Riddles at the Deep End

The pool party at Jenna's house was supposed to be chill, but my anxiety was doing that thing where it felt like I'd swallowed a whole pool worth of water. I stood by the edge, nursing my soda, watching everyone else float and splash like they'd been born knowing how to exist.

"You're not gonna swim?" Levi materialized beside me, dripping wet. "Don't be such a scaredy-dog."

"I'm not scared," I lied, which was total bull and we both knew it. "Just... pacing myself."

Levi smirked. "Right. Just like how you're totally not staring at Maya every five seconds?"

My face burned. "Shut up."

"Hey, I get it." He nudged my shoulder. "But you're not gonna make a move standing here like a sphinx—mysterious and silent."

"That's not even what a sphinx does," I protested weakly.

"Whatever, man." Levi's phone buzzed. He fumbled with the charging cable that had been threatening to dump his phone in the water all afternoon. "Crap. My dad's probably calling."

Suddenly, Maya emerged from the pool, water streaming down her face like she was in some music video. She looked right at me. "Hey, Marcus?"

"Yeah?" My voice cracked. Fantastic.

"We're doing chicken fights. You wanna be my partner?"

"What?" I blinked.

"Chicken fights." She grinned. "You know, shoulders. Unless you're too scared..."

Levi mouthed go for it like his life depended on it.

"I'm in," I heard myself say.

Later, when we'd both been dunked three times and my hair looked like I'd been electrocuted by a downed cable, Maya sat beside me on the pool deck, her legs in the water. Her family's golden retriever, Buster, nosed her hand, demanding attention.

"You know what my grandpa says?" she murmured, scratching behind the dog's ears. "He says the sphinx's riddle was easy. The answer is 'human' because we change so much. Like, who you are at the beginning isn't who you are at the end."

I looked at her, water dripping from my chin. "So... being awkward and scared is just a phase?"

She laughed, and it sounded like something I wanted to hear forever. "Exactly. And maybe the version of you that's brave enough to chicken fight with me is the real Marcus."

Buster barked like he agreed. I smiled, actually smiled, and for the first time all day, I didn't feel like I was drowning.