ArtFlow

Nobody threw a party like the fireflies.
Every summer, when the meadow grass grew tall enough to tickle your knees, the bugs threw the biggest bash in the whole garden. The centipedes strung up lanterns made of dewdrops. The bees played jazz on flower petal drums. The butterflies wore their fanciest wing patterns and the beetles polished their shells until you could see your face in them.
This year, everyone was talking about it for weeks.
Milo the young grasshopper had been practicing his jump-dancing in secret since April. He'd sprained two of his six legs doing it, but by June he had the moves down perfectly. He told himself he was going to the Bug Ball for the music. For the honey cake. For the fun.
He was absolutely, definitely not going because of Luna.
Luna was a ladybug with seven spots and a laugh that sounded like a tiny bell. She lived on the rosebush across the pond and Milo had been accidentally hopping past her house approximately four times a day for the entire summer.
The night of the Ball, the meadow exploded with light and noise. A thousand bugs danced under the moon, wings fluttering, antennae wiggling, legs tapping out every beat. Milo stood at the edge of it all, suddenly very aware that he had no idea how to actually talk to anyone.
Then Luna appeared beside him, holding two cups of nectar punch.
"You looked thirsty," she said, handing him one.
"I — yeah. Thanks." He took a sip. It was delicious. "I like your spots."
"I like your legs," she said. "All six of them."
He laughed so hard he nearly fell over. She caught his arm — all six of hers reached out at once — and they both laughed harder.
They danced until the dewdrops on the lanterns turned pink with sunrise. When the fireflies finally dimmed their lights and the bees packed up their drums, Milo and Luna were still spinning slowly in the middle of the meadow, too happy to stop.
"Same time next summer?" she asked.
Milo grinned so wide his antennae bounced. "How about tomorrow?"
She thought about it for exactly one second.
"Yeah," said Luna. "Tomorrow works."