The Riddle of Holloway Fox

Maya's brain felt like actual mush. Third consecutive all-nighter for AP Euro, and now she was straight-up zombie walking through the hallway. Her phone buzzed in her pocket—probably her best friend Chloe, who'd been acting weird all week.

"We need to talk," Chloe had texted at 2 AM. "After school. Old library."

The old library had been "closed for renovations" since forever, but everyone knew juniors snagged the back study room for... activities. Maya figured Chloe wanted to dissect why Maya had bailed on her Saturday to study.

She slipped through the side door. "Chloe?"

"Back here."

Chloe wasn't alone. A sophomore Maya barely recognized—Holloway Fox, apparently—sat cross-legged on the floor, surrounded by scattered papers. She had wild auburn hair and the kind of sharp, clever face that made you feel like she knew something you didn't.

"What is this?" Maya dropped her backpack. "I thought we were talking about—"

"We are." Chloe's voice wavered. "Maya, I know this sounds random, but... how would you feel about joining something?"

"Something like what?"

Holloway Fox spoke up. "We call it the Zombie Club, but that's just ironic. We're not literally dead. We're just... done. Dóno with the fake Performative nonsense." She gestured at the papers—old yearbook photos, highlighted names, a weird diagram. "We're mapping who's actually running this school. And it's not Student Council."

Maya's tired brain tried to catch up. "You're... spying on people?"

"Researching," Chloe corrected quickly. "There's this whole underground network, Maya. The popular kids, the admin, the college counselors—they're all connected. And we figured out that you're, like, literally perfect to help us figure out what they're planning for the new district policy."

Holloway Fox watched Maya with sphinx-like intensity. "You're observant. You notice things. You saw how Ms. Hamilton's 'random' seat assignments always put the same people together."

Maya had. She'd just never said anything.

"Why me?" she asked, even as something clicked into place.

"Because," Chloe said softly, "you're my best friend, and I should've told you sooner. But this? This is bigger than us."

Holloway grinned. "Also, you figured out the third-period attendance loophole before anyone else. You're basically already in." She held out a hand. "So? You wanna know what's actually going on, or you wanna keep being a zombie?"

Maya looked between them—her friend of seven years, and this strange fox-eyed sophomore who saw everything. For the first time in weeks, her brain woke up.

"I'm in," she said. "But I'm not calling it the Zombie Club. That's cringe."

Chloe exhaled like she'd been holding her breath forever. Holloway Fox just smiled, like she'd known all along.

"Welcome to the sphinx's riddle," she said. "The answer changes, but the question stays the same: who's really watching?"