Girl Meets Her Mystery

Advice

Smackle and Maya walk together to Farkle's. It was a given that Smackle would find out Maya's crashing there. Farkle's not one to keep secrets. The only problem is that Smackle loves giving out information freely. By now, Maya bets Riley and Lucas have heard, if not the whole school that yet again the Harts are poor and Mayas on her own. And how is she supposed to explain her decision to stay at Minkus IncOrperated???
Um, yeah, see I didn't want to be around you Riley because I lie to you everyday about what happened with Charlie. And Lucas, I can't stay with you because and it hurts too much to even breath the same air when I can't touch you or tell you the truth about how I feel about you--Besides, you belong with perfect princess Riley. Not messed up, scarred, broken me, miss Maya Hart.

    She'll make something up. Probably that Farkle needs her right now and threaten Farkle into keeping his mouth shut.

Then Riley will turn her worry to Farkle instead.

    Smackle understands it. She trusts Farkle enough to not question Maya staying.

    "How was mathletes?" Maya asks, kicking out at a rock on the curb.

    "Geeky. Fun. How was watching Riley cheerleader?"

    "I drew today."

    Maya can't watch Riley at all actually. Not when her eyes drift to the football players and her heart looks for number eighteen.

    The doorman holds open the door for the two girls. Smackle has a key and Maya follows close behind.

    "Farkle and I are going to have sex this weekend," Smackle blurts as soon as their inside the apartment. "Sorry. I needed to tell someone and you seemed like the best candidate, you know cause...well you're Maya Hart."

    Maya narrows her gaze. "What dos that mean?"

    Smackle's eyes widen behind the glasses. "I just meant... you're highly experienced. Farkle and I are virgins. I've read tons of books in preparation and I made him look through them too. They all say it's going to hurt for me and be uncomfortable for the both of us. But then other people say it feels good. Spill it sister."

    Maya blinks, trying to get passed that fact that Smackle thinks she's a slut. She shakes her head and sits down on a bar stool. Farkle's parents have tons of liquor, but he's never stolen any of it. Maya doesn't understand him at all.

"You really want my advice?"

    "I do," says Smackle.

    "Wait."

    "What?"

    "No I mean you should wait, take your time. You're seventeen. That might seem old, but it's not. You have your entire life to have sex and the fact that you're reading books to prepare yourself is a sign you don't feel prepared in general, SOOO.."

She waits for smackle to get the hint.
Nothing.
Maya sucks in her lips and tries her best to be honest.
"You think sex is going to be one thing, this big huge reveal of what life is like on the other side--and it's not. Who knows, maybe it'll be great for you and Farkle. You're in love. I wasn't my first time and I'm not sure I regret it, but I wish it was different. You should just—wait, okay?"

    Smackle shrugs. "But I love him."

    "Yeah," Maya says, but she doesn't believe her. You can't be in love with someone after a couple months. People change. You can't love someone unless you've seen them at their best and their worst and felt the same. She thought she was in love once... with Charlie. But she didn't even know him. And now, every time she sees Lucas, she understands what love really is. It's painful, uncontrollable, and in her case, unattainable. "But just because you love someone doesn't mean you need to prove it."

    Smackle takes out her books, flipping the biology one open to a section on DNA. "This coming from the girl who guys bow down to for her sexual superiority."

    "You can say no, Smackle. Even if you say yes, you can say no. Even if you're in the middle of it, you can say no. Just remember that. Please. "

    Maya wants so badly for Smackle to hear her. For the world to hear and to listen and to understand. But this girl, smart and bright and pure, couldn't possibly comprehend it. She doesn't know that once you're on the other side you can never go back.