Riddles in the Deep End

Maya's palms were sweating — again. She wiped them on her jeans for the third time while staring at Tyler across the cafeteria. He was laughing at something his friends said, and wow, his smile could actually cure diseases.

"You're literally spinning in circles," said Jax, dropping into the seat beside her. "Just talk to him already."

"I can't!" Maya hissed. "What if I say something weird? What if I have spinach in my teeth RIGHT NOW and nobody's telling me?"

Jax inspected her lunch. "You're not even eating spinach. You're overthinking everything. Like always."

Maya sighed. Friday was the Spring Fling, and Tyler had already asked three people if she was going. *Hint levels: maximum.* But every time she tried to ask him, her brain turned into a sphinx — withholding all answers and asking impossible riddles instead.

Whatever. She had bigger problems. Like regionals tomorrow. Two years of **swimming** at 5 AM, and it all came down to 49.7 seconds of freestyle. No pressure.

That night, her older cousin Zara showed up with her tarot cards and crystal nonsense, ready to "read Maya's future." Because obviously this was what Maya needed before the biggest meet of her life.

"Your palm tells me you're at a crossroads," Zara said dramatically, tracing lines on Maya's hand. "You're afraid to dive in. But the universe is pushing you toward something... transformational."

"That's just sweat," Maya said. "I'm nervous about regionals. And Tyler. And life in general."

"The Tyler situation will resolve itself," Zara promised. "But you have to make the first move. The universe rewards courage."

The universe did not reward courage. The universe rewarded Maya showing up to the pool next morning with her swimsuit on backward and nearly face-planting in front of Tyler, who was mysteriously there at 6 AM.

"I... swim here?" he said, rubbing sleep from his eyes. "This is my practice time?"

"Same," Maya squeaked. Her palms were sweating AGAIN. "Cool. Cool cool cool."

They swam laps in awkward silence, which was somehow worse than regular silence because it involved wet bathing suits and zero dignity. Then afterward, while they were both pretending to be busy with their towels, Tyler blurted: "So about the Spring Fling."

Maya's heart did an actual gymnastics routine. "Yeah?"

"I was wondering if —" He stopped. "Okay, this is going to sound so dumb, but I've been trying to ask you all week and I keep chickening out because you're smart and funny and also terrifyingly fast at swimming."

Maya blinked. "Wait, YOU were nervous?"

"Have you MET me?" Tyler laughed. "I'm a disaster."

"I'M the disaster!" Maya protested. "I literally practiced conversations with you in front of a mirror!"

They stared at each other, then started cracking up. Laughter felt good. Better than regionals (which she crushed, btw, shaving three seconds off her time). Better than any perfect moment she'd scripted in her head.

And yes, they went to Spring Fling together. And yes, she DID get spinach stuck in her teeth at dinner afterward, and Tyler told her instead of letting her walk around with it all night, which honestly? That's when she knew it was real.

The sphinx had finally spoken. And she said: dive in already. The water's fine.