The Sphinx of Summer

My mom's new boyfriend, Rich, insisted that the Oakwood Country Club would be "perfect for my social development." That's adult-speak for "please make friends who won't embarrass us at dinner parties."

So there I was, sixteen years old and wearing a stupid bucket **hat** because I read somewhere that it was "aesthetic." Spoiler: it wasn't. It just made me look like I was trying too hard.

"You gonna stand there all day or actually play?" This girl with messy curls and way too much confidence yelled from the **padel** court. Padel, apparently, is what rich people play instead of regular tennis. It's like tennis but with walls and smaller racquets and somehow more unspoken rules.

"I'm, uh, observing," I said.

"You're lurking. Big difference." She waved me over. "I'm Maya. This is Leo, and we're absolutely crushing his cousin Jake."

Jake turned around, and oh my god. He had that whole dark-haired-mysterious thing going on, like he knew secrets about the universe or at least which teachers didn't actually check attendance. He caught me staring and smirked.

"Wanna sub in?" Maya asked. "Jake needs to be taken down a notch."

I stepped onto the court, clutching a borrowed racquet like my life depended on it. My first swing missed everything except air. Jake didn't laugh though—just nodded, like he understood something about me that I didn't even know myself.

Later, at the club's weirdly fancy snack bar, Jake appeared beside me while I was contemplating whether to risk eating this exotic-looking fruit.

"That's **papaya**," he said. "Weird texture, but kind of amazing once you get past it."

"Is that your philosophy on everything?" I asked, then immediately wanted to die. WHY did I say that?

Jake laughed. Actually laughed. "Maybe. You're different than the usual Oakwood crowd."

"Different weird or different good?"

"Just different." He studied my face. "You're like the **sphinx**, you know? Mysterious. Everyone here's so... transparent."

"I'm literally wearing a hat indoors and I just swung at nothing back on the court. How is that mysterious?"

"That's exactly it." He leaned closer. "You don't care about fitting in, so you actually stand out."

My heart did that stupid fluttery thing it does in movies I pretend not to watch. Maybe summer wouldn't be so bad after all.