Fortune Faded

Maya's palms were sweating through her pockets as she stood outside the fortune teller's booth at the Spring Carnival. Behind her, she could hear Kyle and his friends laughing about something — probably the pyramid of empty soda cans they'd spent twenty minutes building.

"You going in or what?" Kayla called, already halfway across the gym toward the DJ.

Maya took a breath. The old banner above the booth read "MYSTIC MADAM ZORA — YOUR FATE AWAITS." Inside, a sophomore with way too much eyeliner sat draped in purple velvet, looking like she'd rather be literally anywhere else.

"Palm," Zora deadpanned.

Maya extended her hand. Zora traced the lines with practiced boredom. "You'll meet someone tall, dark, and mysterious. Next."

That was it. That was the whole fortune.

"Wait, that's it?"

"Bear with me here," Zora sighed, finally making eye contact. "Okay, fine. You're overthinking everything, you like someone who doesn't know you exist, and you need to chill. That'll be five bucks."

Maya froze. How could she —

"The Sphinx sees all," Zora smirked, then immediately looked regretful about saying it out loud.

Outside, Kyle was walking toward her, abandoning the soda can pyramid. Maya's heart did that embarrassing flutter thing it always did when he got close.

"Hey, did you get your fortune told?" he asked, all awkward energy and braces.

"Yeah," Maya managed. "Apparently I'm supposed to chill."

"Same," Kyle laughed. "Mine said I'd find something real in the least expected place."

He was looking at her when he said it. Actually looking.

Maya's sweaty palms didn't feel so sweaty anymore.

"Wanna get food?" she asked, surprised at her own courage.

"Yeah," Kyle grinned. "Yeah, I do."

Some prophecies, she decided, were self-fulfilling. You just had to be brave enough to make them true.