𝑺𝑬𝑬 𝒀𝑶𝑼 𝑨𝑮𝑨𝑰𝑵, javon walton

004

The following morning, Mae and Anya arrived at the hotel, following the same routine they'd established the previous day. After a brief visit to Gigi, they headed towards the game room. Mae wasn't exactly eager to face the kids just yet. She wasn't feeling mentally ready, but there was no avoiding it. Together, they set up the chairs and the equipment, and as thirty minutes passed, the children began trickling in.

Daelo was the first to step into the room, his familiar broad smile greeting them.

"Hey Mae, hey Anya," he chimed in.

Both Mae and Anya responded in unison, "Hey Daelo!"

A second later, Javon followed behind Daelo, more reserved as usual.

"Hi," he muttered softly, his voice carrying a shyness that Mae found oddly endearing.

"Hey, come on in," Mae encouraged with a gentle smile, noticing that Javon's presence caused Anya to sport a grin far too wide for normality. She tried to contain her amusement.

As Javon stepped in, Mae introduced him, "Javon, this is my best friend, Anya. And Anya, meet Javon."

Polite greetings were exchanged, but Mae could feel the tension in the air as Anya, who was clearly trying her hardest not to burst into laughter, excused herself to the side, probably to release her fit of giggles.

"Everything alright?" Javon asked, looking at Mae with slight concern in his eyes.

"Just a bit tired, but I'll survive. What about you?"

"I'm good. Actually..." Javon hesitated briefly, "Can I ask you something?"

Mae tilted her head, curious. "Go ahead, shoot."

"Do you ever think about becoming a professional snowboarder? I mean, you're really good at it."

Mae felt a warmth in her chest at the unexpected compliment. "Thanks! Honestly, I don't know. I suppose if a big opportunity came my way, I wouldn't turn it down. But it's not something I've seriously considered. What about you? Is boxing your plan for the future?"

Javon gave a small, modest shrug. "I guess you could say that."

Mae's eyebrows furrowed. "Wait, are you telling me I'm standing here with a boxing champion?"

He shifted awkwardly. "Not exactly."

Mae crossed her arms, a playful smile on her lips. "Alright then, what's your last name?"

"Walton."

Mae quickly pulled out her phone, typing his name into the search bar. Within seconds, results flooded the screen. She clicked on the Wikipedia page and read aloud, "Javon 'Wanna' Anthony Walton, born July 22, 2006, in Atlanta, United States. A boxing prodigy turned actor, he became a five-time regional silver gloves champion in August 2021."

She looked up at him, her eyes wide with disbelief. "Are you serious?"

Javon rubbed the back of his neck, clearly uncomfortable with the attention. "It's really not that big of a deal."

"Not a big deal?" Mae laughed, incredulous. "You're being far too humble, Javon. If I had those achievements, I'd tell every single person I met!"

Javon chuckled softly, his humility evident. "Yeah, but that's just not my style."

Mae rolled her eyes in mock exasperation. "You're impossible."

Before Javon could respond, Anya, who had apparently overheard, appeared beside them with her mouth wide open.

"You're gonna catch flies, Anya," Mae teased, causing her friend to snap her mouth shut, a mischievous grin replacing her shock.

Anya then scurried off, leaving Mae feeling slightly flustered. She turned back to Javon and offered a shy smile. "Thanks for the compliment, by the way."

Javon's eyes softened as he returned the smile. "It's the truth."

After a bit more small talk, Javon eventually left to rejoin Daelo, leaving Mae with a swirl of thoughts she hadn't anticipated.

Anya, never one to miss a beat, was back by Mae's side in an instant, her eyes glinting with excitement. "Well, well, well. What do we have here?"

Mae shot her friend a knowing look. "What are you on about?"

"Oh, come on," Anya giggled. "He's cute, isn't he? And from what I can see, he's quite smitten with you."

Mae felt her cheeks heat up, though she tried to play it cool. "We've just met. I don't know about all that."

Anya wasn't convinced. "Yeah, right. You're just 'nice' with a five-time regional champion, huh?"

Mae sighed, knowing she wasn't going to win this one. "Fine. Maybe I think he's nice."

Anya's excitement was palpable as she practically jumped with joy. "I knew it! Mae, I'm so happy for you!"

"Alright, calm down," Mae laughed, though she couldn't help but smile at her friend's enthusiasm.

Anya wasn't done yet. "Spill it. How did the conversation go?"

Reluctantly, Mae recounted the entire exchange, from the awkward introduction to their playful banter about his accomplishments. Anya hung on every word, eyes wide and beaming with happiness for her friend.

When Mae finished, Anya sighed dreamily. "That is just too adorable."

Mae smiled, grateful for her friend's unwavering support. "It was special," she admitted, a small warmth blooming in her chest.

They spent the next couple of hours chatting about everything—from the day's events to their wildest hopes for the future. Despite Mae's uncertainty about where her newfound friendship with Javon would lead, she knew one thing for sure: with Anya by her side, she could face whatever came next.