Three Strikes, One Bolt

Marcus stood in the batter's box, his heart pounding like a bass drop at homecoming. The baseball team from North Valley High stared him down from the field, and honestly? The bleachers were worse. Every single person he'd ever had a crush on was watching. Including, unfortunately, Sophie.

He'd agreed to play in this charity tournament exactly because Sophie mentioned she thought guys who played baseball were kind of hot. Now, in hindsight, this was possibly the dumbest decision of his entire sixteen years.

"You got this, Marcus!" his best friend Javi yelled from the dugout. Marcus adjusted his helmet, trying to look like he knew what he was doing. The truth was, he hadn't touched a bat since Little League, and even then, he'd mostly played right field because that's where they put the kids who couldn't catch.

The pitcher wound up and released. The baseball came hurtling toward him, fast and terrifying. Marcus swung way too early, spinning himself halfway around like a confused ballerina. Strike one.

"Bro, chill," Javi said, handing him some water. "Just make contact. That's literally all you gotta do."

Marcus nodded, then noticed Javi staring at his face with horrified fascination. "Uh, Marcus? You got a little..."

"What?" Marcus wiped his mouth. His hand came away green. Spinach. From the quesadilla he'd nervously inhaled before the game. It was wedged so far up in his teeth he probably needed surgical intervention. Sophie was definitely going to see this. She was in the front row, literally ten feet away. This day couldn't get any worse.

Then the sky opened up.

Literally. A crack of **lightning** split the sky so bright that Marcus flinched, and the umpire immediately called the game. Everyone scattered toward the concession stand for cover, and Marcus found himself pressed against the soda machine with Sophie, rain pounding the tin roof above them.

"That was kind of epic," she said, brushing wet hair from her face. Then she smiled, really genuinely smiled, not the polite one she gave teachers. "Also, you have spinach in your teeth."

Marcus died a thousand deaths in three seconds. "Yeah, I know. My life is a joke."

"Dude," she laughed, and it wasn't mean, "I played an entire volleyball tournament last year with my uniform inside out. Nobody's smooth when it matters." She reached out and flicked his shoulder. "But you trying to impress me? That's kind of adorable, actually."

The rain kept falling, but Marcus didn't care. Sometimes your worst moments aren't the end of the world — sometimes they're just how the right person finally notices you.