When the Storm Broke

Maya stood at the edge of the padel court, clutching her racket like it might save her from total social annihilation. The tryouts had seemed like such a good idea when Jake mentioned them in chemistry—until she remembered she'd never actually played padel in her life.

"You got this, Maya!" her best friend Riley shouted from the sidelines, where she was dramatically pretending to be dead. "I'm literally a zombie from staying up all night watching Netflix, but I'm still here for you."

Maya adjusted her snapback hat, pulling the brim lower. It was her armor, really. With it on, she could be anyone—confident, athletic, the kind of person who tried out for sports teams without having a minor existential crisis first.

Then she saw Chase, the guy who'd moved here from California last month, walking toward the courts with effortless cool. He was eating papaya from a Tupperware container like it was the most normal thing in the world, and Maya felt something unclench in her chest. Her abuela always cut papaya for breakfast, the house smelling like sweet mornings and possibilities.

"Hey," Chase said, stopping near her. "You trying out too?"

"Maybe," Maya managed, though her voice cracked. "I mean, yeah. Probably."

Chase smiled, and it wasn't the mocking smile she'd expected. "Cool. I'm terrible at sports, but my mom thinks I need to 'expand my horizons.'"

Thunder rumbled in the distance, closer than Maya liked. The sky had turned that ominous purple-gray that meant trouble in Texas weather.

"We should probably—"

Lightning struck somewhere nearby, so bright it left spots in Maya's vision. Someone screamed. Coach blew the whistle, gesturing everyone toward the covered area.

Maya found herself squeezed next to Chase under the metal shelter, rain pounding on the roof like it was trying to tell them something important. They were close enough that she could smell the papaya on his breath, sweet and familiar.

"So," he said, "you want to get boba after this? My treat, since we both definitely made the team."

Maya laughed, surprised by how natural it felt. "I'd like that."

Her hat had gotten knocked sideways in the rush. She straightened it, but kept it on. Some armor she still needed. Some she didn't.