The Sphinx's Riddle

Marcus stood frozen in the cafeteria, staring at the pyramid of milk cartons some kid had constructed on the lunch table. Three tiers. Actually impressive, if he was being honest.

"Nice tower, bro," said Jenna, sliding onto the bench beside him. "You gonna help me with this chem lab or what?"

"Distracted," Marcus admitted. "That's Tyler's work. He's on another level today."

Tyler—the human equivalent of a bull in a china shop. Usually Marcus just steered clear, but lately, their friend group had been doing this weird merging thing. Like social tectonic plates. Awkward, unavoidable.

The real problem sat two tables away: Skylar. The human sphinx of Northwood High. She'd been giving him these looks all week—half smirk, half mystery. Last Friday she'd slipped him a note with just a question mark inside.

What did that even MEAN?

"She's looking at you again," Jenna whispered, dramatically covering her eyes. "The tension. I can't."

"Shut up," Marcus said, but his face burned. "/This/ is why we're not friends anymore."

"Ouch. True though."

That was the thing about Jenna—she'd call you out while helping you pick up the pieces. They'd dated freshman year for approximately three weeks. Now she was his person. The friend who knew which emojis to use when his mental health was doing that thing where it ghosted everyone.

So when Skylar actually walked over, Marcus's brain short-circuited.

"Hey," she said, sliding onto the bench across from them. Casual. Like she didn't hold the social capital to make or break his entire high school existence.

"Hey," he managed. Smooth.

"So," Skylar said, eyes dancing. "About that note."

Jenna made a show of being very interested in her phone.

"The question mark," Marcus said. "I've been thinking about it."

"It's a riddle," Skylar said. "Get it right, I'll tell you why I've been stalking you all week."

Marcus felt something shift in his chest. /Excitement? Terror? Both?/

"Hit me."

"What has a bottom at the top?" Skylar grinned. "And don't say your legs. I heard that in middle school."

Marcus laughed despite himself. Across the cafeteria, Tyler knocked over the milk pyramid. Cartons everywhere. Chaos.

"A pyramid," Marcus said, the word clicking into place. "Your answer."

Skylar's grin widened. "Finally. Someone who gets it."

"Get what?" he asked, heart suddenly racing.

"That the whole world is upside down," she said. "And we're just trying to figure out which way is up."

Marcus looked at Jenna, who was grinning like she'd been in on it the whole time.

"Also," Skylar added, "I was gonna ask if you wanted to study for finals together. But the riddle sounded more mysterious."

"It really did," Jenna said.

Marcus laughed—really laughed—for the first time in weeks. Whatever this was, whatever it became, at least the sphinx had finally spoken.

And she wanted to study with him.

He could work with that.