Palm Reading at Sunset Beach

Maya's palms were sweating so much she could practically water plants with them. Standing at the edge of Jessica's backyard graduation party, clutching a plastic cup of lukewarm soda, she watched the golden California sun dip behind the palm trees that lined the perfectly manicured lawn.

"You gonna stand there all night or actually talk to humans?" Zoe whispered, appearing beside her like the fox she was—sneaky, quick, and always knowing everyone's business before they did.

Maya's heart did that stupid fluttery thing whenever Alex was within a twenty-foot radius. He was by the snack table, laughing at something, his hair messy in that way that made zero sense but looked perfect anyway. This was it. Her chance to finally talk to him after two years of basically being a background character in her own crush movie.

"I can't," Maya said. "My brain's gone full sphinx mode—riddle me this, riddle me that, but actually I'm just overthinking everything."

Zoe rolled her eyes so hard Maya was surprised they didn't get stuck. "You're not ancient Egyptian mysteriousness. You're a sixteen-year-old with a crush who needs to get it together."

But then—disaster. Jessica's cousin Luna, who everyone knew was "into astrology and stuff," started doing palm readings by the fire pit. Alex was next in line. Maya watched, paralyzed, as Luna traced the lines on his palm and announced, "Ooh, someone's got a real passionate love line here."

The entire party went silent. Alex's face turned the color of a ripe tomato. "Uh, thanks?"

Then Luna's eyes landed on Maya. "You next!" she called out. "I can tell you've got some serious energy going on."

Before Maya could fake a sudden illness, Zoe had practically shoved her toward the fire pit. Alex was still there, looking equally mortified, and somehow that made it better. They were both trapped in this together.

"Your palm says you're about to do something brave," Luna announced dramatically, holding Maya's hand. "But only if you stop overthinking it."

The whole party was waiting. Alex was waiting. Maya's palms were sweating again, but somehow she didn't care. She looked at Alex, who gave her this tiny, understanding smile, and suddenly the sphinx riddle in her head wasn't so complicated anymore.

"So," she said, her voice only shaking a little bit, "you want to get out of here and maybe get some actual food?"

Alex's grin could've powered a small city. "I thought you'd never ask." Behind them, Zoe did a little victory dance that Maya pretended not to see.