Welcome back, everyone. Thanks to everyone who reviewed the last chapter, it really means a lot. I'm not sure how many chapters this story will have, but I hope you guys stay with it. Review to tell me if I should do anything differently.

Tourette's syndrome is a real thing. It's usually where a neurological disorder characterized by involuntary tics and vocalizations and often the compulsive utterance of obscenities. Which basically means the person affected by the syndrome will randomly say something they're thinking, or twitch or move a part of their body involuntarily. In this story, Maya's tics are sniffing, sometimes winking, and her hand will move itself.


"Whoa." I stared up at the tall brick building in front of me.

"What?" Riley asked.

"This is where you live?" I asked.

"Yep. Pretty cool, huh?" She bounced over to the door, scanning her key ring on the electric lock. She pulled the door open, motioning me in.

We rode the elevator up in silence. The annoying music played quietly, adding to my anxiety. I really wanted to be friends with Riley, but if she found out about my Tourette's, it could become a repeat of last year. I sniffed.

"So, where do you live?" Riley asked.

"Um… Somewhere." I avoided her eyes.

"Somewhere? Really?" She asked. I opened my mouth to respond, but the elevator saved me. The doors opened, and Riley dashed out. I followed, nervous. Even if Riley didn't find out about my syndrome, her parents would probably figure it out soon. I sniffed again, fingers twitching at my side.

"I'm back!" Riley called, dropping her bag in under the coat hooks.

"Hey, Riley. Who's this?" Someone I assumed to be Riley's mom asked.

"This is Maya. She's new." Riley said. "Maya, this is my mom."

Sniff. "Nice to meet you, Mrs. Matthews."

"How ya doin', Maya?" She asked. I shrugged.

"C'mon, Maya. Let's go to my room."

Once again, Riley lead me down the hall, through a few doors, and into her room. The walls were a purplish-lavender color, and there was a queen size bed pushed against the wall.

A queen size? Who our age has a queen size bed? I thought. Right. Actual middle class people. Not like me.

The best thing about the room, though, was a big bay window, leading out to a fire escape overlooking Central Park. She sat down on the small bench, patting the space next to her. I sat down beside her, looking around the cozy room.

"Nice place." I complimented.

"Thanks. My parents have lived here, like, forever. They're pretty crazy."

"Yeah, I guess all parents are different." I mumbled.

"What're your parents like?" Riley asked innocently.

"Um…" I looked away quickly, my eye seizing up. "They're okay."

"Just okay?" Riley asked.

"I just don't hang out with them much." I said, shaking my hair into my face. Sniff.

"Hey, are you okay?" She leaned over, trying to see my face.

"Yeah, I'm okay." I told her. "I'm always okay."

"Nobody's always okay." She objected.

"I am." I said quietly. She opened her mouth to respond, but I cut her off.

"I have to go." I whispered. Before she could say anything, I opened one of the bay windows, climbing out and onto the fire escape.

As my feet touched the ground, my eyes started to tear up. I sat down against the building base, feeling the cold brick against my back. Way to be subtle, Maya.


I was early to school the next day. The hallway was empty, save for a few students whispering at the lockers. I slipped over to my locker, pulling out my phone.

hey maya. we miss u here at Kessler. and by we, I mostly mean Jenna and I.

hows the new school?

I sighed. Fisher was one of my only friends at my old school, and he'd been texting me nonstop since I left.

hey, fish-stick. the new school's great, I guess. nobody knows about my tourettes yet, though, so that's kinda good.

I met this new girl, Riley, and some of her friends. I think youd like her.

I jumped as someone slammed into the locker next to me. Looking up through my hair, I saw Riley leaning against the blue doors, staring at me expectantly.

"Hi." I whispered.

"Hey." She replied. "Care to tell me where you ran off to last night?"

"Um…" I searched my mind desperately for an excuse. "My mom texted. She needed me to help… mow the lawn?"

"Oh." Riley still looked skeptical. "I see… So you ran off, not because of what we were talking about, but because your mom needed help mowing your lawn."

"Yep." I said quietly.

"Oh well. That's okay. You can come over again tonight and, y'know, not run away?"

"I guess. If it's not too much trouble."

"It's never too much trouble to help a new friend." She said perkily. "You wanna sleep over on Saturday?"

"Sleep… over?" I asked. My fingers tapped the outside of my phone case. "Um, maybe. I don't know, I'm kinda busy Saturday..."

"Aw, come on! Why not?" She pouted.

"I don't know. I'll think about it."


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