The Lightning Goldfish

Maya's pet goldfish was the only one who understood. Not that Blister Bubbles could actually understand—she was a fish—but she'd watched Maya through the glass of her bowl while Maya practiced her baseball swing in the backyard, alone, because nobody wanted a girl on their team.

That changed the summer everything went sideways. There was this boy, Leo, who wore the same beat-up baseball cap every day, turned backward like he didn't care what anyone thought. Maya definitely cared what everyone thought, which was why she was currently hiding behind the bleachers while lightning crackled across the sky.

"You gonna come out?" Leo's voice carried over the thunder rumble. "Or you planning to stay there all night?"

Maya's face burned. She'd been caught sneaking looks at him during lunch, which was pathetic because he was out of her league and she knew it. But then he'd noticed her noticing him, which was either amazing or terrible, and now she couldn't decide which.

The baseball tryouts were tomorrow. Coach said girls could try out this year. Maya had been practicing with a cable she'd rigged between two trees in her yard—her dad's genius idea for building swing strength. Her arms were basically jelly, but she could hit anything now.

"I'm coming," she muttered, but then the sky opened up.

Rain poured down like the universe was personally targeting her. Leo laughed, actually laughed, and grabbed her hand. "Run!"

They bolted for the covered dugout, soaked through, breathless. Maya's hat (a baseball cap like his, but newer) was drenched. She pushed her wet hair back, feeling ridiculous and amazing all at once.

"You're trying out tomorrow, right?" Leo asked, wiping rain from his face.

Maya nodded, unable to speak.

"Cool." He grinned. "I've seen you hit with that cable setup. You're gonna crush it."

Lightning flashed again, illuminating everything—his smile, her red face, the moment stretching between them like possibility itself.

"Thanks," she whispered.

That night, Maya fed Blister Bubbles an extra pinch. "I think he likes me," she told the fish. "Or at least, he thinks I can hit a baseball."

The fish did a little flip. Maya took it as a good sign.