Poolside Lightning

The **pool** water sparkled like something out of a TikTok filter, but Maya felt like she was drowning before she even touched the surface. Jake's annual end-of-summer party. The invite had everyone from the junior class blowing up her **iPhone** all week with outfit checks and meetup plans. Maya had spent twenty minutes perfecting her casual-but-effortless look, but now, standing at the edge of the concrete deck in her one-piece, she felt painfully overdressed among the bikini-clad girls laughing in clusters.

'Maya! Finally!' Jake called from the diving board, his usual perfect self. 'Get in here!'

She forced a smile and grabbed a paper plate, loading it with snacks she'd barely eat. That's when it happened—the starter combo of social death. She caught her reflection in the sliding glass door and saw it: a giant piece of **spinach** wedged between her front teeth, probably there since lunch. She'd been smiling like that all afternoon.

Before she could retreat to the bathroom, chaos erupted. Jake's golden retriever, Buster, who'd been eyeing the food table with criminal intent, made his move. He leaped, snagged a burger right out of some sophomore's hand, and bolted toward the **pool** with his prize. People were screaming, laughing, pulling out phones. The dog executed a perfect cannonball, burger and all.

'SOMEONE GET BUSTER!' Jake shouted, laughing despite himself.

Without thinking, Maya jumped in. She'd always been the strong swimmer on the team, the one who could retrieve lost goggles from the deep end. She grabbed Buster's collar and hauled the sopping, shameless dog to the stairs, where he shook water all over everyone like a furry sprinkler.

'Maya!' Jake waded over. 'That was actually so badass.' He was looking at her differently—not like the quiet girl from English class, but like someone who'd just done something cool. 'I didn't know you could swim like that.'

'Team,' she said, wiping water from her eyes. Then she noticed something else. 'Is that... **lightning**?' She pointed toward the distant horizon where clouds had gathered without anyone noticing. A flicker of purple-white electricity danced across the sky.

'Everyone out!' Jake's mom called from the deck. 'Storm's moving in fast!'

As people scrambled for towels and phones, Maya found herself sitting next to Jake on the covered porch, watching the rain start to fall. He offered her a towel and she realized—she'd forgotten to check her teeth in the chaos. The spinach was probably still there.

'Hey,' he said, touching his own front tooth. 'You've got a little...' He smiled, and Maya covered her face, laughing.

'I know. It's been there all day, hasn't it?'

'Maybe,' he grinned. 'But honestly? I was too nervous to notice anything else anyway.'

Behind them, the storm broke open, and for the first time all afternoon, Maya felt like she could finally breathe.