Goldfish Memory & Lightning Dreams

The party was exactly the kind of social disaster Maya's anxiety had been warning her about all week. Someone's basement, sticky floors, way too many bodies, and that one guy from sophomore year who definitely thought he was cooler than he actually was. She'd been hiding in the corner for twenty minutes, clutching a red plastic cup like it was a lifeline, when her best friend Jenna grabbed her arm.

"You're literally doing that thing where you look like you're calculating your escape route," Jenna whispered, grinning. "Loosen up, bestie. You're not gonna have a goldfish memory about this and forget you had fun."

Maya rolled her. "That's not even what that means."

"Whatever. Just——"

Then Lucas walked in. Maya's stomach did that annoying flip thing it always did when he was around, like she was still twelve and he hadn't grown two feet and gotten that jawline situation. He spotted her across the room and actually smiled. Actually smiled.

She bolted. Just straight-up started running toward the backyard like her life depended on it, ducking past a very confused-looking couple mid-conversation.

Outside, the air was finally cool enough to breathe. The backyard was empty except for some strung-up lights that kept flickering like lightning about to strike. Maya sat on the edge of the porch, pressing her forehead against her knees.

"You okay out here?"

She looked up. Lucas. Of course.

"Fine," she lied. "Just needed air."

"Cool," he said, sitting beside her. Close. Too close. "You looked like you were about to bear witness to a crime scene back there."

Maya snorted before she could stop herself. "That's definitely not what that means."

"Whatever." His knee bumped hers, and her brain short-circuited. "Hey, I saw that thing you posted about your art. The digital stuff? It's actually sick."

Maya stared at him. Lucas had seen her art?

"You saw it?"

"Yeah. I mean, I follow you." He shrugged, like it was nothing. "Your color stuff reminds me of lightning storms. All that energy, you know?"

She was going to die. She was literally going to perish right here on this porch.

"Thanks," she managed, her voice barely above a whisper. "I—— I can show you more sometime. If you want."

Lucas smiled, and it wasn't his cool-guy smile from earlier. It was real.

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

Inside, Jenna started shouting her name, probably coming to rescue her from social exile. Maya didn't move. She was pretty sure she'd never forget this moment, goldfish memory or not.