Complicated

Sleeves

Riley's POV

Tuesday and Wednesday were uneventful without Maya. I decided that from now on I'm gonna try and be a better person. On Thursday, Maya returned and plenty of rumors had been floating around.

Some people saw the blood and said she was cutting, others said she was beaten up by some rival gang, while others say it was from a nosebleed due to snorting cocaine one too many times.

Whatever direction the rumors went in, they weren't good. The truth wasn't much better, but it proved she wasn't a coke head or some gang member.

"Hey, Maya," I caught up with her in the hallway. "I'm sorry about what I did to you on Monday, and everything before that."

"Thanks, sorry for lashing out at you."

"Friends?" I asked.

She nodded her head. "Friends."

"Now I just have to deal with these rumors," she said. "What are they saying about me?"

"It doesn't matter, they're all wrong."

"What are they saying about me?" She asked again.

"They're mostly saying you were caught cutting in the bathroom and went to a psych ward for suicide watch," I gave in. "But you don"t have to worry about that because it's not true, right, Maya?"

She pulled her sleeves all the way down and hesitated to answer. I looked at her and she still wasn't saying anything.

"You don't cut, do you?" I asked.

"No, Riley, of course not."

"Roll up your sleeves," I demanded out of concern for my friend.

"No, I don't cut," she insisted.

"Please," I begged.

Maya pulled me into the bathroom, checked to make sure no one was in there, and locked the door. She rolled up both her sleeves revealing horrible bruises and scars.

"Oh my gosh," I gasped.

I ran my hand gently over some of her scars.

"It wasn't me," she said reading my mind.

I looked at her confused.

"My dad," she answered. "But you can't tell anyone."

"I have to, Maya."

"No, if you do, then I'll just deny it," she said adamantly.

"Why are you protecting him?"

"Because he's my dad, I still love him," she said seriously.

"Maya, look at what he did to you!" I nearly shouted.

"Look, it's complicated," she turned away from me and pulled her sleeves back down defensively.

"I don't get it, Maya, but I support you," I hugged her. "If it ever gets really bad, you always have a place in my home."

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