The Sphinx by the Pool

Maya's thumbs were basically her own separate organism at this point — scrolling, double-tapping, swiping. Her iPhone was her shield, her fortress, her I'm-totally-not-awkward-right-now lifeline. The McDonald's wifi was garbage but it was better than standing there by herself while everyone else was in the pool.

"Yo, Maya! You coming in or what?"

Jordan. Her best friend since kindergarten, back when they'd worn matching friendship bracelets without irony. Now Jordan was on varsity baseball, had mastered the perfect effortless hair thing, and somehow knew everyone at every party. Maya clutching her phone like a security blanket was basically her personality now.

"Maybe later," Maya called back, which was code for literally never.

The pool was chaos — splash wars, shrieking, someone doing something impressive that definitely looked like it should have ended in the ER. Maya had never been good at the whole swimming thing. Not like couldn't-swim, but like water-wasn-her-element and everyone else seemed to be part mermaid or something.

Jordan swam over, water streaming down their face. "You're missing the vibe."

"The vibe is loud and I'm low on social battery," Maya said, then immediately regretted sounding so lame.

"You're overthinking again." Jordan pulled themselves up to sit on the edge. "Remember last week when you wouldn't go to that baseball game because you said you'd feel awkward? And then you texted me the whole time asking what you missed?"

Maya's face burned. "That was different."

"Was it?" Jordan's expression softened. "You're like a riddle wrapped in an enigma wrapped in a really protective case. You're basically a sphinx, Maya. All mysterious and impossible to figure out."

"A sphinx?"

"You know — sits there asking impossible questions, nobody knows what you're thinking, you're all cryptic and legendary." Jordan splashed water at her sneakers. "But I'm trying to solve the riddle anyway."

Something in Maya's chest did that weird fluttery thing. "What riddle?"

"Whether you're actually having a terrible time or if you're just scared you won't."

Maya looked at her phone, then at Jordan, then at the pool where a bunch of people were attempting to construct a human pyramid that kept collapsing. Nobody was watching her. Nobody cared.

"Both," Maya admitted.

"Cool," Jordan said. "Wanna fail at building a human pyramid together?"

Maya set her phone on the chair. Her thumbs felt weirdly empty.

"Yeah," she said. "Yeah, I think I do."