Riddles by the Pool

Maya's palms were sweating — like, actually sweating — and it wasn't even that hot out. She stood at the edge of the resort's infinity pool, clutching her phone like it was a lifeline, watching the cool kids dominate the padel court below. They moved with that terrifying confidence that comes from never having to worry about anything.

"You gonna swim or just stand there looking deep in thought?"

Maya jumped. It was Leo, the guy she'd been lowkey obsessing over since Tuesday. His hair was wet, droplets tracking down his neck like he was in some slow-motion music video.

"Oh. Yeah. Just, you know... contemplating existence," she said. Why did she say that? She sounded like a Sphinx riddle gone wrong.

Leo laughed, and okay, that was definitely worth the embarrassment. "You're weird. I like that."

They spent the next hour floating in the shallow end, talking about everything and nothing. Leo wasn't just the hot athletic guy — he was funny, secretly loved trashy reality TV, and had absolutely zero chill about his obsession with vintage sneakers. Maya felt that terrifying flutter in her chest, the one that signals you're about to catch feelings for someone who probably doesn't even remember your last name.

Then Jason appeared. The resort's resident bully, the guy who'd made Maya's life miserable yesterday by loudly commenting on her "target brand" swimsuit.

"Yo, Leo, your mom's looking for you. Something about dinner reservations?" Jason smirked, scanning Maya like she was something he'd stepped in. "Don't drown, princess."

"That's bull, Jason," Leo said, his voice flat. "Leave her alone."

Jason's face went blank for a second, then he shrugged and walked off. Maya stared at Leo. No one had ever stood up for her like that. Not ever.

"You didn't have to do that," she said quietly.

"Yeah, I did. He's been a jerk to you all week." Leo's phone buzzed. He checked it and grimaced. "I gotta go. Family dinner thing." He paused, looking at her sideways. "Hey, you doing anything tomorrow? We could hit the padel courts. I promise not to annihilate you too bad."

Maya smiled, her heart doing something genuinely illegal. "I'll think about it."

"You do that, Sphinx." He winked and walked away, and Maya sat in the pool wondering how exactly her life had suddenly become a teen movie.

Her phone buzzed. Unknown number: "It's Leo. Jason's full of it BTW, my mom's not looking for me. Just wanted an excuse to bail before I said something stupid." Maya laughed out loud, and for the first time all week, her palms were perfectly dry.