Lightning in a Pyramid Scheme

Maya's hands shook as she adjusted her eyeliner in the bathroom mirror. The bathroom was her sanctuary at Jordan's party—everyone else was outside, but Maya needed a minute. Being a freshman at a high school party was basically walking into the social pyramid blindfolded.

Then the power flickered.

Outside, screams erupted. Maya stumbled into the backyard just as lightning forked across the sky, illuminating everything in this crazy blue-white flash. And that's when she saw it: Jordan's cat, Mochi, perched atop the outdoor TV like a tiny gargoyle, back arched, hissing at nothing.

"Dude, my cat's actually possessed," Jordan yelled over the thunder.

But that wasn't even the weirdest part.

Because in that same lightning flash, Maya saw Him. Caleb. The sophomore she'd been lowkey stalking on Instagram since September. And he was... wearing a bear costume? A full-on mascot head, like he'd lost a bet or something.

"Nice bear," Maya found herself saying before her brain could catch up.

Caleb jumped, nearly knocking over the pyramid of red Solo cups someone had constructed on the patio table. The cups cascaded everywhere—beer splashing, people groaning.

"Oh my god, I am SO sorry," Maya said, her face burning hotter than anything.

But then Caleb laughed, pulling off the bear head to reveal messed-up hair and this sheepish grin that made Maya's stomach do this whole gymnastics routine.

"Nah, my bad," he said. "Lost a bet to the football team. Had to wear this for an hour." He gestured at the disaster of cups. "But you basically saved me from having to drink any of that nasty keg beer, so... thanks?"

And just like that—lightning striking the same spot twice—Maya went from invisible freshman to the girl who accidentally destroyed the beer pyramid and made the cute sophomore laugh.

Outside, the storm raged on. But inside, Maya felt like she'd just survived something way more terrifying than thunder: she'd actually talked to him.

And honestly? She'd take a bear costume over her own anxiety any day.