Lightning Strike Generation

The carnival lights flickered like a dying heartbeat when Maya's goldfish died. Not a real one—she'd won it at the ring toss three hours ago, and now it floated belly-up in the plastic bag while Jake stood there looking guilty.

"My bad," he said, kicking at the dirt. "I probably shook the bag too much when we were running from that creepo freshman."

"You think?" Maya sighed, but she was smiling. Jake could make her smile even when things were objectively terrible. Which was the problem, honestly.

The sky cracked open—literally. Lightning struck somewhere behind the Tilt-A-Whirl, illuminating Jake's face in that way that made her stomach do something completely embarrassing. He looked like he was about to say something, which would be a first.

"So, prom—" he started.

"MAYA!" Someone screamed.

Zoe came barreling toward them, looking like a literal zombie from the horror movie marathon they'd binged last weekend. Mascara running, hair everywhere, actual panic in her eyes.

"There's a BEAR. There is literally a BEAR by the parking lot."

Maya stared. "A what now?"

"A BEAR! It came out of the woods behind the gym! Everyone's losing it!"

Jake grabbed Maya's hand. "We should probably—"

"RUN, yeah, running sounds smart," Maya finished, heart pounding against her ribs like it was trying to escape.

They didn't make it far. The carnival was chaos—people screaming, rides shutting down, someone's goldfish (probably not theirs) spilling everywhere. But somehow they ended up squeezed together behind the funnel cake stand, shoulders pressed against each other, breathless and laughing hysterically because what even was their lives.

"So," Jake said, still holding her hand. "About prom..."

Maya's chest did that thing again. "Yeah?"

"Wanna go with me? Like, together-together?"

The bear was probably still out there. The carnival was ruined. Her goldfish was definitely dead. But Maya grinned, feeling like lightning had struck something loose inside her.

"Absolutely," she said. "But you're buying me a new fish."