“I don’t believe in fate,” Dalia said, crossing her arms and glaring.
“It doesn’t matter if you believe in fate; fate believes in you,” Charlton sighed, pointing at the tarot cards spread out in the bench between them. “Fate says you are going to meet your soulmate this week. Or die, I sometimes can’t tell.”
“Thanks, Char, that’s helpful,” Dalia said, shooting him her trademark you’re-being-an-idiot look.
He just shrugged. “The cards are mysterious, that’s all.”
“How can you tell me ‘the cards are mysterious’ and that fate is real and you know what it is? At the same time? It’s all crap, and you know it.”
“It’s not crap! Ok, let’s pull another card, and we’ll see who’s full of crap.” Charlton gathered the cards again, shuffling them quickly before holding out the deck, spread apart. “Pick one.”
Dalia shook her head. “Nope. I’ve indulged you enough.”
“Come on,” he wheedled, inching the cards closer. “You know you wanna. Either to learn your destiny, or to prove I’m full of it.”
Dalia sighed dramatically, before pulling a card from the middle of the deck. “There, happy?”
“Inordinately.” Charlton flipped the card, and let out a low whistle.
“What?” Dalia asked, curious despite herself.
“Well, you don’t believe in fate, right? So it doesn’t really matter what the card says.”
“Charlton!”
“Fine, fine,” he said, shaking his head and handing her the card. “That’s a good one, by the way.”
Dalia stared down at the card. It showed a young person wandering down a path, a vacant expression on their placid face.
“’The Fool?’ Really?”
“Hey, I’m not saying you’re a fool,” Charlton grinned. “Don’t be that literal, for once.” He dodged the flick she aimed at his shoulder. “It just means you’re about to start a journey. Or that you’re about to start being more interesting.” He dodged another flick. “Reckless, then! Jeez…”
His voice was cut off by a loud rumbling. They both looked up, and toward the campus parking lot across the street. A dark green muscle car pulled into a spot near them, music blasting from the speakers. They watched as a woman got out of the car, with close-cropped hair, red leather jacket, and all-around badass vibes.
“Oh, look,” Charlton smirked. “She’s totally your type – scary and intellectual.”
“How can you tell she’s intellectual from here?” Dalia asked, her gaze never leaving the new arrival.
Charlton rolled his eyes. “Because I recognize the book she’s holding. She’s apparently in my Metaphysics seminar.”
Dalia shook her head, blinking rapidly. “Yeah, whatever. Look, I gotta go. I think my Organic Chem class is starting soon.”
Charlton smirked as he watched his friend march off in the opposite direction of the Chemistry building, away from the mystery woman walking toward them. He glanced down at the cards. Potential love, potential death (or just, you know, big changes), and a risky journey that could have a huge payout? He gathered the cards and shoved them in his bag, hurrying to meet the woman at the door to the building.
Sounded like just what his friend needed.
© The Lightning Tower, 2020