The Sphinx Who Saved Me

My legs burned as I kept **running**, each stride on the cross-country trail feeling like I was carrying the weight of every embarrassing moment from sophomore year. Coach Miller yelled something about "digging deep" from his golf cart, but honestly? I was just trying to survive without puking in front of Jamie, who was somehow gliding effortlessly like she'd been born on the trail.

"You're doing great, Leo!" she called back, and I felt my face heat up. Classic me — crushing on the one person who made everything look easy while I tripped over my own feet.

The real disaster started after practice when my mom dropped the bomb. "Your aunt's emergency trip means we're watching Cleopatra for the week."

"The hairless **cat**?" I groaned. "Mom, that thing looks like a raw chicken." I had actual social plans this weekend. Well, potential plans. If I worked up the nerve to text Jamie back.

But nothing prepared me for that Friday night. The whole cross-country team was at Maya's house, and somehow the conversation turned to how her parents' new art piece looked like "something a **bull** created during an emotional breakdown." Everyone laughed — everyone except Marcus.

"Actually," Marcus said, his voice dropping, "my cousin made that. He's studying at RISD."

The silence was excruciating. I wanted to disappear, but instead I just stood there like a coward while Maya stammered out an apology and the whole vibe died.

At home, hiding in my room, I stared at Cleopatra. The **sphinx** cat blinked at me with these enormous, knowing eyes, her wrinkled skin somehow not ugly anymore — just different. Weirdly confident in her own alien-looking body.

"You don't care what anyone thinks, do you?" I whispered. She bumped her head against my hand, purring like a tiny motor.

I thought about Marcus, about how I'd just stood there. About how I was still overthinking texting Jamie because what if she thought I was weird? Cleopatra seemed completely comfortable being exactly herself — hairless, wrinkly, amazing.

My fingers moved before I could second-guess myself. *Hey, want to grab bubble tea tomorrow? My treat. I promise not to talk about cross-country the entire time.*

Her reply came instantly: *Only if you tell me why you were making that face during practice today.*

I laughed. Cleopatra purred louder, and for the first time, I didn't feel like running away from anything.