Palm Lines and Zombie Minds

Maya's palms sweated against her cafeteria tray as she watched Kai laugh at something Tyler said. That laugh—that perfect, easy laugh—made her stomach do that weird flip-flop thing that had nothing to do with the mystery meat on her plate.

"You're totally spying on him again," Jenna whispered, sliding onto the bench beside her. "Just go talk to him already."

Maya's face burned. "I'm not spying. I'm... observing. For science."

"Riiiight." Jenna rolled her eyes. "Same way you were 'observing' him yesterday? And the day before? This zombie crush has gone on long enough, Maya. It's like you're sleepwalking through your own life."

Zombie. That hit harder than Maya wanted to admit. Because Jenna was right—lately, everything felt like moving through fog. Junior year had turned her into one of them: the walking dead, shuffling through AP classes and college applications and Instagram posts, everything filtered and curated and completely dead inside.

Except for Kai.

The bell rang, and the cafeteria erupted into that familiar chaos of slamming lockers and shouted goodbyes. Maya watched Kai head toward the library, and before she could overthink it, she followed.

Her heart hammered as she slipped into the seat across from him at the back table. He looked up, surprised, and Maya suddenly couldn't breathe. This was it—the moment that would change everything or destroy everything, and she had no idea which.

"Hey," Kai said. "You're Maya, right? You sit with Jenna?"

Maya's palms were sweating again. "Yeah. That's me."

Kai's eyes dropped to her hands, and something shifted in his expression. "Can you really read palms? Jenna mentioned it..."

Maya froze. Her grandmother had taught her years ago, but she'd kept it secret because it felt too weird, too exposed. But looking at Kai—really looking at him—she saw something in his eyes that wasn't just curiosity. It was loneliness. The same zombie fog she'd been walking through.

"Maybe," she said slowly. "Show me yours."

Kai extended his hand, and Maya traced the lines there with fingertips that suddenly weren't sweating anymore. The life line, strong and unbroken. The heart line, branching like possibilities.

"You're scared," she said, reading what she saw. "But you don't have to be. This line here? It means you're about to wake up."

Kai smiled, and this time, the laugh that followed wasn't perfect or easy—but it was real.

"Good," he said. "Because I think I've been asleep way too long."