Spoiler TW: N/A

  [colpse]"Hi mom! Uh, where's Maya?"

  Yesterday ended up being real... weird. After Maya left for their 'girl's trip', mom came back to the house a few hours ter. Without Maya. Mom was acting real weird too. She would stare at me from the kitchen for a while, and then, to my complete surprise, she sat down in the living room and watched me py the game, which was something that mom and dad never did.

  It made it real difficult to do what I wanted on the isnd today. She had sat next to me and was watching what I was doing on the screen intently. She obviously wanted to talk to me about something. And that made my stomach twirl in nervousness.

  "How are you feeling, Jerome? Still sick?" She finally asked me.

  "What? Oh! Uh, yeah. I'm okay now."

  "Good! That's great. So you'll be totally fine going to school tomorrow? No fuss?"

  "Mhm." I hummed.

  ...Aaaand that was it. Mom had a look on her face like she wanted to say more. She was obviously battling with her decision; it was clearly showing on her face. I guess she decided that was enough. She watched me py for a little bit longer, then got up and left when dad came into the house. She whispered a few things to him and then they went into the backyard together.

  Weird...

  I pyed the game for a little bit longer, then turned it off for the night. I wrapped myself up in the comfort of my covers and turned on the tv looking for something to watch. About an hour ter, the sound of a car pulling up to our driveway came from outside.

  Oh! Maya's back!

  I lurched up from the couch I was lying on. Or, at least, I tried. Fighting with the covers wrapped around me like a burrito, I kicked and wrenched at it until I was free.

  I really had to stop doing that.

  I got up and moved the curtains to the side to peek out of the window. Maya exited the red sports car at the end of the driveway, waving goodbye to Aunt Gigi as she drove off.

  Oh god. Would it be annoying if I asked Maya about her friend? I mean, she said that she would be coming over tomorrow. I could probably wait? But-

  Maya walked through the front door at that moment, sighing.

  Ah.

  "Oh. Hey."

  Maya has a mencholic look on her face, but it transformed into a smile when she saw me. A smile that my parents sometimes came home with when they were clearly very tired, but still wanted to give me a chance to talk about stuff.

  "You... Okay?" I asked her.

  "Yeah. I'm good. How about you?"

  "Me? I'm good now, I think. Uh, hey Maya..."

  "Hmm?"

  Okay. Maya is obviously distracted by something. What happened while she was gone?

  "Nothing..."

  "Oh. Okay?"

  Picking up my covers from the couch, I slipped past Maya as she picked through the bags mom had brought into the house when she came home. She sighed when she looked inside the smaller bag.

  Now's not a good time to ask, I think. Besides, it's just one more day. I think I can wait!

  The anticipation is eating away at me. From when I woke up this morning, to the end of the school day, I've been thinking non-stop about how the meeting with Julia will go today. I can't help but squirm in my seat as the clock on the wall ticks away slowly without a care in the world. Malik, whose been sitting next to me, has been shooting me annoyed looks ever since he noticed how odd I probably look right now.

  Pap!

  Man, it's kinda crazy how time can feel different depending on how your day is going. Time flies when your having fun, and when your not...

  Pap!

  Can time hurry up!? Jeez! This is taking forever! I want to go home.

  I look to the clock again. It's the st css of the day, and even though there's only three minutes left before the bell signals for us to go home, it feels like hours are passing by instead.

  tap.

  There's a sharp nudge against my shoulder. I gnce over to Malik, a bewildered expression on his face. He then points to the floor. I follow the direction of his finger and see two crudely rolled up paper balls on the side of my desk.

  Oh. So that was what those sounds were.

  Malik then points over my shoulder in the opposite direction of him. I sigh, already suspecting the usual culprits, and take a quick gnce to my right. Out of the corner of my eye, I see Derek and his gang balling up old worksheet papers and prepare it for another unch at my desk.

  I look back to see Malik giving me a clear 'well, what are you gonna do?' stare. I meet his gaze evenly, then gnce up at the clock that is thirty seconds away from dismissing the css. I give him an apathetic shrug of the shoulders. Malik is visibly irritated at my response and when the paper ball does start soaring through the air behind my back, he reaches up and smacks it down to the floor. He sends a warning gre at Derrick and his gang before redirecting his ire back to me.

