The Sphinx at Tyler's Party

Maya's palms were sweating. Like, actually dripping. She rubbed them on her denim shorts for the third time, watching Tyler laugh across the room. His hair fell in that perfect messy way that made everyone — okay, mostly just her — forget how to form sentences.

You're not a spy, she told herself. Stop observing him like you're gathering intelligence.

The party was in full swing, someone's basement transformed into a chaotic sea of red Solo cups and Spotify playlists. In the corner, next to a plastic statue of a sphinx someone had probably stolen from their grandma's garden, sat a fishbowl. A single goldfish stared at her with what looked like judgment.

"You too, buddy?" Maya whispered.

She'd been spying on Tyler for weeks now. Not in a creepy way. Okay, maybe kinda creepy. But they had AP Calc together, and he always sat three rows ahead, two to the left. She knew his backpack had a tear in the bottom left pocket. She knew he wrote everything in this weird slanted handwriting that somehow still looked neat. She knew he smelled like cinnamon and something else she couldn't place.

Now he was walking toward her.

Maya's heart did that thing where it forgot its job. She considered pretending to be deeply interested in the sphinx statue. It had painted-on eyes that seemed to say, this is gonna be good.

"Hey," Tyler said.

"Hey," Maya managed. Her voice sounded weird. "Cool party."

"Yeah, Jordan's parents are out of town." He gestured at the sphinx. "Weird decor choice, right?"

"Super weird."

Smooth, Maya. So smooth.

Tyler leaned against the wall, way closer than necessary. "I've seen you around. You're in AP Calc with me."

"Yeah."

"You always sit behind me."

"I..." She felt caught. "I'm good at math?"

He laughed. It was nice. Like, actually nice, not performative nice. "I noticed. You got a 98 on the last test. I got a 76."

"I could tutor you," she heard herself say. "If you wanted."

"I'd like that." He pulled out his phone. "Let me get your number."

Maya's hands shook as she typed it in. When she looked up, Tyler was still watching her, not in a hurry to leave. The goldfish did a little flip. The sphinx seemed to nod.

"Cool goldfish," Tyler said.

"His name is Carl."

"Carl the goldfish. That's solid." He smiled, and it reached his eyes. "See you Monday, Maya."

He walked away, and she pressed her palms against her cheeks to cool them down. They were still sweating, but now it felt different. Like maybe, just maybe, she wouldn't have to be a spy anymore.