The Goldfish Party

Maya's palms were already sweating, and she hadn't even left her room yet. The SOS text from Jake had said: pool party, bring swimsuit, everyone's gonna be there.

She'd been swimming through anxiety all week about this party. Jake's older sister Chloe was hosting, and Chloe was basically social royalty at their high school. The kind of girl who could wear mis-matched socks and start a trend by third period.

The backyard was already packed when Maya arrived. Bodies everywhere, music thumping, chlorine and sunscreen hanging heavy in the humid air. She spotted Jake near the snack table, wearing that fox-like grin that meant he was up to something.

"You came!" Jake waved her over. "Chloe's doing palm readings by the hot tub. It's actually kinda legit, she took a class."

Maya snorted. "Right, because your sister needs more ways to tell people their futures."

"Maya!" Chloe appeared behind them, wearing a bikini that made Maya suddenly very aware of her one-piece. "I was just hoping you'd show up. C'mere, let me see your hand."

Before Maya could protest, Chloe had grabbed her hand, tracing the lines with manicured nails. "Interesting..." Chloe hummed, dramatically. "You're going to have a very unexpected summer romance."

The whole group erupted in ooohs and someone shouted "SPILL!" and Maya felt her face burning hotter than the sun blazing down on them.

Then Jake's cousin Leo, who'd been quietly nursing a soda in the corner, suddenly choked. literally coughed mid-drink, spraying soda everywhere.

"You okay?" Maya asked, stepping toward him.

"Fine," Leo wheezed, wiping his mouth. "Just went down the wrong pipe." His eyes met hers for a second too long.

Later, Maya found herself alone on the pool deck while everyone else was in the water, watching a tiny goldfish that had somehow escaped its bowl and was flopping desperately on the concrete. She scooped it up, rushing to deposit it back in safety.

"That was pretty clutch," Leo said, suddenly beside her. "Most people would've just left it."

"It was suffering," Maya said with a shrug.

"Yeah." Leo looked at her, really looked at her. "You're different, Maya. Like, in a good way."

The evening air felt suddenly charged, electricity where there'd been humidity before. And when he asked if she wanted to get food after the party, Maya realized her palms weren't sweating anymore.

Maybe Chloe's palm readings weren't so bogus after all.