Chasing Riddles at Sunset

Maya's legs burned as she pounded the pavement, running from everything she couldn't say out loud. Her former best friend had been giving her the cold shoulder for three weeks now, ever since Maya refused to sneak out to that party. The silent treatment was worse than yelling.

She slowed to catch her breath near the old warehouse district, where someone—a mysterious artist the whole school was talking about—had been spray-painting sphinx murals everywhere. Riddle-filled, cryptic, breathtaking sphinxes that made you stop and think. Maya's favorite was the one behind the 7-Eleven: I KNOW I AM NOTHING. DOES THAT MAKE ME SOMETHING?

A calico cat wound around her ankles, purring like a tiny motor. This was the third time this stray cat had appeared on her runs. Maya crouched down, letting the cat headbutt her hand. "You're nicer than people," she murmured.

"That's Spot."

Maya jumped. A tall boy with paint-stained fingers stood there, holding a skateboard. "I've been trying to catch him for weeks. He's my neighbor's cat, but he keeps wandering."

"His name is Spot?"

"My little sister named him. She's four, she's not great at names."

They both laughed.

"You're the sphinx artist, aren't you?"

He looked away, messing with his hair. "Maybe. Are you gonna tell everyone?"

"No. But... why sphinxes?"

He shrugged. "They ask riddles but never answer them. Figured someone should."

The cat purred louder, bridging their awkward silence. Maya realized she'd been running from the wrong things. Maybe growing up wasn't about having all the answers. Maybe it was about finding people who asked the right questions.

"I'm Maya."

"Leo. Want to see what I'm working on?"

She forgot about her ex-best friend, forgot about running away. Some discoveries were worth stopping for.