The Goldfish Mission

Maya's palms were sweating through her cutoffs as she sat behind the backstop, phone clutched like a grenade. This was it. Operation "Talk to him without looking like a total weirdo." Phase one: accidental eye contact. Phase two: casual conversation. Phase three: get his number before her social anxiety staged a mutiny.

Cameron was warming up with his baseball team, throwing pitches that looked like they could actually hurt someone. He'd transferred to Lincoln High last month and had been the subject of cafeteria whispers ever since. Rumor was he'd moved from California. Rumor was his dad was in the military. Rumor was he'd broken someone's nose in a fight over a stolen Pokémon card. The last one was definitely from Jessica, who had a creative relationship with the truth.

"You're literally staring again," said Zara, appearing beside her with a slushie that was 90% blue syrup.

Maya jumped. "I'm not staring. I'm observing. There's a difference."

"Uh-huh. And how's your spy mission going? Have you learned anything new about target Cameron, or are you just admiring how his jersey fits?"

"For your information," Maya said, wiping her palms on her jeans, "I learned he has a goldfish named Steve."

Zara paused. "You learned this how? Did you hack his phone?"

"His little sister mentioned it at pick-up yesterday. I was walking behind them and I may have... strategically positioned myself within earshot."

"So you're just stalking him now. Got it."

"It's not stalking! It's reconnaissance."

Cameron chose that moment to look up. Their eyes locked across the field. Maya's brain short-circuited. Should she wave? Smile? Pretend to be very interested in the sky?

He started walking over.

"Abort mission," Maya hissed. "He's incoming."

"Too late now, spy girl," Zara whispered, backing away with a smirk. "Good luck with phase two."

Cameron stopped in front of the bleachers, grass stains on his knees, baseball cap slightly crooked. "Hey. You're Maya, right? From Mr. Henderson's class?"

"Yup. That's me. Maya. The one who sits near the window."

Cool. Very cool introduction. She was crushing it.

"Cool," he said. "I was gonna ask—" He paused, looking nervous. "Do you know anything about fish?"

Maya blinked. "Fish?"

"Steve. My goldfish. He's been floating at the top of his tank for like two days and my little sister thinks he's sick but I think he's just being dramatic and Google isn't helping."

"Steve the goldfish," Maya repeated, trying not to laugh at how perfectly Zara would appreciate this. "Yeah, actually. I've had fish since I was seven. Steve's probably just constipated. You need to feed him peas."

Cameron's face lit up like he'd just won the lottery. "Seriously? That's actually a thing?"

"Cross my heart." Maya drew an X over her chest with her finger. "But you have to peel them."

"You're literally saving my life right now. Evie's been crying about Steve for days."

"It's what any responsible fish consultant would do."

He laughed, and it was better than Maya had imagined. "Well, Fish Consultant Maya, maybe you could come over sometime and verify his condition in person? Make sure I'm doing the pea thing right?"

"Maybe," she said, her palms suddenly not sweaty at all. "But my consulting fees are pretty steep."

"I think I can cover them."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah."

As he jogged back to the field, Maya pulled out her phone and texted Zara three words: Phase three initiated.