The Sphinx in the Baseball Cap

Maya clutched the plastic tray like it might save her from drowning. The cafeteria noise hit decibels that should be illegal for a Friday afternoon, and she was about to spend the entire lunch period sitting alone at the edge of the sophomores' table. Again.

"Yo, May." Marcus dropped into the seat beside her, the fringe of his beaver-felt hat brushing her shoulder. "You look like you're about to hurl."

"I might," she admitted, poking at the overcooked spinach on her plate. The mushy green stuff looked like something that had already been eaten once. "Your sister's party tonight? I'm not going."

Marcus's eyebrows shot up. "You've been talking about it for weeks. It's literally all you've—"

"I know, but—"

"But what?" A new voice cut in. Chloe, who moved through the school like she owned the air everyone breathed, slid onto the bench across from them. Her life was basically one long Instagram caption. "Maya's backing out? I thought you were finally gonna make a move on Tyler."

Heat crawled up Maya's neck. Tyler was cute, sure, in that oblivious lacrosse-player way, but the idea of talking to him while sober felt impossible. While sober and surrounded by Chloe's friends—most of whom treated high school like their personal reality show—it felt masochistic.

"I wouldn't say 'make a move,'" Maya mumbled.

"Then what?" Chloe leaned in, genuinely curious for once. "What's the bear in the room?"

"It's 'elephant,'" Marcus sighed.

"Whatever." Chloe waved him off. "Maya, seriously. You've been building this up like it's some kind of mythic trial. Chloe's party isn't the sphinx waiting to devour you if you answer wrong. It's just people hanging out. Some of them might even be cool."

"Some," Marcus agreed. "Statistically speaking."

Maya looked between them—her oldest friend and the girl who'd spent three years acting like Maya was invisible until this semester. Something in her chest untwisted, just a little.

"Fine," she said. "But if Tyler asks what music I'm into, I'm telling him it's nothing cool. No pretending."

Chloe actually smiled. "Deal. And bring that hat," she pointed at Marcus's beanie. "You need to commit to the bit, man."

Maya took a breath. Maybe tonight wouldn't be perfect. Maybe she'd say something awkward, or spinach would get stuck in her teeth, or Tyler would turn out to be a tool. But at least she'd show up.