Goldfish in the Lightning

Maya pressed her back against the utility shed, feeling like the world's worst undercover operative. She wasn't exactly a spy, but watching Liam from behind the party supplies at Jenna's birthday bash definitely counted as creepy. She'd been crushing on him since seventh grade, and tonight he was finally single again.

The pool area was packed—senors with their perfect hair and juniors trying too hard. Maya stayed in the shadows, clutching her solo cup like it was a lifeline. The air smelled like chlorine and coconut sunscreen.

Then lightning flashed across the sky, illuminating everything in this stark, electric blue. Someone screamed. The storm had been threatening all evening.

"Maya! Get in here!" Jenna called from the back door. "Pizza's here!"

Maya turned too fast, tripped over a decorative goldfish bowl, and sent water and a very confused orange fish sailing across the patio. The goldfish flopped on the concrete, gasping.

"Oh my god, your fish!" Maya scrambled to save it, her hands shaking. She scooped up the poor thing and dumped it back in the bowl, but not before noticing everyone staring. Including Liam.

She retreated to the kitchen, face burning. Grabbed a slice of veggie pizza, took a huge bite, and—yup. Spinach. Stuck right between her front teeth. She'd been smiling at people with spinach in her teeth for forty-five minutes.

"Need some help?"

Maya spun around. Liam stood there, dripping wet from the pool, water slicking his dark hair back from his forehead. He held out a napkin. "You've got a little..."

She died. Actual death. This was it.

"Thanks," she mumbled, wiping frantically.

"I saw what you did," he said. "Saving the fish. That was pretty cool."

Maya blinked. "Really?"

"Nobody else even noticed. They were all freaking out about the lightning." He shrugged, smiling. "I'm Liam, by the way."

"I know who you are," she said, then wanted to melt into the floor. "I mean—everyone knows who you are. You're, like, swim team captain."

"And you're the girl who just rescued Jenna's goldfish from certain death." He grinned. "Wanna hang out? The storm's supposed to get worse."

Outside, thunder rattled the windows. Maya looked at her spinach-less reflection in the microwave door, then back at Liam. She smiled, for real this time.

"Yeah," she said. "I'd like that."