Riddles in the Palm of Your Hand

Maya's palms were sweating. Like, actually dripping. She wiped them on her dress for the third time, watching Jake from across the backyard. Jake, who'd smiled at her in calculus yesterday. Jake, who was currently wearing that stupid fedora **hat** indoors like he owned the place.

"You're doing that thing again," said Leo, her oldest friend and unwilling wingman.

"What thing?"

"The thing where you overthink everything until you freeze up. Just talk to him."

"Easy for you to say. You're not terrified.

Meanwhile, Jake was recounting some story about his family's trip to Egypt, gesturing dramatically at the giant stone **sphinx** replica his dad had somehow acquired for their "themed" garden party. Because apparently that was a thing people did now.

Maya smoothed her hair. "Okay. Okay, I got this."

"You don't got this," Leo said helpfully. "Your face is doing that panicked pixie thing again."

Maya grabbed a slice of fruit from a nearby platter to look busy. It was **papaya**, which she'd never actually tried before. She took a bite.

Wrong move.

Her face must have done something unholy because Jake suddenly stopped mid-story and looked right at her. "You okay over there?"

Every pair of eyes turned toward her. The backyard went silent except for the distant splash of someone falling into the pool.

"It's... interesting?" Maya managed, wishing she could teleport to literally anywhere else. "Like, a flavor adventure?"

Jake laughed, and it was actually nice, not mean. "My grandma says the same thing. Here, try it with lime." He crossed the yard, leaving his story unfinished, and handed her a wedge. Their fingers brushed.

Maya's **palm** tingled where his skin had touched hers, and she thought maybe this wasn't a disaster after all.

"So," Jake said, leaning against the garden sphinx like it was totally normal. "You're in Mr. Harrison's calc, right? Want the real tour? The sphinx has a secret compartment."

"Of course it does," Maya said, and she was smiling now, really smiling, papaya forgotten somewhere behind her.

Some firsts weren't so bad after all.