Zombie Mode at Taylor's Party

Maya stared into the bathroom mirror, swiping her tongue over the green shred wedged between her brackets. Of course. Of freaking course she'd get **spinach** stuck in her braces at Taylor Anderson's party.

Her first real party. First time wearing the cute top she'd saved three weeks of allowance for. First time talking to Lucas—the boy everyone called **Fox** because of his copper hair and the way he somehow slunk through school hallways without ever looking like he was trying too hard.

She'd been talking to him for like, seven whole minutes, making actual eye contact and everything. And the whole time? Spinach in her teeth.

"I'm literally in zombie mode," she whispered to her reflection, carefully working the green stuff loose with her fingernail. Junior year was killing her slowly. Between AP Bio panic, college applications looming like a storm cloud, and her parents' recent announcement that they were "taking a break," Maya had been operating on autopilot for weeks.

The bathroom door creaked open. A sophomore she barely knew walked in, holding a plastic cup with distressed eyes.

"Hey, have you seen..." The girl's voice cracked. "It's my ex's **goldfish**. Long story, but he left it at my house and it's been two weeks and I'm pretty sure it's suffering, and I don't know what to tell him if it—"

"You brought a fish to a party?"

"I couldn't leave it alone another night!" She thrust the cup toward Maya. "Can you just—hold it? While I pee? I'm scared someone'll spike it."

Maya took the cup. A tiny orange fish swam in tiny circles, oblivious to social catastrophe.

"He's just a fish," she whispered. "You're not dying. This isn't the end of everything."

She wasn't talking to the fish anymore.

When Fox found her five minutes later, she was sitting on the bathtub edge, gently swirling the cup while the goldfish rose to the surface, opening and closing its mouth like it had something to say.

"You okay?" Fox asked, leaning against the doorframe, hands shoved in his pockets like he owned the awkwardness.

"Yeah," Maya said. "Just having a moment."

"With the fish?"

"With the fish."

He slid down to sit beside her. Their shoulders touched. Maya's heart did that horrible flutters thing that only happened in movies, except here it was real and terrifying.

"You've got spinach in your braces," he said softly.

Maya closed her eyes. "I know."

"It's kind of cute though. Like, you ate something green and healthy instead of whatever garbage everyone else is consuming."

"That's the worst lie I've ever heard."

"Yeah." He grinned. "I liked your English presentation last week. The one about Frankenstein? You made it sound like the monster was just misunderstood."

Maya opened her eyes. "He was."

"Yeah. That's why I noticed. Because you get it." He bumped her shoulder with his. "Not everyone does."

The goldfish rose to the surface again, opening its tiny mouth, and Maya realized she didn't feel like a zombie anymore. She felt like a girl with spinach in her braces, sitting next to a boy who listened, and maybe everything wasn't ending after all.

"So," Fox said. "Want me to help you return the fish?"