Waiting for You

Chapter 15(The Heart's Maze!)

Maya POV:

"Mom, I promise, I'm fine," I insisted, my voice barely rising above a whisper, like I was sharing a secret with the universe. Even as I said it, I could feel the tight smile on my face, more strained than sincere. I glanced around my dorm room, a battlefield of discarded clothes, abandoned textbooks, and one very suspicious half-eaten granola bar that had been sitting on my desk for... let's just say too long.

"Fine? Seriously? Honey, you sound like you've been gargling with gravel," Mom's voice crackled through the phone, every syllable drenched in concern. I could practically hear her pacing the kitchen, her slippers shuffling against the linoleum floor, her worry thick enough to cut with a knife.

"Mom, it's just the first few months of college. Everyone's a little overwhelmed," I said, trying to inject some nonchalance into my tone as I took a sip from my water bottle. Sure, my throat felt like a cactus garden, but what else was new?

"Overwhelmed is one thing, sweetie, but you sound like you're auditioning for a zombie movie," she shot back, that perfect blend of motherly concern and no-nonsense realism only she could pull off.

"Mom, I swear, it's fine," I croaked, but even I wasn't convinced. My voice sounded like I was auditioning for the lead role in The Exorcist.

"And I swear, if you don't get some proper rest, I will personally come down there and tuck you into bed myself," she threatened, with that terrifying calm that only moms seem to master. The kind that says, I love you, but don't test me.

"Okay, okay, I'll get some sleep," I promised, rubbing my temples as a dull headache pounded in rhythm with her words. I didn't even want to imagine the spectacle of Mom barging into my dorm room with a pillow and a bedtime story.

"And another thing," she added, her voice suddenly shifting to a tone that was too casual, too smooth, "I heard you've been talking with a boy."

I nearly choked on my water. "What? Who told you that?"

"Your cousin, Ria," she replied, her voice deceptively light, like she was discussing the weather. "She said she saw you on Instagram talking to some boy."

Ria? Who was Ria? My brain frantically searched through the dusty filing cabinets of my memory. "Oh, Ria! Of course, how could I forget my own cousin?" I laughed nervously.

"Right, your cousin," Mom echoed, clearly not buying my sudden burst of familial remembrance. "Anyway, just take care of yourself, alright? And remember, boys are a distraction."

I rolled my eyes. "Mom, I'm fine, really. Besides, I'm too busy to even think about boys right now."

"Well, good," she said, her tone firm. "But if you do find a boyfriend, make sure he has a good job lined up after college."

"Mom!"

"What? Just saying. Can't have you dating some loser who's still figuring out his life plan at 25."

"Okay, bye, Mom," I said, cutting her off before she could launch into another one of her infamous monologues about life choices and retirement plans.

After hanging up, I slumped back in my chair, letting out a sigh that felt like it had been building for days. This was college, right? It was supposed to be this amazing adventure, filled with newfound freedom and friends. But instead, it felt like I was just treading water, trying not to drown in a sea of lectures, assignments, and social expectations.

I glanced at the clock on my desk and realized I had just a few minutes before my next class. Grabbing my backpack, I hurried out the door, my mind still buzzing with Mom's words about Ria—or whoever she was. Seriously, did I even have a cousin named Ria? Maybe I needed more sleep than I thought.