The Palm Reader's Prophecy

Maya's palms were sweating so badly she could practically fill a **baseball** cap with the moisture. Being a freshman at this party felt like standing at the bottom of the high school social **pyramid**—seniors at the top, then juniors, sophomores, and freshmen clinging to the foundation like determined algae.

She'd spent three hours perfecting her outfit, only to spend the last twenty minutes hiding behind a kitchen island. Then she saw him: Leo Chen, the junior who always wore that beat-up **hat**—the one with the mysterious stain on the brim that nobody had the guts to ask about. He was in the corner, watching a **zombie** movie marathon on someone's phone with the intensity most people reserved for final exams.

"You know," a voice said beside her, making her jump. A senior with too much eyeliner and an air of authority grabbed her hand. "Your **palm** says you're going to meet someone important tonight."

Maya tried to pull away. "I don't really—"

"Trust me, I'm practically psychic." The girl smirked. "Also, Leo's been looking over here for, like, twenty minutes."

Leo? Looking at HER? The same Leo who'd once pitched a perfect game in the school **baseball** tournament and then immediately returned to watching **zombie** documentaries like nothing happened?

Her heart did that embarrassing thing where it forgot how to beat properly. She smoothed her sweaty **palm**s against her dress and forced herself to move across the room. Leo looked up, **hat** tilted just enough to reveal dark eyes and the smallest smile.

"Hey," he said. "You blocking the exit too?"

"Yeah," Maya found herself saying. "This social **pyramid** thing? Not my vibe."

Leo's grin widened. "Tell me about it. I'm only here because my mom's friends with the host's mom. I'd rather be watching the new **zombie** series."

"Wait, you're into that stuff?" Maya stepped closer, suddenly less interested in the seniors forming their exclusive circles across the room. "I have opinions about zombie apocalypse survival strategies that nobody else wants to hear."

"No way," Leo said, actually turning toward her fully. "Okay, hot take: shopping mall or abandoned prison?"

"Mall, obviously," she said without hesitation. "Resources, entertainment, and you can see everything coming."

Leo laughed, and it was the best sound she'd heard all night. "You're brilliant. Also, I'm pretty sure that's the longest conversation I've had at a high school party that didn't involve someone bragging about how many shots they could take."

"I'm Maya, by the way."

"Leo." He adjusted his **baseball** cap, suddenly looking a little shy. "Hey, there's this zombie movie festival downtown next weekend. Would you maybe want to go? Like, as an actual date?"

The senior palm reader had been right after all. Maya smiled so hard her face hurt. "Only if you let me explain why mall survival is superior."

"Deal." Leo's hand brushed hers, and this time, her palms weren't sweating at all.