All I Want To Do...

... Is to be touched

Since Devi didn't rat Jaya out, she's able to go out on her walks while Devi does chores. Paxton would up DM'ing and asking her to come over as she walked and she does that. She won't miss an opportunity to hang out with Paxton Hall-Yoshiba. She suddenly she wasn't wearing some blue jeans and a black tank top and Indian print cardigan, and her Nike sneakers.

Paxton invited her inside the shed and she sees that they're alone. Before she can say anything, Paxton pulls her close and he kisses her. He enjoys kissing her. She whimpers against his lips because she was surprised and they back to his couch. She sits on his legs and their lips remain connected.

Paxton's hands are roaming all over her sides and back. Jaya grabs his hands and she moves them to her chest.

"You- uh, you can touch those if you want."

Paxton peers up at her through his perfect eyelashes. "Are you sure?"

Jaya nods. Paxton leans forward to kiss her again and he touches her chest as they make out some more. Jaya really enjoys kissing and making out.
🌸🌸🌸🌸

Jaya is sitting in the lunchroom with Devi, Fabiola, and Eleanor. Debi is complaining about how she's grounded. She doesn't mind that she took it instead of Jaya but it still sucks.

"I can't take it," Devi complains, like she does a lot. "I'm like a straight-up indentured servant. My mom won't let me leave the house except for school events. And tonight, she wants me to clear the black widows out of our chimney."

"Ugh," Eleanor groans in disgust, "well, I hope you're done with your grounding soon, and then we can party like it's spring break!" She suddenly gasps. "Oh, which reminds me, my mom just sent me this." She shows her friends a postcard from Cancun. "Her ship just arrived in Cancun."

Jaya loses focus as she thinks about Paxton's hands on her like they were yesterday afternoon.

"Hey, Jaya, coyote girl, over here," Trent says as he, Paxton, Jason, and Emmett enter the cafeteria together.

"Go!" Eleanor says to them as Jaya watches or a ton walks across, as if he's in slow motion.

Devi grabs Jaya's arm and pulls her. They join the popular guys at the couches when Jason and Paxton then wave them over.

"Lil' J!" Trent cheers as the cousins come over. "Coyote Girl!"

"That's us," Devi says awkwardly as they sit.

They all sit around and they chat until it's time for class. They head to their classroom, history. Jaya goes to her closet before class so she doesn't hear Ben arguing with Mr. Shapiro and Devi volunteering for an overnight school event to the Model UN trip but now because of that Jaya has to go to Mrs. Finch's house next door because she can't bend down to cut her toe nails. Jaya doesn't mind; she is a kind soul like her mother. That's why Nalini asked her when Devi bailed.
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"Thank you so much, sweetie," Mrs. Finch, age seventy-nine, gushes. "There's no way I'd have been able to bend down there and do that myself."

"I know, Mrs. Finch," Jaya replies. "I don't mind. Truly."
🌸🌸🌸🌸

Jaya goes to a Mexican restaurant with Eleanor and Fabiola to see if her mom is really working there and isn't in Cancun after a fancy ship ride while Devi is gone for an overnight event, not knowing that Ben bringing up Jaya making out with Paxton in front of a gossip and Devi being confronted about how cool her cousin is now and sends out a group text about It.

The trio end up finding Eleanor's mother as a waitress at that restaurant.
🌸🌸🌸🌸

Jaya is fast asleep that night when her phone buzzes three times.

Paxton: Jaya, wtf?
Paxton: Why would you tell everyone about our deal?
Paxton: Not cool, Jay. 
~~~

Jaya's eyes widen when she wakes up and sees them. She immediately texts Paxton, rather he gets it or not.

Jaya: I didn't tell anyone! My friends only know about the one kiss.

Which is true. The only one who really knows about the making out is Devi, unless Devi told Eleanor and Fabiola. Jaya knows that Paxton is ashamed so he doesn't want people to know. It's not like she blames him.

Jaya makes some Idli and Dosa for breakfast later once she's dressed in a knee lengthy skirt, a tight grey shirt. She puts on her three-inch heeled boots and thin black cardigan. She puts her hair into a side braid before allowing Kamala to drive her to school.

Paxton doesn't talk to her but she doesn't say a word as she keeps her head down. She has no idea what's going on. She sees Devi walking down the hall and is glad she's back. Her eyes land on Paxton and she has an eternal battle before walking over.

"Hey, Paxton."

He finishes removing his hoodie.

"I never told anyone about what's been going on," Jaya says. "My friends only know about the first time, the awkward one."

"Who knows about the rest of it?" Paxton asks her accusingly.

"Only Devi," Jaya says and then she pauses. "No..."

"I thought we were friends and now your blabbing to your cousin has the word all over the place," Paxton says. "I guess you're not much of a friend."

Jaya watches as he walks away once his locker is slammed shut.

"I wish you weren't such a disgrace," her mother's brother Fabio had said to her once. "I wish you were more like your mother. Less problematic like your father. Stop being like your dad and stop being a problem, तुम बेकार छोटी लड़की।." She was ten when Fabio had said that to her.

She was diagnosed with depression about two months after Saavani died by an actual doctor that Nalini had brought her to. Dr. Rogers prescribed the orphan with an antidepressant. Jaya feels a depressive episode coming on and she doesn't think the medicine will work.

"Oh."
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Jaya is at Eleanor's house. El called Fabiola as soon as she saw her and knew she knew she was in a depressive episode. The two lay on either side of her and they hold her as she feels as if he world is closing in on her, like she did for those two months after Saavani died.