Electric at the County Fair

The summer air hung thick with humidity and the smell of funnel cakes as Maya smoothed her hands over her dress for the hundredth time tonight. County fair. First date. With Jade, the girl she'd been lowkey crushing on since algebra ended in June.

"You good?" Jade asked, bumping her shoulder. She looked effortless in cutoffs and a vintage band tee, her hair in that perfect messy bun Maya could never pull off.

"Yeah, just nervous," Maya admitted, then immediately regretted it. Too honest too soon. But Jade just smiled, warm and genuine, and Maya felt herself relaxing despite the butterflies doing gymnastics in her stomach.

They made their way toward the livestock pavilion where Maya's older brother was showing his steer. The massive animal—a chocolate brown **bull** weighing more than both of them combined—stood placidly in its pen, looking ridiculous with the pink sparkle ribbon Maya's niece had tied around its neck earlier.

"That's your brother's bull?" Jade asked, impressed. "He's huge."

"That's Biscuit," Maya said, then laughed at Jade's expression. "I know, my brother's basic with names. But he's actually sweet. You can pet him if you want."

Jade reached through the rails, letting Biscuit nuzzle her palm. Maya watched, heart doing that stupid fluttery thing again, when suddenly the worst possible person appeared.

Ryan, her brother's annoying friend, sauntered up with his usual energy. "Maya! Heard you're finally gonna ride the mechanical **bull** tonight. Twenty bucks says you last three seconds max."

Before Maya could respond, a gust of wind whipped through the pavilion, snatching the cowboy **hat** right off Ryan's head. It tumbled through the air and landed directly in Biscuit's water trough.

"My hat!" Ryan yelled, reaching for it, but Biscuit had other ideas. The bull nudged the floating hat with its nose, sending it drifting further away.

Even Jade was laughing now, and okay, maybe Maya was too. The tension she'd been carrying all evening evaporated like morning fog.

The first crack of thunder caught them all off guard. Within seconds, the sky opened up—sheets of rain sweeping across the fairgrounds as **lightning** fractured the darkness in brilliant jagged lines. People scattered toward shelter, but Maya and Jade stood there for just a moment longer, letting the rain soak through their clothes.

"Race you to the covered bridge!" Jade shouted over the thunder, grabbing Maya's hand.

They ran through the downpour, fingers intertwined, laughing breathlessly, and Maya thought maybe first dates were supposed to be awkward and weird but this—this was perfect. This was electric.