The Sphinx and the Spinach Incident

Leo's palms were sweating. Again.

He stood at the edge of the pool, chlorine stinging his nose, while Jordan aka "The Sphinx" lounged on the high dive like they owned the place. Jordan got the nickname because they were impossible to read—mysterious, untouchable, annoyingly perfect at everything.

"You gonna jump or just stand there having a crisis?" Jordan called down, voice smooth as butter.

Leo's face burned. This was it—summer swim practice, his chance to finally impress them, and he was frozen.

The week had been a disaster. First, his mom had gone through a "health phase" (she lasted three days) and forced him to eat actual spinach for dinner. He'd choked it down in the cafeteria, and Jordan had walked by right as he gagged. They'd paused, raised one perfect eyebrow, and kept walking. Leo had wanted to dissolve into the linoleum.

Then there was the cable situation. His dad refused to call the internet company, so Leo was stuck with WiFi that cut out every time someone used the microwave. How was he supposed to post his cool summer aesthetic photos when his connection was basically carrier pigeon?

"Leo?" Jordan's voice softened. "You good?"

He looked up. Jordan was actually watching him, waiting.

Something snapped. Maybe it was the heat, maybe it was three days of pent-up frustration, maybe he was just done with being the anxious kid who couldn't catch a break.

Leo jumped.

The water shocked through him, cool and clean, and when he broke the surface, gasping, Jordan was grinning.

"Finally," they said, and Leo noticed something—the Sphinx's palms were sweating too.

"You nervous?" Leo asked, treading water.

Jordan shrugged, suddenly human. "Tryna work up the nerve to ask if you want to get food after this."

Leo's brain short-circuited. "Wait—me?"

"Yeah, you." Jordan slid into the water, smooth as anything. "Also, for what it's worth? The spinach thing was impressive dedication. My mom tried that once. I lasted one bite."

Leo laughed so hard he inhaled pool water.

Maybe summer wasn't going to be so bad after all.