Electric Palms

Maya's palms were sweating so much she could practically water plants with them. Which was ironic, considering she was currently gripping a plastic cup of lukewarm punch at Tyler Barnes' rager, trying to look like she belonged. The "/vitamin/ gummies" she'd popped earlier — supposedly for chill vibes, according to TikTok — were doing absolutely nothing.

A giant orange cat jumped onto the kitchen counter, knocking over a red Solo cup. The entire room went "WHAAAT" in unison, someone definitely recording for their story. Maya tried to laugh along but it came out as a strangled noise. She was 0 for 3 on social interactions tonight.

Then she felt it — that electric "/lightning/" crackle down her spine. Not the weather kind. The oh-no-he's-cute kind.

Jake from AP Bio was standing by the sliding glass door, apparently also hiding from the main chaos. His hair was doing that thing where it looked messy on purpose. Maya's heart rate matched the bass vibrating through the floor.

"Hey," he said. "Cool shirt."

"Thanks!" Maya practically shouted. "I mean, thanks." Lower voice. "Your uh — your cat almost died just now."

"That's Mrs. Whiskers," Jake nodded solemnly. "She's built different."

Somehow this was the funniest thing Maya had ever heard. They were both cracking up, breathless and ridiculous, and she forgot about her sweating "/palms/" and the fact that she'd only come because her friends made her.

"Wanna see something cool?" Jake asked.

He pulled her onto the back patio where the storm was rolling in. Real "/lightning/" now, purple veins stitching across the sky. The air smelled like rain and possibility.

"My cousin taught me to read palms," Jake said, taking her hand. His fingers were warm. Maya stopped breathing. "See this line? Means you're gonna do something huge. Like, change the world huge."

Maya looked at their hands in the flashing light, the orange cat watching them through the glass door, and thought: maybe she didn't need those stupid "/vitamin/" gummies after all. Sometimes the universe just hands you a moment.

"Your turn," she said, reaching for his hand.

The first proper raindrop fell exactly as their fingers touched.