Storm Break at the Courts

The spinach smoothie sat heavy in Maya's stomach as she wiped sweat from her forehead. Her dad's latest health phase meant post-practice "fuel" that tasted like wet grass.

"You coming to padel tonight?" Jordan asked, bouncing a tennis ball against the gym wall. Everyone was switching from tennis to padel like it was some revolutionary sport instead of just tennis with shorter racquets.

Maya shook her head. "Swim team." She'd lied about knowing how to swim back in seventh grade just to avoid joining softball, and now she was stuck in the deep end—literally and metaphorically.

The baseball players hung out by the parking lot, their cleats clicking against pavement. Lucas from her English class waved, and Maya felt her face heat up. She'd been crushing on him since he'd defended her choice to read manga during free reading time.

"You should just talk to him," Jordan said, reading her mind.

"Easy for you to say. You're not the one who pretended to be a swim champion for three years."

Practice was underwater chaos. Coach Martinez timed laps while Maya doggy-paddled in the slow lane, praying nobody noticed. Afterward, she changed quickly and headed to the padel courts—Jordan had begged her to at least watch.

The sky turned that weird greenish color that meant trouble. Thunder rumbled like someone moving furniture upstairs. One crack of lightning struck so close everyone screamed. Then the sky opened up.

Maya ran for cover under the snack bar overhang. Lucas was already there, shaking rain from his hair like a wet dog.

"Wild weather, right?" he said. Then, "Hey, aren't you on the swim team?"

Her stomach dropped. "Yeah."

"That's awesome. I could never do that." He laughed. "I sink like a rock. My brother tried to teach me, but I just—I don't know, panic."

Maya blinked. The star baseball player couldn't swim?

"I could teach you," she heard herself say. "If you want."

Lucas's face lit up. "Really?"

The rain kept falling, but Maya's chest felt lighter than it had in years. Her smoothie-green stomach settled. Maybe she could fake it till she made it—or maybe she'd just start actually making it.