The Sphinx of Track Three

Maya's palms were sweating. Again. She wiped them on her jeans for the third time in two minutes, staring across the cafeteria at Tyler — track star, total fox, and completely oblivious to her existence.

"You're doing that thing," said Jay, sliding onto the bench across from her. "The thing where you look like you're about to puke."

"I am not," Maya lied.

"You so are. Here, let me read your palm." Jay grabbed her hand before she could pull away. "See this line? It says you're about to make a complete fool of yourself. But in a cute way."

Maya yanked her hand back. "You're not even a real palm reader. You watched a YouTube video last week and suddenly you're psychic."

"I'm tapped into the universe's WiFi, okay? And the universe says you need to stop stalking Tyler and actually talk to him."

"I don't stalk! I just... strategically observe."

"Running away from your problems again, huh?"

That's when The Sphinx appeared. Nobody knew her real name — she just showed up at school sophomore year, always wearing that same oversized black hoodie, always sitting alone at the table by the trash cans, always reading books with titles like "Existential Dread for Beginners." People whispered she could see the future. Others said she was just weird.

She stopped at their table, jungle boots barely making a sound.

"Your running form is garbage," she told Maya.

Maya blinked. "I don't run."

"You're always running. From what you want, from what scares you, from yourself." The Sphinx's dark eyes pinned her in place. "Track tryouts are Friday. Tyler's gonna be there watching his brother. You should too."

Then she walked away, vanishing into the lunch crowd like smoke.

"Okay," Jay said, eyes wide. "What was THAT?"

Maya's heart was pounding. But for the first time all year, her palms weren't sweating. She was actually going to do it. She was going to stop running and start living.

"Track tryouts," she said, standing up. "Friday. I'm in."

Jay grinned. "Universe called. Said you're welcome."