Friday Night Lights Out

The bass thumped through Maya's chest like a second heartbeat. She stood by the snack table, clutching a plastic cup like it was a lifeline, feeling like a zombie at this party that everyone seemed born knowing how to navigate.

"Maya! You actually came!" Jordan materialized, grinning, those perfect teeth probably required some kind of expensive vitamin regimen she couldn't afford. "Check out Jackson's setup."

In the center of the backyard, a rectangular pool glowed with electric blue lights. Inside, a solitary goldfish darted around a plastic castle, looking as confused as Maya felt.

"Nice fish," Maya managed, hoping she didn't sound as awkward as she felt.

"That's Captain Finneas," Jackson called from the porch, raising a red solo cup. "Legend says he survived a week without food. Total bull, but we pretend to believe him."

Lightning cracked across the sky, illuminating Jackson's face in that freeze-frame way that made everything look cinematic for half a second. The first drops of rain started falling, slow and heavy.

"Inside!" someone yelled, and suddenly everyone was scrambling toward the house, laughing and shrieking. Maya grabbed Jordan's hand without thinking, and they tumbled through the sliding door into the crowded living room, soaking wet and breathless.

Jordan squeezed her hand back, just for a second. "You okay?"

"Yeah," Maya said, and realized it was true. The social anxiety that usually felt like static in her brain had quieted. Maybe it was the rain, or the way Jordan's hair was plastered to their forehead, making them look real and human instead of untouchable.

Outside, lightning flashed again, and Captain Finneas continued swimming, oblivious to the storm and the teenagers pressed against the glass, watching the rain like it was the most fascinating thing in the world. For the first time all night, Maya felt exactly where she was supposed to be.