The Orange Bikini Sphinx

Maya positioned herself behind the fake palm tree, channeling her inner spy. She'd been **running** from Connor all summer—okay, fine, sprinting in the opposite direction whenever he appeared—and today she was finally done hiding.

At the deep end of the pool, Chloe floated on her back like she invented water, her **orange** bikini glowing against the blue. Maya's friends called her "the **sphinx**" because Chloe was gorgeous, popular, and completely unreadable. Riddle wrapped in mystery wrapped in perfect hair.

"You're being creepy again," said Leo, appearing beside her with two sodas. "This is your third attempt at **swimming** over to say hi, and you're still drowning in the shallow end."

Maya grabbed the soda. "I am NOT being creepy. I'm observing. There's a difference."

"You're literally **spy**-ing on her from behind a plastic plant."

"It's strategic recon." Maya cracked the tab. "Besides, she's not even that—"

Chloe chose that exact moment to climb out of the pool, water cascading down her arms like diamonds. She locked eyes with Maya.

Maya's brain short-circuited. She'd spent three weeks watching Chloe from afar, inventing reasons to "accidentally" be places Chloe would be, and now—

Chloe walked over. Dripping. Smiling like she knew something.

"Nice plant," Chloe said. "You've been hiding behind it for, like, twenty minutes."

Leo snorted into his soda.

Maya's face burned hotter than the pavement. "I was—"

"**Running** away?" Chloe's grin got wider. "You do that a lot. I've noticed."

The revelation hit Maya like a wave: she hadn't been invisible. She hadn't been subtle. She'd been the main character all along, just too chicken to own it.

Chloe leaned in. "Next time, skip the recon. Just come say hi."

She walked away, leaving Maya standing behind a fake palm tree, holding a warm soda, finally ready to stop running.