Maya had spent the first week of the holidays sleeping at the Matthews' apartment. Riley had insisted. She had obviously been upset, crying at some point, but Maya wasn't going to point it out and make her feel worse. During that week her father sent her a letter. He was going to accompany her to Diagon Alley and Gringotts and to the platform. Not that she wanted him to. She'd barely seen him in four years and she was angry. He was living with some new magical family and left her mum and herself all alone. And of course it was Riley's birthday to, which meant needing to buy a card and save up for something. It was a good day. Well it had been. Until she'd been ushered to leave at short notice. But it was okay because she understood they needed family time.
But then Riley didn't call her that night. Their lights had been off too. And Riley didn't call her in the morning. Maya tried to let it slide. Riley loved her. She wouldn't try to hurt Maya. Yet, she still felt ignored, but she gave her space. She was home alone again, her nothing having to work another shift at the bakery. It had been more than a day since she had spoken to the Matthews.
Riley sat on the couch. Maya had gone home. She wanted to talk to Maya. She couldn't. She really wanted to. Stop it said a small voice in her head. Her parents were with her. They'd just had the strangest visitor. She'd tried to listen while they talked to her parent. They'd been given a letter. It made no sense; magic wasn't real. It was in Riley's imagination, but this wasn't Rileytown. Riley didn't want a new school. Riley didn't want to change. She wasn't a witch, she was a princess. She was already losing Maya, but she had to leave her parents too? She'd be leaving a week before September ended. As a 'muggleborn' she would be accompanied to her train and to get what she needed.
They'd been given a list of equipment, but why Riley would need a cauldron was beyond any reasoning she could think of. Robes? A want? What kind of joke was this?
Two days without her best friend was enough to drive Maya insane. They did everything together. It was enough to tell her mother she was going to Riley's. Katy wouldn't question it. As almost always, she would climb up the fire escape and slide in through Riley's bay window.
Her parents were proud of her. She didn't know why. Why was she so special? She was still confused. Sure, sometimes weird things happened around her, usually when she was happy or sad or angry. Like if someone made fun of Maya because her mum didn't make her lunch or of her clothes because she didn't have as much money something would happen. Or sometimes the flowers bloomed extra pretty at the park where they had picnics. Little things she took for granted. Most of the time she was happy. Sometimes she was surprised, like when Maya climbs through the window while she sits on her bed.
"Peaches!" She exclaims, trying to throw in as much of her usual enthusiasm as possible as Maya jumps onto her bed, "I missed you."
"You never called me," Maya folds her arms feigning mock disappointment, "Are you okay?"
"Am I okay? I'm fine, why wouldn't I be fine?" Riley says in panic. She's not always been good at hiding how she feels. Maya would notice, but not always point it out.
"You know you can tell me anything Riles," she says lightly, "You know you can trust me. You do trust me don't you?"
"I trust you with my life, Peaches. Like you trust me with yours." agrees Riley sincerely.
"Good," Maya replies, "Best friends don't keep secrets from eachother." She tries not to feel the guilt in her chest.
"No, they don't do they."