Orange Lightning

The bathroom mirror showed a disaster. My hair, supposed to be a subtle auburn, had turned a screaming traffic-cone orange. Mom's expensive salon dye was apparently expired, or maybe I just had zero clue what I was doing. Either way, I looked like a walking highlighter.

"Maya! You're gonna be late for Jade's party!" my little brother yelled through the door.

"Coming!" I shoved my hair under a black beanie, the hat basically glued to my head at this point. Jade's party was tonight—first big gathering since homecoming, and Tyler would be there. Tyler with the dreamy eyes and the vintage band tees and the absolute ability to never notice me.

The party was already jumping when I arrived. I grabbed a soda, doing my best to look chill despite secretly dying inside. What if someone bumped my hat? What if I started sweating and it slipped? Social suicide, level 1000.

Then I saw the spinach dip. Huge, gorgeous bowl of it, surrounded by chips. I hadn't eaten all day because nerves. I reached for some, and that's when IT happened.

CRASH. Some freshman collided with me, and spinach dip went everywhere. Down my shirt, splashed across my face—and worst of all, all over my hat.

"Oh my god, I'm so sorry!" the freshman stammered.

I bolted for the bathroom, spinach dripping down my face. Locked myself in a stall and just cried for like, a solid minute. This was it. The most embarrassing moment of my entire life.

Then the power went out.

Lightning struck something outside, and the whole house went dark. People screamed, then laughed. In the confusion, I realized nobody could see me. Nobody could see the orange hair or the spinach disaster.

"You okay in there?" a voice asked. Tyler's voice.

"Yeah, just... hiding from the spinach incident," I said, wiping my face.

He laughed. "Dude, that happens to everyone. Last month? I spilled an entire smoothie on myself at lunch. Entire lunch period was walking around with a blue shirt."

I peeked out. "Really?"

"Swear to god." He pulled out his phone, using the flashlight. "So what's under the hat anyway?"

I hesitated, then took it off. My ridiculous orange hair caught the light.

Tyler's eyes went wide. "No way. That's actually kind of sick."

"It's a disaster," I groaned.

"No, it's bold." He stepped closer. "Like, you're just out here living your best orange life. I respect it."

We ended up talking for the whole blackout—twenty minutes of sitting on the bathroom floor while lightning flashed outside, trading embarrassing stories. He told me about breaking his arm attempting a TikTok dance. I told him about the time I called my teacher "Mom" three times in one week.

When the power came back on, I didn't put the hat back on.

"You coming back out?" Tyler asked.

"Yeah." I flipped my orange hair. "Let's go."