Poolside Fox

Maya's palms were literally dripping as she stood at the edge of the pool, gripping her towel like a lifeline. Across the deck, Jake — the absolute fox of sophomore year — laughed at something Chloe said, flipping his perfect hair out of his eyes like it was a casual, everyday move. Maya had been crushing on him since September, and somehow they ended up at the same summer party.

"Hey, Maya!" Jake called. "You coming in or what?"

Her brain short-circuited. She'd forgotten to shave her legs. She'd worn her backup swimsuit — the one from eighth grade. And her hair? She'd straightened it that morning, but humidity had turned it into a frizz explosion.

"Uh, maybe later!" she squeaked.

Grace saved her with a splash-bomb attack on Jake, and Maya slipped toward the snack table, pretending to be extremely interested in the potato chips. That's when she noticed it — a small glass bowl on the counter, containing a single goldfish.

"Party trick," Chloe appeared beside her. "Jake won it at the carnival last week. He's like, obsessed with keeping it alive. Says if it makes it to September, he'll have good luck with relationships."

Maya stared at the fish, swimming in tiny circles.

"That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard," she said.

"Right?" Chloe laughed. "But also kind of adorable? Like, he's secretly not as smooth as he seems."

The goldfish surfaced, blew a bubble, and disappeared into its plastic castle.

Maya's phone buzzed. A text from Jake: *u okay? u seem quiet*

Her palms went from sweaty to literally trembling. But something about the goldfish — Jake and his dorky wish, the way he was trying to be cool but was actually just a guy who won a fish at a carnival — made her brave.

*just had the best potato chip of my life,* she typed back. *also tell ur fish i said hi*

When she looked up, Jake was watching her, actually watching her, and the way he smiled — like he was relieved she'd noticed his fish — made Maya forget she was wearing a backup swimsuit with frizzy hair.

She dropped her towel on the chair and cannonballed into the pool.