The Goldfish Conspiracy

Maya's plastic orange hat kept sliding over her eyes. She should've known better than to trust a gas station accessory for her first house party, but desperation makes you do stupid things. The hat was supposed to be her armor — a conversation piece that screamed quirky, confident girl who definitely belonged here.

Instead it screamed girl who was about to leave.

"Dude, you gonna finish that?" A guy in a basketball jersey pointed at the cup she'd been nursing for forty-five minutes. His friends chuckled. They'd been watching her stand alone against the wall for twenty minutes.

"Nah, I'm good." Maya took a tiny sip to prove she was cool. The cheap fruit punch burned her throat.

Her phone buzzed. Her brother: The goldfish is acting weird again. Did you feed him?

Maya almost laughed out loud. She was seventeen, at the first real party she'd been invited to all year, trying desperately to look like she wasn't having a panic attack — and her brother was texting her about Captain Bubbles, the family goldfish they'd won at a carnival three years ago. The fish had survived longer than her parents' marriage.

She typed back: Check the flakes behind the sink. And leave me alone.

"Is that a fish?" Basketball Jersey had appeared beside her. He was pointing at her phone screen.

"What? No." Maya locked her phone. "It's nothing."

"I have a saltwater tank," he said. "My dad's kinda obsessed. What kind of fish do you have?"

"A goldfish." She couldn't believe she was having this conversation. "His name is Captain Bubbles."

He laughed. Actually laughed. "My betta fish is named Admiral Finbar."

They talked about fish for twenty minutes. His friends drifted over. Turns out half the people at this party had aquariums. Who knew?

Maya's phone buzzed again. Her brother: He's fine. You owe me.

She put the phone in her pocket. Adjusted her orange hat. It still didn't fit quite right, but that was okay.

"So," Basketball Jersey said. "You want to see Admiral Finbar? He's at my house. Like, two streets over."

Maya smiled. "I thought you'd never ask."