Goldfish Summer

Maya's summer was officially tanking. Literally. Her phone buzzed with another text from Fox—that slick, infuriating senior who'd somehow become her best friend's crush this year. 'U coming to jax's party tonite??'

She stared at her reflection in the goldfish bowl. The fish, a carnival prize she'd won last week, stared back with what looked distinctly like judgment. His name was Chad, because irony.

'Can't,' she typed back. 'Parents are making me stay in and rest. They think I'm dying or something.'

Because she wasn't. Dying, that is. But she'd faked being sick to skip Alex's graduation party last weekend, and now her mom had decided she was vitamin D deficient or anemic or something else Dr. Google had invented. The kitchen counter was covered in supplements she was supposed to take.

'ur missing out,' Fox replied. 'harper is here and she keeps asking about u'

Maya's stomach did that thing it always did when Harper's name came up. Harper, with her perfect hair and her perfect everything, who'd called Maya 'sweet' in that way that meant 'innocent and boring' back in freshman year. Three years later, Maya was still trying to prove she wasn't.

'Whatever,' she typed. 'Have fun.'

She dropped her phone on her bed and watched Chad swim in tight, useless circles. That was her, wasn't it? Going around and around the same social patterns, never actually going anywhere. Fox graduated in three days. Harper would be gone too. Everyone would leave, and Maya would still be here, taking her vitamins and watching her fish live his most pathetic life.

Her mom knocked on the doorframe. 'Honey, are you taking your—'

'Yes, Mom. I took them.' She held up the empty bottle like evidence, even though she'd dumped them in the trash two hours ago.

'That party sounds fun,' her mom said casually. 'The one Fox invited you to?'

Maya froze. 'You read my texts?'

'Your phone was on the kitchen table.' Her mom shrugged. 'Look, I know something's going on with you. You haven't been yourself lately. You're not sick, but you're not... not sick either.'

Maya's throat tightened. 'I don't know what you mean.'

'I think you do.' Her mom sat on the edge of the bed. 'Sweet girl, you're sixteen. You're supposed to be confused and anxious and sometimes sad. That's the job. But you're also supposed to be at parties you're nervous about, making mistakes with boys who make you feel things you don't understand, and learning that everyone your age is pretending to know what they're doing when they absolutely don't.'

Maya blinked. Her mom had never talked like this before.

'Your dad and I...' Her mom's voice caught. 'We worry you're growing up too careful. Like you're watching everyone else live instead of living yourself.' She reached into her pocket and pulled out a crumpled twenty. 'Go to the party. Take Chad if you have to. Just be home by midnight, and if you drink, call us. No questions.'

Maya stared at her, then at her phone, then at the fish.

'Really?'

'Really.' Her mom stood up. 'And Maya? You don't have to be interesting for Harper or anyone else. You already are.'

The door clicked shut. Maya sat there for a long time, processing. Then she grabbed her phone.

Fox's last text was still there: 'ur missing out'

Maya typed: 'address??'

Then she scooped Chad into his travel bowl (judgmental face and all), grabbed her jacket, and headed for the door. This summer wasn't tanking after all. It was just getting started.