Three Second Rule

Maya's palms were sweating so bad she could practically water plants with them. Standing before the carnival ring toss booth, she felt every pair of eyes from the sophomore class burning into her back. Especially his. Jake, who'd sat behind her in homeroom since September, whose laugh sounded like sunlight breaking through clouds.

"One dollar, three rings, win a prize!" the carny shouted, his voice doing that annoying echo thing. "Step right up, test your skill!"

Her friends had dared her. Actually, dared was putting it nicely. Threatened more like. "If you don't play, we're telling Jake you write fanfic about him," Chloe had whispered, eyes glinting with that particular teenage cruelty.

Maya handed over her crumpled dollar. Her fingers trembled. This was stupid. She was stupid.

The targets: glass bowls containing fish. Tiny fish swimming in tiny circles, oblivious to the massive social crisis unfolding above them. A **goldfish** drifted past a rubber ducky, its mouth opening and closing like it was laughing at her.

She threw her first ring. It bounced off the rim and spiraled into nowhere. A collective groan from her audience. Someone snickered. Definitely Tyler.

"You've got this, Maya!" Jake called out. His voice cut through everything, made her stomach do that ridiculous flip thing. He was standing with his friends, but he'd turned toward her. Actually watching her.

Second ring. She aimed for a bowl with a blue fish. The ring caught the edge, wobbled, and fell. Another laugh rippled through the crowd.

Her face burned. Why was she like this? Why did everything have to be so massive and embarrassing all the time?

"Last chance!" the carny announced.

Maya breathed. In through nose, out through mouth. She thought about what her mom always said – fake it till you make it. She squared her shoulders, locked eyes with the smallest bowl, and threw.

The ring arced perfectly, settling around the bowl with a soft clink.

The crowd erupted. Seriously erupted like she'd just won the lottery. Jake was actually cheering, pumping his fist, his grin wide and genuine and absolutely devastating.

"Winner!" The carny handed her a plastic bag containing her prize. "What're you gonna name him?"

Maya held up the bag. Inside, a fish with orange scales like tiny flames.

"**Bull**," she said, because why not start being the person she wanted to be. The person who said ridiculous things and didn't care who laughed. "Because he survived being tossed around by a klutz."

Jake stepped closer, close enough that she could see the tiny scar above his eyebrow. "That's actually kind of epic."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah. Want me to help you carry him? My sister has a tank setup, she could probably use some... what's the opposite of drowning in attention?"

Maya laughed, and this time her hands weren't shaking. She held the bag with Bull swimming inside, doing his tiny victory laps. "That would be great."

They walked away from the booth together, Maya's **palm** no longer sweating, just the warmth of possibility and a plastic bag containing a fish who'd accidentally become her wingman.