The Sphinx in Your Pocket

Maya's phone buzzed against her thigh, heartbeat syncing with the vibration. Another Instagram story from Jayden's party — the one she wasn't invited to. Again.

She stared at the iPhone screen, thumbs hovering, then locked it. Pathetic.

The museum exhibit loomed ahead. Ancient Egypt section, final field trip of freshman year, everyone pretending to care about statues while actually caring about who was standing near who.

Then she saw it.

The sphinx. Smaller than she expected, cracked limestone face half-eroded but still somehow knowing. Maya stepped closer, leaving her friend group clustered around a mummy case they were definitely not looking at.

"What are you staring at?"

She jumped. Tyler. Jayden's best friend. The guy she'd had a crush on since seventh grade despite knowing he never looked at her twice.

"Just thinking," she said, then wanted to die. "About... riddles."

Tyler raised an eyebrow. "Riddles?"

"The sphinx asked them. Before letting people pass." Maya's face burned. "It's just... sometimes I feel like everything's a test I'm failing."

Something shifted in Tyler's expression. He leaned against the exhibit case, shoulder brushing hers. "Yeah. Like, what's the point of being cool if you can't talk about sphinx riddles in a museum?"

Maya laughed, surprised. "Exactly."

"My phone died," he said suddenly. "Forgot my charging cable at home. It's been... weirdly nice? Actually being here?"

They stood there while her friend group moved on, while Jayden's party Instagram stories stacked up unseen, while Maya's iPhone stayed dark in her pocket. She told Tyler about her secret obsession with Egyptian mythology. He told her he hated pretending to care about basketball.

Then the fire alarm rang.

"False alarm," someone shouted. "Some kids messing with the sprinklers."

Water sprayed from the ceiling,突如其来. Maya and Tyler bolted toward the exit together, laughing as they dodged the droplets, hands brushing as they ran. Her phone stayed in her pocket, forgotten. The sphinx watched them go, stone smile unchanged.

"Hey," Tyler said as they reached the sunlight outside, sneakers squelching. "You wanna grab food after this?"

Maya's heart did that traitorous flutter thing. "Yeah. Yeah, I do."

Her phone buzzed again. Jayden's party. Who cared?

She didn't even check.