Distraction

4

"What the- when did you get a cat?"
"Maya, this is Nuzzles.
"Why esme?"
"Ask Auggie, he named her." Nuzzles bonked against Maya's leg and then stepped between her calfs, making them uneasy about her weight.
"Maya, do you chose to not eat or can you not afford it."
"I can't afford much but I also can't really eat in public."
"Why not?"
"Just some girls said some stuff and it lasted."
"Well, we're not public and it's free. Nuzzles bonked agaist Maya's leg again.
"And Esme really likes you. Come on, let's go to my room."
-
""Where's Maya?" Asked Rikey, placing the groceries down.
"She didn't tell me anything about her appointment."
"Have you checked on her?"
"Not yet."
"Cory, I'm in a rush to get Riley to the dentist. You need to talk to her."
"I'm leaving her alone for now. She clearly didn't want to talk."
"How long has she been back."
"Two hours. I'll check on her."
"Good. We'll be home at 7."
"Okay." After leaving, Cory went down to Riley's room.
"Maya? You awake?" He asked, walking to the bed. She rubbed her eyes and then dropped her arms. "Let me guess, seconds from sleep and you woke up?"
"I woke a few minutes ago." Cory sat on the edge of the bed, petting Nuzzles who was next to her.
"How'd it go." She put her hands over her face, rubbing her eyes again and mumbling something.
"What?" She dropped her arms next to her and sat up.
"I have cancer, Mr.Matthews."
"Oh my god. Maya." He reached over and wrapped his arms around her. "What type?"
"Stage four brain." Cory's jaw fell slightly open. He shut his eyes and took a breath.
"It's going to be- it's g- it'll be- don't worry."
"You can't even say it's gonna be okay." She said, swinging her legs off and standing. "I'm sorry."
"About what? Maya none of this is you're fault. I need the papers and we can sort everything out."
"Mr.Matthews, I was supposed to kill myself the night you and Riley showed up." Cory looked away for a second and then straight forward.
"I saw that coming the day I met you. Even as a little seven year old girl, I saw  it."
"You couldn't have known that."
"I remember it. You asked me if Topanga and I fought. I said 'sometimes' and you asked how often is sometimes."
"I don't remember that well."
"Well, I asked you how often yours did and you told me I'd been months since you'd seen them happy."
"How would you figure this out from that? It happens to so many kids."
"Because I said to hope for it to get better, and you didn't."
"I'm glad he left. If he didn't, I don't think it would have gotten better."
"You learned to hope. Can you just please dust that off and have some hope." Maya shook her head. "I need you to fight, Maya. Until you find some hope. Please. For Riley."
"Okay. I'll try."
"You will be okay."
"Dead or alive?"
"Don't think about that. Do you want you're friends to know about this, yet?"
"Not yet."
"You don't have to tell them right away."
"I think that would help."
"But eventually, they're gonna see the difference in you." Maya nodded. "Dinners at 7:30."
"Okay." Cory stood up and went into the hallway, taking a deep breath, finding his eyes wet. She was almost certainly on her way to death.