Lightning in a Bowl

The bass from Maya's house party vibrated through my sneakers, but I stood frozen on the front porch. Inside, everyone was probably doing shots and playing truth or dare—classic sophomore year chaos. I'd spent forty minutes on my eyeliner, trying to look like I had my life together. Instead, I felt like that **goldfish** my brother won at the carnival last summer—constantly swimming to the edge of its bowl, forgetting it was trapped, then doing it all over again.

"What are you doing out here?" Kail appeared beside me, holding two red cups. His curly hair was slightly damp from rain.

"Nothing," I said. "Just... thinking."

"About how Jordan posted that photo with your ex exactly two hours after you told me you were over it?"

I groaned. "Is nothing sacred?"

"Not in sophomore year, my friend." He handed me a cup. "It's just fruit punch, by the way. I remember how you got at homecoming."

"I was fine at homecoming."

"You fell into a bush."

"That bush attacked me."

A streak of **lightning** split the sky, illuminating Kail's crooked grin. Thunder followed immediately, shaking the porch railing.

"Perfect," I said. "Even the weather's dramatic tonight."

"Actually, I looked it up," Kail said, leaning against the doorframe. "Summer storms like this? The heat builds up all day, and everything gets tense, and then—boom. Release. It's actually kind of beautiful if you think about it."

I stared at him. "Since when do you know so much about weather?"

"Since I started failing earth science and had to do extra credit." He shrugged. "My point is, maybe you're just in your storm phase. The buildup part. But eventually, lightning happens, and you feel better."

"That's the worst pep talk I've ever heard."

"I'm not done." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a bright orange gummy shaped like a bear. "My mom makes me take this **vitamin** D3 stuff because apparently I never go outside. She says everything hits harder when you're deficient. Emotions, stress, whatever."

"You're giving me your vitamin?"

"I'm saying maybe you just need to ride it out. The storm, the deficiency, all of it." He popped the gummy in his mouth. "Or you could come inside and absolutely crush Maya at Mario Kart. She's been talking trash about you for weeks."

Inside, someone screamed with laughter. The bass thumped. My goldfish-bowl feeling suddenly felt a little less suffocating.

"You know what?" I said. "I'm going to destroy her."

"That's the energy." Kail pushed the door open. "Also, Jordan posted that photo because he's still obsessed with you. Just saying."

I laughed, and the storm inside me finally started to break.