Riddles at the Ripple Edge

The chlorine hit Maya's nose before she even saw it—the neighborhood pool, glittering like a dropped jewel in the July heat. She clutched her vitamin D supplement bottle like a weird talisman. Her mom had made her promise to take it daily, but swallowing pills poolside wasn't exactly the vibe she was going for.

Then she saw him.

Lucas perched on the diving board, knees pulled to his chest, watching everyone like he was solving a puzzle no one else knew existed. The seniors called him 'the Sphinx' because he'd sit through lunch just staring, eyes flickering like he was reading invisible messages in the cafeteria chaos. No one knew what he was thinking. Ever.

Maya's stomach did that terrible flip-flop thing. She'd been crushing on Lucas since October, when he'd loaned her his pen during the PSATs and their fingers had brushed for like three seconds. She'd spent six months analyzing those three seconds.

'Hey Sphinx!' someone yelled. Lucas ignored it, but Maya saw his jaw tighten.

She marched over to the diving board, vitamin bottle sweating in her palm. What was she doing? This was social suicide territory. But something about the way he looked alone in a crowd made her feet move on their own.

'My mom says vitamin D deficiency makes you depressed,' she blurted. The words hung there, awkward and weird.

Lucas turned. His eyes were hazel, flecked with gold, and they locked onto hers like she'd actually said something interesting. 'What?'

'I—' Maya's brain scrambled. 'I have these. Vitamins. And you're always in the shade. So. You know.' She shoved the bottle at him.

For a terrible second, nothing happened. Then Lucas smiled—genuine, lopsided, making his nose crinkle. 'You're really weird, Maya.' He knew her name? 'Thanks, I guess.' He pocketed the bottle.

'So,' Maya said, heart hammering. 'What is a Sphinx actually thinking about up there?'

'Riddles,' he said. 'Like how someone who's terrified of deep water still comes to the pool every week.'

Maya blinked. He'd noticed her? All those times she'd stayed in the shallow end, toes gripping the bottom?

'That's not a riddle,' she said finally. 'That's just anxiety.'

'Tell me about it.' Lucas slid into the water. 'Wanna hang out in the three-foot section and contemplate our emotional issues?'

Maya laughed—actual sound came out—and the pool didn't seem so scary anymore.