The Sphinx in Center Field

Leo stood in center field, clutching his glove like a shield. The orange sunset bled across the sky, matching the crush he'd been harboring for Maya since seventh grade. Meanwhile, his best friend Jared was pitching like he'd been born with a baseball in his hand.

"You're thinking again," Jared had told him earlier. "Stop overthinking and just play."

Easy for him to say. Jared was the Sphinx — the guy who never showed his cards, never revealed what he was actually feeling. Girls swooned over his mysterious vibe. Leo just found it exhausting.

A sphinx moth fluttered near the outfield lights, drawn to the glow like Leo was drawn to the dugout where Maya sat with her friends. She was wearing orange Converse today. He'd noticed.

"Hey, spacer!" someone yelled. A ball arced toward him. Leo scrambled, glove up, heart hammering — and missed completely. The ball dropped into the grass like a stone.

Laughter erupted. Not mean laughter, just the kind that made his face burn anyway.

"My bad," Leo mumbled.

After the game, Maya found him sitting alone on the bench, peeling an orange he'd grabbed from the concession stand. His fingers were sticky with juice.

"You were in your head," she said, dropping beside him. Her orange Converse tapped his cleat.

"Always am."

"Jared says you're the smartest person he knows, but you think so much you miss everything that's happening right in front of you." She bumped his shoulder. "Like, you're so busy worrying about dropping the ball that you forget you're even playing the game."

Leo stared at his orange segments. "That's the most you've ever said to me."

"I'm tired of being mysterious," Maya said, and for the first time, she looked almost nervous. "I'm tired of the Sphinx act. I want someone who actually shows up."

She took his orange-sticky hand. Her palm was warm, her fingers interlacing with his. The baseball field lights flickered on around them.

"So," she said, "wanna walk home?"

Leo forgot about the dropped ball. Forgot about Jared pitching a perfect game. Forgot about everything except Maya's orange shoes and the fact that sometimes, sphinxes did have answers — if you were brave enough to ask the right questions.