Riddle at the Deep End

Maya felt like a zombie—dead behind the eyes, moving through molasses, the kind of exhaustion that comes from five days of finals and exactly four hours of sleep total. The sun reflected off the pool in blinding waves as she trudged toward the party, her flip-flops slapping against the pavement.

"There she is!" called Jordan, waving from the edge of the water. "Living proof that the undead walk among us."

"Haha, very funny," Maya mumbled, though she managed a weak smile. Jordan's grin was unfairly bright, like he'd actually gotten sleep this week. Which he had, because he was a morning person and also possibly not human.

The real problem wasn't just the exhaustion. It was the giant inflatable sphinx bobbing in the deep end, its painted smile mysteriously knowing. Someone's weird joke purchase that had become the centerpiece of every pool party since—people dared each other to climb on and answer its "riddle," though nobody actually knew what the riddle was supposed to be.

"You going up there?" Jordan asked, following her gaze. "Or you gonna chicken out like last time?"

"I was recovering from the flu last time!"

"Sure you were." He splashed water at her, and Maya yelped as the cold droplets hit her skin. Something snapped inside her—maybe the sleep deprivation, maybe the weeks of dancing around each other, maybe just Jordan's annoying perfect teeth.

She dove in.

The water swallowed her whole, muffled and cool and blue-green perfect. For a moment she just floated, suspended, watching the light ripple above her like stained glass. When she surfaced, gasping, Jordan was laughing.

"What?" she demanded, pushing wet hair from her face.

"You look like a drowned rat."

"Your compliments are legendary."

He swam closer, treading water. "Hey, for real though—"

A horn blasted from the sphinx. Someone had climbed onto it and hit the squeaky horn embedded in its forehead. The party went wild, cheering, and Maya rolled her eyes.

"That thing is so stupid," she said.

"Yeah," Jordan agreed. "Stupidest thing ever."

He was watching her now, not the sphinx. The noise of the party seemed to fade, leaving just the two of them treading water in the deep end, everything unsaid hanging there heavier than any riddle.

"Maya?"

"Yeah?"

"You want to get food after this? Like, just us?"

Her heart did this embarrassing flutter thing that had nothing to do with exhaustion. She grinned, feeling properly alive for the first time in days. "Only if you're paying. I'm operating on, like, one brain cell."

Jordan laughed, relief washing over his face. "Deal."

Behind them, someone fell off the sphinx with a spectacular splash, but neither of them even turned around.