Maya sat on her bed with her textbook open. It was 10pm, her hair was wet and her body ached, but she would get to bed at a decent time because Sam had passed out after just two punches at Maya's stomach. That's what she thought before she heard him stirring awake. In a matter of seconds, she was on her feet with some clothes and a brush shoved in her bag, jumping out her window. She grabbed her bike, jumped on and rode down the wet street where orange street lights glowed, reflecting on the puddles in the street and between the cracks in the pavement. She rode down a busier street where people walked along sidewalks and then a quieter place. A place where Cory walked with plastic bag holding a carton of milk and a few other items that he had to pick up from the local convince store. Maya slowed down and stopped on the corner of the far more friendly street. As the man stepped down from the step from the convince store his silhouette became more recognizable, with his Curley hair and the light from the door reflecting his face. He was looking at the figure with her leg on the peddle and the other on the ground, holding her up as she looked at him, blankly.
"Maya?"
"Hi, sir."
"Why aren't you home? Where are your crutches? You're not healed enough, yet. You can't be on your ankle."
"I know. But it really doesn't hurt that bad."
"I don't care. You do what the doctor said. Now come on. You can stay with us so you don't hurt yourself more."
"I've really gotta get home but thanks. She looked down, fixed her foots position on the peddle and rode away to find another kind street.
The next day, Riley was walking up to the school with her friends, except for Maya, when she saw her on her crutches, which she had gone back for right before heading to school.
"Overslept."
"Oh." Maya was already in the school, going straight to the bathroom, throwing up bile.
"You're still sick." Said Riley, walking in after her.
"It never ends."
"What never ends?"
"I've been sick for so long now." She said through her breaths. "I can't take it." Riley wrapped her arms around her friend. "I don't want to get you sick."
"Get me as sick as you can. We can be sick together." She hugged her for a moment and then grabbed her crutches.
"See you in history." And she left.
The next day, Maya was not there. And the next. On Friday, she was.
"You ditched school twice in a row." Said Cory pacing back and fourth in the front of the classroom, during detention, furious with the young blond in front of him.
"She's sick, dad, give her a break." Said Riley who refused to leave Maya.
"Then you should have had your mom call in or at least told me." Maya was playing with her pencil, unamused. He sighed and sat down next to her.
"You're starting to act this way again."
"Act what way?" She asked, still unamused. She hadn't even looked up from her pencil.
"Distant."
"I'm right here."
"Physically, yes. Physiologically, I don't know where you are."
"Right here." She repeated.
"Half hour left of detention."
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Thanks to @Thedevilsangle
for 64 votes in an hour!
