Riddles Above the Deep End

Maya stood at the edge of the **pool**, clutching her solo cup like it was a lifeline. The backyard glowed with those tacky string lights Chloe's mom refused to take down even though it was literally April. Everyone was already in the water, laughing and splashing like they'd known each other forever instead of, like, three weeks.

"You gonna stand there all night?" Chloe appeared beside her, looking effortless in a bikini that probably cost more than Maya's entire wardrobe. "Or are you gonna vibe?"

"I'm vibing," Maya lied. "Just taking it in."

Chloe's dad had this weird Egyptian phase, which explained the **sphinx** statue looming by the fence like it was judging everyone's beer pong skills. Maya had done a whole report on sphinxes for freshman world history—riddles, secrets, devouring you if you got stuff wrong. Honestly, just a regular Tuesday in high school.

Chloe's ex, Jason, climbed out of the pool and shook his hair like a golden retriever, sending water flying everywhere. Maya's stomach did that annoying thing it always did when he was around, which was ridiculous because he'd literally asked if she was Chloe's cousin at lunch once.

"Yo, you got something on your face," Jason said, suddenly way too close.

Maya's heart nearly stopped. "What? Where?"

"Right there." He reached out and—was he seriously going to touch her face?—and brushed something off her cheek. His fingers stayed a second too long. "Got it."

Her face was basically radioactive. "Thanks."

"No problem." He grinned, and it was actually kind of cute, not just performative cute. "Hey, I saw you reading that mythology book in the library yesterday. The one with the riddles?"

Wait, he'd noticed her? Like, actually noticed?

"Yeah," she managed. "I like that stuff."

"That's sick. We should—I mean, if you wanted to talk about it sometime—" Jason started, but then a massive crack of **lightning** split the sky, followed immediately by thunder so loud it made the outdoor speakers glitch out.

"Everyone inside NOW!" Chloe's dad yelled from the back door.

As everyone scrambled for towels, Jason leaned in close. "Hey, can I get your number? For real this time?"

Maya's brain short-circuited. "Yeah. Absolutely."

"Cool." He tapped her phone, which he'd somehow produced from nowhere. "I'm not as dumb as I look, by the way. I know which locker is yours. I've been basically a **spy** trying to figure out how to talk to you for like, two weeks."

Maya laughed, actual genuine laughter, as they ran toward the house together. The sphinx watched them go, its stone face forever frozen in that knowing smile. She'd solved this riddle, at least. Tomorrow there would be more—first date jitters, social media anxiety, whatever came next. But tonight? Tonight she'd figured out that sometimes, when you least expect it, the universe decides to stop devouring you and start helping you win.