When the Connection Died

The storm outside was going absolutely feral. Rain hammered against Maya's bedroom window like it was trying to break in, and every few seconds, lightning would flash and paint everything in this eerie blue-white glow that made her room feel like the inside of a glitched video game.

"Dude, your hair looks like you stuck a fork in an electrical outlet," Maya said, gesturing at Jordan, who was sprawled across her beanbag chair.

Jordan ran a hand through their messy curls. "This is called aesthetic chaos, thank you very much. Some of us actually put effort into our look."

"Some of us look like we got attacked by a lawnmower."

"Your best friend is sitting right here, and you're roasting me?"

Maya grinned. "That's literally my job."

They were supposed to be studying for finals—specifically AP History, which was absolutely wrecking both of them—but instead they were three episodes deep into a zombie show that Jordan had insisted was "educational" because it was "technically about societal collapse." The characters on screen were currently making objectively terrible decisions while trying not to get eaten.

"They should literally just find a Costco," Maya said, gesturing at the screen with a chip. "Stock up, lock the doors, done."

"Where's the drama in that?" Jordan argued. "Also, Costco would be the first place overrun. Everyone's gonna have the same idea."

"You've literally thought about this too much."

"It's called being prepared, Maya. Some of us will survive the apocalypse, some of us will—"

The TV flickered once. Then twice. Then the screen went completely black.

"No no no," Maya said, sitting up straight. "Don't do this to me."

"Cable's out," Jordan said, stating the obvious like they always did when things went wrong.

Maya grabbed the remote and started pressing buttons like that would somehow fix whatever the storm had done to the connection outside. Her heart was genuinely racing, which was ridiculous—it was just cable, not the actual apocalypse—but something about the sudden darkness made the room feel different. More intimate. Like they were in a bubble separate from everything else.

"So," Jordan said, voice softer now. "We could actually study."

Maya groaned. "Worst timing ever."

"Or we could just talk?" Jordan shrugged. "Like, actually talk. About... stuff."

The lightning flashed again, and in that split second of illumination, Maya noticed Jordan was looking at her differently than usual. Something about their expression made her stomach do this weird flip thing that had nothing to do with the zombie show they'd been watching.

"What stuff?" Maya asked, her voice suddenly weirdly quiet.

Jordan hesitated. "Like how we're graduating in three weeks and everything's about to change."

"Oh." Maya hadn't realized Jordan was thinking about that too. "Yeah."

"And how some things might not change, if we don't want them to."

The power chose that exact moment to flicker back on. The TV blared to life—zombies screaming, someone running, dramatic music swelling at top volume—and Maya scrambled for the remote while Jordan practically fell off the beanbag laughing.

But later, as the episode ended and Jordan grabbed their backpack to head home, they paused at the door.

"Hey," Jordan said. "Whatever happens after graduation? You're still my best friend."

"Obviously," Maya said, but her voice caught a little.

"Good." Jordan grinned, messing with their chaotic hair again. "Because some of us would literally survive a zombie apocalypse better alone."

Maya rolled her eyes, but she was smiling. "Get out of my house."

As she watched Jordan walk into the rain, Maya thought: maybe the cable going out wasn't the worst thing that could happen. Sometimes the interruptions were the real story all along.