Storm Season

Maya's iphone burned in her pocket like a secret she wasn't ready to tell.

Outside, the bonfire painted everyone's faces in flickering gold. Maya stood near the palm trees that marked the edge of Tyler's backyard, holding a cup she hadn't touched since she'd pretending-taken it twenty minutes ago.

"Maya, come sit!"

"I will," she said. "Just vibing."

She wasn't vibing.

Then she saw it—a fox slipping through the shadows, followed by what had to be someone's escaped cat, orange and unconcerned.

They moved like they'd made some kind of truce.

"Did anyone else see—"

No one heard her over the playlist and the laughter and the sound of Tyler being "lowkey obsessed" with her according to everyone who wasn't him.

So she followed them.

Past the fire, past the people performing confidence like it was a rehearsal they'd all memorized.

The sky broke open.

Lightning cracked against the darkness, sudden and spectacular, like someone had ripped a hole in the performance.

In that flash, she saw her own palm outstretched, catching rain like she was catching herself.

The fox and cat sat together, watching her like they knew something she'd forgotten.

Maya laughed.

What was she doing? Pretending she didn't care? Pretending Tyler's attention wasn't exactly what she was supposed to want?

Lightning struck again, closer this time.

She didn't flinch.

She pulled out her iphone, thumbs hovering, then typed: "hey. this is gonna sound random but. I think I like u. also there's a fox and a cat in ur backyard."

Delete.

Delete.

"u here?" she sent instead.

Then she waited, rain plastering her hair to her forehead, palm still tingling from the storm or from finally making a choice that felt like hers.

The cat yawned like teenage feelings were exhausting.

The fox watched her like it had questions.

Her phone buzzed.

"yeah. behind the garage. u okay?"

Maya turned back toward the fire, rain streaming down her face.

"Maya!" her friends called. "Where've you been?"

She smiled, something real rising in her chest for the first time all night.

"Just catching lightning."

They'd think she was being weird.

But for the first time all night, she didn't care.