The Strikeout Connection

Marcus stood outside Chloe's house, clutching the baseball glove like it might magically transform him into someone who actually knew what he was doing. He'd told the team he'd be at practice — told Coach he was "totally committed" this season — but here he was, cutting practice for the first time since he made varsity. All because Chloe had texted "u free?" with that rainbow emoji that made his stomach do backflips.

Her dad opened the door, still in his work clothes. "You must be Marcus. Chloe's in the basement. Watch out for Luna — she's in one of her moods."

Luna turned out to be a cat who clearly hated everything, including Marcus's existence. She hissed from atop the couch as he descended the stairs, her golden eyes judging his very soul. The basement smelled like vanilla candles and something else — something sharp and chemical.

"Hey!" Chloe called from the corner, where she was crouched in front of a massive fish tank. "You came!"

"Yeah, sorry about practice..." Marcus trailed off. Why did he feel the need to explain himself? He was HERE. That's what mattered, right?

Chloe waved it off. "Baseball is whatever. But THIS —" She gestured at the tank, where three fantail goldfish were doing absolutely nothing. "— is a crisis."

Marcus walked over, trying to look like he understood the gravity of the situation. The goldfish swam in lazy circles, completely unaware that their existence was apparently teetering on the edge.

"My parents think I'm at SAT prep," Chloe admitted, dropping her voice. "I skipped. First time."

Marcus felt something shift in his chest. He wasn't the only one lying about where he was supposed to be. She wasn't perfect either.

"What's wrong with them?" he asked, genuinely curious now.

"I think they're bored. Fish get depressed, you know. They need enrichment."

Marcus thought about his life — baseball because his dad played, honors classes because that's what you did, friends because they'd known each other since kindergarten. Was he any different from these goldfish, swimming in circles because that's what the tank allowed?

Luna the cat jumped onto the table next to the tank, tail twitching, now fascinated by the fish. Marcus reached out to shoo her away, but Chloe caught his hand.

"No, let her watch. It's good for them. Keeps them on their fins."

They sat there for twenty minutes, watching a cat watch fish, neither saying much about why they'd both blown off their responsibilities. Marcus missed practice. Chloe missed SAT prep. And somehow, this weird moment with depressed goldfish and a judgmental cat felt more real than anything he'd done in months.

"Same time next week?" Chloe asked, not looking at him.

Marcus grinned, finally understanding. "Yeah. Same time."

The cat flicked her tail, like she approved. Maybe the tank wasn't so small after all.