Chasing Ghosts | Natasha Romanoff

Chapter 117: You Can Hear It In The Silence

No, your eyes are not deceiving you. I really wanted to get this out for you guys, so I didn't edit/proofread, so please excuse any mistakes <3

September 29, 2028

Maya

The best summer of her life. Maya could hardly believe that the past few months had truly happened. Going on fun trips, attending the coolest parties, making new memories and friends she'd hold dear forever, and most importantly, getting the sweetest girlfriend to make all those memories with. It felt like a fever dream. A blink, and April had turned into September. When did the leaves turn brown? When did she start wearing sweaters again?

Katya yielded and drove past Starbucks, so Maya cradled a decaf Pumpkin Spice Latte in her cold hands as the city flew by. She loved fall, loved bundling up in sweaters and coats, loved the prospect of Halloween, loved the bright colors of the leaves and the crunch when she stepped into them. But she couldn't help but reminisce about summer and wish her second to last year of high school waited a few months to begin, because it was odd to be back into that routine.

The past few months, she was away more than she was home, driving Brooklyn and her friends around the state in her Mustang, the top down, the music up, and their laughter ringing in her ears. They cooled off by the pool, chased after adrenaline at the amusement park, lost their voices at concerts and festivals, and celebrated her birthday somewhere in the middle of it, too.

Her moms jokingly complained about her absence, but she could see how happy they were for her, urging her to accept invitations because she was ''only young once''. She was living the teenage life they never had, and instead of getting jealous or bitter about it, they supported her like every child deserved to be supported.

There'd be fifty dollars snuck into her wallet despite the money she made working at a yogurt shop, or a coolbox waiting by the front door filled with fruit and water for her trip to the pool. They were the best. From her first paycheck, Maya bought them the biggest bouquet of sunflowers she could find, just to thank them for everything.

Unfortunately, summer didn't last forever, as emphasized by the misty rain falling onto the windshield of the SUV. School was hardly kicking her ass, but Maya had trouble with the long days of sitting still again, of tolerating her rude classmates and dreary teachers. Homework and assignments were already piling up. She had to find new ways to make her life exciting outside of work and school. Hanging out with her friends was one thing that helped, but today, she was doing something very different.

''Toilet break?''

Maya tore her eyes away from the window to meet Natasha's gaze. Her mom was turned around in the passenger's seat, smiling as she looked between the two girls in the back. She'd let her hair down today. It cascaded down her shoulders like a waterfall. Maya liked how it made her look younger than the braids or ponytails. ''I don't really have to go yet.''

''Me neither.'' If Maya's body wasn't hyper aware of her girlfriend at any time, it was easy to forget Brooklyn curled up against the other door, a book inches away from her face. She sat so still, so lost in the world of magic and fantasy, that they hadn't spoken with each other in an hour. They were experts in that, spending time together without talking. Sometimes, they'd sit side by side for hours, each reading their own book, until it got dark and they had to go home.

''Well, I do,'' Natasha mused, zipping up her jacket as Katya pulled up at a gas station. ''Come, let's get some snacks and you can stretch your legs.''

''Do we have to? It's so cold and rainy,'' Maya whined, scowling at the weather. It was warm inside the car, and dry, and she'd gotten Starbucks half an hour ago so she really didn't need something new to feast on.