"You came." Said Ms.Newman. Maya shrugged her shoulders and sat down.
"Are you feeling okay?" Maya shook her head, not even looking at her. "Maybe we should meet some other time then. When you're feeling better."
"I'm not going to feel better. I've been sick for almost two months."
"So it started before you where in the hospital." She nodded.
"Can we just start?" Asked Maya.
"Okay." Maya was no more responsive then the time before and by the end, Ms.Newman had almost nothing. When she pulled out her notebook to write something down, she had to dig deep.
Maya Hart
-been sick for almost two months, possibly due to stress.
-responding to basic questions, only and often shrugs her shoulders.
-fiddles a lot.
-very focused, may be holding back from telling something.
That was all she had about the girl. She sighed and put it away.
On Wednesday, Maya was not in school.
On Thursday, when Cory asked her why, she shrugged her shoulders but in the middle of class, when she looked up, her hair fell a bit to the side, revealing an attempted but failed to be covered up scar near her temple, which she immediately moved her hair back over after Riley had noticed it.
On Friday night, Maya didn't go to the Matthews because she was feeling awful and she was appreciating being without either of the men. It was nice that they did not live too close.
"Shaaaaaawwwwnnnnyy!" Yelled Cory, running to Shawn that afternoon and giving him a huge hug.
"Hey, Cor."
"What brought you here?"
"I'm going to be spending the rest if April in New York."
"Yaaaay." Said Cory.
"Where's Maya? I haven't been here very often when she's not here."
"Maya isn't really herself." Said Riley.
"What? What happened?"
"Her mothers boyfriend abused her and she ended up coming somewhat close to dying." Said Cory.
"What!"
"She's okay, though." Said Riley, quickly. "Physically." She added. "He ended up in jail but after a week, Maya went back to acting strange. She's not very social, anymore and she gets aggressive at times. And swearing, a lot. She even kicked Lucas and not in a funny way."
"I think I'm going to go check on her. I'll come back."
"We check on her every week it gets worse each week." Said Cory.
"Worth a shot."
"Can I come?" Asked Riley.
"Sure."
When they got to her apartment, her bike was outside, telling them that she was there.
Riley knocked on Maya's door. No answer.
"Every week. Maya, I have the key." The door swung open. Maya grabbed the key from the hiding spot.
"I don't care if my mom gets mad at me. This isn't going back out there." She said, putting it in her pocket.
Shawn watched in horror. The girl was skin and bones, her eyes bloodshot and tired, and the anger that she had. Riley was right. This wasn't Maya. Shawn walked right into her apartment.
"You are going to tell me what is going on with you this moment!" He said, pointing at her.
"I don't have to tell you anything."
"I would like if you told me."
"There's nothing to tell."
"Look, Maya. I know what happened to you but I also know that you appeared to be getting better and now no one even knows who you are because you can't act like yourself and I want to know why. This isn't a teenager thing. Teenagers are sometimes mean to their parents but they don't try and kick everyone who cares about them out of their lives at all times. I've acted up. I pushed people away but I always came back and It doesn't seem like you are."
"Especially for someone who was so afraid of drifting apart in high school." Added Riley. Maya was in tears.
"Come here." Said Shawn, wrapping his arms around her. She pulled herself away from him and stared at him almost entirely blankly but with just a touch of defense in her look from natural reaction.
"Just go. Let me be like this."
"I'm not giving up on you, Maya."
"No matter how hard to try and make us." Added Riley. "Come on. You're supposed to sleep over."
"I'm busy."
"Back to step one, aren't we? How about, this time, you show me what you're busy with."
"No. Stay out of my room and please leave." She said, grabbing her bike and house key and leaving.
"Her room it is." Said Shawn.
