Riddles Under the Pyramid Scheme

Maya felt like a zombie, but not the cool apocalypse kind. The junior high kind—where you've had three hours of sleep and your first period history teacher is droning on about ancient Egypt while your eyes glaze over.

"The Great Sphinx," Mr. Henderson said, pointing at a photo. "Guardian of the pharaohs, keeper of secrets. No one could pass without answering its riddle."

Maya's phone buzzed under her desk. Tyler: *track tryouts after school. Don't be late.*

Running was her escape. The one place where the social pyramid at Northwood High didn't matter. Where she wasn't invisible Maya, the girl who sat alone at lunch. Just forward motion, breath in lungs, legs pumping.

But first, she had to survive the cafeteria.

"Hey, Maya!" Brianna waved from the popular table. "Sit with us!"

Weird. Brianna never waved at Maya. Unless...

"We're starting this new wellness thing," Brianna said when Maya approached tentatively. "My cousin's friend makes these papaya enzyme shots. They're gonna be HUGE. You can get in on the ground floor—just $50 for a starter pack, and you get 10% of whatever your friends buy."

A pyramid scheme. In the cafeteria. Before second period.

"I... don't have fifty dollars," Maya said, which was true, but also: she wasn't an idiot.

"No worries!" Brianna's smile didn't waver. "Think about it!"

Maya grabbed an apple and fled. Her spot by the gym doors was empty, thank god. She bit into the fruit while watching the seniors loitering by the lockers.

One of them caught her eye. Jae. They always wore this ancient-looking jacket with a patch that said SPHINX on the back. Nobody knew what it meant. Nobody talked to them either.

Except today, Jae was walking toward her.

"You're the distance girl," Jae said, dropping beside her. "Saw you running yesterday. Good form."

Maya nearly choked on her apple. "Thanks?"

"Brianna try to sell you papaya juice?" Jae's eyes crinkled. "She got me last week. I'm still trying to recruit people so I can make my money back."

"You bought it?"

"I bought it." Jae shook their head, smiling. "I was a zombie from finals, okay? I would've bought anything promising energy."

Something shifted between them. The invisible wall Maya always felt around people—gone.

"Track tryouts today," Maya found herself saying. "You should come."

"I don't run." Jae stood up, adjusting their SPHINX jacket. "But I'll watch. Bet you're fast."

The bell rang. Maya gathered her stuff, heart suddenly lighter than it had been in weeks.

The social pyramid was still there. The pyramid schemes would keep coming. She'd still feel like a zombie some mornings. But for the first time, she thought maybe she didn't need to be running away anymore.

Maybe she could just run toward something good instead.