Electric Blue Summer

The pool party was everything Maya dreaded. People in various states of undress, music she pretended to recognize, and Jake — gorgeous, unattainable Jake — lounging on a pool float like he owned the concept of summer.

Maya positioned herself strategically near the snack table, clutching her **iPhone** like a lifeline. Her friends were somewhere by the water, but she'd gotten separated twenty minutes ago and was now awkwardly pretending to be fascinated by her screen.

"Hey, Maya!" It was Chloe, the human embodiment of confidence. "You gonna stand there all night or actually get in the **water**?"

"I'm good," Maya lied. "Just, you know. Checking stuff."

"Girl, you've been 'checking stuff' since seventh grade. Get in here or I'm coming for you."

Before Maya could manufacture another excuse, the sky opened. Not rain — a full-on deluge. Everyone shrieked and scrambled toward the covered patio, but Maya stood frozen, suddenly grateful for her social paralysis because now she looked intentionally prepared.

Then the storm turned dramatic.

**Lightning** cracked across the sky, purple-blue veins illuminating everything. Someone screamed. The outdoor speakers fizzled and died. In that split second of chaos and darkness, someone crashed into Maya, sending both of them sprawling onto the wet grass.

"Sorry, sorry," Jake said, scrambling off her. "Didn't see you —"

He stopped. They were both soaked, her hair plastered to her face, his polo shirt see-through. Her iPhone sat in a puddle between them, screen somehow still glowing.

"Is that... is your phone okay?" Jake asked.

Maya pressed the button. "Yep. Waterproof case. My mom's obsession with preparedness finally paid off."

Jake laughed, and it sounded real, not performative. "That's actually kind of impressive."

They sat there as the storm raged, neither moving toward the patio. Ten minutes passed like nothing. They talked about nothing — teachers they both hated, that weird smell in the cafeteria, whether hot dogs were technically sandwiches — and somehow it was everything.

When the lightning finally stopped, Jake helped her up. "Hey, um, maybe we could continue this inside? Without the whole 'nearly struck by lightning' element?"

Maya grinned, water dripping from her chin. "I think I can manage that."

Her phone was fine. Her makeup was ruined. And somehow, completely accidentally, she'd had the best night of her life.