Welcome to the Nirvana

4

    “Lets grab some greasy junk food before heading over the Nirvana.” Maya offered, jumping into the driver’s side of the car.

    I took the passenger side while two others girls took the backseat, screaming their agreement. I just shrugged in my seat and buckled my seatbelt, staring straight ahead. Maya looked at me out of the corner of her eye but rolled her eyes as she turned around to back out of the parking lot and set off on the road with a screech of the tires. She grinned at the girls behind her, pumped the radio’s sound to the max and screamed to the lyrics as we made our way.

    I tuned them out and stared outside the window, Jordan was on my mind. My tongue gently slipped on my lips remembering the feel of his lips on them. Too bad I had had to literally ‘steal’ that kiss to get it.

    “You’re going to order, right, Kasey?” Maya asked me. But masked under her question was an order. A touchy subject that brought us screaming at the other too often in the now small dorm.

    “Ya. I guess a king sized, double burger sounds about good. Oh and lets add every ingredient and sauce they have to it.” I nodded sarcastically. “Yep. Delicious.”

    “Will you stop with the sarcasm! Every time I bring up your ano–“

    “I do NOT have an eating disorder!” I turned and screamed at her. The two girls behind us were suddenly quiet, their eyes bouncing between the two of us.

    “Then eat something for gods sake! You’ve lost so much weight since we met. It has got to be having side effects on you!” She shook her head, her eyes on the road. “I barely see you chew on anything but those forsaken candies anymore.”

    “Forsaken candies? Oh, you mean the ones you munch on just as much if not more than I do? The ones that YOU introduced me to?” I turn in my seat to stare at her.

    “At least, I would still eat regular, normal means. And I stopped. I’m done with those things.” She took a quick side-look at me, her face appearing soft yet sad.

    She parked the car in the drive way, smiled at the girls behind and told them we’d be in with them in a few moments.

    “Today is the last time I go to the Nirvana. I’m going to resign my job and concentrate on my classes.” she looked straight in front out the windshield and suddenly she collapsed on the stering wheel, sobbing.

    After the initial rush of surprise, I leaned in and stroked her back while she sobbed. Before the Nirvana we had been good friends, then we got closer in a different way because of the Nirvana. She used to tell me everything that was going on with her and I now realized that we had grown apart ever since the christmas vacations. She hadn’t once mentionned her father since our return.

    “What’s wrong?” I whispered, placing a gentle, friendly kiss on the side of her head.

    She turned her head to face me, “My father during the vacations. I spent my vacations arranging his funerals and dealing with his wealth…” her eyes closed and she let out a long breath. “He left me a letter. He had known he was dying for a while but he hadn’t wanted to waste my happiness on his ending. In his letter, he said that he knew about my involvement with the Nirvana. You know, we was too when he was younger and living here.” She smirks and laughs slightly.

    “Is he why you want to stop going there?”

    “Yes, he told me about his experience and I decided I didn’t want to go through that. He also asked me to make his wealth worth his end…” She sits up normally and I lean back into my seat. “If I change some classes I’m attending and finish with a diploma, the lawyers will hand the company to me. The one thing my father had never wanted me to have because I was a girl, the thing that caused the bridge between us. And I want to take over. I want to keep this company in the family for his sake.”

    “Well then, I’ll be there to support you tonight when you tell the boss.” I smile kindly at her. “How about that greasy junk food now?” I grin and step out of the car.

    I can hear Maya laugh as she steps out, walks around the car to link her arm to mine. Everything will be fine, is what I think as we march into the shop.

    Three knocks, one ring and a cough– that was the code when wishing to speak with the man behind this hidden door. The music was so loud here that I had no idea how he, on the other side, could hear a simple cough. The door was pulled open a few inches and a man took a moment to eye Maya and I before yanking the door open and motioning us in.

    We stepped in with our fingers intertwined. Maya was so nervous that her hands were shaking and sweaty and her eyes were twitching to every side as if expecting something to jump out of the walls and tear her apart. I lead her to the black fur love seat in the middle of the room. Aside from the desk in front of us and the master’s chair, the room was empty of furniture. The chair swirled and an old, skinny man placed his elbows on the desk and his sharp, pointy chin in his hands.

    “What can I help you ladies with?” he asked in an old, quivering voice.

    I held in my grimace and urge to run away– reactions that kept returning no matter how often I saw this man. He was what I assumed ‘death’ looked like.

    “I’m… I– I wa– “ Maya stuttered, her face quickly turning red.

    “She’s here to resign, Sir.” I spoke up in what I hoped sounded like a confident voice.

    “Oh, is that so?” He asked me, tilting his head towards me but letting his eyes look at Maya.

    She nodded quickly and looked down at her feet. Funny how roles were turned down here. In the Nirvana, I was the leader between us. I was the blooming flower and she was the seed still seeking her roots. On campus, I was the shy girl that trailed behind the hot, geeky, energy ball. I started wondering if us parting ways here would make us part ways in the real world. Surely now that she more or less depises the place, she won’t want to hear of me coming here or even just know that I was here. With her gone, the boss will probably make sure I don’t interact too much with her– secrets had to stay secrets.

    “Very well. Your name?” He looks at her as he reaches into his desk and pulls out a pad and pen.

    “M-Maya Milo, Sir” she looks up, hope on her face. I frown, she must have thought she’d get some sort of punishment for leaving.

    “Alright. Well, I would like to wish you a last night at the Nirvana.” He scribbles her name on the pad and motions us away.

    We stand and I slowly lead us to the door. The man standing there walks our way, passes us and takes the paper with Maya’s name on it from the old man. I walk forward while watching and see the door man turn to face us again holding a gun and pointing it to Maya’s head. I scream and yank Maya out of the way but he doesn’t shoot. He walks closer to us, re-aiming his gun. I back up until I feel the wall behind me, I keep my hold on Maya as I drag her while searching for the door and door knob with my other hand.

    “Kasey Silverstone.” the old, quivering voice speaks up. “I highly suggest you let go of Miss Milo and move out of the way.”

   The gun was not a real gun. Maya was not killed, although she was branded with a broken star on her upper thigh. And as promised, she was given a last night in the Nirvana.