The Goldfish Monologue

Maya's phone buzzed for the third time in two minutes. The group chat was blowing up about Tyler's party tonight, and she still hadn't decided if she was going. Not like she had a reputation to maintain anyway—she was about as exciting as a goldfish swimming in endless circles.

"You coming or what?" Jenna's text flashed.

Maya stared at her reflection, trying on different expressions like outfits. Cool detached? Enthusiastic chill? Who was she even trying to be?

Her orange cat, Mango, jumped onto the desk and knocked over her chemistry notebook. "Thanks, dude. Really helping with the vibe here."

Her little brother Leo burst in, doing that weird thing where he crouched and pounces like he's hunting something. "I heard Tyler's cousin is gonna be there. The fox one."

"The fox what now?"

"You know—the fox. His Insta is literally @fox. He goes to North. Apparently he's rly rly cute but also kinda... I heard he hooked up with Sarah at homecoming and then literally ghosted. Classic fox behavior."

Maya rolled her eyes. "You're twelve. Since when do you know about ghosting?"

"TikTok. Duh."

She sighed. The truth was, she didn't want to go because parties made her feel like she was constantly saying the wrong thing, laughing at jokes she didn't find funny, trying to be someone she wasn't. Maybe that's why she'd gotten the goldfish last month—something small and contained that didn't require performance.

But then she thought about sitting in her room tonight while everyone else made memories and inside jokes she'd never be part of.

Maya grabbed her phone.

"Yeah I'll be there"

The three dots appeared and disappeared. Jenna replied: "bet wear that black dress from homecoming u looked fire"

Maya opened her closet and pulled it out. Maybe she wasn't a goldfish. Maybe she was just figuring out how to swim in the deep end.

And maybe @fox would be there, and maybe he wouldn't. But she was done watching from the tank.