Palm Reader's Cat

Maya's palms were sweating — literally. She'd spent all morning in her room, doom-scrolling through TikTok, trying to summon the confidence to text him back. Jake, the boy who'd sat behind her in homeroom since freshman year, had finally noticed her existence. The notification still glowed on her lock screen: "U still coming to Jordan's party tonight?"

"You're overthinking it," said Leo, her older brother, from the doorway. He held up their cat, Mochi, like a fuzzy offering. "Even Mochi thinks you're being dramatic."

Mochi let out a pathetic meow and wriggled free, bolting down the hallway.

"Easy for you to say," Maya muttered, finally typing out a response. Her thumbs moved frantically across the screen, her heart practically running a marathon in her chest. "yeah ill be there lol"

Send. Done. No takebacks.

By 9 PM, Maya was at Jordan's house, surrounded by people she barely knew, clutching a red Solo cup like it was a lifeline. Jake was there, looking unfairly good in his worn-out sneakers and that vintage band tee she'd secretly been eyeing since forever.

"Hey," he said, appearing beside her. "Glad you came."

They ended up on Jordan's back porch, away from the thumping bass and chaotic energy. Jake sat close — too close? Too far? Maya's brain was running at 1000 miles per minute.

"Can I see your hand?" Jake asked suddenly.

Maya blinked. "What?"

He laughed, that low, genuine laugh that made her stomach do weird flip-flops. "I'm kidding. Unless you actually believe in that stuff?"

"My cousin swears by palm reading," Maya found herself saying. "She says it's actually bear-ish. Like, shockingly accurate."

"Bear-ish?" Jake raised an eyebrow. "That's not a real thing."

"It is now," Maya said, feeling weirdly brave in the darkness. "It means it'll bear out. Eventually."

Jake was quiet for a second. Then he reached over and gently took her hand, interlacing their fingers. Maya's palm pressed against his, warm and slightly calloused from playing guitar.

"I don't need palm reading to know I like you," he said softly.

Somewhere in the distance, Mochi would have been proud. Maya wasn't overthinking anymore. She was just there, in this moment, heart still racing but in the best way possible.

"Cool," she managed, because apparently her brain had short-circuited. "Cool cool."

Jake laughed. "Yeah. Cool cool."

And just like that, Maya went from overthinking everything to exactly where she was supposed to be.