Lightning at the Pool

Maya's hair refused to cooperate. She'd spent forty minutes trying to tame the frizz, but the humidity had other plans. Great. Exactly what she needed before Jake's party.

The pool party of the summer. Everyone who was anyone would be there.

She smoothed her curls one more time and grabbed her padel racquet from the corner of her room. Jake had mentioned they might hit the court between swimming. Like she could focus on padel when he'd be there, shirtless, possibly.

Her heart did that thing. The fluttery, annoying thing.

"You going?" her little brother chimed from the hallway.

"Yeah, yeah. Keep it down."

"You've been prepping for two hours. It's just Jake's party."

Maya rolled her eyes so hard it practically hurt. "Noah, you're twelve. You don't get it."

"I get that you're overthinking it. Again."

She ignored him. Grabbed her towel. Pool parties were brutal for overthinkers.

When she arrived, the atmosphere crackled like lightning about to strike. Music thumped. People clustered around the pool, laughing, splashing. Jake emerged from the water, droplets running down his chest.

Maya's brain short-circuited.

"Maya! You made it!" Jake waved, grinning like he actually meant it. "We're starting a padel tournament. You in?"

"Uh, yeah?" Smooth. Real smooth.

"Cool. You're on my team."

Wait. WHAT.

They played. They crushed it. She forgot to be self-conscious about her hair or her swimsuit or anything else. Jake kept high-fiving her, laughing when she missed, celebrating when she scored.

Then she saw it — a giant inflatable bear pool float drifting near the deep end. Someone had Sharpied "BEAR WITH IT" across its belly.

Maya snorted. "Classic."

Jake followed her gaze. "That thing's legendary. Last summer, Tiara dared Marcus to ride it off the diving board. He wiped out spectacularly."

"No way."

"Wish I had it on video."

Suddenly, the sky darkened. Actual lightning forked across the horizon.

"Everyone out!" Jake's dad shouted.

They scrambled for the porch, huddled under the overhang as rain poured down. Maya ended up squished between Jake and the inflatable bear, which someone had dragged to safety.

Her hair was definitely ruined now. Curls gone wild.

Jake looked at her and smiled. "Your hair's kind of amazing like this."

The thunderstorm outside had nothing on what happened in her chest.

"Thanks," she managed, breathless.

"Yeah. So, padel rematch tomorrow? Just us?"

Maya nodded, unable to form words.

Sometimes the best things happened when your plans got completely rained out.