Palm Reader of Period 3

Maya's **hat** collection was her armor—beanies for I'm-too-tired-for-this, bucket hats for main-character energy, and the vintage fedora she only wore during finals week. But nothing could prepare her for what happened third period Tuesday.

"You read palms, right?" Liam asked, sliding into the seat beside her. His cologne smelled like citrus and desperation.

Maya stared at her hand. "Uh, sure?" Because lately, her life had become such a mess that pretending to be psychic seemed easier than explaining the truth.

The truth involved her **dog**, Buster, eating her homework (literally), her parents' divorce papers scattered across the kitchen table like confetti at a funeral, and her **iPhone** screen shattering when she threw it against her bedroom wall. Also, she'd started taking her little brother's gummy **vitamin** D supplements because someone on TikTok said they helped with "seasonal depression," which honestly felt like an understatement.

"My grandma says you're legit," Liam continued. "She says you predicted Jordan and Skye would break up before anyone else knew."

That had been a lucky guess. Maya had seen Jordan's text—"this isn't working out"—on Skye's lock screen when they'd accidentally bumped phones at lunch.

"Read mine," Liam said, extending his hand. His **palm** was softer than Maya expected, calloused from video games maybe, or guitar.

Her throat went dry. What if she was wrong? What if she saw something terrible? What if she saw nothing at all?

"Your life line..." Maya started, stalling. Outside, the real palm trees swayed in the wind, their fronds like messy hair after a nap. "It's... longer than mine."

"What's that mean?" Liam leaned closer, and for the first time, Maya noticed the constellation of freckles across his nose.

"It means you're going to live a long time," she improvised. "And this—" she traced a line near his thumb "—this is your heart line. It curves up. You're going to fall in love with someone unexpected."

Liam smiled, and Maya's chest did that annoying fluttery thing.

"Like a psychic?" he asked.

"Maybe," she said. "Or someone who accidentally ate too many gummy vitamins and now sees things."

Liam laughed. It was a good sound. "You're weird, Maya."

"Weirder than you know," she muttered, thinking about Buster currently wearing her history homework like a cape.

"Wear the beanie tomorrow," he said, standing up as the bell rang. "It suits you."

Maya touched her hair. She hadn't worn a hat all week. But she pulled an oversized beanie from her backpack and tugged it on, watching Liam walk away, already typing on his phone.

Her phone buzzed. A text from her mom: "Buster ate your vitamin bottle. Call the vet."

Maya grinned. At least her life wasn't boring anymore. And tomorrow, she'd wear the beanie. Tomorrow, she'd read Liam's palm again. Tomorrow, she'd figure out what the fluttery thing in her chest meant.

Probably just the vitamins talking.