Palm Readings at the Pyramid

Maya stared at the crumbled flier in her hand: "Student Talent Showcase - Friday at the Pyramid." The school gym, nicknamed the Pyramid after its weird angled ceiling, was where social hierarchies were reinforced or crushed.

"You're actually gonna do it?" Zara asked, slinging an arm around Maya's shoulder. "Like, palm readings? For real?"

"Yeah," Maya said, though her palms were literally sweating. "My abuela taught me last summer. I'm actually kinda decent at it."

"You're gonna bear your soul to the entire junior class while Jordan's in the back making everything weird," Zara said, rolling her eyes. "Bold choice."

Jordan, aka The Human Bear, had earned his nickname sophomore year when he showed up to the winter formal in a full bear costume because he lost a bet. Now he roamed the halls being loudly, aggressively himself — unbothered, authentic, somehow immune to the cringe that paralyzed everyone else.

Friday arrived with knots in Maya's stomach. She set up her small table at the back of the Pyramid, draped with her abuela's embroidered cloth. Crystal. Candle. The works.

The first few people were just joking, treating it like a gimmick. Then Tyler — actual Tyler, who'd never spoken to Maya before — sat down and extended his hand. His palm was lined with tiny scars from wrestling practice.

Maya looked at his hand and saw something else. A quiet kid who carried everyone's expectations but got zero credit. She told him about his grandfather, the one who'd coached him until he got sick. She told him she saw a leadership path, but not the one everyone expected.

Tyler's eyes widened. "How did you..."

"Your palm, silly," Maya said, though her heart was pounding.

Word spread. By the end of the night, Maya had a line. Jordan showed up, sat down, and said, "Read my palm, but keep it real with me. No fluff."

Maya looked at his broad, calloused hand. "You're lonely," she said softly. "You think being the Bear protects you, but you're actually just hiding behind a costume."

Jordan went quiet. The laughs and energy he always carried vanished for a second. "Yeah," he said finally. "Yeah, that checks out."

They sat there for a minute, just two people who accidentally saw each other.

"Wanna get food?" Jordan asked. "There's a diner down the street."

Maya smiled. "Let me pack up first."

As they walked out of the Pyramid, Zara caught Maya's eye and gave her a subtle thumbs up. Maybe bearing your soul wasn't so bad. Maybe it was exactly how you found your people.