Unplanned

11. Assurances

The next few days pass by faster than they should, and I am absolutely run off my feet studying for papers and keeping on top of Gloria's party. There's still no news from Jesse, but I think it has something to do with Maya, and rehab, and I know it's not my place. So I'm just content to wait it out.

Friday rolls around and I'm sitting at the Coffee Hatch once again, drinking my hot chocolate and trying to get warm. The cafe is a nice escape from the growing-colder weather outside, and even in my dorm, which never seems to heat properly.

I'm putting the finishing touches on the menu when someone sits down in the seat across from me. Looking up, and it's Maya.

"Hey Alexis, how are you?"

She looks thin, and her face is pale. Maybe it's just the weather?

"Maya. It's good to see you!"

I know she sees the confusion on my face, and she grimaces. "I guess you know then"

Her look down at the table gives me the feeling that she's embarrassed and I feel bad. "I don't know anything", I reply, "except that you've been to rehab". I say it quickly and I hope she doesn't notice that my voice is shaking.

"It's true. I spent about a year in a facility in Colorado"

"Are you glad to be home?"

Her face shows shock, "no one has asked me that question yet. They usually start with "what did you do?"

I'll admit, I'm curious. But I don't like to talk about my eating disorder days, and I figure the girl deserves some privacy. I simply shrug at her and take a sip of my hot chocolate. So good!!

She sighs and tosses back her cup of coffee, scrunching up the paper cup once she's done. "It was a mixture of things", she admits, "it was stress, and pressure, and feeling like I had to be perfect"

Damn, I can relate to that.

"But ultimately it led me to drinking, and doing drugs to deal with my problems". I keep my face completely neutral, trying to make her feel comfortable, but also I wonder why she's telling me this.

Maya looks at me directly and nods.

"So I've been sober for a year now, and I'm doing really well. But my parents are wary, and the other day they thought I was slipping, so they wanted Jesse to come and watch me"

She watches me as realisation dawns on my face. So Jesse DIDN'T want to leave the date. I snap back to the conversation and see that Maya is fiddling with her scrunched cup.

"Thank you for telling me about you"

"I just don't want you to think that Jesse bailed on you. He's been watching me, but also obsessively watching his phone"

"I haven't heard from him since" I admit.

She rolls her eyes and pulls out her phone. "Well, Mother told me to invite you for dinner. How does the Thursday night before the party sound?"

I smile at her tentatively, "that should be fine".

She nods, then picks up her things to go, to leave me to study, before looking back at me thoughtfully.

"You know, I think he really likes you"

I smile and watch her walk out the door. Once she's gone, I can't help but check my phone. Nothing.

Ugh. Well, I have to study anyway. Phone off, headphones in, Gloria's fabulous 50th Birthday here we come!

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