  But I'm doing something that Malik has never seen me do before. Quickly prepare for the bell to signal our release. And when it does ring a few seconds ter, I jump up from my seat even faster than he does and make a beeline for the exit.

  "Ah, Mr. Edwards! I haven't dismissed the css yet! The bell doesn't release you; I do!" Ms. Wilson said. But it's too te for that, and frankly, no one else cares as they also pile out of the room along after me. I only get a few quick steps out of the cssroom when Malik jogs up next to me.

  "Yo, what's with you today? You've been acting weirder than usual." He asks me, eyebrow raised.

  Weirder than usual?

  Well, I guess he's right. I do feel... anxious. And excited. I think that's why all of Derrick's constant pestering today wasn't really bothering me. Because something more interesting is waiting back at home. Answers to a bunch of questions that are burning a hole in my mind.

  "I don't know. I just feel... that everything is going to be okay for once? Maybe? Not sure how to expin it," I told him. Malik's face twisted in confusion at my answer. We weave through the early crowd of kids on our way to the bus together, me in the lead for once. We are one of the first to arrive and we snag our usual seats with no issues.

  I can feel Malik's stare from beside me and I try my best to ignore it as the bus slowly fills up. I'm ignoring him; he knows I am for some reason, and I can't help but feel guilty. He's my only friend and he always has my back. I shouldn't leave him in the dark.

  But...

  I bit my lower lip nervously, and making a decision, looked away from the window I was staring out of to turn to Malik.

  "Actually, I'm having a meeting with someone when I get home today. It might help me somehow. You know how weird I am. Heh..." I tried, I mean really tried, to shoot him a reassuring smile. He slightly tilted his head in thought for a moment.

  "What? Like, a therapist or something?" He questioned.

  Huh. I never thought about it like that.

  I shrugged my shoulders. "Probably not? S-she's... someone my sister knows. Besides, aren't they expensive?"

  "I think? Never looked into it before. Just heard things." Malik looked away, watching the bus begin to rapidly fill with the other kids.

  "Okay. Let me know how it goes, man." He turned back to me, holding out a closed fist. I smiled, a genuine one this time, and bumped a fist with his.

  After saying goodbye to Malik at his stop and trying to ignore the endless cajoling from Derrick and his goons, we finally pulled up to the st stop of the day, In my excitement, I jumped up from my seat right when Mr. Collie pulled up to the curb and opened the doors. Waddling along with everyone else down the aisle, I waved an energetic goodbye to Mr. Collie, which I think he was rightfully confused by, as I stepped out of the bus.

  It took all of my willpower not to barge through the meandering crowd in front of me. I was so close! The anxiety about what was going to happen a few minutes from now had my heart racing in my chest and-

  I felt myself stop walking, feeling really lost in the moment. I mean, nothing about what I was seeing was particurly weird. As the crowd around me cleared, I spotted Maya, the staunch beacon of justice that she is, leering at Derrick and his goons. I couldn't see them, but I could feel them standing behind me, probably pnning to sp my neck or pull one more st minute prank. They ran off in the opposite direction away from Maya, her judging stare shifting to a warm, inviting smile directed at me.

  Like I said, nothing particurly weird, in fact, it was the usual song and dance whenever Maya showed up at my bus stop. Finally registering what I was feeling, I slowly walked towards Maya standing on the curb nearby. My eyes shifted left to right, scanning the area around her. The other kids who were ahead of me gave Maya plenty of space; it's what her presence commanded that she have, so she stood in the center of the wave, completely alone.

  Why do I feel so... restless?

  Still walking to Maya, I continued to slowly, meticulously, search the area. Maybe I missed something? I usually missed the obvious things around me, so it was totally possible that I did.

  "Hey." Maya greeted me, grinning.

  "Hi..." I uttered quietly. Taking one st look around. I looked up to Maya, sending her a questioning stare.

  Where is she?

  "Ready to go?" She asked.

