Storm Season Secrets

Maya pressed her back against the cafeteria wall, grateful for the beat-up dad hat she'd stolen from her brother's closet. Its bram shadowed her face as she watched Liam and his friends at their usual table. She wasn't proud of this whole wannabe spy routine she'd been running for weeks now — creeping through the hallway between classes, timing her bathroom breaks to match his schedule, memorizing his coffee order (oat milk latte, two pumps of vanilla). But nobody said developing a crush on the most oblivious guy in tenth grade would be dignified.

Outside, the sky was putting on a show — dark clouds rolling in like they owned the place. Maya checked her phone. Her friends had blown her off for lunch again, claiming they were "busy" but probably just hanging out without her. Whatever. She'd rather be solo anyway.

A crack of lightning shattered the gloom, so bright it washed out the cafeteria's fluorescent buzz. Maya flinched. When she looked up, Liam was standing right there.

"Nice hat," he said. "You going for the whole mysterious vibe or what?"

Maya's brain short-circuited. "Uh, what?"

"I've seen you watching me," Liam said, rocking on his heels like this was the most normal conversation ever. "For, like, three weeks now. I was waiting for you to actually say something."

Her face burned hot enough to compete with the lightning still flashing outside. "You knew?"

"Dude, you're not exactly stealth." He grinned, and okay, that smile was unfair. "So you gonna tell me your name, or am I supposed to keep calling you Hat Girl in my head?"

Outside, thunder rumbled like the universe was laughing at her. Maya considered bolting, considered faking a sudden illness, considered every reasonable escape route available.

Instead, she took a deep breath. "Maya. And I was totally not spying on you."

"Sure you weren't." He pulled out his phone. "But since you're apparently interested, there's this party on Saturday. My friend Jordan's place. You should come."

Maya's heart did this embarrassing flutter thing. "Is this you pity-inviting me?"

"Nah, I just figure if you're gonna watch me, might as well make it easier on yourself." He winked, actually winked, and walked away. "Text me. I'm in the school directory."

Maya touched the brim of her hat, her face still burning. Outside, the storm finally broke, rain lashing against the windows in wild sheets. Some storms destroyed things. Others? They just washed away the pretending.