Palm Reader's Prophecy

The papaya sat on the kitchen counter like an alien artifact. My mom had bought it from some hipster grocery store, convinced it would make our family more cultured. I poked it. It gave a sad squish.

"You gonna eat that or spy on it all day?" Maya leaned against the doorframe, already in her swimsuit.

"It looks like a radioactive embryo," I said. "But yeah, I'm trying it."

Maya rolled her eyes. "Hurry up. Tyler's party starts in twenty and I need you there as emotional support."

Right. Tyler's End of Summer Beach Bash. The social event of the season. The place where my crush would definitely be, and where I would definitely say something awkward.

I took a bite of the papaya. It tasted like melon that had given up on life. "This is gross."

"You're gross," Maya said. "Let's go."

The beach was already packed when we arrived. Bonfires, music, people doing that cool laugh-yell thing. I spotted Kai immediately near the palm tree, wearing that tank top that made his shoulders look like they were carved by gods. My palms started sweating. I wiped them on my shorts.

"Just go talk to him," Maya said, like it was that easy.

"I can't. What if he thinks I'm weird?"

"You are weird. He'll like it."

I made my way over, heart hammering. I could feel everyone watching. I felt like a spy infiltrating enemy territory, except instead of stealing secrets I was trying to steal a conversation without embarrassing myself.

Kai smiled when I reached him. "Hey! You came."

"Yeah," I said brilliantly. "I tried papaya for the first time today."

"No way," he said. "How was it?"

"Like disappointment," I said, and he laughed. Actual genuine laugh. My palms stopped sweating.

"My grandma grows those," he said. "The good ones taste better. I'll bring you one sometime."

"I'd like that," I said, and somewhere behind me, Maya gave me a thumbs-up that was definitely not subtle at all. The bonfire crackled, and for once, I didn't feel like I was spying on my own life from the outside. I was actually in it.