The Sphinx of Section B

Maya's palms were sweating—like, actual embarrassing amounts—as she hovered near the snack table at Jessica's party. She clutched her iPhone like a lifeline, doomscrolling through Instagram to look busy and popular, totally not spiraling over the fact that Tyler hadn't replied to her text in forty-seven minutes.

"You know," a voice said, "that thing in your hand is basically your emotional support animal."

Maya jumped. Jake Chen, aka The Sphinx of Section B, leaned against the wall,holding a solo cup of something that definitely wasn't beer. He had this reputation for speaking in riddles and never carrying his phone, which Maya had always thought was pretentious until right now, when he was the only person not filming themselves doing something cringe for TikTok.

"What's that supposed to mean?" she asked, defensive.

Jake shrugged. "Just an observation. You're treating it like a vitamin supplement—like something you need to survive, but maybe it's actually making you worse."

Maya opened her mouth to roast him, but then—why did her chest feel tight? Why had she been refreshing Tyler's messages like her life depended on it?

"Okay, Sphinx," she said, "what's your deal? Are you gonna hit me with some ancient wisdom or what?"

He laughed, actually laughed, and Maya felt something shift in the atmosphere. "My deal? I'm present. That's literally it. I'm actually here, not somewhere else in my head."

Maya looked at her phone, then at Jake, then back at the party where everyone was performing versions of themselves for cameras that weren't really watching.

"Teach me," she said.

Jake raised an eyebrow. "Seriously?"

"Yeah. But first..." Maya gestured to her teeth, "do I have spinach in my teeth? Because I'm pretty sure I just humiliated myself for nothing if I've had green stuff in my teeth since lunch."

The Sphinx of Section B grinned. "You're good. But maybe that's the riddle we all need to solve—how to stop worrying about the spinach and start living."