Zombie Goldfish Energy

Maya smoothed her frizzy hair for the third time, checking her reflection in the bathroom mirror. The house party downstairs thumped with bass that vibrated the sink. She'd spent two hours on her curls, and already humidity was turning them into a frizz ball.

"You coming back out or what?" her best friend Jax texted.

Maya groaned. She'd only agreed to come because Tyler would be here. Tyler, who sat behind her in AP World and had the kind of smile that made her forget what century they were studying.

Downstairs, she spotted him immediately near the beer **pyramid** some seniors had constructed on the kitchen counter. Classic. Tyler stood with his usual crowd—popular kids who moved through parties like they owned them.

"Hey!" Jax grabbed her arm. "Tyler's looking over here."

"He's not."

"He literally just did. Go talk to him!"

"I can't just—" Maya froze. Tyler was walking toward them, holding a solo cup. But then she noticed it—a plastic **goldfish** bowl on a nearby shelf, illuminated by a strand of LED lights. Inside, a single goldfish swam in slow, miserable circles.

"That's messed up," she said without thinking.

Tyler stopped beside her. "What is?"

"The goldfish. It's probably sensory overload in here."

Tyler looked at the bowl, then back at her. "I didn't even notice that." He set down his cup. "Wanna help me move it to the bathroom?"

They carried the bowl together, their fingers brushing. Maya's heart did something embarrassing.

"So," Tyler said, "you're the girl who always answers questions in Mr. Henderson's class."

"Yeah. Nerd status, I know."

"No, it's cool." He ran a hand through his messy hair. "I'm failing that class. Like, zombie-level failing. I'm basically the walking dead in there."

Maya laughed. "I could tutor you? If you wanted."

"Seriously? That would be amazing."

They exchanged numbers. Maya felt like she was floating, maybe levitating. She headed back to find Jax, nearly tripping over a **cat** that had been sleeping under a beanbag chair. The cat glared at her before slinking away.

"Well?" Jax demanded. "What happened?"

Maya grinned so wide her face hurt. "I think I just got a tutoring client."