Three Seconds of Memory

The goldfish bowl sat on my desk like a glass judgment. Goldie stared at me through the distorted curve, her orange scales shimmering in the light from my iPhone screen.

"You forgot to feed me again, didn't you?" I imagined her saying.

"Sorry, girl. Padel practice ran late."

Coach Martinez had been on my case all week about my backhand. "You're thinking too much, Maya. Just hit the ball." But that's the thing about being fifteen — you can't just *not* think. Your brain is always running background processes: Does everyone notice I'm the worst one on the team? Did I say something weird in group chat? Why does Mia keep liking my stories but never replies?

My phone buzzed. Group chat blowing up about Friday's match against Ridgeview Academy.

Mia: *y'all ready to get destroyedddd*

Marcus: *speak for yourself 😂*

Maya (me): *I'll be there with my vitamin water and anxiety*

Emojis popped up. ❤️ 😂 💪. Small wins.

My mom poked her head in. "Don't stay up too late scrolling. You need sleep for that match."

"I know, I know."

She was right though. I'd been staying up way too late doomscrolling, watching edits of people who had their lives together at sixteen while I was over here forgetting to keep a living thing alive.

Goldie did a little flip, bubbles rising to the surface.

"You're not judging me, are you?"

She just swam to the other side of the bowl.

That's when it hit me: goldfish don't actually have three-second memories. That's a myth. They remember. They learn. They recognize the people who feed them.

Maybe I wasn't as forgettable as I thought either.

Friday came. Padel court. Mia and Marcus and the whole squad. My hand shook a little gripping the racket.

First serve came. High, slow.

I didn't think. I just hit it.

Perfect backhand, right into the corner. Point for us.

"YESSSS MAYA!" Mia screamed from the bench.

I caught Marcus's eye. He nodded. Just a small thing, but it felt like everything.

Later that night, I fed Goldie. She swam right to the top, waiting. Like she knew I'd come back.

"See?" I whispered. "I remember too."