Orange Skies Over Miller's

Maya stood outside Miller's house, her iPhone practically burning a hole in her pocket. This was it—her first actual high school party. She'd spent forty-five minutes on her hair, another twenty convincing herself this hat wasn't trying too hard, and now she was just staring at the front door like it might bite her.

"You good?" Jordan asked from beside her. Of course he was calm. Jordan was always calm, leaning against the palm tree in Miller's front yard like he belonged here, like he hadn't been basically invited by accident.

"Yeah," Maya lied, wiping her palms against her dress. "Just thinking about how much I don't want to embarrass myself."

Jordan laughed. "Dude, half the people inside are probably doing the exact same thing. That's the whole vibe."

The sun was setting behind the house, painting everything this insane orange color that made the moment feel cinematic. Maya pulled out her iPhone, instinctively wanting to capture it, then stopped herself. Since when did she need to document everything? Since when did she need proof that she was living?

She slipped the phone back into her pocket.

"You coming or what?" Jordan pushed off the palm tree, heading for the door.

Maya took a breath, adjusted her hat, and followed. Inside, the air smelled like punch and too much cologne and possibility. Someone handed her a red Solo cup filled with something definitely non-alcoholic but still exciting somehow. The bass thrummed in her chest, and for a second, she almost turned back around.

Then Jordan leaned in and said, "Maya, relax. You're literally the coolest person I know."

Her face went hotter than the orange sky outside.

She didn't pull out her phone once. Not when someone accidentally knocked into her and made her spill punch down her dress. Not when Jordan finally asked if she wanted to go somewhere quieter, just the two of them. Not when they ended up on Miller's back porch, watching the last of the orange fade into deep purple, talking about everything and nothing until her phone died.

Some moments didn't need to be documented. Some moments just needed to happen.