The Sphinx of Senior Year

Maya adjusted her beanie—technically a hat, though her mom called it "that rag you refuse to wash"—and smoothed her shirt for the millionth time. The first party of junior year. Her palms were sweating so much she could probably water the neighbor's plants with them.

"You got this," Chloe whispered, but Maya felt like a fraud. Everyone else seemed to glide through these things like they'd been born holding red Solo cups. Meanwhile, Maya still couldn't decide whether to wave or just say hey.

The pyramid of red cups on the kitchen counter loomed like an ancient monument. Someone called out from the basement: "Beer pong! Who's actually good at this?" Maya stood frozen, calculating escape routes, when Tyler—the Sphinx of Northwood High—materialized beside her.

The guy was legendary for giving zero feedback. Ask him a question, get a monosyllable. Confess a crush, get a blank stare. Yet somehow he had this gravitational pull. Everyone wanted his approval.

"Spinach," he said.

Maya blinked. "What?"

"Your teeth. Spinach." He pointed at his own incisor.

Oh god. OH GOD. She'd eaten a literal spinach wrap before coming because her health-conscious aunt had insisted "greens give you confidence." Turns out, greens just give you public humiliation.

She covered her mouth. "How long?"

"Since you walked in." A ghost of a smile. "It's really working for you, though. Very... committed to the bit."

Maya almost died. She headed for the bathroom, but Tyler's voice stopped her. "I'm kidding. You got it like two seconds ago. I just wanted to see if you'd actually run."

She turned back, hand still over her mouth. "That was mean."

"You were standing there looking like you'd rather be anywhere else. I figured you needed a reality check." He gestured vaguely at the party. "This whole thing? It's just people pretending they know what they're doing. None of us do."

Maya lowered her hand. "Even you?"

"Bro, I'm literally here because my mom made me socialize more." He adjusted his backwards cap. "I spent the last twenty minutes petting the host's dog because I don't know how to join conversations."

They stood there for a second, two imposters in a sea of confidence.

"Wanna go see if the dog likes spinach?" Maya asked.

Tyler grinned for real this time. "Absolutely not. But I will watch you try."