Maya's POV
I got to my room and slumped onto my bed. Maybe I shouldn't have confronted Mary.
Now look at her.
A small part of me felt guilty, but the moment I remembered that I had been dumped, the guilt vanished. Picking up my phone, I knew exactly what to do. I've known Lana for years, and I know exactly what hurts her the most.
After I was done, I headed to the kitchen to get something to eat.
The more I thought about it, the more confused I became. Lee wasn't even offering Literature, yet he was always around. He fought with Max because of Lana. Just thinking about it made tears sting my eyes.
I would make sure Lana felt every bit of pain I was feeling.
And if Mary got in my way, I would deal with her too.
As for Lee...
A smirk spread across my face as a certain idea crossed my mind.
But seriously, writing all these things is exhausting. Being creative is not for the weak. That's why I'm going for something that doesn't require much stress. I think that's one of the reasons Lana and I clicked so well as friends—we both hate stress.
Unlike my sister.
Mary loves Physics.
Have you seen her face whenever a Physics question appears? She smiles like someone who just met their favorite K-pop star.
Rolling my eyes, I noticed Mom wasn't back yet. She always came home early on weekdays.
After eating, I returned to my room. I was surprised Mary hadn't come out to get something to eat. She must have been exhausted.
I contemplated checking on her.
Then I shook my head.
She'd be fine.
Tomorrow was going to be chaos.
The thought made me smile.
---
The next morning, Mary looked exhausted, like she hadn't slept a single minute all night.
She hadn't said a word since coming out of her room, which reminded me of our argument yesterday.
"Where's Mom?" she suddenly asked.
"Umm... I don't know. She's never stayed out without telling us."
"What are we having for breakfast?" Mary asked.
"Nothing. I ate the last loaf of bread last night."
She sighed.
"I'll make pancakes. I think I saw flour somewhere."
"We're going to be late for school if we keep this up."
"I'm hungry, Maya. Don't you get it?" Mary snapped.
Note to self: never mess with a hungry Mary.
She has many sides, but this one is terrifying.
---
I missed first period.
I missed making my entrance.
And while I watched Lana's face, I could swear Mary did this on purpose.
The moment she saw flour and other ingredients, she transformed into a full-time chef. The worst part?
I helped.
Mom had never made that many pancakes before.
Mary did.
Then she ate them like a prisoner who hadn't seen food in years.
And don't even ask why I was grumpy.
The scowl on my face deepened when I remembered that Mary packed food for Lana.
---
The bell rang, and students poured out of their classrooms like they'd been waiting all day for freedom.
Since I missed two periods, Mary was definitely going to pay for it.
I spotted Lana walking toward me.
I straightened my back.
She looked horrible.
"Hey, Maya," she started softly. "You need to believe me. I would never—never ever—do that to you."
Her voice cracked.
"We can call Lee. He can confirm it. I've never spoken to him. I've never even watched one of his games without you. Maya, you have to believe me."
For a second, I was speechless.
Then the murmurs around us pulled me back to reality.
"What is she doing?"
"Maybe she's sleeping with Lee."
"She's such a slut."
The whispers surrounded us.
I looked back at Lana.
"Who do you think is going to believe that pathetic story?" I snapped. "Tell me, were you really unaware that he liked you?"
Lana stared at me.
"I always saw you as a friend, Lana."
Tears filled her eyes.
"But you're nothing but a slut."
The crowd gasped.
"I guess that's why Max dumped you. He saw you for who you really are."
A tear rolled down Lana's cheek.
"M-Maya—"
"What is going on here?"
Mr. Eliot's voice cut through the crowd before Lana could continue.
Perfect.
I turned and walked away.
---
I almost missed lunch because of that drama.
Everyone had been getting on my nerves since I woke up.
No.
Scratch that.
They had already gotten on my nerves.
I was searching for a table when someone suddenly shoved me against a wall.
"What the hell?"
I looked up.
Ruby Woods.
The school's Barbie doll.
Too much color.
In case you're wondering, Ruby Woods is one of the richest students in school.
When people rank the wealthy kids, Ruby comes first.
Peter, my ex, comes second.
Lee is third.
I'm fourth.
Lana is fifth.
There are others too—Max, Zoey, and a bunch more.
But Ruby?
Ruby is different.
She barely comes to school because she's busy learning how to run her father's company.
And yet somehow she still dresses like a walking rainbow.
Today she was wearing a bright pink blazer, a yellow blouse, white trousers, and red heels.
I honestly wondered how someone with that much color could run a company.
"What?" I asked angrily.
Actually, angry wasn't the right word anymore.
I was furious.
Ruby stepped closer.
"Maya, or whatever you call yourself, I don't care about you."
Her voice was calm.
Dangerously calm.
"But if you mess with Lee, I will deal with you."
Then she walked away.
The aura around her practically screamed money and danger.
She had the presence of a CEO.
And somehow that scared me more than I wanted to admit.
---
I didn't see Mary for the rest of the day.
It was like she had disappeared.
But honestly, I didn't care.
My mind was focused on something else.
Why would Ruby warn me about Lee?
Did she have a crush on him?
I heard she was betrothed to some rich kid, so none of this made sense.
The more I thought about it, the more confused I became.
So I decided to do the only thing that made sense.