Riddles in the Hallway

The first week of sophomore year, I learned three things: don't wear the mascot shirt on picture day, the bathroom stall third from the left actually locks, and whatever Maya Alvarez says goes. Maya sat at the center of the cafeteria like she was the **sphinx** herself—legs crossed perfectly, dark eyes sizing everyone up, mysterious smile that promised either acceptance or destruction. Nobody walked past her table without holding their breath.

"Hey, new girl," Maya called out when I accidentally made eye contact while walking to my seat. Her friends giggled. That synchronized laughter thing they did? Terrifying. "Love the... vintage sneakers. Keds are making a comeback, right?"

Everyone stared. My face burned. I mumbled something and kept walking, but somewhere between the pizza station and table 12, my brain short-circuited.

"That's such **bull**," I said, not quietly enough.

Silence. Like, actual silence. Maya stood up, slowly.

"Excuse me?"

And that's when Chloe—quiet, black-wearing, sits-behind-the-bleachers Chloe—appeared beside me. "She said it's bullshit, Maya. Because it is. Those are Converse. Try again."

Maya's eyes narrowed. Then she laughed—actually laughed. "Okay, touché." She gestured to the empty seat at her table. "You've got backbone. Sit."

I stood there frozen, and Chloe leaned in close. "Your move, cat."

That afternoon, I found myself in the weird position of being vetted by the most powerful girl in school while Chloe watched from the next table over, grinning like she'd just watched her favorite show unfold live. Maya asked about my music taste, my old school, my opinion on whether the cafeteria tacos were legally food.

"They're可疑," I said, then winced. "I mean, sus. Sorry, I'm still working on not being weird."

Maya smiled. A real one. "Don't change. The weird ones make things interesting."

By Friday, I'd figured it out: Maya wasn't actually mean. She was just bored. The sphinx routine was a test, and most people failed because they tried too hard. Chloe, who I'd dismissed as too-intimidating goth, had basically adopted me. And I'd learned that sometimes the scariest social situations are just people waiting for someone real to show up.

"See?" Chloe said Monday, nodding toward Maya, who was now sitting backwards in her chair laughing so hard she snorted. "Not so terrifying after all."

"Yeah," I said, opening my locker to find a note: *Welcome to the table. - M*

"Still," I added, grinning. "I'm keeping my emergency escape route mapped out. Just in case."

Chloe bumped my shoulder with hers. "Smart. Cats always land on their feet."