The Storm in My Hand

My palms were sweating so bad I could barely hold my phone without it slipping. Three DMs from Kai. **Kai**. The same Kai who'd barely looked at me all semester was now sliding into my messages like it was nothing.

"You're **spy**ing on his profile again, aren't you?" Maya appeared behind me, making me jump and nearly drop my phone onto the cafeteria floor. "I swear, you're gonna wear out your refresh button."

"I am not!" I protested, but my face burned. Okay, maybe I'd checked his story three times since first period. Sue me.

Maya rolled her eyes. "Girl, just reply already. You're overthinking this entire thing."

Easier said than done. My entire friend group was obsessed with the idea that Kai and I should happen. They'd been subtly (and not-so-subtly) trying to make it work for weeks. Sometimes it felt like I was living in a reality show where everyone knew the plot except me.

The school carnival that weekend was supposed to be low-stress, but obviously the universe had other plans. Maya dragged me toward some sketchy fortune teller booth, probably because she knew how nervous I was about potentially seeing Kai there.

"Let her read your **palm**," Maya insisted, shoving me forward. "It'll be fun."

The fortune teller was like, seventy, with way too much eyeliner and crystals everywhere. She took my hand and traced the lines with bony fingers, then suddenly stopped.

"Interesting," she murmured. "You have something coming. Fast. **Lightning** doesn't strike twice, but for you... it might."

"What does that even mean?" I asked, weirdly defensive.

She just winked. "You'll see."

I left feeling weirdly exposed. But then—**lightning** actually did strike. Kai found me by the ring toss booth, looking nervous as hell. "Hey, I, um... I was gonna text you but this seemed better."

My phone buzzed in my pocket. Another message from him. But there, standing in front of me, he was real. Not some profile I'd been **spy**ing on from behind screens.

"So," he said, rubbing the back of his neck, "I was wondering if you wanted to hang out sometime? Like, outside of school?"

The carnival lights flickered behind him. Somewhere distant, actual thunder rumbled. And for the first time all week, my **palm**s weren't sweating anymore.

"Yeah," I said, and I actually meant it. "I'd like that."