Lightning in Her Palm

Maya's palms were sweating. Like, actually dripping — the kind of nervous that makes you question every life choice that led to standing outside Tyler Reynolds' house at 11 PM on a Saturday.

"You coming in or what?" Chloe nudged her. Maya's best friend had been dragging her to this party for weeks, claiming it would be "literally iconic." So far, the only iconic thing was Maya's social anxiety peaking.

Inside, the bass thudded against her chest. Someone had pushed a leather couch against the wall, and a giant sphinx statue — because apparently Tyler's mom was into Egyptian kitsch — loomed over a group of seniors playing beer pong. The riddle on its plaque read: WHAT WALKS ON FOUR LEGS IN THE MORNING, TWO AT NOON, AND THREE IN THE EVENING? Which felt way too deep for a bunch of drunk juniors.

"Maya!" Tyler appeared, grinning like he'd just won the lottery. "You made it."

She managed something that sounded like words. Her brain was currently malfunctioning.

"Want a tour?"

"Sure."

They ended up on the back porch, away from the crowd. A calico cat was curled up on the railing, watching them with what Maya swore was judgment.

"That's Princess," Tyler said. "My sister's cat. She's obsessed with her."

Maya pet the cat, and her heart rate finally dropped below a hundred. Princess purred like a tiny motor.

Then it happened — lightning flashed across the sky, illuminating everything in electric purple. Thunder shook the porch boards.

"Wild," Tyler said. He was standing close now. Close enough that Maya could see the freckles on his nose. Close enough that she stopped breathing for a second.

"Yeah," she managed. "Wild."

He reached for her hand, and suddenly Maya understood every rom-com she'd ever rolled her eyes at. His palm was warm, and when lightning struck again — closer this time — neither of them moved away.

"You know," he said, "I've been wanting you to come over for like, months."

Maya's brain short-circuited. "Wait, really?"

"Yeah." He smiled, all crooked and genuine. "You're always running off after class. I figured you were avoiding me."

"I was avoiding everyone," she admitted. "Social anxiety's my toxic trait."

Tyler laughed. "Mine's probably saying stuff I shouldn't. Like how I really wanted to hold your hand tonight."

Princess the cat stood up, stretched, and hopped off the railing like she couldn't deal with anymore of this awkward romance energy.

"Wanna go back inside?" Maya asked, surprised by her own confidence. "Or... stay out here?"

Tyler's hand tightened around hers. "Here's good."

Lightning flashed again, and Maya stopped thinking about running away from everything. Some riddles, she realized, didn't need answers at all — just someone willing to stand in the rain with you while you figured them out.