Riddles by the Pool

Maya stood at the edge of the pool, clutching her red Solo cup like it was a lifeline. The water glittered temptingly, but the real reason she'd come was somewhere in the sea of bodies.

"Hey! You actually made it!" Jenna appeared beside her, grinning. "I wasn't sure you would."

"Almost bailed," Maya admitted, taking a sip of lukewarm soda. "Social battery was already at like, three percent before I even got here."

"Well, I'm glad you didn't." Jenna's smile was genuine, which made Maya's chest do that weird fluttery thing. "Come on, I want to introduce you to someone."

Great. This was it—the moment Jenna would try to set her up with some guy who would make awkward conversation about his starter pack or whatever basic thing he was into. Maya steeled herself and followed.

Instead, Jenna led her to a circle of people sitting on the pool deck. In the center sat a girl with sleek dark hair and an air of mystery that seemed to repel and attract everyone simultaneously.

"This is Sasha," Jenna said. "She's kind of like our resident sphinx."

"Sphinx?" Maya raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah, because she only speaks in riddles," someone muttered. "Try getting a straight answer out of her. It's impossible."

Sasha's eyes locked onto Maya's. "What walks on four legs in the morning, two legs at noon, and three legs in the evening?"

"Man," Maya replied without missing a beat. "It's the Riddle of the Sphinx from Greek mythology. The answer is 'man'—crawling as a baby, walking upright, then using a cane in old age."

The circle went silent. Sasha's lips curled into something that might have been a smile. "Finally. Someone who actually knows things."

"Dude, that's literally the most famous riddle ever," another guy said. "It's not that deep."

Sasha stood up and walked toward the pool's edge. "Most people just Google it or give up. You actually knew."

"Greek mythology nerd," Maya shrugged, feeling her face heat up. "It's a whole thing."

"Cool." Sasha dipped her foot into the water, watching the ripples spread. "You want to get in? The water's actually not bad."

"Maybe," Maya said. "I mean, I didn't exactly bring a suit or anything."

"So?" Sasha challenged. "Clothes dry. Experiences stay with you forever."

And okay, that was the cheesiest thing Maya had ever heard, but something about the way Sasha said it made it sound profound instead of cringe. Like maybe taking chances—even awkward ones—was worth it.

Jenna nudged her. "Well? You in or what?"

Maya looked at the water, at Sasha's challenging expression, at Jenna's encouraging smile. She thought about how she'd almost stayed home, how easy it would have been to scroll through her phone alone in her room instead of whatever this was.

"I'm in," Maya said. "But I'm blaming you if my phone survives."

"Deal," Sasha said, and for the first time, her smile reached her eyes. "And hey—welcome to the friend group. We accept applications year-round."

Maya laughed. As she waded into the cool water surrounded by people who didn't feel like strangers anymore, she thought maybe—just maybe—her social battery had been underrated all along.