Palm Reading on the Padel Court

The country club smelled like money and coconut sunscreen. Maya stood near the fence, her neon-green racket feeling wrong in her hand. Padel. Apparently that's what all the cool kids played now. Not tennis. Padel.

"You're holding it like a weapon, not a racket," said a voice behind her.

Maya turned. A boy with messy curls and a jawline that looked like it had been chiseled. He wore a faded tank that showed arms that were definitely on the bear side of buff—like, actual grizzly energy.

"It's my first time," she admitted, suddenly very aware that her vintage band tee wasn't exactly country club coded.

"I'm Liam." He nodded toward the court. "My sister's been staring at you for five minutes. She thinks you're going to steal the stray cat."

"The what?"

He pointed. A calico cat was curled up on a bench near the palm trees, looking extremely unbothered by the sounds of balls being smacked and teenagers trying way too hard.

"That's Fritz," Liam said. "He lives here now. My mom says he's part of the landscaping."

Maya laughed before she could stop herself. Then she remembered she was supposed to be mysterious and aloof and not some girl who laughed at boys' jokes.

"You play?" Liam asked.

"Never."

"Perfect." He tossed her a ball. "I need a partner for mixed doubles. My usual partner ditched me for—" he made air quotes "—'an important conversation about the ethics of fast fashion.'"

Maya caught the ball. Her palm was sweating. This was it. This could be her in. This could be the moment everything changed—the friendships, the weekend hangouts, finally belonging somewhere in this shiny new town.

"I'm terrible," she warned.

"So is everyone else." Liam's grin was crooked and genuine. "That's kind of the point."

As they walked to the court, Maya caught sight of her reflection in the club window. She looked nervous, excited, maybe a little hopeful. Fritz the cat watched from his palm-tree throne, and for the first time since moving to California, Maya felt like she might actually be okay.

"Ready?" Liam asked.

Maya adjusted her grip on the racket. She wasn't just the new girl anymore. She was someone who played padel now, sort of. She was someone who knew about the cat. She was someone who might make a friend.

"Yeah," she said. "Let's do this."