Sunshine (Student/Teacher Romance) 18+

13

Ari

"Are you ready for slumber party weekend?" Maya drawls out the words as her finger tips rattle the chain link fence, mocking the idea of a slumber party.

It's really silly that her dad will only accept me staying the night if we turn it into something juvenile. I'll be eighteen in not even half a year. Maya still has almost a full year before she's a legal adult, but still.

I'm just grateful I won't have to worry about where I'll be staying for the next three nights. But by Monday morning, it's back to walking around shopping centers, pretending I'm waiting on a ride.

"I'm ready to finally get some sleep, if that's what you mean."

She pouts at me. "Oh, come on. We've gotta do something fun while you're over. You can't just sleep. I feel like I don't really hang out with you anymore."

"Kinda hard to hang out when Kevin's got his tongue down your throat."

She scowls at me, but then nods. "Yeah, I know. I'm sorry."

"Don't be sorry for having a life."

"Well, I'm sorry that you're going through shit and I'm just running around with a guy..."

"It's not your fault or your problem, Maya." I glance at her. "You don't have to be sorry."

"It kind of is my problem, Ari. I wish I could help you get out of this issue, but..."

"I know, you can't. But it's okay." I chuckle forcefully to convince her I'm okay, when really I'm far from it.

We were supposed to walk to her house after school, but since I didn't go, I met her halfway down the block. Away from campus and the big mob of leaving students that'd surely recognize me, call me stray, and then draw attention to faculty.

At this point, I don't know if I plan on going back or not. It's only a matter of time before my social worker knows I've been skipping, but knowing Diana, she'll come up with a good alibi since she'd rather keep Thomas around than me. She'd rather keep my government money around than me.

"When are you going to stop ditching school?" She asks as if she could tell I was thinking about it.

I shrug a shoulder. "Maybe when Kaliyah stops tormenting me. Maybe when I get a roof over my head. Maybe when working two shifts to save money isn't as important." I've taken on morning shift, which Stacey wasn't particularly happy about, considering I should be at school during that time with Maya, but I told her I really needed the money, so she allowed me to work in the kitchen with her until two P.M.

She shuts her mouth. "Was it busy today?"

"No, but Stacey thinks it will be by five."

She nods, throwing an arm around my neck and speeding up our pace as we approach her home.

Green grass, stone pathway, and a two story, white plank house with a porch in front and a bench that we'd sat on plenty of nights until Maya's dad called us in for being too loud.

"Ari," says Maya's dad, Colton. "Haven't seen you in a while. How've you been?"

"I've been great." I nod. "It's nice to see you."

Maya's mother, Lara, peeks her head out from the kitchen, a smile forming on her face when she sees me.

"Ari!" She struts out, arms out reached for me before pulling me into an embrace I wasn't ready for. "Hi, honey."

"Hi, Mrs. Todd."

She pulls me back to look at me, cupping my face in her hands, and I put on my best, I'm definitely not tired at all after roaming different parking lots the past couple of days, look.