Static & Strays

Maya's phone was at 4%. Three hours into Jessica's house party and she was still hovering near the snack table, nursing a flat soda. The cable connecting her to reality was fraying, literally and figuratively—she'd forgotten her charging cable at home, and her social battery had been dead since she walked through the door.

"You look like you're plotting someone's murder," a voice said.

Maya jumped. It was Ryan from chemistry, leaning against the doorframe with that effortless I belong here energy she'd been trying to fake all night. "Just thinking about how weird it is that we're all pretending to be chill."

He laughed, and she felt her palms get sweaty. Gross. Why did her body betray her at the worst moments?

"Real talk?" Ryan lowered his voice. "I've been hiding in the kitchen for twenty minutes because someone asked me what music I like and I panicked and said 'everything.'"

Maya snorted. "Classic."

A loud crash from the backyard interrupted them. Something knocked over the recycling bin. Then came the most unholy screeching sound.

"Was that..." Maya started.

"A cat?" Ryan finished.

They both bolted for the back door, pushing past tipsy juniors and spilled drinks. There, tangled in a mess of ethernet cables and fairy lights, was a calico cat looking absolutely furious.

Maya dropped to her knees without thinking. "Hey there, little drama queen." The cat hissed but didn't run when she slowly extended her hand. "You're okay. We're all just trying to survive this party too."

Ryan watched, weirdly impressed. Since when was Maya the girl who rescued cats? She was just the quiet one who sat in the back of chemistry.

"She likes you," he said.

"She's hungry and annoyed, same." Maya carefully untangled the cat from a particularly knotted cable. "There we go. Freedom."

The cat darted off into the bushes. Maya stood up, dusting off her knees, and realized Ryan was still looking at her differently.

"What?"

"Nothing." He shrugged. "Just... you're cooler than I thought."

Maya's palms were still sweating, but for the first time all night, she didn't care. "I have a charging cable in my car if your phone's dying."

"Saved my life." He grinned. "And I have snacks in my pocket. We can hide on the porch."

"Deal."

Sometimes the best connections happened when your phone died and a cat ruined the party. Maya followed him outside, finally feeling like she belonged.