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Definitely Not Clothing Shopping

A/N

Thank you to @sabrinameetsdraco for encouraging me to work through my writers block by commenting that I should update.

I wrote this entire chapter today and I hope you guys like it! Don't forget to comment and vote!

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The school day came to an end, and Riley waited at the front of the school for Maya. After 15 minutes of waiting, Riley called her. Maya picked up after the third ring.

"Hello?" she answered innocently.

"Where are you?"

"On the train."

"Going where?" Riley was worried she was trying to run away or something.

"Just getting some clothes."

"Did you forget that you were supposed to meet me outside school?" Riley was growing annoyed with Maya's complete disregard for everything that had been previously told to her.

"No, this is just something I have to do alone."

Riley feared the worst. She imagined Maya shoplifting from some store downtown and getting busted and thrown in jail. 

"Don't do anything stupid."

There was nothing else Riley could do except remind Maya to stay out of trouble. Everything else was up to Maya.

"I'll be home late. Don't wait up," Maya ended the call just as the train approached her stop.

She stepped on to the familiar platform. She went up the stairs and headed straight to her destination. She entered the building and took the stairs up to the 3rd floor since the elevator had been out of order for years.

She took a deep breath and knocked on the door.

"Who is it?" a man with a gruff voice opened the door. "Oh, it's you. What do you want?"

It was Mike, her mother's husband who had answered the door. She noted how his appearance hadn't changed one bit since she had last seen him. His hair seemed to be perpetually messy and he had a beer in-hand just as he did when she had left.

"I came to get a few of my things," she told him in the strongest voice she could.

He let her in with a grunt and a shrug of indifference.

"So, where are you staying now?" he took a gulp of his beer.

"A family is letting me stay with them," she pulled a suitcase out from under her bed and started putting her belongings in it.

"And you like it there?"

Maya wasn't sure why he was asking, it's not like he cared about her safety or comfort, but she found herself responding anyway.

"Yeah, they're nice, they even offered to buy me new clothes."

"Enjoy it while it lasts, kid. In about a week, they'll move on to a new charity case."

"No, they would never," Maya said, trying to convince him and herself. "They're good people, they want me to stay with them."

"Those rich people will do anything to feel good about themselves for 5 minutes. Trust me."

She continued to stuff things into her bag while pondering his words.

She wanted to ignore him, but everything he was saying made sense. Why would people like the Matthews take her in for any reason other than their own gratification? It's only a matter of time before they grow bored of their charity work and kick her to the curb.

"What are you doing?" Maya heard her mother's voice from over her shoulder.

"Packing my things," she regained her stone-cold demeanor. "What does it look like?"

Maya felt a sharp sting on her cheek.

"Don't take that tone with me," her mother snapped.

"I'm sorry."

Maya's apology hung in the air as a moment of silence came over them.

"They came by the diner the other day looking for you. They seem like they care a lot," she noted aloud. "But what happens when you screw up their perfect little world and they stop caring?"

"God, what is with you two?" she addressed her mother and stepfather.  

"You might not believe that they truly care about me, and maybe I don't entirely believe that either, but I have hope that they are genuine and that their intentions are honorable. And even if they eventually kick me out, they've shown me more love than you two have ever shown me."

Once Maya had let out everything she had to say, she found herself breathing heavily. She could imagine how red her face had gotten.

"You ungrateful bitch!" her mother shrieked as her hand flew across Maya's face once again.

Maya's blood boiled in rage.

"Don't touch me!" Maya pushed her mother's back against the wall with a thud.

She laid blow after blow on her mother, letting out all her anger and frustrations over her life of torture.

Maya was soon grabbed by the shoulder, and before she could comprehend anything else, she was punched square in the nose by Mike.

Maya remembered falling to the ground and repeatedly feeling painful kicks to her sides before she went unconscious.

When she first woke up, she had double vision and was extremely dizzy and nauseous. Mike's hand that was clutching a new beer bottle was bruised purple. Her mother was in the kitchen applying ice to her jaw.

"Take your shit and get out of here," Katy told her.

Maya grabbed her bag and left, slamming the door shut as she exited the building. She limped to the subway, then to the Matthew's apartment. 

They all wore concerned expressions on their faces when they saw her appearance. They were all shocked, but Riley in specific looked particularly horrified.

"She definitely didn't go clothing shopping."

Words: 884