Lightning Strike at Midnight

Maya was running on pure adrenaline and three Mountain Dews. The house party raged behind her, bass thumping against her ribs, but none of that mattered. Not after what she'd just seen.

She'd been the designated spy all night—Lila's word, not hers. Just watch him, Lila had begged in the kitchen earlier. See if he looks at me. Like Maya was some kind of undercover operative instead of just the third wheel who'd driven them there.

Now she knew why Lila was nervous. Because Caleb had spent exactly zero time looking at Lila and all time making eyes at someone else. Someone unexpected.

The backyard stretched dark and empty ahead. Maya's phone buzzed—Lila again: did u see anything????

Maya typed back: running home. talk later.

Her finger hovered over send when lightning cracked the sky, sudden and blinding, illuminating everything for one split second. In that flash, she saw him sitting on the back porch swing alone. Not Caleb.

Noah. The quiet one. The one who'd spent the whole night in the corner with his phone, like her. The one who'd caught her eye earlier and actually smiled.

The thunder came three seconds later. Close.

Maya sat down beside him, breathless. Nice night for a storm.

He looked up, surprised. Yeah. I was just—

Running away from the drama? she finished.

He laughed. Is that what we're calling it?

Inside, the countdown to midnight started. MAYA! SOMEONE'S DRINKING YOUR JUICE BOX!

They both cracked up. Social death via juice box. Only at sixteen.

Another lightning flash. This time, for a heartbeat, their hands touched on the porch swing. Electric in a way the storm wasn't.

You wanna get out of here? Noah asked. There's this diner—

Yes, Maya said, before he could finish. Because sometimes the best plans were the ones you didn't spy on, didn't overthink, didn't run from.

Sometimes you just had to let yourself get struck by lightning.