Social Pyramid Scheme

Maya stood at the edge of the party, nursing her lukewarm soda like it was some rare **vitamin** supplement for social anxiety. The house was packed—Jackson's parents were out of town, which meant the entire sophomore class had materialized like magic. She should've stayed home and finished her history project.

The living room had transformed into a weird social **pyramid**. At the top: Jackson and his crew, lounging on the leather couch like they owned the world. Middle tier: kids laughing too loud at nothing. Bottom: people like her, pressed against walls, trying to look like they wanted to be there.

Then she saw Liam—that **fox** of a boy who'd transferred in three weeks ago and already everyone knew his name. He moved through the crowd like he had some secret map, easy confidence in every step. Maya had watched him in English class, how he'd lean back in his chair and somehow make the teacher laugh without even trying.

She'd almost talked to him yesterday. Almost. Then her brain had short-circuited and she'd mumbled something about the weather and practically sprinted away. Smooth.

"Hey." Maya jumped. It was Chloe, looking way too coordinated for someone surrounded by spilled drinks and chaos. "Jackson's being such a **bull** tonight. I swear, he tried to Jenna she couldn't come in because she 'wasn't on the list.' There is no list, Maya. There's literally no list."

Chloe rolled her eyes so hard Maya almost laughed. Then Chloe was gone, absorbed back into the middle of the pyramid, and Maya was alone again.

Until Liam appeared beside her.

"Hiding too?" His voice was lower than she expected, kind of raspy. He had this tiny smile, like he knew something she didn't.

"I'm just—" Maya started, then stopped. Why pretend? "Yeah. Pretty much."

"This whole thing's like some weird **sphinx** riddle, right?" Liam nodded toward the crowd. "Figure out the social mystery, win the prize. Except nobody knows what the prize even is."

Maya blinked. That was... actually profound? And he'd used sphinx in a sentence naturally. Who was this guy?

"I think the prize is survival," she said, and Liam actually laughed.

"Fair." He glanced around, then back at her, really looking at her this time. "You know what's weird? I've been watching you all night. You're the only person here who seems like you're actually thinking."

Maya felt something shift in her chest, light and terrifying all at once. "Is that good or bad?"

"Good." Liam grinned, and it was genuine, not performative. "Definitely good. You wanna get out of here? I think I saw an actual fox outside by the woods. Probably cooler than whatever Jackson's doing."

Maya set down her soda. The pyramid could wait. The fox was waiting. And for the first time all night, she wasn't at the bottom anymore.