Electric Current

Maya stood at the edge of the pool, toes curled against the warm concrete, watching her ex-best friend Lily laugh with someone else—someone who used to be Maya's friend too, until the Great Middle School Schism of eighth grade. Now here they were, three months before high school graduation, and Maya still felt that weird hollow ache in her chest whenever she saw Lily across the cafeteria or, like now, at Jordan's end-of-summer bash.

"You gonna swim or just contemplate existence?" Jordan called out, splashing water her way.

Maya flipped him off playfully. "I'm contemplating how you somehow convinced your parents to leave us unsupervised. Again."

"I'm charming," he grinned, treading water. "Also, they think I'm responsible. Their mistake, really."

The sky, which had been doing that weird twilight-purple thing all evening, suddenly cracked open. A jagged bolt of lightning split the sky, so bright it left spots in Maya's vision. Thunder shook the ground beneath her flip-flops.

"Everyone out! NOW!" Jordan shouted, suddenly very much the responsible adult his parents thought he was.

They scrambled toward the covered patio as the sky opened up. Rain sheeted down like someone had flipped a switch. Maya found herself squeezed onto a lawn chair next to the last person she wanted to be stuck with—Lily.

"Hi," Lily said, sounding small.

"Hi," Maya echoed, staring at the rain pooling around their feet.

Another lightning strike illuminated everything in stark relief. For a second, Maya saw Lily clearly—really saw her—through the weird flickering light. They'd been friends for seven years before everything went sideways. They'd shared secrets and braces and first periods and first crushes. They'd been each other's person.

"I miss you," Lily said quietly, barely audible over the rain.

Maya's heart did that thing where it felt too big for her chest. "I miss you too, dumbass."

Lily laughed, and Maya couldn't help it—she laughed too. They were crying, maybe? It was hard to tell in the rain. But when the thunder finally faded, when the lightning moved off toward the horizon, something else remained behind—something electric and undeniable. Some friendships get struck by lightning and burn down to nothing. Others get struck and catch fire, burning brighter than before.

"My ride's here," Maya said, standing up as her dad's headlights cut through the downpour. "You coming?"

Lily's answering smile was brighter than any storm could ever be.