  I gave her a single nod, barely a tilt of the head, and we were off. As we walked, the restless feeling quickly started building up inside of me, I felt it reach the corners of my eyes. Oh. I recognized this feeling. I was used to it.

  I was disappointed.

  My shoulders began to slump, the strap of my backpack sliding off with every step, and I started dragging my feet. I think Maya noticed, because she slowed down and matched my pace step for step. Whatever. It's not like I had anything to look forward to anymore.

  "So... how did today go? Better than the other day, right?"

  "Hmph..." I mumbled.

  "What?" She leaned over my shoulder, trying to get a look at my face.

  "Fine, I guess." I gave her an irritated answer and pulled my face away from her.

  "Okay?" Was all she said as we reached the front door. She pulled out her set of keys, fumbled with a few of them, and unlocked the door. Besides the two of us, the house was completely devoid of people. My st hope that I had clung to, that maybe Maya had left her friend here at the house when she came to pick me up, was dashed.

  I let my resentment show clearly on my face as I stumbled past Maya. My backpack slid off of my shoulder as I crashed into the couch and slumped into the empty seat. Maya stood there, watching me curiously, before she walked past me and went to her room.

  Before I could let loose a sigh of apathy, she returned to the living room. She was holding a few of her cospy outfits across one of her arms and a rge box in the other. She carefully id the outfits down onto the loveseat adjacent to me, and the box on the floor before it. She sighed, exaggeratedly wiped her brow, and then looked over and saw how sck I was leaning into the couch.

  "Hey! Don't get comfortable. We're about to leave in a bit." Maya suddenly scolded me. Then she turned around and started heading back to her room.

  What...?

  I leaned forward and scrunched my eyebrows at her. "What's happening?"

  Before Maya completely stepped back into her room, she poked her head back out of the door.

  "Uh, we're meeting with Julia today? Or do you not want to go with?"

  I perked up immediately.

  "I-I'll go! I want to go!"

  She smiled. "Then come on over here. I need you to carry a few things." Maya disappeared back through the door.

  Of course! I could have just asked instead of getting all mad and depressed about it. But... Why the change of pns? I thought she was coming here?

  Shrugging my shoulders, I jumped up from the couch and sped my way down the hall to Maya's room. This must be a special occasion because Maya never invites me into her room. I peered into the room when I got to the door, seeing the messy state it was in. There was clothes strewn everywhere on the floor. Really, really old clothes that didn't fit Maya anymore. I frowned.

  Did she need my help cleaning? Ugh....

  I backed away slowly, but it was too te. Maya quickly spun around, like she had sensed my retreat.

  "Ah, come here," she said, waving me over. "Stick out your arms, please."

  I groaned but did as she said anyway. I walked into the room, stepping over a pair of overalls made for a child much younger than me and reluctantly held my hands out. Maya nodded her head, then spun back around to the open closet and picked out one of her other cospy outfits. She held it by the hanger it was resting on, then id it across my outstretched hands.

  "Now..." She muttered, going back to the closet and gently picking something else up.

  Suddenly, a familiar car horn sounded off just outside of our house.

  "Shoot!" Maya excimed. "Here! Take these out there too!" She shoved another outfit and a smaller box into my arms and directed me out of her room. I had no idea what was going on. Confused, I carefully held Maya's clothes close to my chest and made my way to the front door. My aunt waved to me from her car sitting in the driveway.

  "Hey! Where's your sister at?" Aunt Gigi asked me.

  "Still inside? She's grabbing some stuff." I said, walking around to the side of the car. I was careful enough to open the door and y Maya's things across the seat next to me. A honk of the car horn and a few minutes ter, Maya finally came out of the house next, arms full clothes and the rge mystery box she left on the floor earlier. She moved to the side of the car where I had id out her things and shoved them into the seat. Then, for some reason, she walked over to my side of the car instead of getting into the avaible seat.

  "You take the front seat." She said. "I'll be riding back her with the others."

  The others?

  "C'mon! Get a move on!" Maya shooed me out of my seat.

  "Oh. Yeah, sure." I stumbled over my words, surprised that she let me ride in the front for once.

