Love Maze

Chapter 18

"I'm hungry."

Faith's words caused Anya to look at her exasperatedly. "For the millionth time, just go get yourself something from the kitchen."

Faith shook her head vigourously. "There's no way I'm going out there. All your relatives look at me like I'm some random stranger who wandered into the house from the street."

"Technically, you are," Anya pointed out with a grin. "Well, you are to them."

Faith let out a frustrated sigh. "I feel like a criminal everytime I go out there. The way they stare at me... it's like I'm something they scraped off the bottom of their shoes."

Anya chuckled. "Don't mind them. They just find it strange that a bunch of Americans are attending our little close-knit family's Indian wedding."

"It still feels weird," Faith replied. "Remind me why we didn't eat those doughnuts in the car again?"

"Because it was hot and stuffy and you were pretty sure that you were going to die," Anya said with a roll of her eyes.

"Oh, right," Faith nodded, looking disappointed. "Is it too late-"

"An?"

The two girls looked up to see Nikki standing in the doorway.

"Hey, Nikki," Anya greeted cheerfully. "This is Faith."

Nikki's gaze darted nervously between them. "Hi, Faith. I've heard a lot about you."

"Good things, I hope?" Faith laughed.

The other girl swallowed and nodded. "Listen, An- am I interrupting? I can come back later."

"It's fine," Anya replied, and patted the bed beside her. "Come on, sit down."

Nikki shuffled closer and perched at the edge of the bed, as if she was ready to take off any second.

Anya frowned at this. Nikki was usually such a vivacious girl, but now she was almost behaving like someone had died, with her eyes downcast and her face full of agitation.

"I like what you've done to your hair," Faith offered her a smile, gently catching a few of the pink locks between her fingers.

Nikki seemed to brighten. "Thanks," she grinned, and all of a sudden the real Nikki was back. Anya let out a sigh of relief.

They kept at the conversation for a few minutes, laughing and swapping stories.

"So did you build up the courage to ask Ethan out once I left New York?" Anya finally asked Faith.

"No," Faith admitted, shaking her head morosely. "I almost did, but then I didn't."

Nikki's eyebrows shot up. "Who's Ethan?"

"Faith's soon-to-be boyfriend," Anya sang, her lips twitching into a smile.

"Don't listen to her," Faith rolled her eyes. "She's just trying to drag me into the whole 'guy drama' deal because she has a lot going on. I mean, stringing two guys along? What-"

She broke off quickly when she saw Anya silently shaking her head behind Nikki with a desperate urgency.

"Two guys?" Nikki frowned.

"Oh, um... I was j-just kidding," Faith said, laughing nervously. "It's just one guy."

"Really?" Nikki looked sceptical.

"Uh huh."

"Okay. So who is it?"

"What?"

"Who's the guy?"