Swipe Left on the Goldfish

Maya's goldfish — named Glitter because everything in seventh grade needed extra sparkle — floated upside down in its bowl again. Third time this week. She poked the glass, hoping for a miracle, but Bubbles just drifted there like a deflated balloon.

"Ugh, not again," she groaned, grabbing her iPhone to document the tragedy. Because apparently, if you don't post your pet's funeral on Instagram, did it even happen?

Her cat, Luna, leaped onto the desk with the graceful judgment only cats possess. She stared at Maya like she was the disappointment in the family.

"What? It's not like I killed him on purpose," Maya muttered, but Luna just turned her back and started grooming herself like the toxic queen she was.

Maya's phone buzzed. Group chat explosion:

Kenzie: PARTY @ Jake's!!!! Everyone's going

Taylor: Except Maya lol she's 'busy'

Maya's thumb hovered over the screen. Jake's party. The one that would literally determine her social standing for freshman year. But her mom had made her promise to watch her little cousin, and now there was a dead goldfish situation, and—

She swiped left. Deleted the notification. Opened her camera app.

"Fine," she whispered to Glitter's bowl. "We'll have our own party."

She carried the bowl outside, Luna following at a suspicious distance. The backyard was messy and overgrown and perfect. She placed Glitter near the rosebushes — his final resting spot, dignity restored.

"Bye, Glitter. Thanks for being the only pet that didn't judge me."

Luna rubbed against her ankle, weirdly affectionate for once. Maybe she wasn't completely heartless.

Maya's phone lit up again. More party pics. Everyone laughing, everyone together, everyone living their best lives without her.

She took a picture of the moon rising over the rosebushes. No filter. No caption. Just... quiet.

And posted it.

Within minutes: notifications flooded in. Not for being at Jake's party. For being weirdly, unexpectedly real.

"Wait," Kenzie texted. "Where IS this?"

"My backyard," Maya typed back. "Missing the party. Just had a goldfish funeral."

"That's literally so iconic," Taylor wrote. "We're coming over."

Maya smiled. Sometimes the best moments aren't the ones everyone else sees coming.

Luna meowed, like: obviously, I planned this.

"Yeah, yeah," Maya said. "You're a genius, cat."

She didn't check Instagram for the rest of the night. Some things are better left unliked.