Spinach Smoothies & Sphinx Secrets

Maya's first mistake was accepting the pool party invite. Her second mistake was drinking the kale-spinach smoothie her mom made for 'breakfast fuel.' Now she's standing at the edge of Cheryl's backyard pool, clutching a red Solo cup like it's a lifeline, while Jason—the cute junior who sits behind her in AP Bio—splashes water in her direction.

"Yo Maya, jump in!" Jason grins, droplets clinging to his eyelashes. "The water's perfect!"

She freezes. The green smoothie is churning in her stomach. Her makeup is probably already sweating off. And she's pretty sure there's spinach stuck in her braces—she checked in the bathroom mirror five times, but what if she missed?

Just jump, she thinks. Be normal. Be chill.

"Yeah, let me just—"

"Wait!" Cheryl appears, carrying something wrapped in a fluffy towel. "Everyone, meet Cleopatra!"

Cheryl unveils the creature: a hairless sphinx cat with wrinkly skin and enormous ears. It looks like an alien that crash-landed in suburbia.

"She's an emotional support animal," Cheryl declares dramatically. "Very ancient Egyptian vibes. Very mystical."

Someone snorts. Maya catches Jason's eye and they both crack up. The tension in her chest loosens, just a little.

"Maya, you want to hold her?" Cheryl asks.

Before she can say no, the sphinx is thrust into her arms. It's warm and heavier than expected, with skin like soft peach leather. The cat purrs against her chest, loud like a tiny motor.

"She likes you," Jason says, swimming closer to the edge. "That's rare. Cleopatra hates everyone."

Maya looks down at the weird little creature, then up at Jason, who's still grinning. Suddenly the spinach stuck in her teeth doesn't seem like the end of the world. The pool water sparkles. She's not the awkward girl with green smoothie breath anymore—she's the girl the sphinx chose.

"Okay," she says, stepping out of her flip-flops. "Okay, I'm coming in."

She jumps. The water rushes over her head, cool and shocking. When she surfaces, sopping wet and spinach-free, Jason is still smiling.

"Took you long enough."