The Sphinx at Sunset

Maya's palms were sweating — like, actually grossly sweaty — as she clutched her orange soda can, condensation dripping down her fingers. She was seventeen, she should not be this nervous about a party. But here she was, hiding behind the palm tree in Sarah's backyard, basically being a creep.

She was spying, okay? There was no other word for it. Every time Jake laughed at something Chloe said, Maya felt like she was watching a car crash in slow motion. Jake's hair caught the orange light of the setting sun, and Chloe flipped hers with that practiced casualness that Maya could never pull off.

"You look like you're solving the riddle of the Sphinx," said a voice behind her.

Maya almost dropped her soda. It was Leo, Sarah's older brother, leaning against the patio door with that annoying older brother smirk. "What?"

"The Sphinx." He gestured vaguely at her confused face. "You know, 'what walks on four legs in the morning, two at noon, three in the evening?' You're all broody and philosophical."

Maya rolled her eyes so hard it actually hurt. "I'm not being philosophical. I'm just... existing dramatically."

Leo laughed, sliding down to sit on the grass beside her. "Jake's not looking at her, you know."

Maya's heart did that traitorous fluttery thing. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Right." Leo popped open his own orange soda. "You're just casually positioned behind this palm tree, which coincidentally happens to have the perfect sightline to exactly where Jake and Chloe are standing. Total coincidence."

She hated that he wasn't wrong.

"Here's the thing about being a spy," Leo continued, surprisingly serious. "Eventually you have to decide whether you're actually gathering intelligence, or just torturing yourself."

Maya looked at her hands, at the palm lines her grandma swore could tell her future. She didn't need palm reading to know that her future involved going over there and making a fool of herself, or staying here and regretting everything.

The sphinx riddle echoed in her head. What was she right now? What would she be tomorrow?

She stood up, palms suddenly dry. "Watch this."

"Go get 'em, Sphinx." Leo saluted with his soda can.

Maya walked across the backyard, orange sunset painting everything gold, and tapped Jake on the shoulder. He turned around, beaming like she was exactly who he'd been hoping to see all along.