  "We all good? Great! So where are we picking this girl up from?" Aunt Gigi asked.

  Maya leaned over the seat and gave Gigi a few simple directions. It wasn't even that far away from my bus stop. We pulled up to a baby blue paneled house where just outside it, waited the girl of the hour. Julia stood out in front of her house with a backpack hanging off of one shoulder.

  When we parked, Maya and Gigi both got out of the car. The girl waved to Maya and greeted my aunt with a handshake and then directed them to her parents standing on the porch. They talked alone for a bit, while Maya and Julia walked back to the car and opened the back door, scooping up all of the clothes we had gathered into her arms.

  "Auntie!" Maya shouted. "Unlock the trunk!"

  A moment ter, there was a click, and the trunk popped open. Maya scooped the clothes and the boxes she brought with her up in her arms and dumped them into the trunk. She directed Julia to the now empty seat right behind me.

  "Hi! I'm Julia." She greeted my cheerfully as she sat down. My voice caught in my throat. There she was. I was so ready to barrage her with questions, but so many of them were running through my mind and it was hard to choose just the right one to start with.

  Maya nudged the back of my head with a finger.

  "Uh, hello? You're being rude."

  Oh. I went totally silent for a bit.

  "Hi!" I quickly barked out, then faced forward and tried to ignore the way my face began to heat up as they giggled at how nervous I obviously was. I pushed down my urge to ask questions because of my embarrassment. Whatever. I'll have another chance to ask ter. Maybe. Besides, I kinda want to talk to Julia alone anyway.

  "What did you bring with you?" Julia asked, turning to Maya as she talked. She held up a hand and started counting off on her fingers.

  "A few of old outfits, the one I'm pnning to wear this weekend, some makeup and a few wigs. What did you bring?"

  "Just some makeup."

  They talked about that for a bit before Aunt Gigi returned to the car after her talk with Julia's parents.

  "Alright. Where to next?"

  Maya gave more directions again and after a few minutes of driving, we ended up in front of Tanisha's house.

  Her too? How many people are coming with us?

  Tanisha came out of the house the second we rolled up to her driveway.

  "Hello, dies," she said, tossing a bag into the p of Maya. She had gotten into the side Julia was sitting at, and with a bump of her hips, forced her to scoot over. Tanisha looked to the front and saw me in the passenger seat. "Hey." She said simply.

  That... was weird.

  Tanisha was just like Maya; poking at me with annoying little quips whenever she got the chance. So it was definitely weird when she just... greeted me normally. No jokes at all.

  "We good to go?" Aunt Gigi asked.

  "Yep. This is everyone."

  "Wait a minute," Tanisha asked, seatbelt halfway across her chest. "What about Chu? She not coming?"

  I saw Maya look away and out the window through the rear-view mirror. "You know how her parents are. I don't think she could even convince them to let her go anywhere after school."

  Tanisha shrugged her shoulders. "Did she even ask?"

  "She did," Julia spoke up. "They said no."

  "Oh. Well... That's unfortunate."

  And I guess that was it. Aunt Gigi turned the car around and we made our way over to her house. I sat in silence and listened to the girls just... talk. Like Maya and Tanisha always did. Like nothing was unusual. Did Tanisha know? I mean, she probably did. She's Maya's best friend. Practically sisters. She must know.

  Wait...

  I gnced to my right.

  Did Aunt Gigi know?

  "Aaaand we are here!" She suddenly decred. Shaking my thoughts loose, I looked out of the window to the house we had rolled up to. Except, we didn't enter the driveway, and instead parked on the street for some reason.

  "Chu?!" Maya called out. I looked back to her, then to the girl standing next to the car I had never seen before parked in front of the house. Maya looked ecstatic for a moment, happy to see her... friend? Then, she groaned. Two adult people stepped out of the car, the man waving cheerfully at us in the car, and a woman, arms crossed, and an indifferent look on her face.

  Maya had spped a hand over her face and slowly slid down her seat, much to the amusement of Julia, Tanisha, and surprisingly, Aunt Gigi.

  "I was hoping to deal with this tomorrow..." Was all she said after that.

  What is going on?!