Sphinx Summer

Maya's iPhone battery held at 4%—dying, just like her social life. The pool party at Chloe's house raged around her, but Maya stood frozen near the hedge, clutching her charging cable like a lifeline. Everyone else was living in the moment. She was capturing it, editing it, filtering it, anything to avoid actually experiencing it.

Then she saw her.

The girl sat alone on the diving board, legs dangling, back straight, unreadable as a sphinx. Rumor was she'd transferred from three schools this year. Someone said she'd been kicked out for hacking the grading system. Someone else said she'd refused to speak for an entire semester.

Now she sat there, palms resting on her knees, completely unbothered by the chaos splashing around her.

Maya's phone buzzed. 2%. Should've brought a portable charger. Should've stayed home.

The sphinx-girl turned. Their eyes locked across the pool.

Maya's breath hitched. She looked away—why did she always look away?—but something pulled her back. The girl was patting the empty space beside her on the diving board.

Maya's feet moved before her brain could overthink it.

"I'm Lexa," the girl said, when Maya sat down. Her voice was low, calm. Not judging. Just stating.

"Maya."

"Your phone's dying."

"Yeah." Maya stared at her screen. "I keep meaning to put it down but then I miss things and FOMO kicks in and it's this whole—"

"It's okay." Lexa slid her palm across Maya's phone screen, covering it completely. "Give me your cable."

"What?"

"Your cable. I have a portable charger in my bag. I'll charge it for you. You don't have to look at it until it's full."

Maya hesitated. Then she handed it over.

Lexa plugged it in and dropped everything into her bag. "There. Now we have twenty minutes until your anxiety comes back."

Maya stared at her. Then laughed—really laughed, for the first time all summer.

They sat there talking about everything and nothing until Lexa's timer beeped. The pool party kept raging, but for twenty minutes, Maya had been exactly where she needed to be.

"Same time next week?" Lexa asked, handing back the fully charged phone.

"Definitely."

Maya walked home that night with her phone at 100% and her heart even fuller. The sphinx had riddled her out, and Maya had never felt more seen.