Sphinx of the Cafeteria

Maya clutched her iphone like a lifeline, thumb hovering over the Instagram button that had already been refreshed twelve times in three minutes. The cafeteria noise swirled around her—laughter, gossip, the clatter of trays on tables. She pulled her beanie hat lower over her forehead, effectively disappearing into the fabric. It was her armor. Her I'm-not-here shield.

'Hey, Maya!'

She flinched. Jordan, standing there with that effortless cool that made Maya's stomach do weird flips. The same Jordan she'd had a crush on since September, the one who somehow made awkward look charming.

'What's with the hat inside? You hiding something?' Jordan grinned, sliding into the seat across from her like they'd been friends forever.

Maya's brain short-circuited. 'I... uh...' Her iphone buzzed in her hand, saving her from total humiliation. She glanced down—her mom again, asking if she'd eaten lunch. Classic.

'You know what you need?' Jordan leaned in, voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. 'You need to meet the Sphinx.'

'The what now?'

'Sphinx. Senior girl. Chloe.' Jordan pointed across the cafeteria to where a girl sat alone at a table, eating an apple while reading a thick book. She wore a fedora at a jaunty angle and moved with this weird, intense energy. 'She's in my drama class. Knows literally everything about everyone. But she never tells. Like, total sphinx energy. You ask her a question, she gives you this look that makes you question your entire existence.'

Maya stared. Chloe suddenly looked up, as if sensing the attention. Her eyes locked with Maya's, and Maya felt seen in a way that made her want to both hide and stand up taller. The sphinx raised one eyebrow, then returned to her book.

'She's weird,' Maya said, but without conviction.

'She's legendary,' Jordan corrected. 'Last week, this sophomore was crying behind the bleachers. Chloe just sat with her for twenty minutes, no talking. The girl walked out like she'd unlocked some secret level of life.' Jordan stood up. 'Anyway. You should talk to her. About the hat thing. She helped me when I was freaking out about that presentation last month.' Jordan paused. 'You're braver than you think, Maya. Just saying.'

Jordan walked away, and Maya's iphone screen dimmed to black. Her reflection stared back—hat pulled low, eyes wide, heart pounding. Across the cafeteria, the sphinx turned another page.

Maya took a breath, pushed her iphone into her pocket, and stood up. The hat stayed on, but something else had shifted. Maybe it was time to stop hiding and start solving riddles.