The Sphinx of Miller's Pond

I was halfway through my third lap when I saw him—that weird sphinx cat who lived by Miller's Pond. Hairless, wrinkled, sitting like an ancient Egyptian statue on the park bench like she owned the place. I'd been **running** track since seventh grade, but nothing had prepared me for what happened next.

That's when I noticed Tyler sitting three benches down, phone angled like he was trying to be slick about whatever he was doing. My stomach did this absolutely pathetic little flip. We'd been flirting in AP Bio for weeks, but today he'd completely ghosted my text from two hours ago.

The sphinx cat padded over to me and let out this demanding meow that sounded like a complaint.

"Great, now I'm getting dating advice from a hairless cat," I muttered, but I stopped anyway. Because yeah, I'd totally been that creepy person who scrolls through someone's Instagram trying to piece together their day—basically social media **spy** work at its most pathetic.

My older sister Chelsea always said I was dramatic, but she also said everything happens for a reason. Though to be fair, she said that after she failed her driver's test and met the instructor who became her fiancé, so her reliability is questionable.

"You need some **vitamin** D," a voice said.

I jumped. Tyler was standing there, holding out a bright orange gummy bottle. I'd stopped so long I'd basically turned into a human popsicle.

"My little sister's wellness phase," he explained, shrugging. "She swears these changed her whole vibe." His eyes crinkled when he smiled. "I, uh, saw your text earlier. I was at my grandmother's all day—no service in her time capsule of a house. I was literally **running** back to check my phone when I saw you."

The sphinx cat wound around my legs like she was sealing the deal.

"Cool cat," Tyler said.

"She's a philosopher," I said, then immediately wanted to die because who says that?

But Tyler laughed. Actually laughed. "Wanna walk? I can tell you about the time my grandmother tried to order food on a landline."

We sat by Miller's Pond until sunset, the sphinx cat sleeping between us like a tiny, wrinkled guardian of new beginnings. Sometimes the universe works in mysterious ways. Or sometimes it's just a hairless cat, a gummy vitamin, and the courage to stop running and stay put.