Riddle by the Pool

The pool party at Tyler's house was supposed to be lit. Instead, Maya stood by the snack table, clutching a warm orange soda like it was her only friend. Her neon one-piece felt way too bright among everyone's trendy bikinis.

"You gonna stand there all night or actually get in?" Tyler called out, doing that thing where he cupped his hands around his mouth to amplify his voice. Total bull.

"I'm good!" Maya lied. She'd forgotten to mention the tiny detail that she'd never learned to actually enjoy swimming. The water always felt like everyone was watching, judging each splash like it was a performance review.

Then she saw it—a coiled cable snaking across the patio, right where Jade was about to step. Maya moved without thinking, grabbing Jade's arm just before she wiped out. Jade, who literally everyone thought was perfect.

"Oh my god, thanks," Jade said, actually looking at Maya for the first time all summer. "You literally saved my life."

"Just preventing a fail," Maya said, feeling her face heat up.

They ended up sitting together on the edge of the hot tub, feet dangling in the water. Jade wasn't actually that perfect—she admitted she'd been stressed about tryouts for the dance team, how she felt like she had to solve this impossible riddle of being everything to everyone.

"You know what my weirdo history teacher called me today?" Jade said, laughing. "'Sphinx.' Like I'm some mysterious puzzle they need to figure out."

"That's oddly fitting though," Maya said. "Mysterious, legendary..."

"Or just socially awkward," Jade rolled her eyes, but she was smiling.

They stayed there until the sky turned that perfect summer orange, talking about real stuff instead of performing coolness for everyone else. By the time Tyler's mom announced pizza, Maya realized something: she'd spent all summer terrified of being judged, but nobody was actually paying attention to anyone but themselves.

"Same time next week?" Jade asked as they grabbed pizza slices.

"Yeah," Maya said, and for the first time all summer, she actually meant it.