Thunderpool Setup

Jordan's heart hammered against their ribs as they pulled up to Jessica's house. The backyard was already alive with laughter and splashing — the first pool party of sophomore year, and somehow, Jordan was actually invited.

"You got this," Jordan muttered, grabbing the equipment bag from the passenger seat. Jessica's dad had asked Jordan to help set up the sound system. The cable connecting the speakers to the DJ table had been acting up all week, and Jordan was the only one who knew how to fix it.

"Yo Jordan! You made it!" Tyler called out from the pool, water dripping from his perfect hair. "Party's LIT without you!"

Jordan forced a smile, fingers tightening around the cable. Being the tech person wasn't exactly street cred, but it was something.

Then Jordan saw her — Riley, the junior everyone talked about, sitting alone on a lounge chair, scrolling through her phone like she wished she were anywhere else. She looked up, caught Jordan's eye, and actually smiled. Not the fake polite one. Real.

"Need help with that?" she asked, suddenly beside him.

"Uh, yeah. The input's loose."

Their hands brushed as she reached for the connector. Jordan's face burned like they'd been out in the sun too long. Then the sky opened up.

Literally.

"Everyone out!" Mr. Henderson yelled as lightning cracked across the sky, so bright it left spots in Jordan's vision. Rain started coming down in sheets.

Everyone scrambled toward the house, but Riley didn't move. She was staring at the pool, where something dark was bobbing in the deep end.

"Is that... is that a BEAR?" someone screamed.

"That's a hoodie, genius," Riley said, but she was already moving. She dove in — clothes and all — and fished out the soaking jacket. It was Mr. Henderson's vintage leather jacket, worth more than Jordan's entire wardrobe.

"You saved it," Jordan said, awestruck, as she emerged dripping wet.

"Someone had to," she shrugged, grinning. Then she looked at Jordan, really looked. "You okay? You look like you're gonna pass out."

Jordan wasn't sure if it was the lightning still flashing overhead or the way Riley's wet hair stuck to her face, but suddenly it didn't matter that they were the youngest person there or that the cable still wasn't connected or that everyone was watching them.

"Yeah," Jordan said, and for the first time all night, it wasn't a lie. "I'm actually really good."