The Riddle at Palm Beach

My mom literally shoved the bottle of orange gummy vitamins into my hand like I was five. "You need your nutrients, Maya. You've been too stressed."

I rolled my eyes so hard I thought they might get stuck. "Mom, I'm fifteen. I'm just going to Mia's beach party."

"Exactly! You need to stay healthy!"

I grabbed my iPhone off the counter, checking my reflection one more time. My palms were already sweating — classic anxiety. Why had I agreed to come? I didn't even know half the people here.

The party was at Mia's house, which backed up to the beach. Palm trees swayed in the wind, casting long shadows across the sand where people clustered around bonfires and speakers. I hovered near the edge, clutching my phone like it was a lifeline.

"You look like you're solving a sphinx riddle," someone said.

I jumped. It was this guy I'd seen around school — Leo, I thought? He had this intense vibe, like he knew something I didn't.

"What?"

"The sphinx." He gestured to my phone. "You know, 'what walks on four legs in the morning, two at noon, and three in evening?' You're overthinking it."

"I'm not overthinking anything."

"Your phone. You're gripping it like it's gonna disappear."

I looked down. My knuckles were white.

He laughed, not meanly. "My dog does that with his favorite toy. Like if he doesn't hold on tight enough, the world will end."

"That's ... actually kind of profound?"

"Right?" He pulled a vitamin bottle from his pocket — the same gummy ones. "My mom makes me take these too. We're basically the same person."

And just like that, my palms stopped sweating. The party noise faded into the background. For the first time all night, I didn't feel like the awkward girl who didn't belong.

"Want to get some air?" Leo asked.

"Yeah," I said. "Yeah, I do."

As we walked toward the water, I realized something: sometimes the riddles you're trying to solve aren't as complicated as you think. Sometimes the answer is just someone asking if you're okay.