Mary Mae and the Boys

Chapter 12

"Morning." Zach smiled, his head out the window of his car as Mary Mae approached, "are you going to the party this Saturday?"

"What?" Mary Mae asked, barely awake as she rubbed her eyes. Zach had come at his usual time to pick her up for school, she had hardly slept a wink the night before, canceling whatever plans Zach had and instead staying in bed.

"You know, the one Luka was excited to go to because Rita would be at." Zach said. Luka's bright gray eyes appeared in her mind, his wide, goofy smile and memorable jokes recalled Monday of this week when Zach had joked about Luka not being able to talk to Rita at lunch.

"Right?" Mary Mae said, the memory hazy as she rubbed her eyes again.

"Yeah, rumor has it that Luka is going to finally make his move. I bet Brian five bucks he won't though." Zach said animatedly as he continued driving.

"Maybe." Mary Mae muttered, barely able to pay attention.

"What's up with you? You look awful." Zach pointed out, stealing glances in Mary's direction.

"Thanks," Mary muttered, rubbing her eyes again.

"And why do you keep rubbing your eyes like that, that's going to dry them out. I have eye drops in my ticket drawer if you need some." Zach added, pressing the button to the little space in his passenger side of the car as he immediately swerved away from the street.

"Zach! Pay attention!" Mary Mae called as he quickly swerved back.

"Sorry," he said. That was enough to jolt her awake, at least for a couple minutes as Zach finally arrived at the school and parked.

"But seriously? Why do you look like you just came crawling out of hell?" Zach asked, placing a hand behind her seat.

"It's nothing. I didn't sleep much but it's Friday so I can sleep all I want tonight." Mary said as Zach raised an eyebrow.

"Why couldn't you sleep? Did you miss my cuddles?" Zach laughed as Mary bit her lip.

She hadn't realized how quickly the time had flown the previous night. She stayed up all night trying to figure out what to tell Zach, Gilbert, and her mother about the whole situation. It was funny actually, how one lie could snowball so quickly into two, then three, then ten. It was like she had lit the flames for a wildfire and let it roam free.

"Yes," she played along. "I'll see you at lunch." She stepped out of Zach's car and began walking toward the building alone.

Because that was how Mary Mae felt. Alone and chaotic.

It was as though the whole world had decided to gang up on her and change almost instantaneously. She had so much unresolved tension, hoping to keep her story straight if her lies were ever questioned.

"Mars, wait up!" Zach called, running toward her side and walking beside her.

"Hmm?" She asked, continuing her speed walk toward the school.

"I tried calling you last night, were you okay? Nothing bad happened, right?" Zach asked, concern filling his features as Mary's heart skipped a beat. He cared so much, and yet she was about to lie straight to his face like she had done already with her mother and Gilbert.

"I was with Gilbert." She blurted out before her brain could process, her eyes widening at her own words as she slapped her hands over her mouth immediately. At the park yesterday, Gilbert had asked her about Zach multiple times, then realized he was very bad at beating around the bush and rushed straight to the point.

"I just don't understand how my saying that I could make you happy could anger somebody to that extent. You know?" Gilbert had said, watching Mary Mae carefully. Observing every move she made, every eye movement, every finger twitch, everything.