The Sphinx in the Parking Lot

Maya's mom's sphinx cat, Mrs. Whiskers, stared judgmentally from the window as Maya adjusted her beanie for the tenth time. The hat was supposed to be her armor—first house party armor, to be exact.

"You're not gonna wear that all night, right?" Jake asked from the driver's seat. Her best friend since fourth grade, now suddenly tall with ridiculous hair that fell perfectly over his eyes.

"Maybe." Maya tugged the beanie lower. "It's gotta be better than walking in there like I have no idea what I'm doing."

"Bro, you literally said 'bet' to coming. That's confidence enough."

The party was at Tyler's house—Tyler, who'd somehow evolved from awkward middle school nobody to the guy everyone wanted to know. Maya still remembered him spilling chocolate milk on his white shirt in seventh grade. Now he was apparently hosting the party of the semester.

Inside, the bass thrummed against Maya's chest. Too many bodies, too many colognes and perfumes mixing with something suspiciously like desperation. She spotted Tyler across the room, holding court like he'd been born to do this. Standing next to him was Chloe—grade's resident sphinx, beautiful and unreadable, the kind of girl who could make you feel five years old with a single look.

Then Chloe's gaze locked onto Maya, and she began weaving through the crowd.

"Here comes the bull," Jake muttered. "Into the china shop."

But Chloe didn't destroy anything. She stopped in front of Maya, eyes flicking to the beanie, then back to Maya's face. "Cute hat."

"Thanks."

"I like how it's, like, not trying too hard." Chloe tilted her head. "You're in Mr. Harrison's English class, right? The one who didn't make us read that boring book?"

Maya's brain short-circuited. Chloe—beautiful, untouchable Chloe—was talking to her about English class. "Yeah. That was clutch."

"Anyway." Chloe's lips curved. "Tyler was being weird about inviting people from the fringe, but I'm glad he invited you. You seem... cool. Not typical."

The compliment hit like a physical thing. Not typical. Cool.

Maya reached up and pulled off her beanie. Her hair sprang free, messy but hers. "Yeah. I'm glad too."

Outside later, breathing cool air that tasted like freedom, Jake bumped her shoulder. "So? You survived the bull."

"Better." Maya grinned at the moon, at the night, at the version of herself she'd just met. "I figured out the sphinx's riddle."

"Which was?"

"Just show up. The rest is whatever you make it."