Lightning in the Dugout

The thunderstorm was supposed to ruin everything, but honestly? It kind of saved me.

I was stuck in the dugout with Marcos, my ex-best friend, while the rest of the baseball team hid in the locker room. Coach said someone had to stay with the equipment, and of course we both volunteered like idiots. Now the metal bench was freezing against my thighs, and every time lightning flashed, I could see Marcos avoiding my eyes.

"So," he said, poking at a Gatorade bottle with his cleat. "You still stalking Lily's Instagram?"

The question hit me like a 90-mph fastball. Because yeah, I was. I'd become this low-key spy on my own friend group, refreshing apps until my thumb hurt, trying to figure out who was hanging out without me. Since Marcos and I had that massive fight over nothing two months ago, I'd been obsessively tracking everyone's moves like some creepy digital private investigator.

"Whatever," I muttered. "Like you don't check my story views."

He laughed, actually laughed, and the sound was so familiar it made my chest ache. "Jordan, I literally have you on notifications. That's how pathetic I am."

A lightning bolt cracked so close we both jumped. For a second, the dugout lit up like daylight, and I saw something on his phone screen - my profile, open and waiting.

"Wait," I said. "You were looking at MY profile?"

"Every day since March," he admitted, his voice barely audible over the rain. "I was waiting for you to notice me again."

The air between us shifted, heavy with everything we hadn't said. All those weeks I'd spent spiraling over who ditched who, who was popular now, whether I was still part of the group - and Marcos had been doing the exact same thing. We weren't enemies. We were just two idiots who forgot how to talk.

"I missed you, man," I said, and the words felt like they'd been stuck in my throat forever.

"Yeah," he said, handing me a bag of sunflower seeds. "Me too. Want some?"

The rain kept pouring, the game was definitely canceled, and we were still sitting in the world's most awkward dugout. But for the first time in months, I didn't feel like I was missing out on everything. Sometimes the universe throws you a curveball, and you just have to swing.