Maya Meets World

Maya Meets Strength

Maya was already in class when Josh arrived Friday evening. Her head was down, her hair moving slightly as her foot bounced under her desk as it often did when she was wrapped in a drawing. Josh grinned to himself, loving seeing Maya like this again.

"Matthews," Maya said without looking up as she noticed the youngest Matthews brother walk in.

"Hart," Josh responded with a smile as he sat down next to the blonde.

Maya glanced up quickly, "You're sitting next to me this time? What did I do to deserve this?" She teased.

"Ha, ha." Josh playfully rolled his eyes. "How's it going?" He asked with a nod toward Maya's book.

"I'm a little behind," She said honestly, her mouth twisted to the side.

"Oh yeah?" Josh's brows were pulled together in confusion. "Why's that? You seemed to be completely distracted with it during class last Wednesday."

He wasn't wrong. Maya worked throughout their class last Wednesday night, and even with this past Wednesday off, she still felt like she was playing catch-up.

Josh waited for Maya's answer as her eyes glazed over momentarily. He raised his eyebrow questioningly, watching her. "Maya?"

Maya's head snapped back to reality and she looked over at Josh. "I... moved Austin out over the weekend."

Flashback

It was Friday evening, and Maya was sitting at her apartment... alone, as usual. She was working on a sketch for her and Josh's assignment; Disgust. As she studied the picture in front of her, two wild images repelling away from each other, the space between them on fire, she froze. "Hmm..." She whispered glanced at the figure on the left, it was disheveled, complete chaos, the lines were broken and weak, no clear end or beginning. Maya looked at the other repelling image, it was strong and secure, heavy, a mess and yet steady. The blaze in between the two images grabbed her attention; it too, like the second image, was strong and definite, making its presence known, almost dominating the image to its left. Maya's eyes shifted between the three pieces of this particular sketch, lingering on each. Her fingers gently brushed the image on the right. A powerful connection washed over her and in that very moment, she felt like that strong image, secure, heavy, a mess, yet steady.

"Disgust," Maya whispered to herself. She could feel heat rising from within her as she immediately recognized Austin in the opposing image. "Disgust." She repeated louder. The fire billowing in the middle of the page was now burning inside of her. Maya set her jaw and closed the book with a thud.

She stood from the chair she was curled in, strength pulsing through her body. She marched to her bedroom and stood in the doorway taking survey of every item in front of her. Maya took a deep breath and began grabbing everything that sat in her bedroom that was not exclusively hers. Her stomach churned as she touched items that belonged to Austin. Her skin crawled as she gathered clothes, throwing them into a duffle bag she wasn't going to miss.

"Asshole," She mumbled to herself as she went through each drawer, removing every article of clothing of Austin's, anger raging through her as she thought of all the hell she put up with him over the last several months.

Filling the bag to the brim, Maya threw it into the living room, no regard for where or how it landed.

Every memory Maya spent her time repressing throughout her time with Austin suddenly hitting her like a bag of bricks.
Every phone call never returned.
Every unanswered text.
Every time she apologized for being upset with him over something he did.
Every time she turned her mind off and went completely numb because Austin wanted to have sex.
Every time she ever tried to initiate sex and Austin turning her down, every single time.
Every late night/early morning he came home, literally scaring Maya out of her sleep.
Every time he yelled at her for waking up breathless.
Every time he yelled at her period.
Every single time Austin made Maya feel like this is what she deserved.