Riddles by the Pool

Maya's screen lit up her face in the darkness of the pool house bathroom. Another Instagram story from Alexa's party—everyone from sophomore year was there, laughing in that perfect, golden-hour lighting. Maya scrolled through, feeling that familiar knot in her stomach. Being the new girl sucked, especially when you'd moved three towns over the summer.

She slipped out the back door, following the distant splash of water. The pool glittered like scattered diamonds under the string lights. And there he was—Ethan, sitting alone on the edge, feet dangling in the water.

"I was wondering if you'd ever surface from the bathroom," he said without turning. "Forty-five minutes is impressive dedication."

Maya froze. "You were keeping track?"

"I'm observant." He shrugged, finally facing her. "Also, I noticed your iPhone case. Egyptian mythology, right?"

She looked down at her sphinx phone case, suddenly self-conscious. "Yeah. Ancient history geek, right here."

"Cool." Ethan slid into the pool with a soft splash. "You know what the sphinx asked, right? The riddle."

"What walks on four legs in the morning, two at noon, three in the evening," Maya recited automatically. "Human. We crawl as babies, walk as adults, use canes when we're old."

"Wrong answer for right now." Ethan paddled to the other side. "The real question is: who are you when nobody's watching?"

Maya's chest tightened. Was he mocking her?

Then she saw it—a fox darting along the back fence, copper fur catching the light. It paused, watching them with knowing amber eyes before vanishing into the night.

"Did you see that?" she whispered.

"The fox?" Ethan grinned. "She's always around during parties. Watching. Waiting. Kind of like you were, spying from the bathroom window."

Maya felt her face burn. "I wasn't—"

"It's okay." He treaded water, suddenly serious. "I do it too. Watch people, I mean. Figure out who's safe to talk to before I actually talk to them."

The weight in her chest lightened. "I thought I was the only one."

"Maya?" Alexa appeared at the sliding door, phone in hand. "You coming in? We're doing group photos."

Maya looked at the pool, at Ethan waiting. At the spot where the fox had disappeared.

"Actually," she said, sliding off her flip-flops, "I think I'll stay out here a while longer."

Alexa looked surprised, then shrugged. "Your loss."

As the sliding door closed, Maya slipped into the cool water. "So," she said, splashing water toward Ethan, "what else do you observe?"

He laughed, wiping water from his eyes. "That's another riddle for another time."

The pool lights flickered, casting dancing shadows across the water. For the first time since moving to this town, Maya didn't feel like she was watching from the outside. She was exactly where she was supposed to be.