Riddle in Palm Beach

Maya's palms were sweating so hard she could practically water plants with them. She gripped her Solo cup like it was a lifeline, which was ridiculous because it was just some lukewarm soda at Tyler's end-of-school blowout. Everyone was supposed to be having the time of their lives, but Maya felt like she was failing some kind of social test she hadn't studied for.

"You look like you're about to hurl," said Javi, materializing beside her with his trademark grin. Javi, who'd somehow managed to be friends with everyone since kindergarten without even trying. "Rough night?"

"Just... thinking too much," Maya admitted. "About how I'm allegedly having fun but actually counting ceiling tiles."

Javi laughed. "You're not alone. This whole party is like some ancient riddle, right? Nobody actually knows what they're doing. We're all just pretending."

That's when Luna's dog escaped. Some golden retriever chaos machine named Sphinx, because of course Luna would name her pet after an ancient Egyptian creature known for impossible riddles. Sphinx barrelled through the sliding glass door, knocked over a tower of red cups, and made a beeline for Maya.

Maya froze as Sphinx planted herself directly in front of her, tail wagging like she'd just found her new best friend.

"Sphinx! No!" Luna came running, face flaming. "I'm so sorry, she's—"

"It's okay," Maya said, surprising herself by dropping to her knees. Sphinx immediately rolled over for belly rubs, and Maya's hands found their way to soft golden fur without her overthinking it for once. "She's perfect."

Luna blinked. "You're not... weirded out?"

"Dude, she's literally the best thing here," Maya said. "At least she's honest about wanting attention."

Javi snorted. "Fair."

By midnight, Maya, Luna, and Javi were sitting on the back patio watching Sphinx chase her own tail in increasingly confused circles. Maya's palms weren't sweaty anymore. She wasn't worried about saying the right thing or looking cool. She'd solved her own riddle without meaning to: the sphinx's answer wasn't a perfect answer. It was just showing up.

"Next party," Luna suggested, "we just bring Sphinx. She's better at this than any of us."

Maya smiled, finally feeling like she might actually belong here. "Deal."