Fresh Start

S i x t e e n

   "What're you taking at UF?" I ask when her eyes slowly open, courtesy of me and my sleepless mind and body. That's how it's been going, me lying here awake, my hand tracing hers well she sleeps, waking up every few minutes and even exchanging some words with me before drifting off again.

Maia's brown eyes meet mine, still clouded over with a sleepy haze, "Double major." She mumbles, the words barely audible, coming out as a hushed mumble of sound, but I strain my hearing, taking a minute to understand her words.

"But what are you double majoring in?" I clarify, watching as her two eyes flutter shut again, and using that time to turn my head, checking her bedside table for a clock, being met with bold red numbers displaying '2:09'.

"Engineering and Law." Maia finally replies, her sentence clearer this time, making me return to nearly the position I was previously in, one that almost mirrored hers. My head resting on the stacked pillows-usually I sleep with one but apparently it's normal to sleep with two-my body relaxing on it's side to face Maia, my hand holding hers up near my face, inspecting the chipping nail polish painted on four of her nails.

Sliding my fingers, making them easily fall between hers, earning a hum of comfort from Maia's half asleep state. "Why're you double majoring? Isn't it really hard?"

There's a slight delayed response but when she does, her words are completely clear and she even meets my gaze with wide-awake open eyes, "Wanna graduate with and engineering undergrad, then-" She cuts off to yawn before continuing, "Then I'll take the GATE's and hopefully pass, earning a full engineer degree and letting me go take M.Tech courses at a different university, preferably Western."

I look at her, honestly impressed with her entire plan, "But then why Law?" I point out before she releases my hand, instead rolling over her stomach but keeping her head facing me.

Maia seems to catch on to my slight disappointment because a second before she begins talking again she opens her other hand in a silent offer, eagerly I accept, going back to running my thumb over her knuckles as I listen to her, "Because it's fucking awsome." She states simply, before changing the game and shooting a question my way, "What about you? What're you gonna do after your gap year."

My brain scrambles for an answer, pausing to drop my eyes to her hand, "Uh, for a long time I wanted to go to Colombia actually." I breathe, finding it weird to remember myself from a year ago.

"Shit Columbia? You must be hella smart." She replies, laughing slightly when heat reaches my cheeks, flipping onto her side and holding her body up slightly by resting her weight on one elbow.

I smile at her cute laugh before covering it up and retorting a small sentence, "Says the girl who's double majoring." I meet her eyes again and this time she grins at me, raising her eyebrows to silently tell me to continue. "Anyways, yeah that was my plan for a long time, then that plan...seemed less stable." I say, leaving out certain words, "But yeah, I honestly don't know what now, I wanted to go into biomedical science, end up doing something to do with chemistry, but..." I stop slowly, stretching the words as I squeeze her hand and offer a small smile, "Things change." I say hopefully.

"Things?" She asks softly, "What type of things?"

I pause again, thinking my words before stating as if it were obvious, "Sad stuff, the stuff you don't really wanna hear about."

She uses the arm she's leaning on to move slightly, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear before she looks me dead in the eyes, saying "I wanna hear everything about you. Even the sad stuff...especially the sad stuff if it's part of who you are."

Again I indulge myself, enjoying the moment I know I'll end in a few seconds, my gaze switching between her two eyes slowly, but like I predicted I break the staring contest, releasing her hand which leaves an all-too-noticeable cold feeling in my hand. "You shouldn't say things like that." I speak, pausing to gauge her reaction.

Her eyebrows pull down a bit, obviously in confusion before she reaches her free hand up to tuck her own hair behind her ear, throwing the rest of it over her shoulder, "And why not?" She challenges.

I bite my lip as I try to find an answer, "It might make me think things." I say vaguely.

"Like what?" Maia asks softly.

"Like you actually like me." I say, fighting to keep my voice even.

An airy laugh leaves her lips before they tug up into a small smile, "I do like you." She states and when I open my mouth to challenge her on it she speaks over me saying again, "I like you, Kris."

"You do?" I breathe, my eyes narrowing with scepticism as she lets out another small chuckle.

"Of course I do, why do you think I was jealous of you and Jenna, why do you think I kissed you?" Maia points out, "Cause I fucking like you." She repeats when I don't answer her rhetorical question.

"I like you too." I say, biting my lip a little harder and fighting to not wince.

She chooses then to reach up her hand, brushing her thumb over my lip which in turn makes me release it. She leans down for a sweet kiss that only lasts a few seconds before she breaks it, muttering, "Now go to fucking sleep." With a large grin on her face.

I could get used to this, I think to myself, maybe a little too used to it.