Lightning Over the Sphinx

Maya tugged the brim of her dad's old fedora down lower. It was her armor — a ridiculous, oversized hat that said "don't talk to me, I'm eccentric" without her having to actually speak. Which was perfect, because at Carter's end-of-summer pool party, she had zero intention of making conversation with anyone.

"Yo, Sphinx!" someone called out. "You gonna swim in that hat or what?"

The nickname had stuck in seventh grade after she'd gone a whole month without speaking in Mr. Henderson's class. Now a junior, Maya had leaned into it. Being mysterious was better than being awkward.

She sat on the edge of the pool, legs dangling in the water, watching Carter show off for the popular crowd. The same popular crowd that had barely acknowledged her existence until last week, when her older brother Jordan had graduated and suddenly Maya became "Jordan's little sister" instead of "that quiet girl in the back."

The transformation was disgusting.

"You're blocking the steps, Sphinx," said a voice behind her.

Maya turned to find Riley — the new transfer student with too many earrings and zero regard for social hierarchies — holding two sodas. "Want one?"

"Why are you talking to me?"

Riley shrugged, dropping down beside her. "You look like you'd rather be literally anywhere else. I respect that energy."

A crack of thunder shook the air. Someone screamed as lightning split the sky — a jagged white line that seemed to tear open the entire world.

"POOL!" Carter yelled. "Everyone inside, NOW!"

The party dissolved into chaos. Maya scrambled up, but her foot slipped on wet concrete. She would've gone face-first into the water if Riley hadn't grabbed her arm.

They ended up squeezed together on the covered porch with thirty other soaked, screaming teenagers. Maya's hat was somewhere on the ground. Riley was laughing, hair plastered to their face, makeup running down one cheek like war paint.

"Well, that happened," Riley said.

Maya looked at them — really looked — and something cracked open in her chest, wide as the sky. "I lost my hat."

"You've got a pretty decent face under there, Sphinx. You should show it more."

Another lightning flash illuminated Riley's grin. Maya felt herself smiling back, genuine and terrifying.

"Maybe," she said. "Maybe I will."

The storm raged for hours. Maya never found her hat. But she found something better — the courage to finally speak.