What You Never Told Me

Chapter 1

Chapter 1: 

                                                                     -Now-                       

 "Maia!" I hear my mom call from the kitchen. "C'mon! It's 7:30 already!" 

I rolled my way out of the bed and stood in front of the mirror. I was a disaster. The eyeliner smeared all the way to my cheeks, my light brown hair was tangled and messy, and my clothes too baggy for my slim body. 

I had been crying all night. 

I couldn't sleep for even a minute, spent all night asking myself ridiculous questions. Could I be a tad more pathetic? It's been two years since the last time I saw Daniel and yet, he's the only thing that crosses my mind. Even though it's the last day of my senior year and I am about to start college, my mind is unable to erase that painful memory about the boy who suddenly disappeared during my sophomore year. 

"Maia!" My mom screamed again, her voice harsher now and joined by the squeals of my baby sister, Lily. "Last day of your senior year! You don't want to miss it!" 

Actually I do, I said to myself. Ever since I was declared the 'school whore', High School has been everything but enjoyable. Walking through the crowded hallways and feeling those pitiful, hateful glares on me and seeing the way their eyes in one way or another told me I had to be ashamed of myself. People avoided me in the halls, and I noticed that girls grabbed their boyfriends hands extra tight whenever I passed by. 

I had to admit it: Daniel Collins was the destruction of me. And yet ,he was also the one who made the best things about me arise from inside my soul. He was the one who opened the cage that freed me, allowed me to show myself to the world. 

I went down the stairs, after having fixed myself a little. A little make up here and there, combing and cold water to reduce the puffiness from the eyes and I was good as new. 

"Morning mom," I said as I grabbed a granola bar from the box on the counter. I kissed her on the cheek and proceeded to walk towards the cupboard. 

"Good morning honey," she said in that trying-to-be-sweet voice as she carried Lily in her arms. "She's so fussy today, I don't know what is wrong with her!" 

I made no reply as I drank my glass of orange juice. Since my mom and my dad divorced, my relationship with her has been rocky. She's always busy with her new baby and taking care of her new husband, Robert, the guy she cheated on my dad with. Supposedly, she was undergoing too much pressure after my sister, Abbie, died and because my dad wasn't supportive enough, she cheated.

Yeah right.

I grabbed my bag as I opened my granola bar and moved towards the door. 

"Wait! Maia!" My mom exclaimed, she got closer to me and handed me a white envelope, perfectly shut.

"This was inside our mailbox." 

"It must be a letter from college." I said as I carefully examined it. Nothing out of the ordinary, just my name written in the front. 

 I shoved the enveloped inside my bag and ran to the door. 

"Thanks mom."

I half-smiled as she grabbed Lily's hand and moved it from side to side as if she was waving goodbye. 

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I decided to drive today. My dad had given me a car when I turned 18, so I would take it with me to college. Even though I refused the idea at the beginning, I've come to actually like my car. It saves me the trouble to meeting my classmates on the way to school, plus it's more comfortable than walking.  I arrived to Clark High faster than I expected to and from the moment I got out of the car, I could already feel it. The stares surrounded me just like everyday and the voices and whispers got louder as I walked across the parking lot. It was like the whole world turned towards me, pointing out every flaw that they could find in me.  "Oh my gosh," I heard a girl standing by the door say, "look at her. She looks terrible!"  "I know right?" The friend replied as she grabbed the boy's beside her arm and placed it over her shoulder. 'Marking her property', I supposed they were thinking. I tried to ignore them, standing up tall and walking away. 

 Actually, I'm not ashamed of what I did, not at all. Remembering that night makes me smile widely, the adrenaline rush running through my veins again. 

I finally spotted Lizzie, who was probably the only person in school who didn't look at me as if I was a monster from hell, and in fact, the only person who spoke to me. I walked towards her, my lips curving slightly to form a smile. 

"Hey there," I told her when I finally reached her. She grimaced, her face red with fury. 

"Did something happen?" I asked though it was obvious something happened. 

SLAP! 

My left cheek burned with pain. I could feel her hand perfectly drawn in it.

"What is wrong with you?!" I screamed at her, holding my cheek with my hand.

"Don't act as if you don't know!" She screamed back, silent, angry tears forming in her eyes, "I know what happened between you and Ryan!"

"Ryan... and I?" 

"Stop acting so naive! Everyone was right about you! You're a whore, such a filthy slut!" 

"I don't know what you're talking about!" People were already forming a circle around us and the tears had finally escaped Lizzie's chocolate eyes. 

"You slept with him!" 

What...?

"Fuck you, Maia! The fact that Daniel fucking dumped you, doesn't mean you have to go around stealing other people's boyfriends!" 

She rushed into a classroom, without even letting me explain. I was now standing alone in the hallway, people gossiping beside me. 

"She's such a bitch!" They all said. Such a bitch, such a whore. 

I saw Ryan standing beside a blond junior, whose name I believe to be Lauren. They laughed, as I stood there, tears covering my face. He approached me, Lauren following his steps. 

"Oops," he said, as he walked past me, "seems as if we got caught." 

Lauren laughed as if that was the most hilarious joke she had ever heard. So it had been her. 

I ran out of the school and into my car. I had to get out of here. I knew from the beginning that coming was such a big mistake, but I would have never imagined that it was going to be this awful. My hands were trembling, the echo of my cries filling the car, filled with frustration of not being able to even starting it. I finally gave up, allowing the tears to stream into the steering wheel. I had finally realized something. I hated Daniel Collins. I hated him so much, it was probably inhuman. I hated everything about him. I wanted to forget about him and everything that reminded me of him. I wanted him out of my life. Thanks God, I was starting college soon and was able to leave this town that held so many memories. 

College, I thought, suddenly remembering the letter. I took my bag and placed it on my legs, skimming through my stuff, until I finally found it. 

"Maia Cox" read the outside of the envelope. The letter had no address and it didn't have the logo of the college I was going to, which was very unusual. I opened the letter carefully, trying not to break the envelope, and took out a small paper, folded in half. As I spread out the paper, I felt my heart stop. It was not a college letter and I immediately recognized the handwriting. 

Daniel Collins.