A Kiss for Maya

MIA Shelly

Fate: (noun) The development of events outside a person's control, regarded as predetermined by a supernatural power.
       ~The Dictionary 😂

***

I get off the bus four houses away from mine and start to walk home. I check my phone and it's 16:00. We agreed to meet at the library at 5pm so I still have at least an hour to get ready.

I put on my earphones and play music as I start mentally going over everything I have to do.

Sam Smith's How do you sleep? is booming from upstairs when I enter the house. Lilly- she's probably still packing.

I go to the kitchen and take out my lunchbox and put it in the sink then grab an apple from the bowl on the counter. Lilly comes dancing down the stairs, a bunch of papers crumpled in her hands.

"Hey," she sings, "how was school?"

"Same as every day, nothing interesting happened." I take a bite of the apple.

"Because your nose is always in a book." She mumbles and throws the papers in the bin.

I roll my eyes and walk up the stairs. She follows suit, singing along to Sam Smith.

"I'm going to the library to meet up with Bianca and Shelly, I'll probably be back by 7pm."

We enter the room and she sits in the middle of her bed. The walls are covered in posters of all kinds; her half of boy bands and rock stars. My half is adorned with science jokes and scientists. We have two single beds on either side of the room, mine being next to the window facing the street.

"I'm meeting up with friends in like," she checks the turquoise watch on her left wrist, "thirty minutes but when you're done call me and I'll come pick you up."

"Okay, but what about dinner?!" I find myself shouting over the music and walk over to the stereo to turn down the volume.

"Don't worry," she waves a dismissive hand, "I'll take care of that."

Another thing about Lilly, she loves cooking and she's very good at it. My parents are both doctors and work long hours and I grew up eating take out most of the time. My dad enjoys cooking but he's usually too busy or too tired to cook. My mom, like me, doesn't mind living on peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.

I grab some of the clothes Lilly has thrown on the floor and start packing them. The only thing she lacks, is being organised. She used to drive me mad when we first started sharing a room. I always put my things back in the right place, with her, everything goes wherever she feels like it should.

A small smile appears on my face as I think of how far we've come. How far she's come.

After her mom's passing, she was very sad for a long time. My parents didn't even know what to do to make her smile again. One day she just woke up, dressed up and played music and started dancing. She said she decided to be happy again because it would've broken her mom's heart to see her like that.

I get up from the floor and throw myself into her arms. She falls on her back, with me still clinging to her.

"What's wrong, Nutty?" She chuckles and hugs me back.

Yes, as you've guessed, the nickname comes from my peanut butter addiction. Something I'll always blame my mother for.

"I'm just really going to miss you."

She hugs me tighter at the words and places a soft kiss on my forehead.

***

Okay, sweetheart. Just make sure you all wait for someone to come pick you up. I'll be back by 9pm.

I read the text my mom sent as a response to one I sent earlier on asking her if I could go to the library.

Now I'm standing in front of the big blue gate leading into the library, waiting for Bianca. I texted Shelly a while ago but she never replied.

After a couple of minutes of waiting, a black Mercedes Benz parks in front of me and Bianca steps out.

"Hi, Maya." Her mom gives me her dimpled smile and a wave.

In the backseat, Cairo, Bianca's little sister smiles shyly at me as I say hello to her. Faint dimples form on her cheeks. Bianca's the only one who didn't get her mom's dimples.

"How're you doing, baby?" Mrs. Tyler asks.

"I'm well," I smile back and she nods.

"Where's Shelly?" Bianca asks after her mom drives off and we walk into the library.

I shrug at her then say hello to the librarian. We find our usual table at the back of the library where there usually aren't a lot of people and most of the books we need are.

I pick a Chemistry book from one of the shelves and take out my textbook and notes from my bag and Bianca takes out her History book, preparing for her session with Shelly.

Silence settles between us as we both focus on our work.

An hour later, Shelly is still MIA and Bianca's frustration is worsening. Her phone rings and she picks it up then goes outside to answer it.

When she comes back, her face is a mixture of disappointment and irritation.

"What's wrong?" I whisper ask.

"That was my mom, tonight she has that fundraiser she's been organising. The babysitter cancelled on her and she's on her way to pick me up."

I nod and help her put back the books on the shelves as she packs her bag.

"Need a lift?" She asks.

I shake my head, "Lilly's going to pick me up."

We say goodbye and I check the time on my phone. It's 18:15 so I decide to study some more.

I stop focusing on studying and check my phone when it vibrates. I take it out of my bag and see a text from Lilly:

Nut-Nut, thr was a delay buh give me 30 mins & I'll be thr 2 pick U up :)

I don't reply but consider my options. The bus stop is three minutes away and the bus will be there in five minutes. I can make it.

Without any further thoughts on the matter, I grab my books and leave.

I hope you enjoyed this chapter, things start to get interesting in the next one.
Remember to vote and share❤☺. Xoxo