Mixed Doubles

The charging cable snapped with a sound like a wishbone breaking, right in the middle of Maya's first FaceTime with him.

"Your screen went dark," Lucas's voice floated through the speaker. "You still there?"

"Yeah, just my cable being dramatic again." Maya pressed her forehead against the cool wall. This was it. Her phone would die mid-conversation with the cute tennis counselor, and she'd officially become That Girl.

Her little brother's goldfish, Admiral Bubbles, swam in his bowl on the dresser like nothing was wrong. The fish had survived three tank cleanings and a accidental overfeeding. Maya couldn't even survive a five-minute call without technology betraying her.

"Meet me at the padel courts tomorrow?" Lucas said. "I can show you proper form."

Her heart did this embarrassing flutter thing. "Sure."

After the call, Maya crept downstairs. Her dad was in the living room, supposedly working but actually just watching YouTube. She needed a charger, stat.

Instead, she found her ex-best friend sitting at the kitchen island.

"Chloe?" Maya froze.

"Hey." Chloe didn't look up from her phone. "Your mom said I could wait. For the cat sitting job."

Right. Mrs. Henderson's cat. The old tabby who hated everyone. They'd agreed to do it together back in January, back when they were still friends. Back before the Incident at Sarah's party, before Maya kissed Chloe's crush, before everything got weird and stayed weird.

"I don't need backup," Maya said, even though she definitely did.

"I already told her I'd come." Chloe finally looked up, and Maya forgot how to breathe for a second. "Unless you're still mad?"

"I was never mad." Maya's voice cracked. "You were."

"I was hurt. There's a difference."

The silence stretched until Admiral Bubbles could probably feel it through the floor.

"So," Chloe said, sliding a spare charger across the island. "Padel courts tomorrow? Lucas is cute."

Maya stared at the cable, then at Chloe, who was smirking like she knew something.

"You're really going to help me with the cat?"

"Only if you promise not to wear that awful green shirt again. It looked like a highlighter exploded."

Maya laughed, and something inside her chest loosened. "Deal."

Sometimes friendships fray like worn cables. Sometimes they just need to be plugged back in. Sometimes you need a tennis lesson, a judgmental cat, and a goldfish who's seen better days to remember who you actually are.

"Tomorrow," Maya said. "Be ready. I think Sir Fluffington hates us both equally."