Lightning Strike at Miller's

Leo pressed his back against the basement wall, nursing a flat orange soda that had been warm for an hour. The cup was turning to mush in his hand, just like his dignity.

"You gonna stand there all night or actually talk to someone?" Marcus elbowed him, way too enthusiastic about this house party. "Dude, Maya's literally looking over here every five seconds."

"She's probably wondering why the weird kid keeps staring at her." Leo adjusted his glasses for the fiftieth time.

"You're not weird, you're just..." Marcus waved his hand vaguely. "In your head a lot. It's giving mysterious, honestly. Girls love that shit."

Before Leo could explain that no, girls did not love that shit, someone shouted his name.

"YO LEO!" Tyler, the starting quarterback, pushed through the crowd. "We need a fourth for beer pong. Miller says you're actually good at this?"

"Uh." Leo's voice squeaked. Smooth.

"Come on." Tyler grabbed his arm. "Brett's being a total bull about the rules, we need someone who can actually play."

Suddenly Leo was at the table, a ping pong ball in hand. The room felt too bright, too loud, everyone watching. His heart hammered against his ribs like it was trying to break out.

Maya was watching.

Leo sank the first shot. Then the second. The third bounced off the rim, but whatever.

"Okay, DAMN." Maya appeared beside him, laughing. "Since when do you have skills?"

He shrugged. "Since too many Friday nights practicing against myself?"

"Well, you're carrying us." She bumped his shoulder, and the contact sent a little jolt through him that had nothing to do with the static electricity in the room.

"WHAT was THAT?" Brett roared from across the table. "Bro, you can't lean over the line like that! That's literally against the rules!"

"Chill, Brett," Maya said. "He barely touched the line. Stop being such a bull about everything."

Leo's face burned. But Maya was defending him. Maya knew his name enough to defend him.

The game came down to the final cup. Brett's eyes burned with competitive fire. The room had gone quiet, people gathering around to watch. Leo's hand shook as he lined up the shot.

*Just throw the ball,* he told himself. *Just throw it.*

The ball arced through the air—perfect, beautiful—and sank into the cup with a splash.

"LET'S GOOOO" Tyler and Marcus screamed simultaneously. Maya threw her arms around Leo, and for three seconds, his brain stopped working entirely.

They stumbled outside afterward, where the air was cool and the sky had opened up. Lightning split the darkness, followed immediately by thunder.

"Yo, nature is WILD right now," Marcus said, staring up.

But Leo wasn't looking at the sky. He was looking at Maya, who was smiling at him with genuine warmth in her eyes.

"You're coming to the next party, right?" she asked.

"Yeah," Leo said, and for the first time all night, he didn't feel awkward saying it. "Yeah, I think I am."