Riddles in the Salt Water

Maya's palms were sweating, which was gross and terrible because she was literally holding two cherry Icees. The track team had decided to "celebrate" their loss to Central with a beach bonfire that was definitely not fire-code compliant, and she was stuck working the cooler station because someone had to make sure Jordan didn't chug melted slushie syrup again.

"Maya!" Sasha waved from the waterline, her neon bikini somehow still coordinated. "Stop hiding and come in the ocean!"

"Coming!" Maya lied, setting the Icees down on a folding table. She'd been waiting for, like, twenty minutes to talk to Kai—the quiet junior who read philosophy books between races and had somehow placed third in the 800-meter without looking like he was trying. But now he was standing near the bonfire with his sphinx cat (!?!) perched on his shoulder like some cryptic ancient Egyptian vibe.

She smoothed her palms against her shorts and started walking, but then Jordan came running—actually running, full track-practice intensity—toward the waves with a shout of "CANNONBALL!" before completely wiping out on a piece of driftwood.

Everyone lost it. Even Kai smirked.

Maya found herself standing next to him near the water's edge. His cat, a hairless weirdo named Riddle, blinked slowly at her.

"Cool cat," she said, wincing internally. Cool cat? Really?

"Thanks." Kai's voice was low and thoughtful. "She only likes people who ask good questions."

"What kind of questions?"

"The kind that matter." He looked at the ocean, the orange sunset reflecting on the water like liquid gold. "Like, what would you do if you knew you couldn't fail?"

Maya thought about it—really thought. Track. College admissions. Talking to him right now. "I'd probably stop running away from things," she said finally. "Even the scary stuff."

Riddle the sphinx cat bumped Maya's hand with her forehead. Kai smiled, and it was different from his usual distant expression—warmer, realer.

"Yeah," he said softly. "Me too."

Later, when the bonfire was mostly embers and Sasha was ranting about her evil AP Bio teacher, Maya realized her palms weren't sweating anymore. Sometimes the best riddles aren't the ones you solve—they're the ones that help you figure yourself out.