Lightning at Lane's Pool

Maya pressed her back against the side of Lane's house, heart hammering like she'd just finished a 200-meter freestyle. She wasn't swimming though—that would've been way less terrifying. She was spying. Technically.

"Spies don't wear bikinis," she muttered to herself, adjusting the strap that kept digging into her shoulder. "Spies wear tactical gear and have cool gadgets. I have我妈's sunscreen and crippling social anxiety."

Through the wooden fence slats, she could see everyone by the pool. Chloe, the junior queen bee, was gliding through the water like something out of a shampoo commercial. Even her swimming looked expensive. Meanwhile, Maya was out here playing ninja because she'd overheard Chloe talking about her at lunch yesterday.

"Maya? Oh, she's fine, I guess," Chloe had said. "If you're into that whole quiet academic type."

That whole quiet academic type. Maya had spent three hours looking up what that even meant. Apparently, it was code for boring.

"You coming in or what?"

Maya literally jumped, her flip-flop slapping the concrete. It was Leo, leaning against the back gate with a red solo cup, looking unfairly good in swim trunks.

"I was... just about to," she lied. "Just needed to... reapply sunscreen."

Leo snorted. "You've been out here for like twenty minutes. I timed it."

Maya's face burned. "You were timing me?"

"Maybe I was the spy all along," he grinned, then his expression softened. "Hey, you okay? You seem... off."

A flash of lightning split the sky, followed instantly by thunder that shook the ground.

"Whoa," Leo said. "That was close."

Everyone by the pool was already scrambling out of the water. Lane's mom appeared at the back door, gesturing everyone inside. Maya felt a weird relief—the storm was her excuse to skip the party, go home, and spiral in peace.

"Come on," Leo said, grabbing her wrist. "Let's get you some food. You look like you haven't eaten all day."

Inside, the kitchen counter was covered in party food. Chips, dip, pizza rolls, and—Maya's stomach did a flip—a massive bowl of spinach artichoke dip.

Lane's mom appeared beside her. "Maya! So glad you made it. You've got to try my spinach dip—it's literally famous."

Maya stared at it. She'd literally never eaten spinach in her life. It was on her no-go list, right behind oysters and ahead of tomatoes.

"I—I don't really—"

"Just try it, sweetheart! It's got like three different cheeses. You'll love it."

The room was quieting down. Everyone was watching. Chloe was watching.

So Maya took the chip, dipped it in the green slop, and put it in her mouth.

And...

It wasn't terrible. It was actually kind of amazing?

"See?" Lane's mom beamed. "Told you."

Maya swallowed. "That's... actually really good."

"Told you," Leo whispered. "Don't knock the spinach till you try it."

Lightning flashed again, illuminating everything in stark white. For a second, Maya caught Chloe's expression across the room—something almost like respect.

"Okay," Chloe said, grabbing a chip. "If she's trying it, I guess I will too."

Maya stood there with spinach dip on her tongue and lightning in her chest, realizing something: maybe she wasn't the quiet academic type after all. Maybe she was just someone who hadn't figured out who she was yet.

"Hey," Leo said, bumping her shoulder. "Wanna play Mario Kart? I called next on the Switch."

Maya smiled—really smiled. "Only if you're ready to get wrecked."

He laughed. "Bringer it on, spy."

Outside, the rain started falling, and for once, Maya wasn't watching from the sidelines.