The Sphinx in a Snapback

Marcus pulled his snapback lower, practically disappearing into its brim. First day at Northwood High, and he was already regretting everything. His vintage thrifted hat—that he'd spent twenty minutes perfecting the tilt on—felt like a spotlight saying, "LOOK AT ME TRYING TOO HARD."

He'd been **running** late since 6:45 AM because his younger sister "couldn't find" her favorite hoodie (she was wearing it). Now he was speed-walking down the hallway, clutching his schedule like it contained the nuclear codes, when a **dog** trotted around the corner.

Not a real dog, obviously—school policy and all that. But this golden retriever-sized fluffball had somehow infiltrated the building, wearing a service vest that looked suspiciously like it was made from an old tote bag. The dog made eye contact with Marcus, and in that moment, they became co-conspirators.

"DUDE," someone whispered behind him. "Are you seeing this?"

Marcus turned. A girl with half-purple hair and eyes that missed nothing was already pulling out her phone. "This is literally viral content. We're gonna be TikTok famous."

"Shouldn't we... I don't know, tell someone?" Marcus adjusted his **hat**, suddenly hyper-aware of how cool he wasn't.

"Nah, let it cook." She grinned. "I'm Luna, by the way. You're new, right? You've got that 'please don't notice me' energy."

"Is it that obvious?"

"Only to me." She tapped her temple. "I'm basically a human **spy**. I know everyone's business within ten minutes of meeting them. It's a gift and a curse."

The dog, meanwhile, had settled beneath the staircase, looking entirely too pleased with itself. A small crowd was forming, phones out, whispers spreading like wildfire through the cafeteria. For the first time all day, Marcus wasn't the center of attention's negative polarity. The dog had absorbed it all, becoming an accidental celebrity.

"Look at him," Luna said, leaning against the lockers. "Total **sphinx** energy. Just sitting there like he knows all the ancient secrets but isn't telling anyone."

"A sphinx is a riddle-giving creature," Marcus pointed out, then immediately wanted to evaporate. Who corrects people on day one?

Luna just laughed. "Okay, you're definitely smarter than you look. Come on, Sphinx-boy. Let's figure out where this dog actually came from before Principal Henderson has an aneurysm."

They spent the next twenty minutes investigating (fine, snooping) and discovered the dog belonged to the guidance counselor's mom, who was visiting for lunch duty. The retrieval operation involved Marcus distracting the secretary while Luna executed a tactical grab-and-run.

By the time they returned the dog, Marcus had somehow gained a partner-in-crime, a maybe-sorta friend, and a reputation as "that guy who helped with the dog incident." Not the worst first day, honestly.

His hat sat straighter on his head now. Not a spotlight, but armor. And maybe, just maybe, he wouldn't need to hide behind it forever.