Riddle of the Sphinx Necklace

Maya's best friend was ghosting her, and honestly? It was giving major anxiety. Three days of left-on-read messages, and now they were supposed to be at Jordan's pool party together.

The water shimmered like liquid sapphire in the afternoon sun, half the sophomore class already cannonballing their way through the weekend. Maya adjusted her hair—she'd spent forty minutes straightening it, because Jordan would be there, and Jordan had finally noticed her existence last week.

She spotted Chloe by the snack table, wearing that sphinx necklace Maya had given her for birthday. The tiny silver Egyptian cat-with-human-face pendant caught the light, glinting like Chloe's attention was somewhere else entirely.

"Hey," Maya said, approaching like she was approaching a wild animal. "You've been... distant."

Chloe twisted the sphinx necklace around her finger. "It's just—" She lowered her voice. "I know you like Jordan."

"And?"

"And Jordan asked me to homecoming."

The words hit like a splash of ice water. Because of course. Because that's how teenage girlhood worked—your friend would always have the exact same crush, and somehow they'd always end up chosen while you stood there dripping wet in your two-piece from Target.

Maya's vision blurred. She turned toward the pool, needing to disappear into its chlorinated embrace.

"I said no," Chloe called after her. "I told Jordan I couldn't, because—" She grabbed Maya's arm. "Because friendship is supposed to be our pyramid, okay? The foundation. And I'm not building my romantic life on top of something I'd wreck."

Maya blinked. "Did you just compare our friendship to a pyramid?"

"It's solid!" Chloe protested. "It's lasted since seventh grade!"

Someone pushed Maya from behind—probably Tyler, being a douche—and she tumbled into the pool, fully clothed. She surfaced, sputtering, her hair plastered to her face like a drowned rat.

Chloe jumped in after her. "Trade you," she said, surfacing with a splash. "I'll be the drowned rat, you be the one with social standing."

"You're such a weirdo," Maya said, but she was laughing. "And your necklace is still on."

Chloe fingered the sphinx. "Riddle me this," she said. "What's better than having a boyfriend?"

"Not getting your heart broken by the same guy who ghosted Jessica last week?"

"Exactly." Chloe splashed her. "Now let's figure out how to fix your hair before Jordan sees you looking like a wet poodle."