Palm Readings and Poolside Drama

The humidity in Maya's bedroom was making her frizz curl into something unholy, but she couldn't cancel tonight. Not when her ex-best friend Kiara would be there with her new squad, looking perfect as always.

"You're literally overthinking this," said Jax, sprawled across her bed while scrolling TikTok. "Just show up and vibe."

Easy for him to say. He wasn't the one whose friend group had imploded over a leaked text.

The pool party at Tyler's house was already popping when they arrived. Water sloshed against the pool edges as people cannonballed in, music thumping low in everyone's chests. Maya spotted Kiara immediately — holding court in the shallow end, surrounded by the kind of girls who made being sixteen look like a full-time job.

Then she saw it: Kiara's golden retriever, Max, paddling around the pool like he owned the place. The irony wasn't lost on her. That dog used to sleep at the foot of Maya's bed every time she slept over.

"Hey," said a voice behind her. Chelsea, Tyler's older sister, was setting up a folding table with a crystal ball and some tarot cards. "Want your palm read? Five bucks, I'll tell you your future."

Why not. Maya sat down and extended her hand.

Chelsea traced the lines in her palm with manicured nails, then frowned. "That's weird."

"What?"

"Your heart line... it's split. Two paths." Chelsea looked up. "Like you're torn between something. Or someone."

Before Maya could respond, Max the dog suddenly bounded out of the pool, shook himself vigorously, and drenched both of them in pool water. Maya's eyeliner was running down her face, her white outfit was see-through, and Chelsea's crystal ball had toppled off the table.

Kiara was the only one laughing.

Not the fake Instagram-laugh she'd been doing all night, but real, doubled-over, can't-breathe laughter. The kind that used to happen during their late-night study sessions when they'd both had too much coffee.

"Remember when he did that at my birthday?" Kiara called out, wading over. "Seventh grade? You wore that outfit you'd been planning for literally a month?"

"And cried for twenty minutes," Maya finished, wiping dog water from her forehead. She was laughing too.

The dog stood between them, tail wagging, completely oblivious to the fact that he'd just dismantled two months of silent treatment with one enthusiastic shake.

"Your water's still running," Kiara said, gesturing to Maya's raccoon-eyes liner situation.

"Your dog is literally a weapon of mass destruction."

"Want to get Starbucks later? Like old times?"

Maya looked at her ruined outfit, her streaked mascara, the chaos around them. "Only if you're paying. For emotional damages."

Chelsea gathered her tarot cards from the wet grass. "See? Split heart line. Both paths lead to the same place anyway."

Maybe the future wasn't so complicated after all.