Poolside Lightning

The chlorine hit Maya's nose before she even saw the water. Jessica's annual pool party — the social event of the summer before freshman year. Maya clutched her iPhone like a lifeline, scrolling through nothing while girls in bikinis flitted around like butterflies.

"Maya! Finally!" Jessica materialized, handing her a bright green gummy. "Vitamin C boost. My mom's obsessed."

Maya forced a smile, popping the gummy. "Thanks, Jess."

She positioned herself at the pool's edge, feet dangling in the cool water. That's when she saw him — Jake, from English class, standing awkwardly by the snack table. Maya's stomach did that irritating little flip.

Thunder rumbled in the distance. No one else seemed to notice.

Jake caught her eye. Weirdly, he started walking over.

"Hey," he said, sitting beside her. "Hiding?"

"Is it that obvious?"

He laughed. "I'm Jake. We sat near each other in English. You always drew in your notebook."

Heat rushed to Maya's face. "You noticed?"

"I noticed everything," he said, then immediately looked away. "That sounded creepy. I meant — your drawings were really good. Like, actually good."

A flash of lightning split the sky. Everyone screamed.

"Everyone out!" Jessica's mom shouted. "Storm's moving fast!"

The pool area transformed into chaos. People grabbed towels, phones, shrieking about hair and makeup. Maya started to stand, but Jake touched her arm.

"Wait," he said.

The rain began — fat, warm drops that felt nothing like the pool's cool water. Within seconds, they were both soaked. Maya looked at Jake, water plastering his hair to his forehead, and they both started laughing.

"We look like drowned rats," she said.

"I was going more for elegant wet dog, but sure."

They sat there as the storm intensified, lightning flashing every few seconds, thunder shaking the ground. Everyone else had vanished inside. Just them, alone in the downpour.

"So," Jake said, wiping rain from his eyes. "You wanna come over next week? I have this old video game collection. And my sister makes these terrible brownies."

Maya's heart did something more complicated than a flip. "Terrible brownies?"

"Legendarily bad. Like, might kill you bad."

"I'd love to."

"Cool. Cool."

They sat in comfortable silence, rain falling around them, everything feeling possible and new and terrifyingly wonderful.

Maya realized she'd forgotten her iPhone by the pool. She didn't care.