TOUCH .

RAVEEN'S sleeping over at Maya after bossa nova

MAYA'S POV

I WOKE up to Raveen still asleep. I tried to get up without waking her, but every time I moved, she’d pull me by my waist closer to her. Gosh, this girl is clingy—it's adorable.

I grabbed the huge teddy bear from the other side and tried to swap it in my place. It worked; she pulled the bear closer and started mumbling to herself with her eyebrows furrowed. She looked so peaceful and cute.

I took my phone and quietly left the room without waking her up, heading downstairs. I placed my phone on the counter and made my way to the pantry. It was Saturday, so no classes for either of us. I took out the ingredients for vegan fluffy pancakes and got to work.

By the time I was done mixing, I was covered in white flour dust on half my face. At least I was making progress. I went over to the fridge to grab some mangoes for the smoothie my mom loves. When I closed the fridge door, I saw Raveen standing right there.

“Raveen! You scared me! Aren’t you supposed to be asleep?” I asked, startled, dropping the mangoes onto the counter.

“How could I sleep when it smells so good? Where’s your mom?” she asked, picking up the mangoes and washing them in the sink.

“She’s at work. She won’t be back until Wednesday,” I said, walking to the pantry to grab the stool my mom bought for reaching the higher shelves. I’m not that short, okay? The shelves are just way too high.

“Need my help, tiny?” Raveen teased, hiding a smile when she saw me dragging the stool.

“Nah, I’m good,” I replied, setting it down and grabbing the juicer from the cabinet.

“So, what are you making?” she asked, walking over to the pancakes and taking in their aroma.

“Breakfast for dinner,” I said, plugging in the juicer and peeling the mangoes. I diced the fruit and tossed it into the juicer, adding water, sugar syrup, and natural yogurt—Mom likes her smoothies extra sweet.

Just then, the doorbell rang.

“Were you expecting anyone?” Raveen asked, her mouth full of pancake and a little whipped cream at the corner of her mouth.

“Nope. But Mom mentioned she ordered food for me this weekend. It’s probably the breakfast package,” I said as I opened the door.

“Hi, are you Maya? Your mom told us to deliver this, so just sign here to confirm,” the delivery guy said, holding out a clipboard.

“Sure? Wait—package? I thought it was food. What is it?” I asked, confused.

“Sorry, ma’am, we can’t say. Have a great day!” he replied before walking away.

I closed the door and stared at the box.

“Anything wrong, tiny?” Raveen asked, making her way toward me.

“Not really, but I wonder what Mom sent this time. She always buys me gifts when she’s on trips.”

It was a big box, tied with a glittery lace bow. I placed it on the counter and inspected it closely. Too many movies about hidden cameras and creepy surprises have made me paranoid.

“Aren’t you gonna open it, shorty?” Raveen asked, her words muffled by another mouthful of pancake.

“Excuse me! Don’t bury your face in those pancakes! I’m not cooking any more if you finish them all,” I said, grabbing the plate and stuffing the remaining pancakes into a container before shoving it into the fridge.

“Do you want me to open it?” she asked, walking over to grab some napkins.

“Go ahead. My hands are kind of full right now,” I said, grabbing glasses from the shelf. As I got off the stool, I lost my balance and nearly fell—until I saw Raveen standing behind me, shaking the stool.

“Are you insane?! You could’ve killed me! What were you even thinking?!” I yelled, my voice raising enough to make a little vein bulge on my neck.

“Well, if you fell, I would’ve caught you,” she said, smirking. “Because I’m trying to make you fall for me.”

“You’re mad. Crazy. Bonkers—that’s what you are,” I muttered, hitting her shoulder as I walked over to the box.

“And guess what? I’m not pouring you any smoothie. Do it yourself, psycho.”

“Wait, wait, I wanna see you open it! If it’s a dress, you could wear it to the party tonight, or dinner... or when I’m—” she paused, gulping her smoothie before finishing, “doing all of the above.”

“Girl, bye!” I scoffed, placing the box on the floor. I carefully untied the bow and removed the wrapping paper. There was a card on top, and I immediately recognized the signature.

“Oh my gosh! It’s an Eilish pack!” I squealed, pulling out vinyl CDs, her fragrance, a hoodie, a tank top, and a beanie. It was so perfect.

Then my phone rang—Mom.

“HEY, HOPE YOU LOVE YOUR GIFT! I GOT IT FROM A FRIEND WHO WORKS FOR BILLIE EILISH ✨✨✨,” she texted.

“THANKS, MOM! I LOVE IT! SEE YOU LATER TONIGHT 💜,” I replied, grinning.

“Geez, your mom got you an Eilish pack? You’re so lucky. So, are you coming to the party? You can wear that tank top,” Raveen said, looking hopeful.

“Yes, sure, I’d love to come,” I said, getting the CDs out of their packaging.

“Really? You’re not joking?” she asked, excited.

“Absolutely not,” I said flatly. “I’m not coming. I’d rather listen to these vinyls on repeat than go to some weird teenage party. I can’t handle people right now.”

I grabbed the box and started heading to my room. “Shoo, I need to set this up in my room,” I called over my shoulder, leaving her standing there, speechless.

Raveen didn’t follow me upstairs immediately. I could hear her muttering to herself about how “antisocial” I was, but I didn’t care. My excitement over the Billie Eilish pack had me practically floating.

I walked into my room, placed the box on my desk, and started setting everything up. First, I admired the vinyls. The packaging was gorgeous, and I couldn’t wait to hear them on my record player. Then I grabbed the hoodie and tank top, holding them against me in front of the mirror. The beanie? Perfect fit.

As I set up the vinyl on the player and let the music fill the room, I felt a wave of contentment wash over me. This was my idea of a perfect Saturday—me, my music, and the comfort of my own space.

Not even ten minutes later, Raveen burst into my room without knocking.

“You’re impossible, you know that?” she said, flopping onto my bed dramatically.

“Can’t you just leave me alone for five minutes?” I asked, rolling my eyes.

“Nope. Not when I know you’re just sitting here, vibing to Billie, while there’s a whole world out there waiting for you to conquer it. And by ‘world,’ I mean that party.”

I shook my head and turned the volume up slightly. “This is my world right now, and it’s perfect.”

Raveen groaned, grabbing one of my pillows and tossing it at me. “Maya, you can’t keep hiding in your room forever! You need to live a little!”

“I am living. This is my version of living. Now, if you don’t mind, I’d like to enjoy my gift in peace,” I said, turning my back to her.

There was a brief silence, followed by the sound of her standing up. For a moment, I thought she was actually going to leave me alone.

But of course, she didn’t.

“If you won’t come to the party with me, I’m staying here. You need a friend, and I’m not letting you become some lonely recluse.”

I turned around to see her grabbing my other headphones and plugging them into my record player. She sat on the floor next to me, closed her eyes, and smiled as the music played.

“You’re ridiculous,” I muttered, though I couldn’t help but smile a little.

“Yep. And you love it,” she replied without opening her eyes.

I sighed and leaned back, letting myself relax as the music filled the room. Maybe Raveen was right—having her around wasn’t so bad.