The Cable That Saved Friday Night

The Friday night lights of Julia's house party hit me like a freight train, and I immediately regretted everything. My phone was at 4%, I knew approximately three people total, and my social battery was already at -47. I was basically a zombie moving through the crowd, dodging couples making out in the hallway and the occasional spilled red solo cup like my life depended on it.

Maya, of course, was in her element. She'd dragged me here, promised it would be 'chill,' then promptly disappeared to charm some seniors by the snack table. I spotted her laughing at something someone said, all perfect hair and effortless confidence. Meanwhile, I was hovering near the wall like a personal spy assigned to monitor the maximum awkwardness possible for one human to endure.

Then the universe decided I hadn't suffered enough. Across the room, this guy – Ty, I think his name was – started telling this insane story about how his cousin's neighbor's friend literally fought off an escaped bull while camping. He was standing on a couch, gesturing wildly, and everyone was eating it up. Complete bull. Not an animal – the story itself. I'd heard the same urban legend like ten times, usually from people trying way too hard to impress a room.

I rolled my eyes so hard I nearly gave myself a headache, and apparently that was visible from space because this girl next to me cracked up. She had this lightning bolt earring catching the party lights, and she caught me mid-eye-roll with a knowing smirk.

"You too?" she whispered, nodding toward Ty's performance. "I'm pretty sure that bull story originated on Reddit in 2019."

I laughed, and the weird thing was – it wasn't forced. We spent the next twenty minutes leaning against the wall, basically becoming party spies, dissecting every fake story, every awkward encounter, every person trying way too hard to be someone they weren't. Her name was Riley, and she had this way of saying everything I was thinking but way funnier.

When her phone died mid-sentence, I handed her my charging cable without thinking. She plugged it in and raised an eyebrow.

"You're literally saving my life right now. My mom will actually become a zombie if she can't reach me."

"My phone's about to die too," I admitted. "I was low-key spiraling before this."

"Me too," she said. "These things always feel like everyone else got the social handbook and I was absent that day."

We exchanged numbers right before Maya finally resurfaced, looking pleased with herself. Riley texted me later that night: 'Tonight didn't suck. Also, Ty's bull story somehow got more ridiculous. He's now claiming it happened during a lightning storm.'

I fell asleep smiling, phone charging on my nightstand, already looking forward to Monday. Not because of school – obviously – but because Riley had bio in the period right before lunch. Funny how the best nights start with feeling like a total zombie and end with someone who gets it.