The Fox Mirror

Maya's hands wouldn't stop sweating. She wiped her palms on her dress for the third time, heart going a mile a minute as she stared at herself in the bathroom mirror. The party was on the other side of the door, bass thumping through the wood like someone was playing volleyball with her chest.

"You got this," she whispered, fixing her hair for the millionth time. She'd spent two hours curling it, trying to look effortless, which was basically the hardest thing ever.

Her phone buzzed. A text from Jada: *where r u??? come thru!!!*

Maya took a breath and opened the door. The living room was packed—people from school, some she recognized, some she didn't. Someone's cat was perched on the kitchen counter, watching everyone with that judgy look cats have like they knew things humans didn't. Maya grabbed a soda and spotted Jada by the back door, talking to someone.

And then she saw who it was.

Leah. The Leah. Junior class vice president, cross country captain, had that whole effortless cool thing down. Maya's stomach did this thing where it forgot how to organs.

She was heading their way when CRASH—lightning lit up the entire backyard through the sliding glass doors, followed by thunder that shook the house. Everyone screamed-laughed, and suddenly they were all outside, standing on the patio watching the storm roll in.

"Crazy weather," someone said.

Maya ended up next to Leah, both of them watching the sky light up like a broken strobe light.

"I'm Leah, by the way."

"Maya."

"Love your hair," Leah said. "You look like a fox or something. All sneaky-cute."

Maya almost dropped her soda. "Thanks? I think?"

Leah laughed, and it was this real, actual laugh, not performative. Then she held out her hand, palm up. "Let me see your hand."

"What? Why?"

"Palm reading. My aunt taught me. I'm basically a psychic now." She winked. Maya hesitated, then placed her hand in Leah's. Leah's fingers were warm. "Okay, see this line? You're going to have a very interesting night."

"That's vague and可疑suspicious."

"That's how psychics work, duh."

Another lightning strike, closer this time. Rain started coming down sideways, and everyone ran inside screaming. Maya and Leah were the last ones in, breathless and soaked, and when their eyes met, Maya knew her palm-reading thing wasn't wrong at all.

Some nights change everything. This was going to be one of them.