18 going on 38

chapter 1

"Great job today. Katherine, you should have seen her. She was like a cheetah, our girl, future olympian." Her dad bragged loudly as they walked through the door. "Her times are better than most professionals at this point and to think she just graduated high school." He continued, Maya didn't like the attention. She liked her dad's good moods, yes, but his good moods usually meant something would tick him off, and it would switch in a second, making it all the more confusing.

"Now straight to bed, champ."

"Can I eat something first?" Maya asked, they'd been out on the track all day and the protein bar she'd had for lunch clearly wouldn't  hold her over till morning.

"You were faster  today, right?"

"Yes, sir."

"Which means the new diet is working."

"Yes, sir, but-"

"No buts Maya, bed now." He said sternly and Maya nodded obediently.

The blonde went to get ready for bed, taking extra time brushing between her braces. She couldn't wait to get them off, it was embarrassing having  braces  at 18, not that anyone noticed her  anyways. Well, that  wasn't entierly true. College scouts noticed her, but that wasn't the attention she had  been craving lately.

She sighed quietly and finished her night time routine, and as she went to bed she thought about what it  would be like when she grew up, away from Lane's watchful eyes, post olympics, what would she do. She didn't even  know  who she was and what she  wanted. So used to following  her  fathers  orders blindly.

⎯⎯

Something  was ringing, it was most definitely an alarm clock, but it wasn't hers. Maya  burrowed further under the covers, not  completely  awake.

"Bambina." Someone pushed her  shoulder lightly and Maya stiffened. "Bambina, your alarm." The groggy  voice  said and Maya  shot to her feet and looked around the room that was entirely unfamiliar to her.

"Turn off your  alarm, Maya." The woman said, a little  grumpy now and Maya  felt  glued  to  the floor. Where was she? And who was that woman?

She turned over and reached for the thing on the  nightstand that was buzzing and making the  awful sound. Maya watched as she pressed the  screen of it and it stopped. The brunette  then sat up and looked at her, confusion written all over her face.

"Va bene, bella?"

"I-" She stuttered. "I'm calling the police."

The  brunette looked worriedly  around her  and handed Maya the phone.

"What's going on?" She whispered and grabbed a hold on her arm, Maya shrugged  it off.

"What do  you mean what's  going on? I should ask  you what's going  on."

"You are the one who's calling  the police, is someone here?" Once again the woman grabbed her and Maya could see on her  face that she was scared too.

"Wait, do you know where  we are?"

"We are at home, bambina. How much did you drink last night?"  She  chuckled.

"Drink? I would never drink. Who are  you?"

"Wow, I  didn't know I married a comedian."

Maya was entirely confused. "Tell me what's going on right  now  or I'm  calling the police. She said seriously and looked  around  the room once  again. She caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror and she  looked... older?