Poolside Lightning Strikes Twice

Maya felt like a **zombie** as she dragged herself to Jaden's end-of-summer pool party. Three weeks of AP summer homework would do that to you. Her phone buzzed in her pocket — probably the group chat roasting her for being late, again.

"You finally made it!" Jaden yelled from the **pool** edge, cannonballing into the deep end. "And looking like you haven't slept in a week. Classic Maya."

She flipped him off but cracked a smile. That was the thing about Jaden — he noticed, but he never made her feel weird about it.

The party was in full swing. People were **running** around, playing volleyball, blasting that same stupid song that had been stuck in everyone's head all summer. Maya's best friend Kai gave her that look — the one that said "TALK TO HIM ALREADY" — but she just rolled her eyes and grabbed a soda.

**Lightning** flickered across the sky, distant but promising rain later. Most people groaned about the weather potentially killing the vibe, but Maya kind of loved it. Storms felt honest somehow.

She ended up **swimming** laps as the party wound down, something about the water drowning out all the noise in her head. Jaden joined her, treading water in that effortless way that made her annoyed and attracted all at once.

"You know," he said, splashing water at her, "you didn't have to come if you were tired. Though I'm glad you did."

Maya's stomach did that embarrassing flip thing. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means you're not as subtle as you think you are." Jaden grinned. "About being tired. About everything."

A perfect moment, really. Then Kai decided to yell "JUST KISS ALREADY" from the deck, and Maya ducked underwater to hide her burning face. Sometimes life was wonderfully, horribly perfect like that.