Papaya Skies and Palm Lines

Maya's palms were sweating, which was ironic considering she was literally at a pool party. She clutched her phone like a lifeline, scrolling through TikToks she'd already seen three times while everyone else splashed and screamed in Jake's backyard.

"You coming in or what?" Jake called from the water, shaking droplets from his messy brown hair. Maya's stomach did that flip-flop thing it always did when he talked to her.

"Maybe later," she muttered, though she'd been saying that for an hour.

The truth was, Maya hated swimming. She hated how her hair looked after—this weird frizzy situation that no amount of conditioner could fix. She hated how her papaya-colored swimsuit felt too bright, too noticeable, like a neon sign screaming HERE I AM, PLEASE LOOK AT ME.

But mostly she hated how everyone else made it look effortless while she felt like a baby deer learning to walk.

Chloe, who had been doing perfect laps around the pool, climbed out and shook her hair like a shampoo commercial. Water droplets caught the sunlight. She was beautiful in that way Maya could never pull off—confident, graceful, completely unaware of how perfect she was.

"We're doing palm readings!" Chloe announced, sitting on the lounge chair next to Maya. "Give me your hand."

Maya hesitated. "I don't really buy into that stuff."

"Come on, it's fun." Chloe's fingers were warm against Maya's cool skin. "Ooh, you have a long life line. That's supposed to mean you'll live forever. Or something."

Maya laughed, surprising herself. "That sounds exhausting."

"And here—" Chloe traced a line across Maya's palm—"this is your love line. It's all curvy and complicated." She looked up, grinning. "Complicated love life, huh?"

Maya's face heated up. Could palm readers actually tell when you'd spent three years secretly crushing on your brother's best friend?

Jake suddenly appeared behind them, dripping wet. "What are we doing?"

"Palm readings," Chloe said. "Jake's turn."

He held out his hand, palm open and trusting. Chloe studied it with exaggerated seriousness. "Your love line says... someone at this party likes you."

The air thickened. Maya's heart hammered against her ribs. She watched Jake's face, waiting for some reaction, some sign.

He laughed, but his eyes darted toward Maya. Just for a second. Just long enough that she noticed.

"Yeah?" he said, his voice different somehow. "Who?"

Chloe winked. "Figure it out."

Later that night, Maya found herself alone with Jake by the snack table. He was eating papaya from the fruit platter, his hands sticky-sweet.

"You ever gonna go swimming?" he asked.

"Maybe," she said. "If someone goes with me."

He smiled. "I can do that."

And as they walked toward the pool together, Maya thought maybe—just maybe—some predictions really did come true.