The Goldfish Monday

Mira stood outside the gym, clutching her padel racket like it might suddenly save her from sophomore year social suicide. The locker room buzzed with whispers about Jake's party Friday—everyone going except, obviously, her.

Her phone buzzed. Mom again. "Did you feed the goldfish?"

Mira rolled her eyes so hard she practically saw her own brain. The goldfish—aka Dinner, the family pet her little sister won at the carnival and then immediately abandoned—was somehow now Mira's responsibility. Because that's what happens when you're the middle child stuck between perfect-older-brother and adorable-little-sister. You become the goldfish whisperer by default.

"Whatever," she muttered, texting back "yesss mom" with three s's to show authentic teen enthusiasm.

Jake walked past, high-fiving his friends like they were in some kind of bear hug Olympics. Mira's stomach did that thing where it forgets how to stomach. She'd had a crush on him since seventh grade, back when she still wore mismatching socks and thought vitamin gummies counted as actual nutrition.

"Hey Mira," Jake said, actually stopping. "You coming to the party?"

"Maybe?" she squeaked. Internally screaming. Why was her voice doing that?

"Cool. Bring Bear if you want. You know, your dog. He's chill."

Wait. Jake knew her dog's name? Bear, her ancient, perpetually-shedding golden retriever who'd been her only friend through the divorce, through moving schools, through that time she accidentally dyed her hair green and refused to leave her room for three days?

"Yeah," Mira managed. "Bear's pretty chill."

Jake smiled. "See you Friday."

As he walked away, Mira realized something: she'd been so busy worrying about being invisible, she hadn't noticed people were actually seeing her. Bear wasn't just her escape companion. The goldfish wasn't just a chore. Padel wasn't just another thing she was mediocre at.

And those vitamin gummies? She still took them every morning. Sometimes you need the fake stuff to help you remember what's real.

She texted her mom back: "actually fed him already <3"

And then, because why not, she texted Jake: "what time Friday?"

Bear would be proud.