Sphinx in the Corner

Maya stood against the wall at Jake's house party, nursing a warm soda like it was her job. The bass from the speakers thumped in her chest as she watched everyone else seem to know exactly what they were doing. Jenna, her best friend since seventh grade, was already three people deep in a conversation about Mr. Harrison's history test, laughing with her head thrown back like she didn't have a care in the world.

Then she saw him — Liam, leaning against the bookshelf in that way that made him look like a mythological creature come to life, like a **sphinx** with secrets behind those dark eyes. Maya had been crushing on him since October, when he'd helped her pick up her dropped books in the hallway and said "no problem" with that voice that made her stomach do flips.

"You're staring again," Jenna appeared beside her, smirking. "You're like a total **spy**, seriously. Just go talk to him."

"I can't just go talk to him!" Maya hissed. "What would I even say? 'Hey Liam, nice weather we're having? Inside a house?'"

Jenna rolled her eyes so hard Maya worried they'd get stuck. "You're so dramatic. Watch this." She sauntered over to where Liam and his friends were standing, and Maya felt like she was watching from underwater as Jenna somehow seamlessly inserted herself into their conversation.

The worst part was Tyler, Liam's best friend, who kept saying stuff that was pure **bull** every time he opened his mouth — going on about his "epic" weekend plans like anyone actually cared. But Liam was just... listening, smiling a little at the right moments, and Maya realized that was why she liked him. He didn't feel the need to perform.

"Hey," said a voice beside her, and Maya almost jumped out of her skin. It was Sophie Chen, who'd sat next to her in English last year. "You okay? You look like you're calculating escape routes."

Maya laughed, surprised. "Maybe I am. These things aren't really my scene."

"Same," Sophie said, then lowered her voice. "But I heard Liam asking about you earlier."

"What?" Maya's heart did that thing where it forgot how to beat properly.

"Yeah, he asked Jenna where you were. So if I were you..." Sophie nodded toward where Liam stood, and Maya felt something shift in her chest, like fear and hope were tangled together.

She took a breath and walked over, and when Liam saw her, his face lit up in a way that made everything else fade into the background. "Hey," he said, "I was wondering where you'd gotten to."

And just like that, the sphinx in the corner wasn't so mysterious anymore. Maybe she didn't have all the answers, but for tonight, this was enough.