Riddle of the Pool Party Sphinx

Maya smoothed her orange sundress for the third time, checking her reflection in the darkened window. Why had she agreed to come to Tyler's pool party again? Oh right, because Chloe had sworn she'd "literally die" if Maya didn't wingwoman for her.

The backyard already buzzed with energy. Water rippled in the pool as people cannonballed off the diving board, and somewhere someone blasted a playlist that was 40% too loud. Maya hovered near the snack table, clutching a Vitaminwater like it was a lifeline.

"You look like you're plotting something," a voice said behind her.

Maya turned to face Tyler himself, shirtless and dripping pool water. Her stomach did that lightning-strike thing that happened whenever he got within ten feet. She blamed summer humidity. Definitely summer humidity.

"Just, you know," Maya managed. "Observing. Like a sphinx."

Tyler laughed, and it was this warm, genuine sound that made her chest feel weird. "The sphinx, huh? Those things with riddles and wings and stuff?"

"They're mysterious," she said, gaining confidence. "Unreadable. Enigmatic. That's me tonight."

"Okay, Sphinx." He leaned against the table, water still sliding down his shoulders. "Got any riddles for me?"

Maya's brain short-circuited. "Uh... what walks on four legs in the morning, two at noon, and three in the evening?"

"Man. That's the actual sphinx riddle." He grinned, and Maya's pulse accelerated. "You're not mysterious at all, are you?"

"Debatable," she said, but she was smiling now. The anxiety in her chest had dissolved into something brighter, something that felt a lot like possibility.

"Hey," Tyler said, pushing off from the table. "You should jump in the pool with us.水温's perfect."

"水温? Since when do you speak Chinese?"

"Since Duolingo told me I'm a 47-day streak king." He extended a hand. "Come on, Sphinx. Don't make me solve the riddle of why you're still dry."

Maya looked at his hand, then at the pool where Chloe was dramatically failing to get someone's attention, then back at Tyler.

"Fine," she said, kicking off her sandals. "But I'm not telling you any more riddles."

"Deal." He grinned. "But I might have one for you later."

As she waded into the cool water, Maya decided maybe pool parties weren't so terrible after all.