Thunder Laps

Maya's goggles fogged up as she hovered at the edge of the **pool**, clipboard in hand. Officially, she was the swim team's timer. Unofficially? Total **spy** mission.

"He's doing it again," Zara whispered, sliding onto the bleacher beside her. "That weird thing where he shakes his arms out before every race."

"I don't know what you're talking about," Maya lied, smooth as the chlorine-scented air around them.

"Please. You've been **running** surveillance on Liam since September. It's kinda obsessed, bestie."

Maya's face burned hotter than the summer pavement outside. Okay, so she'd memorized his event times. And his hydration routine. And the exact brand of those neon **vitamin** supplements he chugged between heats. Whatever. That was just being thorough.

Thunder rumbled through the gym's ceiling.

"Practice is canceled!" Coach Miller's voice cut through the humidity. "Storm's coming in fast—everyone out now!"

The team scattered, grabbing towels and phones. But Liam lingered by the starting blocks, tying his shoes with agonizing slowness. This was it. Maya's chance to finally say something that wasn't "good luck" or "nice race."

She fumbled with her clipboard, heart doing that skittery thing that felt suspiciously like anxiety.

"Hey, Maya?"

She jumped. He was right there.

"Uh. Hi."

"You've been watching me all season," Liam said.

Every blood vessel in her body simultaneously caught fire. "I—what? No. I'm just—"

"Your clipboard is upside down."

She looked down. Yep. Upside down.

A flash of **lightning** illuminated the gym's windows, followed instantly by thunder that rattled the doors. The emergency lights flickered on, bathing everything in creepy red glow.

"I wasn't trying to be creepy," Maya whispered, suddenly aware they were completely alone. "I just... I think your freestyle is really good. And I wanted to see how you trained, because I want to make sectionals too, and—" She was rambling. Stop rambling. "I'm sorry."

Liam's expression shifted into something she couldn't read. "You know those vitamins you think I'm always drinking?"

Oh god. He knew.

"They're for my little sister. She can't swallow pills, so I mix them into smoothies for her." He stepped closer. "I've been watching you too, Maya. At every meet. You have the most powerful turn I've ever seen."

Wait. What?

"I was gonna ask if you wanted to train together sometime. But I thought you'd think I was weird."

Outside, the storm broke. Rain pounded against the metal roof like applause.

"We're both pretty weird," Maya said, and for the first time all season, she didn't feel like she was drowning.