Electric Summer

Maya tugged her baseball cap lower, wishing she could disappear into it. The pool party glittered before her—sophomores splash-fighting, seniors looking bored, and somewhere in the chaos, Jake, the guy she'd been DMing since school ended.

Her iPhone buzzed in her pocket. *u coming?*

She wasn't even supposed to be here. Her cousin Chloe had dragged her along, then immediately ditched her for the popular crowd. Maya reached for the fruit punch on the refreshment table, but her hand knocked over a bowl instead. Papaya slices scattered everywhere like orange confetti.

Someone laughed. Not mean laughter—genuine, surprising laughter.

"Smooth," said a voice behind her.

Maya turned to find Jake standing there, dripping wet, shirt clinging to his chest. His dark hair was plastered to his forehead. He was even cuter in person, which somehow made everything worse.

"I was actually aiming for that," Maya deadpanned, then immediately wanted to die.

Jake grinned. "Totally. The papaya ambush. Classic party move."

Together, they crouched to clean up the mess. Their fingers brushed as they both reached for the same slice. Maya's heart did something stupid and fluttery.

"So," Jake said, "are you gonna tell me your name, or should I just call you Fruit Ninja?"

"Maya," she said, then amended, "but Fruit Ninja is honestly an upgrade."

They spent the next hour talking about everything and nothing—music, memes, how they both hated pool parties but somehow kept coming to them. Maya forgot about her hat, forgot about Chloe, forgot to be awkward. Jake was funny, sarcastic in the best way, and he actually listened.

Then the sky cracked open.

Lightning split the sky, followed by thunder that shook the porch. Rain pelted down in sheets, sending partygoers screaming toward the house. But Maya and Jake stayed under the small overhang, shoulder to shoulder, watching the storm turn the pool into a churning silver sea.

"This is actually better," Jake said quietly.

Maya looked at him, rain dripping from the roof between them. "Yeah. It is."

He took her hand. His palm was warm against her cool fingers. Lightning flashed again, and in that brief illumination, she saw something in his eyes that made her breath catch.

"I'm glad you knocked over that papaya," he said.

Maya smiled, finally tilting her hat back. "Me too."