The Sphinx in the Snapback

Maya adjusted the brim of her dad's old trucker hat, trying to look chill even though her palms were sweating through her pockets. This was it—Spring Fling, and she was finally going to talk to him.

Jordan sat by the punch bowl, scrolling through his phone like he owned the place. The DJ was playing that remix everyone had on repeat, and the gym smelled like desperation and too much body spray.

Maya took a breath and started across the floor, but Sarah intercepted her with a wicked grin.

"You're not actually gonna do it, are you?" Sarah raised an eyebrow. "You've been staring at him all night like he's some mystical creature."

"Shut up," Maya muttered, but her heart hammered.

"Seriously, you're treating him like the sphinx of sophomore year." Sarah laughed. "All mysterious and silent when literally he just sits in the back of English class drawing anime characters in his notebook."

Maya's face burned. "Whatever. I'm going over there."

"Go get 'em, tiger. Or should I say, fox?" Sarah called after her. "Because you're totally foxy in that hat."

Maya flipped her off without turning around.

She made it three steps from Jordan before her phone buzzed. A text from her mom: YOU LEFT YOUR BACKPACK IN THE CAR. I'M NOT COMING BACK. COME GET IT NOW.

Maya groaned. The sphinx himself looked up, their eyes meeting for exactly 0.7 seconds before he went back to his phone like she was invisible.

Outside, the parking lot was empty except for her mom's sedan parked under the streetlight. Maya grabbed her backpack and leaned against the car, staring at her palm—she'd drawn a tiny smiley face there in sharpie during fourth period because she was nervous. It was smudged now.

"Hey."

She jumped. Jordan stood there, hands in his pockets, not looking at his phone for once.

"You forgot this," he said, holding out her favorite pen—the one with the cat sticker.

"Oh!" Maya's brain short-circuited. "Thanks. I—I was looking everywhere."

"Cool hat," he said. "Vintage?"

"Yeah, my dad's. From like, the actual 2000s."

"Nice." A pause. "I like the sharpie smiley face. On your hand."

Maya looked down. Her palm was still visible. "Oh, yeah. I was stressing about a test."

"Anyway." He shifted. "See you Monday?"

"Yeah. Monday."

He walked away, and Maya realized she was still wearing the ridiculous hat, her palms were definitely gross, and she'd barely said two words. But as she watched him go, she caught him glancing back over his shoulder.

The sphinx wasn't so mysterious after all.