The Summer I Became Human

The iPhone clutched in my hand was practically glued to my palm—my social lifeline in a sea of people I didn't know. My brother's country club pool party.kill me now.

I sat on the edge of the diving board, scrolling through feeds of people having better summers than me, when something splashed nearby. A goldfish—actual, living goldfish—swimming in the chlorinated water like it owned the place.

"That'sGary," said a voice behind me.

I jumped. nearly dropping my phone into the water. Standing there was Maya from my history class, wearing these ridiculous sunglasses that made her look like a bug.

"Gary?" I asked.

"Someone's pet fish. Third time this month." She sat beside me, close enough that our arms almost touched. "The pool filter's broken, so people keep dumping their unwanted fish here. Gary's a survivor."

I looked at the goldfish, swimming defiantly against the current. Same energy, honestly.

"You playing in the padel tournament?" Maya asked, like it was the most normal thing in the world.

"I don't even know what padel is."

"It's like tennis but shorter and louder." She shrugged. "My brother's obsessed. Says it's the sport of the future. I think it's just an excuse to hit things with racquets."

For the first time all summer, I laughed. Actually laughed.

"You know," Maya said, "you've got this whole zombie thing down."

"Excuse me?"

"The walking dead vibe." She gestured at my phone. "You're here, but not here. It's cool. I do it too."

I paused. Three other people had called me out on my phone addiction this summer, but none of them made me feel seen. They just made me feel judged.

"Habit," I admitted. "Easier than talking to people."

"Gary gets it," Maya said, pointing to the goldfish still swimming near us. "Just keep swimming, right?"

We watched Gary navigate the shallow end like a boss. Something shifted inside me—like waking up from a long sleep.

"Wanna play padel?" I asked, before I could overthink it.

Maya grinned. "You're going down."

My phone stayed on the diving board. Gary kept swimming. And for the first time all summer, I was actually present. The zombie apocalypse was over, and I was finally, undeniably alive.