Static Electricity Moment

The party buzzed with that specific Friday night energy—too loud, too bright, everything dialed up to eleven. Maya clutched her orange soda can like it was a lifeline, condensation dripping onto her palm. She wasn't even supposed to be here. Jordan had dragged her along, something about "expanding your social circle, bestie," which mostly translated to Maya standing in a corner while Jordan worked the room like they were running for mayor.

A crackle of genuine lightning split the sky outside, briefly illuminating the sea of teenagers through the sliding glass doors. Someone screamed—drama kids, probably—and the moment fractured into laughter and shouted conversations. Maya's iPhone buzzed in her pocket. *Mom: Where r u?*

She tapped out a quick lie before someone could spot her typing parental evasion techniques.

Jordan appeared at her elbow, grinning like they'd just won the lottery. "Maya! Okay, so, Lucas is totally looking at you."

"Lucas has been looking at everyone tonight," Maya deadpanned, though her stomach did that stupid fluttery thing it always did when Lucas was mentioned.

Another lightning flash, closer this time. The backyard flooded with stark blue-white light, and for a split second, Maya met Lucas's eyes across the room. He was holding a—a was that an orange? No, just his phone case, which was orange, like everything else in his life seemed to be color-coordinated lately.

"Go talk to him," Jordan whispered, shoving her shoulder. "I'm literally your friend and I cannot watch you pine for one more second. It's painful. For both of us."

"I'm not pining," Maya objected, but Jordan was already backing away, disappearing into the crowd with a conspiratorial wink that Maya definitely didn't trust.

Her phone chimed again. Unknown number: *hey this is lucas from english, jordan gave me ur number*

Maya stared at her iPhone screen like it contained the secrets of the universe. Outside, thunder rattled the windowpanes. Her heart was doing that thing where it forgot how to beat normally, and maybe Jordan was right about the pining thing, maybe she was obvious, maybe—

*ur really cute when ur pretending not to notice me lol*

Maya's thumb hovered over the screen, her orange-soda-warming hand suddenly clammy. The storm outside suddenly felt distant, unimportant. Something else was beginning, something electric and terrifying and completely unlike standing in corners at parties.

She typed back, smiling despite herself, as the room went dark with another lightning strike.