Riddles Under the Bleachers

Maya's palms were sweating so bad she could practically water the fake plants in the cafeteria. She clutched her phone, willing herself to send the text to Jordan that had been sitting in her drafts for three days. 'Hey, wanna hang after school?' Simple. terrifying. impossible.

"You look like you're about to face the Sphinx and answer its riddle or die," said Kai, dropping onto the bench beside her. "Chill. Jordan's not some mythical creature."

"Feels like it," Maya muttered. "Every time I try to talk to them, my brain turns into a confused dog chasing its own tail. Like, full-on derpy mode."

Kai snorted. "Okay, first of all, that's a cute dog mental image. Second, you need your daily dose of confidence vitamins. I gotchu."

From somewhere in their backpack, Kai produced a slightly crushed vitamin gummy bottle filled with colorful candies. "Confidence gummies. Blue for 'you got this,' pink for 'they're lucky to talk to you,' and orange for 'worst case, you'll have a funny story later.'"

Maya actually laughed. "You're so extra."

"It's called emotional support candy, and it's valid. Now, pick your poison and send that text before Jordan disappears to their next class."

Maya popped a blue gummy. Her palms stopped sweating. Her heart still pounded, but differently—like excitement instead of dread. She hit send.

Two minutes later, her phone buzzed. 'Yeah! There's that boba place downtown. 4:30?'

Maya looked at Kai, grinning so hard her face hurt. "The Sphinx has been defeated."

"Told you." Kai winked. "But also, I'm gonna need details later. Every single one."