The Sphinx of Senior Year
Maya's purple hair was supposed to be her rebellion. Instead, it was just hair dye that stained her pillowcase and made her mom sigh dramatically every morning. But it was fine. Everything was fine.
Until Jordan stopped sitting with her at lunch.
They'd been best friend since seventh grade, but now Jordan was busy with theater crowd and Maya was stuck at a table near the trash cans, scrolling through her iphone like it contained the meaning of life. It didn't. Just TikToks of people her age living cooler, better, more authentic lives.
That's when the DM appeared.
User: @sphinx_x0
Message: your hair looks like you're finally figuring it out. also: riddle me this. what walks on four legs in the morning, two at noon, and three in evening?
Maya stared. Classic sphinx riddle from ancient mythology, but somehow it hit different at 16 when you felt like you were walking on zero legs most days.
She typed back: a human. baby, adult, old person with cane. also who r u
@sphinx_x0: correct. also someone who notices things. noticed you noticed jordan noticed someone else. harsh but true.
Maya's stomach dropped. @sphinx_x0 saw everything—the lunch exile, the desperate iphone scrolling, the carefully applied eyeliner that said "i'm okay" while her insides were screaming.
@sphinx_x0: here's the thing about sphinxes. we guard entrances. but we also eat people who can't answer the riddle. your riddle isn't who you are. it's who you're becoming. and jordan? jordan's just a chapter. not the whole book.
Maya's fingers hovered over the screen. Something shifted in her chest, light and terrifying.
She dyed her hair because she wanted to change. Maybe the change wasn't supposed to be about Jordan at all.
The next day, she sat at Jordan's old table. Made new friends. Laughed at jokes that weren't funny just to feel something real.
Her phone buzzed during lunch. @sphinx_x0 again: purple looks good on you. also, your real riddle: what grows stronger when it's shared?
Maya smiled. She didn't type the answer back. Some things you didn't need to say out loud. You just had to live them.