Riddles in the Cafeteria

Maya felt like a **zombie** walking into the cafeteria, her brain fried from three hours of sleep and Mr. Henderson's AP Bio test. Her **iPhone** buzzed in her pocket — probably another group chat blowing up about Jake's party tonight that she wasn't sure she wanted to attend.

She slumped at her usual table, watching Rachel across the room. Rachel was like a **sphinx** — beautiful, mysterious, totally unreadable. They'd been best friends since kindergarten, but lately Rachel had been pulling away, spending more time with the popular crowd, leaving Maya to figure out where she fit in this high school hierarchy anymore.

"Hey." Maya's mom had packed her lunch again. She pushed aside the **spinach** salad that was already wilting. Her mom meant well, but sometimes Maya just wanted a normal lunch like everyone else's Doritos and pizza.

Her phone died mid-text. Of course. She'd forgotten her charging **cable** at home AGAIN. Third time this week. Maya stared at the black screen, feeling strangely relieved. No notifications, no FOMO, no comparing herself to everyone else's perfect lives.

Rachel walked over, hesitant.

"My phone's dead," Maya said, gesturing at the black screen. "It's actually kinda nice."

Rachel sat down. "Mine too. Jake's party tonight... I don't think I'm going."

"Really? But you've been talking about it for weeks."

"Yeah, but...

" Rachel played with her food. "I'd rather hang out with you. Like old times."

Maya felt something warm in her chest. Maybe things didn't have to change so much after all.

"Wanna come over? We can binge that show we started freshman year and never finished."

Rachel's face lit up. "Absolutely."

Maya realized she didn't need to decode the sphinx's riddle or keep up with everyone else's expectations. She just needed to figure out who SHE was — preferably with more than three hours of sleep and her best friend by her side.