Storm Lightning Summer

Maya's iPhone 11 was basically a dinosaur at this point, but she couldn't afford the upgrade. Not when her parents were still "discussing" her college fund like it was some optional subscription service.

"You're not even looking at the menu," Chloe pointed out, tapping her perfectly manicured nails on the table at Orange Leaf. "This was your idea, remember?"

"I'm looking," Maya lied, scrolling through TikTok instead. The frozen yogurt place was packed with juniors from their school, and Maya's stomach did that weird twisty thing whenever she saw Tyler.

Tyler, who was currently laughing with Sarah at a table across the room.

"You're doing it again," Chloe said, stealing Maya's phone. "The thing where you watch him instead of actually living your life."

"Give it back."

"Nope." Chloe grinned. "We're getting fro-yo, and you're going to actually talk to him instead of just staring dramatically like you're in a music video."

Outside, the sky had turned that weird orange color that meant either sunset or storm was coming. Maya's phone buzzed in Chloe's hand – a weather alert. SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING.

"Perfect," Chloe said, reading it. "Dramatic weather. Very aesthetic."

"You're the worst."

"I'm literally the best friend you've ever had. Now go over there before I text him for you."

Maya's heart was pounding so hard she could feel it in her throat. She grabbed her phone back and stood up, and that's when the first crack of lightning split the sky outside – so bright it washed out everything in the restaurant for a split second.

"Did you see that?!" someone yelled.

The power flickered. Everyone's phones lit up simultaneously, a constellation of screens in the sudden semi-darkness.

And Tyler was looking at her.

Not at Sarah. At Maya.

"Your phone," he said, pointing at her screen. "You're still on iOS 14? That's why it's so slow."

Maya laughed, surprising herself. "Yeah, well, some of us aren't made of money."

"I could upgrade it for you," he said. "I jailbroke mine, I know how to do it."

The lights came back on. Sarah was texting someone, not even paying attention. Outside, rain started hammering against the windows like it was trying to break in.

"That's the worst pickup line I've ever heard," Maya said, but she was smiling.

"Is it working?" Tyler asked, grinning back.

"Ask me after our yogurt date."

Behind her, Chloe made a tiny victory fist pump that Tyler definitely saw but pretended not to.

The storm raged outside, but Maya felt like she'd been struck by something way more powerful than lightning.