Palm Readings in the Lightning

Maya's palms were sweating so much she might actually slip right out of Skylar's basement. Which would be fine, honestly, because this party was giving major cringe energy. Someone had spilled fruit punch on the carpet earlier, and now it smelled like artificial strawberry and teen desperation.

"Your love line is super short," said Riley, who was apparently a palm reader now. Riley, who had failed biology twice, squinting at Maya's hand like it contained the secrets to passing Mr. Henderson's class. "That's... not great?"

"Thanks, Riley," Maya said, pulling her hand back. "Really helping the vibe."

Outside, lightning flashed across the sky, followed immediately by thunder that shook the basement windows. Someone screamed. Maya almost jumped out of her skin—which would have been embarrassing, except half the room did the same thing.

"Power's out!" someone yelled.

Darkness swallowed the room, except for the occasional lightning flash that illuminated everyone's terrified faces. Maya's phone buzzed in her pocket.

bear_slayer_99: u ok??? there's literally a bear outside my house wtf

Maya blinked. Bear?

She texted back: wyd outside

bear_slayer_99: long story. my dad's trying to photograph it?? it's a black bear cub?? idk man this night is chaos

Maya's heart did something weird. That was Aiden. Aiden, who she'd had a crush on since seventh grade. Aiden, who was currently dealing with a bear situation while she was stuck in a dark basement with people who were now taking selfies with flash like they were documenting a historical event.

The lights flickered back on. Everyone cheered.

"Did you hear about the bear?" someone asked. "There's apparently one in the Crawford's backyard."

"No way," someone else said. "That's sick."

"Actually sick or sick sick?"

"Both."

Riley grabbed Maya's hand again. "Okay, I need to redo your palm reading now that the universe has obviously sent us a sign. Bears? During a storm? That's massive energy."

Maya looked at her palm, traced the lines with her thumb. Lightning flashed again, illuminating the crisscross pattern of her life line, her heart line, whatever. Maybe they meant something, maybe they didn't. But a bear had appeared in her town, in the same night she was stuck at a party she didn't even want to attend, texting the boy she'd been low-key in love with for years.

Sometimes the universe didn't send signs. Sometimes it just sent bears and power outages and made you figure out the rest yourself.

"You know what," Maya said, pulling her hand away gently. "I think I'm gonna head out. My friend needs moral support."

"With the bear?" Riley asked, eyes wide.

"With the bear," Maya confirmed, already reaching for her shoes.

Her heart was pounding like crazy. But as she stepped out into the cool night air, phone in hand, lightning still flashing in the distance, she couldn't stop smiling. Sometimes the most random, chaotic nights turned into the ones you'd remember forever.

And okay, fine—maybe Riley was right about one thing. The universe did have a weird way of making things happen.

Just not in the way anyone expected.