When Lightning Split the Party

The party was supposed to be legendary. Kai's older brother was out of town, which meant the beach house was ours for the night. I'd spent three hours getting ready, applying mascara twice because my hands were shaking so bad I kept smudging it. I was finally going to talk to Marcus. He was standing near the makeshift bar, looking unfairly good in his swim trunks. I grabbed a cup of whatever punch someone had made—something with papaya juice, according to the handwritten sign—and downed half of it in one gulp. Liquid courage. "Maya!" someone yelled. "Marco's dad is home! Everyone's running to the back gate!" Panic. I scrambled through the sliding doors and onto the deck, my flip-flops slapping against the wood. Marcus was already ahead of me, ducking under a palm tree. "Wait up!" I called, my voice cracking. He stopped. Lightning flashed across the dark sky, illuminating his face for a split second. He was grinning. "You coming?" he asked. I nodded, not trusting myself to speak. We ran together through the sand, the ocean wind whipping my hair into my face. My heart was pounding so hard I thought it might burst out of my chest, and I couldn't tell if it was the sprint or the fact that Marcus Fisher was actually looking at me like I was someone worth noticing. We ducked behind the neighbor's fence just as the first raindrop hit my arm. "So," Marcus said, leaning against the wood. His hair was messy from running. "That was close." "Yeah," I managed. "Close." He laughed, and something in my chest did this stupid fluttery thing. "You know, I've been trying to talk to you all night, but you kept disappearing." WHAT. "Me?" I squeaked. "I thought you were avoiding me." "Why would I avoid you?" He stepped closer. The rain was coming down harder now, but neither of us moved. "You're the one who's always reading during lunch. I figured you didn't want to be bothered." "I'm not reading," I said, feeling brave all of a sudden. "I'm writing. And I'm totally open to being bothered. Especially by you." The grin got wider. "Good to know." Lightning flashed again, closer this time. Thunder rumbled through the air. We were soaked, sand stuck to our legs, hiding from parents in someone's backyard, and I had never felt more alive. "Want to get out of here?" he asked. "There's a taco truck that's still open." "Absolutely," I said. "But you're buying. I'm pretty sure I left my wallet in the chaos." "Deal." We took off running again, and I didn't even care about my mascara or my hair or anything else. Because sometimes the best moments don't go according to plan. Sometimes you just have to run toward the lightning and see what happens.