Electric at the Carnival

Maya's curls had been straightened into submission since seventh grade, a rubber band always at the ready. Tonight though, she'd left them wild. Her mom said she looked like she'd been electrocuted. Maya said she looked like herself.

The county fair smelled like fried dough and desperation. Her friends were already by the ring toss, but Maya kept checking her phone. Devon was supposed to meet them here. Devon, who'd sat behind her in biology since September, whose hair fell over his eyes when he concentrated, who'd caught her staring twice this week and smiled both times.

"You gonna enter or what?" The carnies running the goldfish booth looked bored. Five Ping-Pong balls, five chances to win a fish in a plastic bag. Maya handed over her three dollars.

First ball bounced off the rim. Second landed in a bowl with a splash.

"Winner!" The carnie grabbed a fish from a tank beneath the counter. It was orange and stupid, swimming in tight circles, its mouth opening and closing like it had something profound to say.

"Sweet," said a voice behind her.

Maya turned. Devon stood there wearing a NASA t-shirt and an expression she couldn't read. "Is that for me?"

"I—what?"

"The fish." He grinned. "I've always wanted one. Name him Elon."

"You can't have him." But she was smiling now. "I won him fair and square."

"Okay, fine." He stepped closer. "What's his name then?"

"I don't know. I just met him."

"Like us?" The question hung between them, electric and terrifying.

Above them, storm clouds had been gathering all evening. Now the sky cracked open—lightning flashed across the fairgrounds, illuminating Devon's face, his serious eyes, the way he was looking at her like she was something worth noticing.

"I like your hair like this," he said over the thunder. "Better than the rubber bands."

Her hand went to her curls instinctively, but she stopped herself.

"Yeah?"

"Yeah." He gestured to the goldfish bag, now swinging from her fingers. "So, Maya and Elon. You guys wanna go on the Ferris wheel?"

The rain started falling, warm and heavy, but nobody ran for cover. She'd won a fish she didn't want, found a boy she definitely did, and somewhere between the lightning and the rain, Maya realized she was done hiding.

"Elon stays with my friends," she said. "But yeah. I'm in."