Static Electricity in Our Veins

Maya's palms were sweating — like, actually dripping — as she stood outside the gym where Friday's party raged. She wasn't even supposed to be here. Her parents thought she was at Avery's studying chemistry, which technically wasn't a total lie if you counted the way her stomach did chemical reactions every time she saw him.

"You coming in or what?" Jen appeared beside her, holding two Solo cups. "I'm not gonna carry your social anxiety all night, bestie."

"I'm literally having a crisis," Maya groaned. "Avery is inside. What if he thinks I'm weird? What if I say something stupid?"

"You ARE weird," Jen said, shoving a cup into her hand. "That's why we're friends. Also, that's literally just fruit punch and probably regret."

Maya's phone buzzed. A text from her mom: Don't forget your vitamin D supplement! Studies show deficiency causes mood swings. Love you!

Maya rolled her so hard her head hurt. Her mom had been on a wellness kick ever since that influencer podcast about optimizing your teen experience through vitamins and mindfulness. Because what 16-year-old's life couldn't be improved by aggressive supplementation?

"Your mom again?" Jen cracked up. "She's more worried about your vitamin intake than your actual life."

"She's going through a phase," Maya sighed. "Like, can we please go in before I lose my nerve completely?"

They pushed through the doors, and suddenly it was lights, bass, too many bodies. Maya spotted him immediately — Avery by the bleachers, laughing at something, and her chest did that thing where it forgot how to lung. She started walking toward him, because apparently she possessed zero survival instincts.

And then — CLICK. The whole gym went pitch black.

Someone screamed. Thunder cracked so loud Maya felt it in her teeth. Storms had been brewing all day, a wall of gray clouds pressing down like the sky was holding its breath. Lightning struck somewhere close, and the emergency lights flickered on, casting everything in eerie red.

"POWER'S OUT!" someone yelled. "EVERYONE CHILL!"

Maya couldn't see. People were pushing, confused. She smelled rain suddenly, like someone had opened a door, and then she was grabbed by the arm and pulled —

"Outside, NOW!" — Avery's voice, breathless and right there —

They burst through the side doors into the storm, rain sheeting down, lightning forking across the sky in violet cracks. Everything was water and noise and holy shit she was RUNNING through a thunderstorm with Avery Chen, both of them soaked through, sneakers sloshing, dodging toward the covered walkway.

They collapsed under the overhang, dripping, chests heaving. Avery's hair was plastered to his forehead and Maya realized her palms weren't sweating anymore because everything was already wet.

"Your mom," he said between breaths, "texted me earlier. She said you forgot your vitamin D."

Maya stared at him. "WHAT."

"I'm friends with your brother," he laughed. "She got my number from him. She's really concerned about our bone health, apparently."

Maya started laughing and couldn't stop. "She sent you a TEXT? About VITAMINS?"

"Bro, she sent a WHOLE paragraph about the importance of supplementation during adolescence," Avery wiped rain from his eyes. "Your mom is unhinged but also kinda iconic."

Lightning split the sky again, closer, and for a second they were both illuminated, grinning like idiots, soaked to the bone, and Maya thought maybe this was exactly what growing up felt like — chaotic and terrifying and perfect all at once.

"Wanna run back in there?" he asked. "Before everyone thinks we ditched?"

"Yeah," she said, and meant it. "Let's go."