Electric Fish

Maya's thumbs hovered over her iPhone screen, the glow illuminating her desperate hope for a text from Leo. Three hours since the party started, and her social battery was at 1%. She'd spent the first hour wedged between the kitchen island and a guy who wouldn't stop talking about his goldfish, Guppy, who'd apparently lived an improbably long four years.

"It's the sphinx of pets," he'd said with weird intensity. "Mysterious, ancient wisdom in those unblinking eyes."

Maya had nodded and escaped toward the bathroom, where she'd spent twenty minutes fixing her hair for the third time. The humidity from the summer storm outside had turned her sleek blowout into a frizzy declaration of defeat.

Now lightning flashed through the basement windows, making the disco ball scatter strobe-light chaos across Leo's face as he laughed at something someone said. He was leaning against the wall near the DJ setup, effortless in a way that made Maya's chest feel tight. She'd spent weeks crafting the perfect opening text—something casual but intriguing, funny but not trying too hard.

Her phone buzzed.

Heart hammering, Maya unlocked it. Not Leo. Her mom: "Don't forget your grandma's at 2 tomorrow."

Maya groaned and almost pocketed her phone when another lightning strike cracked the sky, closer this time. The party's music died as the power flickered and failed. In the sudden darkness, someone screamed.

Then Leo's voice cut through the confusion: "Everyone okay?"

A phone flashlight beam swept across the room, landing on Maya. Leo pushed through the crowd toward her.

"You're brave," she said, then immediately cringed. Brave? Who says that?

But Leo just grinned, his teeth flashing in the dim light. "Nah, I just found my phone first. Hey, weren't you talking to Guppy guy earlier? I've been trying to rescue you for like an hour."

Maya's stomach did this flip thing that felt remarkably like lightning. "You were?"

"Yeah. You seemed miserable." His eyes crinkled. "Wanna hang out somewhere goldfish-free?"

Outside, thunder rumbled. Maya smiled, tucking a strand of frizzy hair behind her ear. The night wasn't going according to plan, but sometimes the best stories were the ones you couldn't script.