The Riddle in My Pocket

Maya's palms were literally sweating through her jeans as she sat across from Kai in the cafeteria. Again. Her iPhone buzzed in her pocket — probably another stupid notification, but it made her jump anyway.

"You good?" Kai asked, that half-smile making her stomach do that annoying flip thing.

"Yeah, just... chemistry test stress," Maya lied. Classic. Because admitting she'd been low-key spying on his Spotify playlists for weeks would be social suicide.

The truth was worse. Maya had become a total detective, a regular FBI agent, completely normal human behavior when you have a massive crush on your best friend's cousin who visits every summer. This year though, Kai was different. Taller. Deeper voice. The kind of different that makes you forget how words work.

That night, her phone lit up with a DM from @sphinx_riddles — this weird account that had been going around school, posting anonymous riddles about people. The messages were always weirdly specific.

@ sphinx_riddles: What has hands but can't hold anything? A clock. What has a face but never talks? Your crush when you're staring at him in chem class.

Maya sat up in bed. WHAT.

@ sphinx_riddles: I saw you watching him today. Your dog walked by and you didn't even notice. That's how I know it's real.

Maya's heart raced. Someone knew. Someone was watching back.

Her phone pinged again. Not from the sphinx account.

From Kai: hey, my aunt's dog (remember that fluffy chaos machine?) got into my backpack and chewed something important. can you help me figure out what it was?

Maya typed back: lol what did bucky destroy this time

Kai: ...how did you know his name

Maya froze. Her fingers hovered over the screen. She'd never met his aunt's dog. But she HAD noticed Kai's lock screen was a picture of him and this golden retriever-looking monster, and she MAYBE have zoomed in on the collar that said BUCKY in all caps.

She was in too deep. This wasn't just having a crush anymore. This was full-on stalker territory. Her palms were sweating AGAIN.

From @sphinx_riddles: You're not as subtle as you think. But he noticed your lock screen too.

Maya's hands literally shook. She grabbed her phone and checked her lock screen — it was just her with her friends at the beach. Nothing suspicious.

Her phone buzzed one more time.

From Kai: never mind about the dog thing. I was actually trying to find an excuse to text you. your lock screen from last month — the concert one — I was there too. behind you. in the black hoodie.

Maya's brain stopped working. The concert. The black hoodie. The person she'd made eye contact with and literally couldn't stop thinking about.

@ sphinx_riddles: The sphinx's final riddle: What's the difference between spying and noticing?

Maya didn't need to think. She deleted the app, then opened her messages to Kai.

To Kai: I noticed you too