Home(less)

Fate

"I hope it's not too cold in here," Topanga carried extra blankets into Riley's room. "Our heating cuts out sometimes."

Maya was sitting on the air mattress they had set up for her in Riley's room at the foot of her bed.

"No, It's alright in here," Maya felt comfortable.

It wasn't just the temperature though, it was these people and their home that felt comfortable. Cory and Topanga seemed like loving parents and Riley and Auggie seemed nice. Their apartment had a homey feel to it, not too big, not too small, with little accents that made it uniquely theirs.

She felt calm in these strangers' home. So calm, that she fell asleep within minutes of laying her head on the pillow.

When she closed her eyes, she vividly saw her mother and the horrors of her life flash in her mind. One dream felt so real that she sprang awake, clutching her chest and breathing heavily.

She looked outside and saw the faintest sliver of sunlight on the horizon. It was nearly morning and she couldn't fall back asleep no matter how hard she tried.

She climbed out the window and breathed in the crisp morning air. She stood and watched the sky's color shift from dark blue to light blue, with hints of pink, orange, and yellow. If there was one thing she enjoyed in her miserable life in the city, it was watching the sun rise along the tops of the skyscrapers.

"What are you doing out here?" she heard Riley ask from inside.

"I couldn't sleep, so I came out here to watch the sun rise."

"It's pretty," Riley joined her.

"When I was younger, I used to spend the whole day up on the roof of my building. I'd watch the sun rise and then set."

"Why?"

"To escape from the darkness," Maya sighed. "At least for a little while."

"There's a lot of light in this world. You just have to learn to let it in."

"But what if everybody in your life blocks it all out?"

"Then you wait for the sun to rise again, for a new day. Are you hungry? I can get us breakfast," Riley offered.

"Yeah," she felt her stomach growl.

"What do you normally eat for breakfast?"

"I usually skip breakfast," Maya shrugged.

Breakfast was usually the last thing on Maya's mind in the morning. Her mind would usually be preoccupied with questions on how she was going to survive to the end of the day.

"Ok, do you like scrambled eggs? Those are pretty easy to make."

"Sounds good."

Riley led Maya into the kitchen and started making their breakfast.

Maya looked around their apartment. It was quiet and most of the lights were still off as everybody else was still asleep. She saw family photos in frames above the fireplace mantle. Book reports and report cards hung on the refrigerator by plastic letter magnets.

Maya wondered what it would be like to grow up in a place like this, where your family was together and loved each other. They were supportive of each other, and Maya was definitely a little jealous.

"The eggs are ready," Riley called.

Maya slowly sauntered back to the table. They ate their meal in silence, but it wasn't awkward. They both seemed to be appreciative of the peaceful moment.

When she had finished, Maya cleared her place and thanked Riley for making her the eggs.

"You and your brother and your parents have been really nice to me. Thank you."

Riley gave a small laugh. "That's funny, it sounds like you're saying goodbye."

She stopped laughing when she realized Maya really was saying goodbye.

"My parents would never allow you to just leave."

"But they're not here to stop me. Your parents have been really kind to let me stay here last night, but I have to move on," Maya walked to the front door.

"But where are you going to go?"

"I don't know. Maybe I'll find an abandoned building to squat in, or maybe I'll be sleeping in the park again, but I'm alright with that," Maya said and walked out of the apartment, shutting the door behind her.

Riley stood there shocked at how suddenly Maya had left. She wondered about the girl, about why she couldn't go home, and why she would choose to be on the streets instead of a warm house. Maya Hart was an enigma to her.

At the same time, Maya was also wondering why she had just left the safety of the Matthews' apartment. There, she had food in her stomach and a warm bed at night, and she had just left that to go live out on the streets. She knew she was crazy for making that decision, but she also had a feeling inside her that drove her to be on her own.

She felt that the only way to live in this world was on your own. If you lived, if you died, she felt you had to earn your fate, and in her mind, accepting free handouts wasn't earning anything. So she braced herself in her long-sleeved tee for the cold December weather, ready to earn her fate, whatever it may be.

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