The Palm Reader's Prophecy

Maya's hands wouldn't stop shaking as she adjusted the brim of her dad's oversized fedora hat, her shield against the world. Freshman year at Northwood High felt like walking through a minefield blindfolded, and tonight's back-to-school party at Tyler's house was ground zero.

"You good?" Jordan asked, appearing beside her with that effortless cool that made Maya's chest tight. Jordan was everything Maya wasn't: confident, funny, comfortable in their skin. Meanwhile, Maya had spent forty-five minutes picking an outfit and still felt like a fraud.

"Yeah, just...lot of people," Maya mumbled.

The party was chaos. Someone's cat darted between legs, yowling like it owned the place. Then Mrs. Henderson's prize bulldog—wearing a tiny cowboy hat—chased after it, knocking over a red solo cup tower. The collective "OOF" from the crowd was practically synchronized.

That's when she saw him. Brock, the bull of the football team, cornering a sophomore near the patio. Brock's laugh carried across the yard like broken glass.

"Don't," Jordan said softly, reading her mind. "He's not worth it."

But Maya's feet moved anyway. That's the thing about growing up—sometimes you act before you can overthink it into paralysis.

"Hey," she said, voice steadier than she felt. "Leave him alone."

Brock turned, eyebrows raised. "This yours?"

"I'm just saying," Maya continued, heart hammering against her ribs, "nobody thinks you're funny. Like, at all."

Silence. Then someone snorted. Then Jordan appeared beside her, and suddenly others were stepping forward too.

Brock's face flushed. "Whatever." He stormed off.

Maya exhaled, shaky and electric all at once. Jordan high-fived her.

Later, they sat on the patio edge beneath swaying palm trees, Jordan reading her palm in the dim light.

"You're gonna be okay, Maya," Jordan said, tracing imaginary lines on her hand. "Like, actually okay."

"You can see that in my palm?"

"Nah." Jordan grinned. "I just watched you stand up to Brock. That's all the prophecy I need."

Maya smiled, finally adjusting her hat to something that felt like hers.