could disappear into the concrete. Beside her, Chloe was already slathering on sunscreen like her life depended on it, which, knowing Chloe's porcelain skin, it probably did.

"Check out the padel court," Chloe whispered, nudging Maya with her elbow. "Tyler's over there. Looking positively edible."

Maya followed her gaze. Sure enough, Tyler and the rest of the popular crew were dominating the padel court behind the pool fence, moving with that easy, practiced confidence that made everything look effortless. Everything except Riley Evans, who sat on a lounge chair watching them like she was plotting world domination.

Everyone called Riley "the Sphinx" behind her back. She was gorgeous in that way that made teachers nervous and boys stupid, and she never seemed to care what anyone thought. Maya had been secretly obsessed with her since seventh grade, not that she'd ever admit it.

"I'm gonna say hi," Chloe announced, standing up and adjusting her bikini top with zero hesitation.

"Since when do you talk to Riley?" Maya hissed, grabbing her friend's wrist.

"Since I turned sixteen and decided fear is stupid. Coming?" Chloe raised an eyebrow.

"Hard pass. I'll stay here and guard your stuff."

"You're such a chicken." Chloe laughed but didn't push it. "Fine. But if I come back with Riley's Snapchat, you're missing out."

Maya watched her friend march toward the Sphinx, wishing she had even half of Chloe's ability to not overthink everything. Instead, she reached into her beach bag and pulled out the small plastic bag floating at the top.

Inside, a single goldfish swam in lazy circles.

She'd won it at the carnival last night because Ethan from chemistry had dared her to toss a ping pong ball into one of those tiny bowls, and somehow, impossibly, she'd nailed it. Now she was stuck with a fish she didn't even want, living in a temporary home because she was too anxious to ask her parents if she could keep it.

"Pathetic," she muttered to herself.

"What's pathetic?"

Maya practically jumped out of her skin. Riley Evans was standing over her, dripping wet and looking unfairly unbothered by the fact that she'd just materialized out of nowhere.

"My... goldfish?" The words came out as a question, and Maya wanted to die.

Riley's eyes dropped to the plastic bag. Then back to Maya's face. And then, genuinely smiled.

"I won one of those last year. Named it Mercury. It lived for three years."

"Really?" Maya's heart was doing something weird in her chest.

"Really. What's yours called?"

Maya hesitated. "I haven't named it yet. It's... temporary."

"That's what they all say." Riley dropped onto the lounge chair next to her, close enough that Maya could smell her expensive sunscreen. "Then suddenly you're crying over a fish funeral and wondering how you got so attached to something with a three-second memory."

Was Riley Evans... joking with her?

"You play padel?" Riley asked, nodding toward the court.

"Oh, no. I'm not exactly... coordinated."

"Neither am I. I'm actually terrible. Just there for the aesthetic." Riley's grin was conspiratorial. "Hey, you doing anything later? A bunch of us are going to Mario's. You should come. Bring your friend too—the loud one. She seems... fun."

Maya's brain short-circuited. "You want me to come?"

"I want you to come. Unless you have plans with your goldfish."

"Maya!" Chloe came running back, looking between them with wide eyes. "Did I just see what I think I saw?"

Riley stood up, shaking out her wet hair. "7:00 at Mario's. Don't bail." She winked at Maya. "Nice fish."

As she walked away, Maya looked down at the goldfish swimming in its plastic bag, catching the sunlight like something precious.

"Did that just happen?" Chloe demanded, collapsing onto the chair.

Maya slowly smiled. "I think I need to buy a fish bowl."