The Poolside Oracle

Maya clutched her iPhone like a lifeline, screen lighting up with notifications she couldn't bring herself to check. The end-of-summer pool party raged around her—bodies splashing, music thumping, someone doing a cannonball off the diving board. Three weeks into freshman year, and she still hadn't found her people.

"Yo, Maya!" called Jason, the sophomore she'd been crushing on since orientation. "Come hang out!"

She forced a smile, sliding off her lounge chair and nearly tripping over her own flip-flops. Smooth. Real smooth.

Under the swaying palm tree, Jason and his friends sat in a circle, passing around what looked like... tarot cards?

"Finally!" Jason scooted over, patting the spot beside him. "My cousin's into this mystic stuff. It's actually kinda sick."

Maya's heart did that thing where it forgot how to rhythm properly. She sat, tucking her feet beneath her.

"Okay, truth or oracle?" A girl with rainbow braces held up a card. "The sphinx riddle goes like this—what walks on four legs in the morning, two at noon, and three in the evening?"

"Human!" Maya blurted, then immediately wanted to dissolve into the pool tiles. Everyone stared.

Jason's eyes widened. "No way, you actually know Greek mythology?"

Heat crawled up her neck. "I mean, yeah, I read a lot. It's cool."

"That's actually really cool," Jason said, and something in his voice made her believe him. "What else you got?"

By the time the sun set, Maya had explained three more riddles, accidentally dunked her phone in the shallow end trying to save a floating beach ball, and earned herself an invitation to Jason's gaming session next Saturday.

Walking home, she realized her iPhone had dried out enough to turn on. Three new messages from Jason, and one from his cousin asking about more mythology recommendations.

Maybe finding her people wasn't about changing who she was. Maybe it was about finding the ones who actually got her.

And maybe freshman year wouldn't be so bad after all.