The Sphinx's Riddle

Maya tugged her beanie lower, but the **hat** couldn't hide what she'd done to her **hair**. The box said "chocolate brown," but somehow she'd ended up with "accidental pumpkin." She groaned, scrolling through her **iPhone**, watching her friends' Instagram stories from Alex's party. Every selfie showed perfect hair, perfect outfits, perfect lives.

"You going?" her mom called from the kitchen.

"No way." Maya flopped onto her bed, where Buster, her golden retriever, immediately flopped beside her. The **dog** nudged her hand with his wet nose, sensing her mood.

But then her phone buzzed. *Group chat: Jasmine, Priya, Kai.*

"Maya, where are you???" "Alex literally asked about you." "Don't make me come over there."

Maya stared at herself in the mirror. The orange horror mocked her. But then again, maybe nobody would notice under the strobe lights? And Alex had that ancient Egyptian theme going...

Twenty minutes later, Maya stood outside Alex's door, heart pounding. She'd gone all in — drawn thick black winged eyeliner, borrowed her sister's gold headpiece, and was wearing the most dramatic dress she owned. If she was going to look like a pumpkin, she'd be a FABULOUS pumpkin.

The music hit her like a wave. Bodies swirled in the living room, most wearing some version of "ancient Egypt" — which apparently meant lots of gold and even more creativity.

"OH MY GOD," Jasmine shouted over the bass. "You literally look like a **sphinx** queen. That orange? It's giving goddess energy."

"It's... giving disaster?" Maya tried.

"No, it's giving ICONIC." Priya appeared with two sodas. "Remember when I dyed my hair green freshman year?" She laughed. "We've all been there."

Alex materialized through the crowd. "Maya! You made it!" He gestured to a setup in the corner. "Karaoke machine's set up. You should go first."

Maya froze. But then Jasmine was already pulling her toward the makeshift stage. "Do 'Good 4 U'! You totally nail that bridge!"

The first note came out shaky. The second, stronger. By the chorus, Maya wasn't thinking about her hair anymore. She was just... performing, feeling the music in her chest, watching her friends cheer.

And when Alex took a thousand photos afterward, Maya actually smiled for them.

"Can I see?" she asked afterward, peering at Alex's phone.

"Wait, I'm posting this one," Alex said, zooming in on Maya mid-song, arms thrown wide, laughing. "Caption: 'Actual sphinx queen energy.'"

Maya's phone buzzed instantly. Notifications flooded in — hearts, fire emojis, people tagging her.

"See?" Jasmine nudged her. "I told you. Literally iconic."

Maya looked at the photo again. The orange hair wasn't a mistake anymore. It was a statement.

"Yeah," she said, grinning. "I guess I kind of crushed it."