Palm Readings & Gummy Bears

Maya's palms were sweating. Again. She wiped them on her denim shorts, leaving dark streaks on the fabric, just like she'd done every five minutes since lunch.

"You're doing it again," said Chloe, popping a gummy bear into her mouth. "The palm thing. It's giving you away."

They were at Tyler's beach house party, and Maya had spent the entire afternoon psyching herself up to talk to him. Now he was actually walking toward them, his coconut-scented sunscreen drifting in the salty air.

"Hey," Tyler said, dropping onto the sand beside them. "You guys going in the water?"

Maya opened her mouth, but nothing came out. Her vitamin gummy from breakfast sat like a stone in her stomach, even though her mom swore they'd help with "stress and focus." So far, zero stars.

"Yeah!" Chloe said, saving her. "Maya's just... contemplating." She winked. "She's been reading everyone's palms all day. It's her thing now."

Maya shot her a death glare. She was NOT. But Tyler's eyes lit up.

"For real? Do mine."

Before Maya could protest, Tyler shoved his hand in her face. His palm was tan, calloused from lacrosse, with a lifeline that curved surprisingly deep. She traced it without thinking, her finger grazing his skin. Electric.

"You're going to live to be a hundred," she heard herself say, channeling her grandma's tarot card voice. "But you'll face one big choice this summer."

Tyler leaned in closer. The sun reflected off the water behind him, turning his hair gold. "What kind of choice?"

"Between what you want and what's easy."

The words hung there, heavier than she'd intended. Chloe stopped chewing her gummy bear. A volleyball landed nearby with a soft thud.

Tyler looked at Maya, really looked at her, like he was seeing something new. "That's... actually kind of scary accurate."

He held her gaze. The air between them felt charged, thick with possibility. And then—

"TYLER! BEAR FIGHT!" His friend Ryan came sprinting across the sand, holding a giant teddy bear aloft like a trophy. "GET IN HERE!"

Tyler groaned. "Duty calls." He stood up, but paused, looking back at Maya. "Hey, can I get another reading later? Full session?"

Her palms were sweating again. But this time, she didn't wipe them. "Yeah. Anytime."

As he ran toward the ridiculous bear fight, Chloe nudged her. "See? Sometimes you just have to fake it till you make it."

Maya watched Tyler laughing as he wrestled his friend for the stuffed bear. Her hands were still shaky, her heart still racing. But for the first time all day, she wasn't thinking about running away.

Sometimes the scariest choices were the ones worth making. Sometimes sweaty palms were just excitement in disguise. And sometimes, just sometimes, the universe gave you exactly what you needed—even if it came wrapped in a ridiculous beach party and a giant teddy bear fight.