The Riddle of Maya Chen

Lila crouched behind the gym bleachers, phone clutched in sweaty palms. Officially, she was just waiting for her mom. Unofficially, she was basically a private **spy** now.

Maya Chen had posted a story at exactly 3:47 PM. Lila had screenshot it. Maya never posted at 3:47 PM on Tuesdays. It was basically code.

"What are you doing?"

Lila nearly dropped her phone. Jake—actual Jake, varsity jacket Jake, Jake who'd sat behind her in bio since September—stood there holding a Gatorade.

"Nothing," she said, way too fast. "Just... waiting. For my mom. Obviously."

"Right." He cracked the Gatorade. "Cool."

He didn't leave.

This was it. Her social moment. She could say something normal. Something chill. Instead her brain supplied: "I like your... cable."

"What?"

"Your SHOES. I meant your—" She wanted to dissolve. Actually evaporate. Become one with the gross gym floor.

Jake's lip twitched. "These are Nikes."

"I KNOW THAT."

Why was she like this? Why had evolution produced her?

But then Jake laughed. Not mean-laughed. Actual laughed. "You're funny, Lila from bio."

Her name. He knew her name.

They ended up sitting on the bleachers, talking about nothing and everything. Jake's phone pinged—his ride was here. As he stood up, he knocked over his Gatorade.

**Water** everywhere, bright blue crawling across the concrete like radioactive Kool-Aid.

"Shoot, sorry, I'll—"

"Got it," Lila said, grabbing paper towels from her bag. She always had paper towels. She was prepared for disasters. This was her whole personality.

They cleaned it up together, shoulders almost touching, and Lila felt like she was floating. This was it. This was high school. This was what people wrote songs about.

"See you tomorrow," Jake said, and he actually smiled.

Lila sat there for like five minutes after he left, just vibrating. Then she checked Maya's story again.

There was a new post: a photo of their school courtyard with this caption: "if u can see this, you're invited to my thing friday. bring whoever."

Maya had tagged like six people. Lila wasn't one of them.

But Jake would be there. Jake, who'd laughed at her joke. Jake, who knew her name.

Lila stared at the post like it was some ancient **sphinx** guarding impossible riddles. Maya Chen's parties were legendary. Everyone went. Everyone IMPORTANT went.

Her phone buzzed.

From: Unknown Number

"hey this is jake from bio lol sorry I didn't get your number earlier. you should come to maya's thing on friday if you want. I'll be there."

Lila read it three times. Then four times.

She wasn't invited. Not officially.

But she had been seen.

She typed back: "bet"

Then deleted it and typed: "yeah maybe :))"

Then deleted THAT and just sent: "cool!"

She put in her headphones and walked toward the parking lot, grinning so hard her face actually hurt. Whatever happened Friday, she'd be there. And for the first time in forever, she felt like she might actually belong.