The Goldfish Saw Everything

Maya's fingers flew across her iPhone screen at 2 AM, refreshing Jake's Instagram for the third time that hour. Outside her window, lightning split the sky — dramatic weather to match her internal chaos. She'd spent two hours and $45 at CVS that afternoon, transforming her mousy brown hair into a disaster of chunky purple highlights that now looked like a bruised grape under her vanity mirror's unforgiving fluorescent light.

"You look ridiculous," she whispered to herself, pulling her hair into a messy bun.

Bubbles, her orange goldfish, swam to the front of his bowl and opened his mouth in what looked suspiciously like judgment.

"Don't give me that look, fish. You live in a glass house too."

She was basically a spy at this point. Jake's posts from 2017 revealed he used to be obsessed with anime, played soccer, and had a gap-toothed smile before braces. The Jake she knew was varsity basketball captain with perfect teeth and a girlfriend named Chloe who somehow managed to look effortless in every TikTok while Maya struggled to apply eyeliner without poking herself in the eye.

Another lightning flash illuminated her room. Her phone buzzed.

Jake Alexander: yo u up?

Maya nearly knocked Bubbles' bowl off her desk. Her thumbs shook as she typed: ye what's up

Jake: can't sleep lol. storm is crazy

Jake: u at Chloe's party tonight?

Maya's heart did that stupid fluttery thing. No. She hadn't been invited. Obviously.

Maya: nah wasn't really feeling it

Jake: lucky. she's making everyone play truth or dare and it's awk

Jake: hey remember when we had that science project together in 7th grade? the volcano one?

Maya stared at the screen. Remember? She'd had a crush on him since he'd let her pour the baking soda that made lava explode everywhere. She'd written "Maya Alexander" in her notebook approximately a hundred times that semester.

Maya: lol yeah that volcano was sick

Jake: i was gonna ask if u wanted to come over and watch movies but then u changed ur hair and I thought u were trying out a new vibe

Maya touched her purple streaks. She'd done it because she wanted to be someone bolder. Someone who wouldn't spend Friday nights cyberstalking her crush's seven-year-old Instagram posts.

Maya: what vibe did u think i was going for

Jake: idk like cool. different. ur always so quiet in school

Maya: I'm not quiet

Jake: prove it lol

Bubbles swam to the front of his bowl again. Maya took a breath.

Maya: come over then

Jake: wait really

Maya: unless ur scared

Jake: be there in 15

Maya's hands shook as she scrambled to fix her hair. Lightning flashed again, but the storm outside didn't matter anymore. Sometimes the scariest risks were the ones worth taking. And sometimes the only witness to your bravery was a judgmental goldfish.