Sphinx at the Bottom of the Pool

Maya's iPhone vibrated against the tile bench, third notification in two minutes. She ignored it, letting the screen light up with that stupid群聊 everyone was blowing up about. Homecoming court nominations. Of course.

She pulled her goggles down, trying to focus on anything besides the notifications piling up like unread homework. The pool was her sanctuary—chlorine and silence, the way water muffled everything into a distant, peaceful thrum. Swimming was the only time she could actually *think* without the world screaming at her.

"You're avoiding it again," said Sam, sliding onto the bench beside her. He had that look—half-concerned, half-annoying older brother energy even though they were the same age.

"Not avoiding. Processing."

"You've been 'processing' for three weeks, Maya. The sphinx emoji riddles were funny at first, but now everyone thinks you're playing games."

Maya groaned. The sphinx thing had started as a joke—some cryptic Instagram story she'd posted when she was feeling extra mysterious, and suddenly people were treating her like she was deep and enigmatic instead of just... confused.

"I'm not playing games. I just don't know what to say."

"So say something. Anything. They nominated you, Maya. That's kind of a big deal."

She picked up her iPhone, screen still glowing with unread messages. Her fingers hovered over the keyboard. What *was* she supposed to say? *Thanks for nominating the girl who still eats lunch in the library because she's too socially awkward to sit with real people?*

"I'm gonna go for a run," she said suddenly, grabbing her stuff. "Clear my head."

"Now? It's ninety degrees out."

"Perfect. Maybe I'll melt and won't have to deal with any of this."

But she didn't run far—just to the edge of the school grounds where the old stone sphinx statue sat by the entrance, chipped wing and mysterious smile frozen in time. She'd passed it a thousand times without really seeing it.

Something clicked. The sphinx wasn't about being mysterious. It was about asking the right questions.

Maya opened Instagram, found the homecoming court post, and typed: *tbh I have no idea what I'm doing but I'm down to figure it out with y'all. also pls don't make me give a speech I will literally pass away*.

Send.

Her phone immediately exploded with hearts and laughing reactions. Sam was right—she had been overthinking everything. Sometimes you just had to dive in and start swimming, even when you couldn't see the bottom of the pool.

The real sphinx wasn't the statue or the emoji. It was the voice in your head that kept asking riddles you were too scared to answer.

Time to stop running and start answering.