The Goldfish Test

Leo lasted exactly twelve minutes at Jordan's party before retreating to the deck, where the only living thing that wouldn't judge her social skills was a goldfish swimming lazy circles in a bowl someone'd abandoned on the railing.

"Rough night?" appeared on her phone. Maya, her ride, safe inside somewhere.

"Rough LIFE," Leo typed back, then watched the goldfish open and close its tiny mouth. It was definitely having a better time than she was.

The sliding door opened. Jordan himself—sophomore class president, soccer captain, the whole package—stepped out holding a plate of something that looked suspiciously like papaya cubes. Leo's heart did that thing where it forgot how to rhythms.

"Hey," he said. "Hiding?"

"Observing," she corrected, because 'hiding' sounded pathetic and 'observing' sounded like she had a choice in the matter. "What's with the fish?"

"My little sister's. She named him Sphinx." Jordan shrugged, gesturing at the orange fish with a papaya-loaded fork. "Because he's mysterious and silent. Which, honestly? Goals."

Leo snorted before she could stop herself. The noise echoed in the quiet.

Jordan's mouth twitched. "You know what's funny? I've been trying to work up the courage to talk to you all week, and you've been out here bonding with my sister's fish this whole time."

The goldfish, Sphinx, chose that moment to swim upside down.

Both of them stared.

"Is he... okay?" Leo asked.

"He does that," Jordan said, but he sounded worried. "He's just dramatic."

"Like someone else I know," Maya's voice came from the doorway. She held up Leo's jacket. "We're dipping. Unless you want to stay and discuss fish mental health with Jordan Hamilton, which—no offense, bear buddy—I know you absolutely do."

Jordan laughed, and it sounded real. "Bear buddy?"

"His hoodie," Maya explained. "Which you're wearing."

Leo looked down. She'd forgotten she'd grabbed Jordan's brown bear-embroidered sweatshirt earlier when someone spilled something near her favorite shoes. She felt her face match the fish.

"You can keep it," Jordan said, like it was nothing. Like it was normal to give cute girls your clothes at parties. "It looks better on you anyway."

Leo's brain short-circuited. She stood there, clutching her phone, Sphinx doing backflips in his bowl, Jordan smiling at her like she was something worth waiting twelve minutes for.

"Bye," she managed, grabbing her jacket from Maya and escaping before she could say anything genuinely embarrassing.

"Wait!" Jordan called. "Text me? About the fish?"

Maya practically shoved her into the car. "The FISH, Leo? Really? That man's flirting game needs work, but you're gonna eat it up anyway."

Leo slumped into the seat, heart racing, goldfish memories and Jordan's laugh replaying in her head. "Maybe I like his game."

"Or maybe," Maya said, pulling onto the street, "you just have a thing for fish nerds."

Leo smiled despite herself. Some nights, that was enough.