Sphinx's Riddle in the Storm

Maya's hands shook as she popped the gummy vitamin into her mouth. Her mom swore these B-complex things would help with stress, but right now, staring at Jackson's house from across the street, she felt anything but chill. The bass from inside thumped against her chest like a second heartbeat.

"You got this," whispered Lina, her best friend since third grade, who'd somehow convinced Maya to come to Jackson's party tonight. "Just don't stand in the corner scrolling through your iPhone all night like last time."

Maya slid her phone into her pocket. Lina was right — she'd spent the last three parties basically becoming one with the wall, her face illuminated by her screen like some kind of digital ghost. But tonight was different. Tonight, junior year. Tonight she was supposed to actually be a person.

The sky cracked open. Lightning split the darkness, turning the front yard into something from a horror movie for half a second. The storm had been building all day, heavy and suffocating, matching the knot in Maya's stomach.

"Awesome," Lina said, dragging her toward the door. "Rain's just gonna make everyone stay inside longer. More time to make moves."

Inside, the air smelled like cheap cologne and pizza. Jackson's parents had this weird Egyptian decor phase, so there was literally a sphinx statue in the corner of the living room, its stone face somehow judgmental even though it had no actual expression. Someone had stuck a red solo cup on its head.

Maya drifted toward the snacks, calculating the exact amount of time she needed to stay before bailing without looking pathetic. Five minutes? Ten?

Then Jackson appeared, sliding through the crowd like he'd been practicing his entrance all afternoon. He smiled at her — actually at her, not past her — and said, "Hey Maya, nice that you came. I was hoping you'd show."

Something shifted. The vitamin placebo, the storm outside, the absurdity of the cup-wearing sphinx watching them — it all hit her at once. This wasn't some movie where the girl suddenly became confident. But Jackson had noticed she existed. He'd been hoping she'd come.

"Yeah," Maya said, and for once she didn't overthink it. "Me too."