Sphinx at the Pool Party

Maya smoothed her vintage sundress for the hundredth time, feeling like an imposter at Crystal's pool party. The Hernandez estate had everything—waterfall, cabanas, even a weird concrete sphinx statue near the deep end that Maya couldn't stop staring at.

"Yo, you gonna swim or just stand there looking mysterious?" Ryan called from the pool, doing a cannonball that splashed half the party.

Maya forced a laugh. "Just enjoying the view!" Inside, she was panicking. She'd only been invited because Crystal needed someone to help with her AP Euro project, and the entire popular crowd knew it.

The fruit table was her safe zone. She grabbed a slice of papaya, something she'd never tried but pretended to love because Crystal kept talking about how "exotic" and "aesthetic" it was. One bite and Maya almost gagged—tasted like soap. But she kept eating because Tyler was watching her with that half-smile that made her stomach do flips.

Then came the disaster.

Jasmine, Crystal's intimidating best friend, leaned in close. "You've got a huge piece of spinach in your teeth, by the way."

Maya's face burned. She hadn't even eaten spinach today. How—oh god, the kale smoothie at lunch. She'd been walking around for HOURS like this, talking to people, smiling at Tyler, while green stuff decorated her smile.

"Everyone saw it," Jasmine added, then grinned. "I'm messing with you. There's nothing there."

"Wait—WHAT?"

"You should've seen your face!" Jasmine was actually laughing now, but not meanly. "You're too real, Maya. That's why we like you."

Tyler swam over, resting his arms on the pool edge. "Everything good over here?"

"Perfect," Maya said, and for the first time all day, she meant it. She spat out the disgusting papaya into a napkin when nobody was looking. Some things were still fake. But maybe she didn't have to be.