CHAPTER 1

She waved her daddy goodbye. "Bye daddy!"

Her dad looked back at her with an unexplained expression that she had never saw him wear. Then he turned back and walked out the door, not saying a word.

Her mom and dad just fought and her mom was still in tears, she made out words from her mom's mumbling like 'Never again', 'I shouldn't have', and 'All his fault'.

It took about 30 minutes for her mom to calm down and speak normally again, and when she did, she acted like nothing at all happened.

Together, with her head on her mom's lap, they waited for her dad to come home from his "walk"

One hour…

Two hours…..

Three hours…..

"Mommy, is dad going to come home?" She asked out of childhood innocence

Her mom responded by covering her face with both hands and started crying again.

Just then she knew that her dad was not just going on a walk, he was gone forever.

Maya woke up in her small room, her eyes brimmed with tears threatening to pour out. Even though she had this dream – no, nightmare, countless times already, Maya still feels her heart aching. Her friends never will understand what she was facing, they all had moms and dads that love them, care about them, for heaven's sake, they have a DAD. Her mom had to work so much that she never even have time to check on her.

Sad and depressed, she threw on a grey V-necked T-shirt that she bought at a local thrift store and some jean shorts that were starting to be too short for her, but she put them on anyways, since they were the only pair she owned. Maya rushed downstairs and hastened to eat some pancakes her mom left for her. She looked up at the clock. 6:55. Time to pick up Riley. She didn't have to hurry, because Riley always takes time to dress before she goes to school, but Maya always tries to get there early, she would do anything to spend more time with the Matthews.

When she arrived, Riley happily skipped over to answer the door.

"Hey Maya! Do you need a hug?" She said cheekily

Maya was taken aback by her best friend's antics. "No…. why?" she asked in surprise

"You always seem like you need a hug" Riley said simply

"Ok then…" Maya then glanced up at the clock, it was officially 7:00. "Come on! We're going to be late!"

Riley held her ring hand up, "Thunder?"

Maya smiled, "Lightning."

They then walked to school, both smiling ear to ear, holding hand in hand.