The Gray Case

nine

"You went out with the Alexander Gray?" Lisa asks, in shock.

"Not really. I mean yeah, but it's not what you're thinking. It just happened," Maya says, resting on her bed. "He's giving me math lessons, he's really good at it."

Lisa screeches excitedly, making Maya chuckle. Marcus rolls his eyes after hearing what Maya had to say.

"Of course he's good at math too."

He stands up from his chair and runs a hand through his messy hair, he looks down at his feet and doesn't make eye contact with them.

"Why do you always ruin the mood?" Lisa says, her back rests on the wall behind her as she seats on the floor. She tilts her head to look at him curiously, analysing every single one of the details that hide behind his eyes.

He shrugs, turning his head to look at Maya.

"You guys are the ones to do that. Always bringing him up in every conversation," he says, leaning on Maya's door.

Maya sighs, covering her face with her pillow. Her words are muffled and tired but they don't seem lose the precious refinement that follows them every time.

"Alright, alright. I'll not bring him up anymore. Just please, don't argue." Her headache is getting stronger so she lies comfortably on her bed, her body sprawled on it, her hair crowns her hidden face.

"Thank you. Anyways, what's up with you? Are you sick or something?" He asks, taking a packet of chips set on the table and starts eating them.

Maya quickly raises her head and looks at Lisa but finds her already looking at her, knowingly.

"She probably just ate something bad," Lisa says, looking at Marcus once again.

Truth is, she is on her period, but of course, talking to Marcus about something like that is not in her plans. He'd probably say something immature, making Maya even more irritated than she already is.

"Oh," he simply says, unimpressed. "So you aren't coming with us?" He asks, still eating.

Maya shakes her head and takes a deep breath. "I'll just go to that math lesson and come back home and sleep. That's all I want to do."

"You're sick but you still want to go to his place instead of hanging with us? Totally makes sense," Marcus says, throwing the empty packet in the bin.

"You are fucking unbelievable. There are some things called priorities, Marcus. Just let her be," Lisa claps back, standing up.

"Whatever." As he says this, he exits the room and probably the house too, annoyance clear in him as he slams the door behind him without even saying goodbye.

Lisa shakes her head, disapprovingly.

"What did I even do?" Maya asks, still laying on her bed.

"You did nothing. He's just being his salty self," she laughs making Maya instantly smile as well, even if it's just faintly.

"He'll snap out of it. Anyways, I'll see you later, okay? Take care of yourself."

Maya nods and Lisa waits for her to flash her a tenuous smile before going out.

She is now all alone in her room, having to stand up to go to Alexander's place.

She doesn't change outfit and decides to keep on a black sweatshirt and a pair of leggings of the same color. Her hair is tied up in a bun and her feet take her to the living room, where her mother is at.

"Are you leaving already?" Her mother, Evelyn, asks.

"Yeah," Maya says, heading to the door until she is stopped by her mother talking again. "I see you're becoming really friends with Marcus. What is up with you two? Are you hiding something?" she asks, taking no breaths in between.