Spinach Between Teeth

The pool party of the season. The one everyone would be talking about on Monday. And I was stuck standing by the dip bowl, clutching my red Solo cup like it was a lifeline.

My best friend Maya appeared beside me, already looking flawless in her turquoise bikini. "You're hiding again."

"I'm not hiding. I'm strategically positioned near the snacks."

She rolled her eyes. "Jordan's literally staring at you from across the pool."

My stomach did that embarrassing flip thing. Jordan Chen, who'd sat behind me in bio since freshman year, who I'd accidentally made eye contact with exactly 472 times. The same Jordan whose hair somehow looked better wet.

"He's not."

"He is. And you're over here being antisocial with your orange soda."

That's when it happened. Crystal Henderson—head cheerleader, TikTok famous, genuinely terrifying—glided over in her white sundress that probably cost more than my car.

"Hey!" Her smile was so bright it almost hurt. "You're the girl who reads palms, right?"

I froze. Maya had told everyone at lunch yesterday that I'd given her a palm reading. It was supposed to be a joke. We'd been messing around with one of those $1 mystic scam apps.

"I—"

"Please?" She actually batted her eyelashes. "Everyone's saying you're like, actually good."

A crowd was forming. Jordan was watching. This was either the best or worst moment of my life.

"Sure," I heard myself say.

Crystal extended her hand, and I stared at her palm like it contained the secrets of the universe. I had approximately zero idea what I was doing.

"Your lifeline is... really long," I improvised. "You're going to live forever."

She gasped. "OMG, really?"

"And this line means you'll be successful. Like, extremely successful."

Maya was vibrating beside me, trying not to laugh out loud.

More people gathered. I read palms for forty-five minutes straight. I told Tyler he'd find true love in sophomore year. I told Emma she'd get into her dream college. I made up everything with zero hesitation and they lapped it up like I was speaking divine truth.

Jordan finally approached, and I thought my heart might explode.

"Your turn," I said, trying to sound casual instead of like I'd mentally rehearsed this moment for two years.

He sat beside me, our shoulders barely touching. He smelled like chlorine and something woodsy. He extended his hand, and I studied his palm like it contained the answer to whether he liked me back.

"You're going to do something important," I said softly. "Something that matters."

He looked at me, really looked at me. "Yeah?"

"Yeah. And you're going to find someone who gets it. Who sees you."

The moment stretched between us, charged and electric. Then Maya burst out laughing.

"You have spinach between your teeth!"

I sprinted to the bathroom, my face burning. Of course. Of course I'd spent the night being mystical and cool and then ruined it with salad remnants.

But as I washed my mouth out, Crystal texted the group chat: BEST PARTY EVER. Thank you to my new favorite psychic!

And my phone pinged again. A DM from Jordan: That reading was actually pretty accurate. Next time, maybe no spinach tho ;)

Maybe high school wouldn't be so bad after all.