The Sphinx in the Server Room

Maya's hair was doing that thing again—defying physics, social norms, and apparently, her expensive new conditioner. She stood outside the server room door, heart hammering against her ribs like a trapped bird. Inside, the Gaming Club's livestream setup waited. And so did Alex, the senior who'd somehow earned the nickname "Sphinx" because they rarely spoke and their expression remained perpetually unreadable.

"You coming in or what?" someone called through the door.

Maya smoothed her frizzing curls for the fiftieth time and pushed inside. The air hummed with the collective drone of ten computers and the faint chemical smell of electronics. Alex sat cross-legged by the main rig, fingers flying across a keyboard. A tangle of ethernet cable spilled across the floor like modern art.

"The cable's loose," Alex said without looking up. "Keep stepping on it."

"Sorry." Maya hopped over the cable. "I didn't think—"

"Nobody does." Alex finally glanced up. Their eyes were the color of storm clouds, intense and unreadable. "That's kind of the problem."

Maya felt her face heat up. This was it—the moment she'd been dreading since joining Gaming Club. She was the only freshman, the only girl, the only one who'd never played ranked matches. The Sphinx saw right through her.

"My little brother made you that nickname, didn't he?" Maya blurted, then immediately wanted to die.

Alex's mouth twitched. Something that might've been a smile. "What makes you say that?"

"Because you talk more than people think. And sphinxes are supposed to be all mysterious with their riddles, but you're just... quietly smart."

Alex stared at her for a long moment. Then they reached into their pocket and pulled out a small handheld mirror.

"You've got spinach between your front teeth."

Maya's soul left her body. "Since LUNCH?!"

"Since before you walked in here." Alex extended a finger. "And nobody said anything because we're all terrified of social interaction. It's why we game."

Maya laughed despite herself, a startled, genuine sound. "So the Sphinx has a weakness after all."

"Everyone does." Alex finished adjusting something on the computer. "But you're the first person who noticed I'm not actually that mysterious. Just awkward with new people."

"We're all awkward," Maya said, realizing it was true. "That's kind of the point."

Alex held out a headset. "Wanna help me set up the stream?"

"Yeah." Maya stepped over the cable and sat down beside them. "Yeah, I do."

Her hair was still a mess. She'd walked around with spinach in her teeth for three hours. But somehow, none of it mattered quite as much anymore.