Goldfish Summer

Maya pulled her dad's oversized trucker **hat** lower over her forehead, effectively hiding behind the brim. Across the pool, Jason laughed with his new lacrosse teammates—people who'd become his entire world since making varsity. People who weren't her.

"Hey, you okay?"

Maya jumped. Chloe stood there holding two tropical drinks. "You've been staring at the **goldfish** pond for twenty minutes. They're not that interesting."

"Just thinking," Maya mumbled.

"About Jason?" Chloe sat beside her, dangling her feet in the **water**. "Everyone knows you guys aren't talking."

Maya traced patterns on the concrete. "He blocked me on everything. Even Spotify. Who does that?"

"Jason's being a tool," Chloe said firmly. "But you're missing the party. There's literally a **papaya** carving station. Who does that? It's iconic."

Despite herself, Maya smiled. Chloe had been her ride-or-die since sixth grade, back when they'd both worn mismatched socks and didn't care what anyone thought.

"I don't belong here anymore," Maya admitted quietly. "Everyone's doing their own thing. It's like... we're all drifting apart."

Chloe set down the drinks and wrapped Maya in a hug. "Listen to me. We're not drifting. We're growing. There's a difference." She pulled back. "Jason's going through his 'I'm too cool for my real friends' phase. He'll get over it. Probably when he realizes lacrosse bros don't actually have his back like you did when he failed algebra."

Maya wiped her eyes. "That was one time."

"You literally tutored him for three weeks. That's **friend**ship, Maya." Chloe stood up. "Now come on. I dare you to try the papaya. I heard it tastes like melted pineapple but weirder."

Maya took a deep breath and pulled off the hat, letting the summer sun hit her face. "Fine. But if I hate it, you're doing the next TikTok dance with me."

"Deal." Chloe grinned. "We've got this."

And as they walked toward the party, Maya realized Chloe was right. Some things changed. But the real stuff? That stayed.