TOUCH .

Raveen in Maya's class

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✨MAYA'S POV ✨

My dad was a free spirit, great at real estate, and he loved his job, which meant he traveled a lot. That also meant I was home alone most of the time—except when my brother or Kate came over.

I was basically used to the isolation.

I walked out of the kitchen and through the back door to get to the garage. My mom had a whole collection of cars, both ones she bought and ones she was gifted. I decided to go with the Bimmer—you can never go wrong with a BMW.

I made it to school feeling... meh. The professor wasn’t even there yet, so people were hanging around in small groups, talking about the mid-break, parties, and everything else I wasn’t in the mood for. So, I found a spot in the hallway, sat down, and took out my AirPods. I pulled out my sketchbook and started sketching whatever came to mind.

"Hi, Maya!"

Kate’s squealing voice shot through the hallway as she came bouncing toward me.

This girl... OMG. How was she this energetic? It was the first day of school. But, well, that was Kate. She was my best friend and my complete opposite—bubbly, social, and always excited about something. Meanwhile, I was chill, reserved, and liked my space.

"Hi, Kate..." I said, still focused on my sketch. "What’s going on with you? Why are you all giddy this early? On the first day of school, no less. Do you have a new girlfriend or what?"

"Nooo, silly! I just found out I’m getting my driver’s license next week!" she beamed.

"Oh wow. So now you’re gonna drive and expect me to sit my ass in the passenger seat of your car?" I smirked. "Hmmm… girl, I love dark and death, but you driving? That’s way darker."

As I spoke, my eyes drifted, and—

Wait.

Was that Raveen?

The girl from the concert?

No way. Was I dreaming? Was this real? So it wasn’t the edibles?

Flashback – The Night of the Concert

"I can't hear you—the music’s too loud!" I had shouted, trying to leave the table where Raveen and I were sitting.

I couldn’t believe how weak I got around her.

On the Uber ride home, I kept thinking about the girl in the beanie. She had these lazy, sleepy, intimidating eyes—the kind that made you feel like she was stripping your clothes off one by one.

And her voice… oh my god.

I didn’t know what it was about it, but if she told me to submit, I’d probably do it without hesitation.

She had these rings, too, that fit her aura perfectly.

I could’ve sworn there was tension between us.

Damn. I had forgotten how to act around her. My palms got sweaty, my cheeks flushed pink just thinking about how she whispered in my ear that night.

Then, suddenly, I gasped.

Fuck.

I left my water bottle—my favorite one—at the table where we were sitting.

End of Flashback

"Earth to Maya… Maya… MAY!"

I snapped out of my thoughts when Kate called my name.

I cringed immediately. May. Ugh. That name grossed me out—it’s what my ex used to call me, and I despised it.

"Who are you staring at?" Kate asked, scanning the crowded halls. She tried to find who I was looking at but quickly gave up.

"Anyway," she continued, "my long-time sneaky link is back in town, and I think I saw her earlier. So… how was the concert?"

"Um, the concert was really good, actually. I ate a brownie and lost Cappy—"

"WAIT, you lost THEE CAPPY?!"

Kate’s voice jumped into a baby tone.

"That was like your favorite bottle! What happened? Did you get drunk and leave it somewhere?!" she nudged my elbow.

"Dang, no—I don’t drink alcohol. I just left it at some table I was sitting at… but I really miss Cappy."

I pouted, using a baby voice to match hers.

"So you didn’t meet anyone?" Kate raised a brow. "Like… a girl you liked? Or maybe a guy? Because, Maya, you cannot keep living alone, brushing off everyone just because they’re not what you want. You know, you could always try an—"

"Tut, tut, tut. Hold it."

I cut her off immediately.

"I’m not getting my heart broken, I’m not getting my body touched, all because someone said they love me or like me. Yuck. Bruh, I’m happy on my own… and with you."

Kate rolled her eyes, but I ignored her.

"Anyway, let’s go," I said, standing up and motioning for her to do the same.

"We have our first lecture in literature in a few minutes. Might as well get moving—you know how Mrs. Sanders gets when you’re late."

As we entered the lecture hall, I saw pretty much everyone from last semester. Kate, being the social butterfly she was, fluttered away to hug and greet everyone with fake smiles.

As for me?

I went straight to the back, took out my books, and scrolled through TikTok.

Then Mrs. Sanders walked in.

The whole room fell silent—just like that. Damn, that woman had power.

Halfway through the lecture, the door opened.

Someone walked in.

And my jaw dropped.

I swear my blood turned cold.

It was a ghost.

No—it was Raveen.

She was wearing all black, with a white cap and a black sweater that had white collars.

Damn.

I fucked with that look.

But WTF was she doing at my school?

And more importantly—in my class?