Storm Over the Chlorine

Maya clutched her iPhone to her chest like a lifeline, the case slick with sunscreen and nervous sweat. The pool party was in full swing—music thumping, bodies cannonballing, social hierarchies playing out in full HD around the water. She wasn't supposed to be here. Not really.

"You gonna stand there all night or actually get in?" Emma appeared beside her, perched on the pool edge like some kind of sphinx, dripping wet and impossibly calm. Emma always knew things before they happened.

Maya's stomach did that thing it did whenever Jordan glanced her way. Which he kept doing. From across the pool. While holding a neon green pool noodle like it was completely normal.

"I can't," Maya whispered. "He's literally right there. I'm going to say something weird and it'll be—"

"A bear?" Emma raised an eyebrow. "Maya, you've been building this up in your head like some actual grizzly situation. It's just Jordan. The same guy who accidentally FaceTimed you from his toilet that one time."

Maya cracked a smile despite herself. That had been legendary.

Then the first crack of thunder split the sky, and lightning flashed across the horizon like someone taking a picture of the moment. The party scattered—people grabbing towels, drinks, phones. Maya dove for her bag, but someone bumped into her hard, and her iPhone went flying.

Time slowed down. The phone arced through the air, headed straight for the deep end.

A hand shot out and caught it mid-air.

Jordan stood there, dripping wet, holding her phone like he'd just disarmed a bomb. "Your screensaver is still that picture of us from seventh grade science fair?"

Maya's face burned. "I—that was—"

"It's cool," he shrugged, a tiny smile playing at his lips. "I kept my project partner ribbon too."

The rain started pouring as everyone sprinted for the covered patio, but Maya stood frozen in the sudden downpour, heart racing like she'd just swum laps instead of stood there like an idiot. But maybe not an idiot. Maybe just a girl who'd spent all night overthinking a conversation that had already started without her.

She jumped into the pool, clothes and all, because sometimes you just have to make your own lightning.