The Nevada sun was merciless, glinting off the hood of Lily's beat-up Jeep as Y/N tossed her last bag into the trunk. She spun around, her eyes sparkling with excitement. "I'm telling you, I'm going to meet her. It's meant to be."
Ashley leaned against the car door, her sunglasses perched on her head. "You've been saying that since the day you bought those concert tickets. Do you even hear yourself? You're not just meeting Miko. She's, like, the biggest pop star on the planet right now."
Y/N folded her arms, unfazed. "Manifestation is real. I've been practicing. Positive vibes, clear vision—I'm practically a guru at this point."
Lily rolled her eyes, tossing a bag of snacks into the back seat. "Well, Guru Y/N, let's manifest ourselves to Denver before nightfall."
With the GPS set and the playlist on blast, they hit the road. The highway stretched out before them, a shimmering ribbon under the scorching desert sun. They sang along to their favorite songs, stopping at quirky roadside attractions—a giant dinosaur statue, a UFO-themed diner—taking goofy pictures at every stop.
At one point, Y/N made them pull over to take a photo with a cardboard cutout of a celebrity, insisting it was good manifestation practice. "You laugh now, but just wait. I'm going to meet Miko, and it'll be just like this, only real."
They rolled their eyes, but Ashley snapped the photo anyway.
By the time they crossed into Utah, they were exhausted but buzzing with excitement. Lily pulled into a gas station that looked like it had been plucked from an old movie, its faded sign creaking in the wind. Y/N volunteered to grab snacks and headed inside, still repeating her mantra under her breath, "I'm going to meet Miko. I'm going to meet Miko."
She rounded an aisle, distracted by a rack of cheesy souvenir keychains, and crashed into someone, sending a wave of cold iced coffee across the stranger's shirt.
"Oh my God, I'm so sorry—" Y/N's apology died in her throat as she looked up into the familiar blue eyes of Miko herself.
Miko stood there, auburn hair falling in loose waves around her shoulders, her signature braids peeking out on one side. She looked down at her coffee-soaked shirt and then back at Y/N, clearly startled, before a crooked smile spread across her face. "Well, that's one way to say hello."
Y/N's heart stopped. "You're... you're Miko!"
Miko smirked, adjusting her sunglasses. "Last time I checked. And you're... someone who owes me a new shirt."
Y/N's face burned red. "I—I can buy you one! I mean, a shirt. I'll buy you a shirt."
Miko laughed, the sound warm and genuine. "I was kidding. But hey, if you're feeling guilty, maybe you could help me pick out something that screams 'I got attacked by iced coffee at a random gas station.'"
They wandered over to a rack of tacky T-shirts emblazoned with phrases like I ♥ Utah and Area 51 Survivor. Y/N was painfully aware of how nervous she was, her words tumbling out in a rush. "I can't believe this is happening. I've been saying this whole trip that I was going to meet you. Like, manifesting it."
Miko glanced at her curiously. "Manifesting?"
"Yeah," Y/N said, her voice gaining confidence. "It's all about positive thinking, believing it's going to happen. And now... here you are."
Miko looked genuinely impressed. "You manifested me spilling my coffee?"
Y/N laughed, finally relaxing. "I think I need to be more specific next time."
Miko grinned, holding up a neon green shirt that read Greetings from Roswell. "This one's a winner."
Y/N laughed so hard she snorted. Miko's eyes widened, then she burst out laughing too, her shoulders shaking as she held the ridiculous shirt. "I've never seen someone actually snort when they laugh," she teased. "That's amazing."
Y/N's face went red again. "Oh my God, just when I thought this couldn't get more embarrassing."
"Nah," Miko said, still grinning. "It's cute."
They ended up at the counter together, Miko insisting on paying for the shirt despite Y/N's protests. As they walked out, Y/N realized she hadn't taken a single photo. "Wait! Can we... can we take a selfie? My friends are never going to believe this."
Miko chuckled. "Sure. I'll even let you caption it Manifestation Works."
Y/N's hands were shaking as she held up her phone, Miko leaning in close, her auburn hair brushing Y/N's shoulder. She snapped the photo, her heart racing.
They walked outside together, where Ashley and Lily were waiting by the Jeep, their jaws dropping in unison as they saw who Y/N was with.
"No. Freaking. Way," Ashley whispered, eyes wide.
Lily's mouth hung open as she sputtered, "You... you actually met her?"
Y/N shrugged, trying to act nonchalant but failing miserably. "Told you. Manifestation works."
Miko grinned at her, her green eyes sparkling. "Hey, Y/N. I'll see you at the concert, yeah?"
Her heart skipped a beat. "Yeah. I'll be there."
"Good," Miko said, her voice soft. "I'll keep an eye out for you."
As she walked away, Y/N stood there, staring at her retreating figure, the reality of what just happened finally sinking in.
Ashley smacked her on the arm. "You met her. You actually met her."
Lily shook her head, still in shock. "And she's... into you?"
Y/N looked down at her phone, the selfie proof that this was all real. "I guess... maybe I manifested that, too."
