Thunder Road Chronicles

Marcus had been running for twenty minutes straight, lungs burning, legs pumping rhythmically against the pavement. Track practice was over, but he couldn't stop. Not today. Not after what happened at lunch.

He'd been doing his own version of spying—okay, fine, socially stalking—trying to figure out if Luna actually liked him or if she was just being nice. He'd finally worked up the courage to ask her to homecoming, but then Jason Miller, the human equivalent of a charging bull, had "accidentally" knocked Marcus's tray onto the floor. Everyone laughed. Luna looked away.

Now, feet pounding the asphalt, Marcus spotted something ahead. Under the streetlights by Miller's Farm Supply, an orange Honda Civic was pulled over. A girl was jumping up and down, waving her arms.

Luna.

Marcus skidded to a halt. "Everything okay?"

"My car's dead," she groaned. "My dad's gonna kill me."

A bolt of lightning split the sky, purple veins illuminating the darkness. Thunder shook the ground beneath them.

"Perfect," Luna said, sarcasm dripping. "Just perfect."

"I can help," Marcus found himself saying. "My dad's a mechanic. Well, he works on tractors, but cars are basically tractors, right?"

Luna laughed—actually laughed—and something shifted between them. The weird tension from lunch dissolved.

"You're funny, Marcus," she said, orange hair gleaming in the streetlight. "And yeah, I'd appreciate the help."

Twenty minutes later, battery jumped, engine purring, Luna rolled down her window. "Hey, about lunch earlier..."

Marcus's stomach did that thing where it felt like he'd swallowed a swarm of angry hornets.

"Jason's being a total bull lately," she continued. "I felt bad you got caught in his horns. Want to get ice cream tomorrow? My treat. For the save."

Marcus stood there, rain starting to fall, grinning like an idiot. "Yeah. Yeah, I'd like that."

He watched her taillights fade into the storm, already planning his outfit, already worrying about what to say, already feeling like maybe, just maybe, high school wouldn't be so bad after all.

Sometimes the universe throws you lightning. Sometimes you just have to catch it.