Summer of the Stone Sphinx

Maya stood behind the concession counter, sweating through her polyester uniform. Another summer wasting away at Splash Kingdom, while her former best friend Sarah lounged by the wave pool with the popular crowd.

"Hey, Maya!" A familiar voice made her jump.

Jake—the boy she'd been low-key crushing on since seventh grade—stood there dripping wet, holding a half-eaten pretzel. His baseball jersey clung to his chest, the number 12 stretched tight across shoulders that had definitely gotten broader since last school year.

"What's up," she managed, trying to look casual. Inside, her stomach did that thing where it felt like it was dropping through the floor. Just friends, she reminded herself. That's all they'd ever been.

"Me and the guys are gonna hit the batting cages later," Jake said, already turning away. "You should come."

Maya stared. Was he serious? The Jake Matthews wanted HER to hang out with his baseball crew?

"Um, sure?"

"Cool. Meet by the sphinx statue at five."

She almost laughed. The sphinx was this ridiculous stone decoration the park owner had installed last summer—part of his failed "Egyptian Riviera" theme. It had become the unofficial meeting spot for everyone's crew, mostly because it was the only place with decent shade.

By 4:45, Maya had reapplied her lip gloss three times and changed her outfit twice. She found herself pacing near the sphinx, its painted-on smile mocking her nervousness. What was she even doing here? Jake had probably forgotten. This was gonna be so awkward.

Then she saw them: Jake and his friends hanging out by the cable fence that separated the park from the arcade. No baseball gear in sight. Just them, laughing.

And there was Sarah, looking perfect in her bikini, standing way too close to Jake.

Maya's stomach did that dropping thing again, but not in a good way this time. She turned to leave, her flip-flops slapping against the pavement.

"Maya! Wait up."

Jake jogged over, leaving Sarah behind. "Hey, I thought you were gonna bail."

"I—"

"Good thing you didn't." He smiled, and it was genuine, the kind that made his nose crinkle. "The guys were gonna hit the cages, but I told them I had better plans. There's this new arcade game I've been wanting to try, and I'd rather play with someone who doesn't take everything so seriously."

Maya felt herself smiling back. "Sarah looked pretty serious about you."

"She's cool, but..." Jake shrugged. "I'd rather hang out with my friend who actually laughs at my terrible jokes."

Water from the nearby fountain spray drifted over them like confetti. Maya's summer might not be turning out exactly as she'd planned, but maybe—just maybe—that wasn't such a bad thing.