Riddles at the Deep End

The pool party at Tyler's house was supposed to be the highlight of summer before sophomore year, but Maya stood by the edge of the water, clutching her phone like a lifeline. Everyone was already splashing around, laughing like they'd known each other forever, while she felt like she'd stepped into the wrong dimension.

"Hey, you gonna swim or just supervise?"

Maya jumped. It was Lucas, Tyler's older brother, standing there with that effortless confidence that made her stomach do weird things. He was what her friends would call lowkey gorgeous—the kind of guy who somehow made a plain black T-shirt look like high fashion.

"I'm thinking about it," Maya said, trying to sound casual instead of like she was overthinking everything. "The water's kinda cold."

Lucas grinned. "That's the point. Jump in before your brain talks you out of it."

Maya watched him dive in smoothly, resurfacing near the diving board where a bunch of people were gathered around something on a tray. Curiosity got the better of her. She waded in (the water WAS freezing, her brain had been right) and made her way over.

"Dare someone to eat the papaya?" Tyler was saying, holding up what looked like an alien egg gone wrong. "My mom's super into exotic fruits now."

Maya found herself next to Lucas, who was toweling off his hair. "What's up with the sphinx act?" she blurted out before she could stop herself. "You're always just... watching."

Lucas raised an eyebrow, and for a second Maya wanted to dissolve into the chlorinated depths. But then he actually smiled, like really smiled, not his usual polite half-smile. "The sphinx, huh? You're not the first person to say that. I just think more than I talk."

"Try me sometime," Maya said, surprising herself with her boldness. "I'm great at riddles."

The group had moved on to debating whether papaya tasted like soap or musky melon, but Maya and Lucas stood there in the shallow end, the water lapping at their waists, and she felt something shift. Maybe high school wouldn't be so terrifying after all. Maybe she'd just jump in before her brain could talk her out of it.

"Want to try this papaya thing?" Lucas asked, holding out a chunk on a paper plate. "Together?"

Maya laughed. "You first, sphinx boy."

And somewhere between the weird fruit that honestly tasted like neither soap nor melon and the way Lucas looked at her like she was actually interesting, Maya realized she hadn't checked her phone in twenty minutes.