The Goldfish Incident

Maya's palms were sweating, and not just because it was ninety degrees at Tyler's pool party. This was it — the moment she'd been lowkey obsessing over all summer. Tyler, the guy who'd sat behind her in bio and made bad puns every Monday, was actually talking to her. Like, full sentences and everything.

"So, what's your deal?" Tyler asked, treading water in the deep end. His hair was plastered to his forehead in a way that was unfairly cute. "You're always reading in the courtyard during lunch."

Maya hesitated. What was her deal? She was just trying to survive sophomore year without completely embarrassing herself, which was already a losing battle considering last week's cafeteria taco incident.

"I'm... dealing," she said, immediately cringing. Dealing? Who said that?

Before Tyler could respond, his dog — a chaotic golden retriever named Brody — came barreling out of the house, barking like someone had stolen his favorite tennis ball. Which, coincidentally, someone had. Brody spotted a plastic cup on the pool deck and went full soccer mode, sending it flying into the water.

Inside the cup? Tyler's sister's carnival goldfish. The one she'd somehow won last weekend and named Mr. Glitter.

Time seemed to slow down. Maya saw the cup tip. She saw the tiny orange fish — seriously, who brings a goldfish to a pool party? — arc through the air in what felt like slow motion. Without thinking, she lunged forward and made the most ungraceful catch of her life, water splashing everywhere, her arms flailing like a dying insect.

Mr. Glitter landed safely in her hands.

"No way," Tyler said, staring at her. "You literally just saved my sister's fish. She's been crying about Mr. Glitter non-stop.

Maya stood there, dripping wet, clutching a plastic cup with a fish, while Tyler's friends started clapping like she'd just won an Olympic medal. Her face burned hotter than July asphalt.

"My bad," she mumbled, handing the cup to Tyler. Their fingers brushed, and she felt that weird electric thing that movies were always going on about. "Your dog owes me."

"Brody owes everyone," Tyler laughed, but he was looking at her differently now. "Hey, you wanna come inside? My dad's got this huge gaming setup, and we could play Minecraft or whatever. I've been meaning to ask if you wanted to join our server."

Maya's heart did this embarrassingly fluttery thing. She'd just caught a goldfish in mid-air at a pool party, and somehow this was turning into the best day of her life.

"Yeah," she said, finally letting herself smile. "Yeah, I'd like that."