Palm Reader at the Pool Party

The invitation said "casual vibes" but Maya's hands wouldn't stop shaking. She stood at the edge of the infinity pool, clutching her phone like a lifeline while everyone else splashed like they'd been born in chlorine.

"You gonna stand there all day or actually swim?" Jake called from the water. His hair was wet, his smile annoyingly perfect, and okay, maybe Maya had been lowkey obsessed with him since seventh grade.

"I'm good," she managed, but her voice cracked. Smooth. Really smooth.

Her older brother's golden retriever, Buster, nudged her leg with that wet nose of his. He'd escaped the house and followed her here, because apparently her dignity needed company. "Great, now the dog's judging me," she muttered, scratching behind his ears.

Then Chelsea appeared beside her, smelling like coconut sunscreen and confidence. "What's wrong?"

"Everything," Maya whispered. "I can't do this. I can't just... be normal around all these people."

Chelsea studied her face, then grabbed Maya's hand, turning her **palm** upward. "You know, my aunt reads palms. She says the lines show your whole story—past, present, future."

"Okay, Captain Spiritual." But Maya didn't pull away.

"I'm serious. See this line?" Chelsea traced the life line. "It's deep. That means you're stronger than you think. And this one—" she touched the head line "—it curves upward. Creative. Passionate."

"Or maybe I just have sweaty hands," Maya said, but she was smiling now.

"The **pool** doesn't care if you're cool," Chelsea said softly. "It's just water. Jump in, or don't. But don't stand here thinking everyone's watching you, because they're too busy worrying about themselves."

A loud splash interrupted them. Jake had cannonballed right next to them, soaking Buster, who barked indignantly and shook water everywhere. The **dog** was living his best life while Maya stood there paralyzed.

"YOLO," Chelsea said, grabbing Maya's hand. "Together?"

Maya looked at the pool, at Chelsea's genuine smile, at Jake watching them from the water. She thought about how she'd been carrying this weight—this need to be perfect, this fear of looking stupid—and realized she couldn't **bear** it anymore. Not for one more second.

She squeezed Chelsea's hand. "Together."

They jumped.

The water shocked her system, cold and perfect. When she surfaced, Jake was grinning at her. "Finally! What took you so long?"

Maya wiped water from her eyes. "I had to find my story first."

"What?" Jake asked, confused.

"Nothing," she said, floating on her back, staring up at the sky. "Everything."