Riddle of the Roadside Sphinx

Maya's summer job at her aunt's roadside attraction wasn't exactly Instagram-worthy. The Sphinx—that's what the faded neon sign called it—was a weird collection of questionable statues and overpriced slushies. But hey, at least she didn't have to talk to anyone.

Then the bear showed up.

No, really. An actual bear, wandering out of the woods like it owned the place. Maya froze behind the counter, her brain short-circuiting. Should she call 911? Run? Offer it a cherry slushy?

Suddenly, Chaos—her aunt's chaotic golden retriever, because of course his name was Chaos—dashed out from the back room, barking like he'd just found his new best friend.

"Chaos, NO!" Maya screamed, surprising herself. Since when did she have a voice that could actually project?

The bear paused, looking at the dog like it was confused by this tiny creature's audacity. Chaos kept barking, tail wagging, completely oblivious to the life-or-death situation. The bear let out this massive huff, like it was dealing with an annoying little sibling, and slowly turned back toward the trees.

Maya's knees gave out. She slid to the floor, heart racing, while Chaos immediately switched to 'I'm a good boy' mode, nudging her hand with his wet nose.

By the time her aunt rushed out, phone in hand to report bear sightings, Maya was already typing furiously on her phone. Her hands trembled, but her thumbs moved fast.

"You're not gonna believe this," she posted, adding a shaky photo of the retreating bear. "Just had a stare-down with an actual bear. I'm literally shivering. Also Chaos tried to fight it. 0/10 would not recommend but also? Kind of iconic."

Within minutes, her notifications were exploding. People she'd barely spoken to all semester were commenting, reacting, tagging their friends. For the first time in forever, Maya wasn't invisible. She was the girl who'd survived the bear attack.

The Sphinx still wasn't cool. But as she watched her phone blow up, Maya caught her reflection in the darkened window and barely recognized herself. Maybe this summer wasn't going to be so boring after all.