Running Through the Riddle

Marcus felt like a zombie most mornings before first period, shambling through the hallways with his hood up until his daily vitamin C kick and the panic of being late woke him up. But today was different. Today he was actually running—literally—toward the one person who made his chest tight for reasons that had nothing to do with cardio.

Sophie.

She sat by herself near the sphinx statue in the courtyard, surrounded by AP Physics notes and an air of mystery that made half the junior class want to figure her out. Marcus had been doing his own recon since September—low-key spy work through mutual friends' Instagram stories and strategically timed bathroom breaks during third period just to pass her locker. Pathetic? Maybe. But this was high school, and everyone was either performing for an audience or secretly watching from the wings.

"Hey," Marcus said, skidding to a stop beside her bench. Smooth. Really graceful.

Sophie looked up, her eyes scanning him like he was a particularly interesting equation she hadn't solved yet. "You're breathing hard. Track practice?"

"Running. From... myself?" Marcus winced. That sounded deep in his head, but spoken aloud it just sounded like something from a bad teen drama. "I mean, running because I was late. To tell you something."

"What's that?" Sophie actually smiled—a real one, not the fake ones she gave teachers when they asked if she understood the material.

"That you're like the sphinx," Marcus blurted. "All these riddles and layers, but I keep wanting to solve them. And I know that sounds weird—"

"It does sound weird," Sophie agreed, closing her textbook. "But everyone's weird. Most people just hide it better."

She slid over on the bench. "Sit down, zombie. Let me see if you're actually worth solving."

Marcus sat. His heart was still racing from the running, but for the first time all year, he actually felt awake. Being seen turned out to be a lot better than watching from the sidelines—even if it meant risking looking like an idiot in front of the only person who'd ever made him want to try. Some riddles, he realized, were worth trying to solve. Even if you had to run toward them breathless and terrified.