Chapter 7 Maya

I stopped in my tracks, trying to understand what I'd just heard.

The sheer nerve of Jason.

After everything he'd done, he actually had the audacity to ask me to be his girlfriend.

I slowly turned around and walked back toward him.

"What the fuck?"

I stared at him like he'd completely lost his mind.

"Think about it," he started.

"Tiffany told everyone we were dating, and nobody has heard our side of the story."

He reached for me.

I stepped back before his hand could touch me.

"So you think going online and saying you actually cheated on Tiffany with me is the best idea?"

"No. That's the point."

He tried to sound convincing.

"We aren't going to agree that I cheated. We're going to tell everyone the truth and make it official. It might calm things down."

I let out a dry laugh.

Then I walked closer and lightly touched his forehead.

"You are burning up."

I gave him a sympathetic look.

"You should go lie down and get some rest."

I turned to leave.

He grabbed my hand.

Anger shot through me.

I immediately yanked my hand away.

"Don't you ever do that again."

I pointed a finger at him.

"Look, Maya. I know you're angry. I dragged you into my mess"

"Dragged?"

I spun around.

"Jason, you ruined my life."

My voice shook.

"I got fired. I'm being dragged all over the internet. I'm a social reject because of you."

"I'll pay you."

He opened his hands.

I stared at him.

"You are insane."

I turned away.

"Stay away from me."

I left him standing there.

Later That Afternoon

I had to wait ten minutes for a cab because someone had deflated my bicycle tire and left a note glued to it saying:

"Why don't you walk, bitch?"

I crumpled the note and shoved it into my bag.

Since then, I've either taken the bus or ordered a ride.

And because I didn't have enough money to waste on transportation, I usually walked to school in the morning and took a cab home.

As I waited by the road, I caught movement across the street.

Tiffany.

She and her friends were laughing.

She looked directly at me, raised her middle finger and climbed into her luxurious car.

Then she drove away.

I watched the car disappear.

For years, I'd replayed our friendship in my head, trying to understand where everything went wrong.

We'd been inseparable as kids.

We were neighbors, and I still remember my mum dropping both of us off at school whenever Tiffany's dad couldn't afford gas.

Her mum had died during childbirth, leaving Tiffany and her dad alone.

But her dad was hardly ever there for her.

He'd bring different women home, spending money on them while Tiffany went without.

Sometimes she'd come to my house crying because she was hungry.

Her dad would be locked in his room with some woman, and my mum would take Tiffany in, feed her and let her stay with us.

We used to build pillow forts during sleepovers.

Whenever her dad got drunk and became cruel, she'd climb through my bedroom window.

I'd pull her into bed and hold her until she fell asleep.

That girl had once been my best friend.

So when she changed, I didn't understand it.

And after everything that happened, I stopped letting people get close to me.

Every time I tried to make friends, someone reminded me of Tiffany's lie.

A pervert.

An assaulter.

A creep.

Even after I cleared my name and saved my scholarship, Tiffany and her friends kept finding ways to humiliate me.

I remembered sitting alone beside the dumpster at school while they threw things at me and laughed.

I couldn't even report them.

Everyone believed Tiffany.

I wiped the tears from my cheeks as a car horn pulled me out of my thoughts.

"Let's go, ma'am."

I got into the cab.

That Evening

When I got home, I dropped my bag on the floor and sat down beside it.

I picked up the letters I'd collected from the mailbox earlier.

Then I saw it.

My eviction notice.

My landlord had come over on Sunday to remind me about the rent.

When I told him I couldn't pay yet, he'd tried to hit me.

I had pulled away.

He'd promised to evict me if I didn't pay by the end of the week.

I stared at the letter.

Another problem.

Just what I needed.

Justin had brought me food earlier that morning, and since my electricity had already been disconnected, I ate the cold leftovers before sitting down to calculate my expenses.

Rent.

Food.

Transportation.

School.

Everything kept adding up.

My eyes grew heavy.

Eventually, sleep won.

The Next Morning

My alarm dragged me awake.

I took a quick bath, made a small breakfast and headed to Hayley's.

I needed to ask if she could lend me some money to cover at least one of my bills.

When I got there, Hayley immediately shook her head.

"I'm sorry, Maya."

She looked exhausted.

"Business has been slow since the media backlash. People are still avoiding the arcade because of what Tiffany's fans are saying."

My heart sank.

"I really wish I could help you more."

She opened her drawer.

"But I can at least help with food."

She pulled out some cash and placed it in my hands.

"Please manage this. It's all I can give."

I looked down.

"Thank you."

I wiped my eyes with the back of my hand and walked out.

I headed to the library.

At least there, I could sit somewhere quiet and figure out what to do next.

I'd managed to convince a few students to give me their assignments so I could complete them for a small fee.

It wasn't much.

But right now, every little bit mattered.

I was deep into one of the assignments when someone placed a box on my table.

I looked up.

Jason.

He was holding food from Chick-fil-A.

I groaned.

"How did you even know I was here?"

I didn't bother looking away from my book.

"I was looking for you."

He placed the box on the table.

"I saw you come in, so I decided to wait. I stopped at Chick-fil-A on the way."

The smell hit me immediately.

Fried chicken.

My stomach betrayed me with a growl.

I pushed the box away.

"I'm not interested."

Jason pulled out the chair opposite me and sat down.

He took a breath.

"Have you thought about what I said?"

"What did you say?"

I finally looked up.

"About you being my fake girlfriend."

I frowned.

"You never said anything about a fake girlfriend."

"Come on, Maya."

He leaned forward.

"It's for the benefit of both of us."

I closed my book.

"My life is a mess because of you."

"So is mine."

He folded his arms.

"You're unemployed. I'm suspended. My dad has cut me off. Everyone thinks you're my mistress, and everyone thinks I'm a cheating asshole."

He paused.

"Only one person can help fix both problems."

I raised an eyebrow.

"Let me guess. You?"

"You."

I stared at him.

He continued.

"You need money. I need to repair my reputation."

He tapped the table.

"I'll pay you."

Silence settled between us.

I hated the idea.

Everything about it screamed disaster.

But then I thought about my rent.

The electricity.

Food.

School.

I needed money.

And right now, this seems like the only way to get it.

I sighed.

"Fine."

Jason's eyebrows lifted.

"But on my terms."

He immediately raised his hands in surrender.

"Deal."

He pushed the food box toward me again.

"So you accept my gift?"

I looked at the box.

My stomach growled again.

I sighed and took it.

Later That Day

School ended in a blur.

I stood outside waiting for a cab when Jason pulled over.

"I'll drop you."

"I'm fine."

"Maya."

"No."

"Please."

I rolled my eyes.

After several minutes of arguing, I finally got into the car.

Jason started the engine.

For a few seconds, everything was quiet.

Then he pulled away.

I barely had time to process what was happening before another car came speeding toward us.

It slammed straight into Jason's car.

The impact shook everything.

I screamed.

And the world went black.