The Palm Reader's Prophecy

Maya's phone had died. Again. That's what happened when you forgot your charger cable at home and your battery percentage was somehow still lying to you at 15%.

"You could actually talk to me," said Leo, flipping a volleyball back and forth between his hands. "Like, with words. Face to face. Crazy concept, right?"

"Shut up," I groaned, dropping onto the grass next to him. "I'm going through withdrawal."

Leo smirked. "Want me to read your palm instead?"

"You don't know how to read palms."

"Sure I do. My cousin's friend's sister does it on TikTok. Put your hand out." Leo sat up straighter, suddenly looking annoyingly serious. "I'm getting vibes. Professional vibes."

I rolled my eyes but extended my right hand anyway. Leo took it, tracing the lines with his index finger like he'd seen in a hundred movies but never actually done.

"Your lifeline is... pretty average," he announced. "So, congratulations on average longevity, I guess."

"Wow, such insight."

"But this one—" he pointed to a random line "—this says you're going to meet someone important today."

"Someone important? Like who?"

Leo grinned. "Me. Obviously."

I snorted, but something about his stupid grin made my chest do that thing it always did around him—the thing I'd been ignoring for three months. Since we'd started hanging out more. Since he'd started looking at me like I was actually funny, not just the quiet girl in English class.

"You're insufferable," I said, pulling my hand back.

"You love it."

The sun was dipping behind the school, casting long shadows across the field. The volleyball team's practice had ended an hour ago. We should've left.

"Hey, Maya?"

"What?"

Leo's expression shifted. Something real underneath all the jokes. "Do you think..." He stopped. Started again. "Do you think people can just know stuff? Like, without proof?"

I looked at him, really looked at him. "Like what?"

"Like how sometimes you just know someone's going to be important to you. Before they even are."

The air between us felt suddenly electric, like the static right before a storm. My palm still tingled where his fingers had traced those fake lines.

"I think," I said carefully, "that some things don't need proof."

Leo smiled—different this time, softer. "Yeah. Exactly."