The Hat in the Lightning

The cable from my earbuds was tangled around my phone, usual Friday night chaos. I was sitting at the edge of the pool, legs in the water, watching everyone laugh. Okay, fine—watching **HIM**.

His name was Luke, and I'd been basically a **spy** for three weeks now. Not creepy stalking, I swear. Just strategic observation. Knowing his smoothie order (mango, extra protein), knowing he sat by the window in third period, knowing he wore that stupid backwards **hat** every single day even though we were indoors half the time.

"You're doing it again," Sarah said, flopping down beside me. She flicked water at my face. "Just talk to him."

"I'm building a profile," I said. "Gathering intel."

"You're being weird."

"It's called having a crush, Sarah. Look it up."

Then—**LIGHTNING**.

Not real lightning, though the sky was getting dark. It was Luke. Walking toward me. My heart did that thing where it forgets how to work.

"Hey," he said. He looked nervous. "Cool party."

"Yeah," I said. Great opening, Maya. Really compelling stuff.

He sat on the edge of the pool, not too close, not too far. Close enough that I could see the fraying edge of his hat brim. Close enough that my brain stopped functioning entirely.

"I, uh, saw you at the café yesterday," he said. "You were reading that book about space." He paused. "I like space."

WHAT.

"You—what?"

"Yeah. I wanted to say hi but I didn't want to bother you." He rubbed his neck. "You always look like you're thinking about something important."

The cable of my earbuds was still tangled around everything. I reached down to fix it and SPLASH—my phone slid right into the pool.

We both lunged for it, hands colliding, and somehow ended up chest-deep in the water, fully clothed, both holding my now-definitely-ruined phone.

We just stared at each other.

Then he started laughing. And I started laughing. And suddenly I wasn't a spy anymore. I was just a girl in a pool with a boy who liked space, whose hat had fallen off and was floating away like a little boat.

"Want to get smoothies tomorrow?" he asked. "Mango, extra protein?"

"How did you—"

"I notice things too, Maya."

Oh.

OH.