The Goldfish Incident

The party was already mid when Maya arrived, fashionably late but internally screaming. Ryan's house thumped with bass that vibrated in her chest, and she immediately regretted wearing her vintage fedora. The hat felt like a beacon screaming 'I'm trying too hard' to everyone in the room.

She spotted him by the snack table—Chase, the guy she'd been lowkey stalking on Instagram since September. He was laughing at something, his smile doing things to her heart rate that should probably be medically concerning. Maya adjusted the hat brim and made her move, channeling confidence she absolutely did not feel.

'Hey,' she managed, sliding up next to him. 'Love the playlist.'

'Thanks!' Chase grinned, and oh god, he was even cuter up close. 'I'm Chase, by the way.'

'Maya. Nice to—'

Before she could finish, something brushed against her ankle. She jumped, knocking into the table. A bowl of spinach dip launched into the air like a green fountain of doom, splattering across Chase's white shirt. The room went silent. Fifty faces turned toward them.

'My cat!' someone yelled.

A calico cat shot out from under the table, sprinting through the dip disaster like it was part of the plan. The cat leaped onto a nearby shelf, knocking over a fishbowl.

Time seemed to slow. The bowl tipped. Water cascaded. And suddenly Chase was covered in spinach dip and a very confused goldfish was flopping on his shoulder.

'My goldfish!' Ryan's little sister screamed.

Maya's face burned. She wanted to dissolve into the floorboards, become one with the house's foundation, never emerge again. But Chase was laughing—actually cracking up, spinach dip dripping from his chin.

'This is literally the most iconic thing that's ever happened to me,' he said, carefully scooping the goldfish into his hands. 'Well played, mystery girl. Well played.'

He winked. Maya's hat slid crooked on her head, and for the first time all night, she didn't want to fix it.

'So,' Chase said, heading toward the kitchen with the fish. 'Since we've already reached maximum chaos, want to help me save this goldfish's life?'

Maya grinned, finally breathing. 'Bet.'