Riddle at Rio's Party

Maya's iPhone vibrated in her pocket like a nervous heartbeat. *You coming??* The text from Chloe glowed with three anxious question marks. Maya stared at her reflection in the bathroom mirror—foundation too thick, eyeliner slightly uneven. Rio's party. The social event of the semester.

"You got this," she whispered, though her stomach felt like it was doing gymnastics.

The papaya-colored walls of Rio's house pulsed with bass as Maya stepped inside. Someone had spilled something on the carpet. The air smelled like cheap body spray and desperation. She spotted Chloe near the drinks table, looking relieved.

"Finally! You survived," Chloe said, handing her a red cup. "Gabe's been asking about you."

Maya's heart did that stupid flutter thing. Gabe. The mysterious, unreadable sphinx of junior year. He sat on the couch, dark eyes watching everything, saying almost nothing. Every girl in their grade had tried to crack his code. None had succeeded.

"Yeah, right," Maya said, but she found herself drifting toward the couch anyway.

That's when she heard it—Jordan's voice behind her, that familiar mocking tone. "Oh look, Maya finally emerged from her cocoon. Did you bring your personality this time, or is it still buffering?"

The room went quiet. Because Jordan was being a bull in a china shop again, charging through people's insecurities like it was sport. Maya's face burned. Everyone was watching. Gabe was watching.

Something snapped. Maybe it was the papaya punch talking. Maybe she was just done.

"You know what, Jordan?" Maya turned, voice steady. "Your insults are getting weak. Did you use up all your creativity in seventh grade and never recharge?"

Silence. Then someone laughed. Then someone else. Jordan's face flushed darker than the punch.

"Whatever," he muttered, disappearing into the crowd.

Maya's hands shook. But when she looked at the couch, Gabe was smiling. Actually smiling. A small, genuine thing that made his dark eyes crinkle.

"Nice one," he said, sliding over to make room on the couch. "Wanna sit?"

Maya's iPhone buzzed again—probably her mom wondering where she was. She ignored it. Some riddles weren't meant to be solved from a distance. Some sphinxes, you just had to approach directly.