Sphinx Summer

I was literally hyperventilating behind the snack bar when Sophie found me.

"You're not still stressing about the Sphinx, are you?" She waved a vitaminwater like it was a weapon. "Chase is just being Chase. He's not some mystical creature guarding ancient wisdom, he's a sophomore who thinks he's deep because he watched one philosophy video on TikTok."

I groaned. "You don't get it. He literally called himself 'the Sphinx' in his Instagram bio. Everyone's acting like he's this genius riddle-master when he's just... ugh." Running my hands through my hair – again, nervous habit, whatever – I tried to breathe. "I have to solve his riddle or I look like a total loser in front of everyone."

"What riddle?" Sophie scanned the crowded backyard, where Chase held court in a circle of admirers. "'I speak without a mouth and hear without ears. I have no body, but wind carries my thoughts.' Is he really doing eco-poetry metaphors? That's not even original, it's literally from every fantasy novel ever."

"No, the one about –"

"An echo," Sophie said, flipping her hair. "Next."

I blinked. "Wait, what?"

"His riddle. An echo. It's obvious if you stop overthinking it and just let your brain actually work. You've been so busy running in circles about looking dumb that you forgot how to be smart."

She started walking toward Chase's circle.

"Where are you going?!" I hissed.

"Watch this." Sophie pushed through the crowd like she owned the place. "Hey Chase, answer's an echo. Now quit gatekeeping basic philosophy and actually talk to people like a normal human being or I will start telling everyone about your anime fanfic from seventh grade."

Chase froze. His face went through like five emotions in three seconds.

"Dude," someone muttered. "That was... kinda sad."

Sophie turned back to me, smirking. "Vitamin C and D, plus social confidence. That's the real glow-up combo, not whatever Chase is selling." She tossed me her vitaminwater. "Now come on, I heard there's actual food inside and I'm starving."

I caught the bottle. "You're insane."

"I'm efficient." She winked. "There's a difference."

I watched Chase's "Sphinx" mystique crumble around him. Sophie was already halfway to the house, leaving a trail of shattered pretensions in her wake.

"Hey, wait up!" I called, jogging after her. Behind us, someone laughed – a real laugh, not the performative kind.

Some riddles you solve with your brain. Others you solve by having friends who are absolutely unhinged. Either way, you win.