Storm Ready

Maya pulled the brim of her dad's old baseball hat lower, trying to disappear. Sixth period pool parties were basically social minefields, and she was definitely not ready to navigate them in a swimsuit.

"Maya! You coming in?" Lena called from the water, splashing enough to soak half the bystanders. "The pool's actually not terrible today!"

"Maybe later," Maya mumbled, adjusting her hat like it could somehow make her invisible. The chlorine smell always gave her headaches, but mostly it was the whole being-seen-in-a-bathing-suit thing that had her stomach doing cartwheels.

Across the pool, Jason was showing off his cannonball technique. Maya had liked him since September, when he'd let her copy his history notes without making her feel dumb about it. But watching him now, shirtless and confident, she felt smaller than ever.

Then the sky went purple-gray.

"Everyone out NOW!" Mr. Harrison's whistle cut through the noise. "Lightning spotted three miles out!"

Water slid off Maya's legs as everyone scrambled toward the locker rooms. She wasn't fast enough. A crack of thunder shook the pavement, and suddenly she was frozen in the open air, her hat blown backward by the wind.

"Maya!" Jason grabbed her hand, pulling her toward the covered area. His palm was warm against her cold fingers. "Come on!"

They dove under the shelter just as the sky opened up. Rain drummed against the metal roof like applause. Maya's hat was gone—probably blown into the pool, now filling with storm water.

"You okay?" Jason asked, genuine concern in those eyes she'd been avoiding looking at all semester.

"Yeah," she said, and realized she meant it. Her hair was messy from losing her hat. Her swimsuit felt exposed. But somehow, none of that mattered anymore.

"You know," Jason said, smiling as he watched the rain, "I think that's the closest I've ever been to getting struck by lightning."

Maya laughed. "Same."

The storm passed as quickly as it arrived. When they walked back to collect their things, Maya didn't look for her hat. Some things, she realized, you had to outgrow.

"Hey," Jason said. "There's this party at Tyler's on Friday. You should come."

Maya didn't adjust anything. She didn't hide. She just smiled. "Yeah. I think I will."