Riddle at the Pool Party

Marcus stood at the edge of the pool, clutching his beat-up dad hat like a shield. The sophomore spring splash party. Every instinct screamed to bolt.

"Yo Marcus! You swimming or what?" Jenna called from the water, surrounded by her squad. She'd dyed her hair neon green last week. Everything about her was effortless confidence.

Marcus's bulldog—Tank, his ancient, farting rescue—had more swagger than he did. But then Tyler materialized, flanked by his goons like a bull ready to charge.

"Look who finally showed up," Tyler sneered. "Hope you brought your sphinx riddles, genius. Oh wait, nobody cares about your nerd trivia club."

Laughter rippled. Marcus felt it in his chest. But then—

"Actually," Jenna said, splashing toward the edge, "I could go for a riddle right now. Hit us with your best one, Marcus."

Tyler froze. The pool went quiet.

Marcus's brain went blank. Then he remembered. The ancient Egyptian sphinx's riddle. But the words tumbled out before he could stop them, and in that moment, something shifted. He wasn't the awkward kid holding his hat like a lifeline. He was just Marcus, standing at a pool party, about to say something incredibly nerdy, and somehow Jenna was actually listening.

"What walks on four legs in the morning, two legs at noon, and three legs in the evening?" Marcus said, voice steadying.

Jenna's eyes lit up. She hopped out of the pool, water dripping from her neon-green hair. "A human! We crawl as babies, walk as adults, and use canes when we're old."

"No way," someone said. "That's actually sick."

"I've got one," Jenna challenged. "What has a head but never weeps, has a bed but never sleeps, runs but never walks?"

Marcus grinned. The answer clicked instantly.

The real sphinx had been his fear all along. And Tank was probably at home right now, snoring on the couch, completely unbothered.

"A river," Marcus said. "And I'll take that swim now."

He tossed his hat onto a lawn chair and cannonballed into the deep end.