Static Electricity

Maya's palms were sweating. She'd been standing against the wall for twenty minutes, holding the same red Solo cup, pretending she wasn't completely terrified. Jordan's basement party was everything she usually avoided: too loud, too many people, too much

LIGHTNING flashed through the narrow window, illuminating a room full of bodies moving to bass that vibrated in her chest. Outside, a summer storm was brewing. Inside, Maya was having her own internal weather emergency.

"You look like you're plotting an escape," someone said.

Maya jumped. It was Riley, the quiet senior from her art class, holding a plate of stolen cookies.

"Maybe I am," Maya admitted.

"Mind if I join? This party is giving me major overstimulation vibes." Riley slid down the wall to sit beside her. "I have a getaway plan. There's a whole room upstairs where the host's CAT is hiding. We could go pet it and pretend we're socially capable people."

Maya actually laughed. "That sounds perfect, actually."

"But first," Riley said, pulling out their phone, "we need evidence we came. One selfie for the group chat, then we vanish."

They posed against the basement wall, making fake excited faces. Just as the shutter clicked, Maya's crush—Sam, the absolutely

FOX-eyed junior who made her brain malfunction—walked by. Their eyes met for exactly one second. Maya forgot how to exist.

The lights flickered. Thunder rattled the foundation.

"Was that—" Riley started.

"No," Maya said, face burning. "Absolutely not."

"Pretty sure that was a moment, Maya."

"It was eye contact, Riley. Eye contact is not a moment."

"Bet." Riley held out their hand. "Five bucks they ask for your Insta before school Monday."

"You're on. People like Sam don't notice people like me."

But as thunder shook the house again, Sam doubled back, somehow navigating the crowded room to stop in front of them.

"Hey," Sam said. "You're Maya, right? From AP Lit?"

Maya's voice abandoned her. She nodded.

"Cool. I liked your analysis of The Great Gatsby. Made me think about the whole green light thing differently." Sam shifted, looking weirdly nervous. "Anyway, I was gonna get some air upstairs before the storm gets worse. You want to come?"

Maya looked at Riley, who was desperately trying not to visibly celebrate.

"Actually," Maya said, surprising herself, "I was promised a cat."

Sam blinked. Then grinned. "Mr. Whiskers? Yeah, he's awesome. Come on."

As they walked toward the stairs, Maya's phone buzzed. A text from Riley: i believe that is five dollars owed me.

She smiled. Some nights, the electricity in the air wasn't just from the storm.