January 4th 2017
Chapter 4
Her Departure From New York
Her room had been emptied the day before, bed and all. It had never looked so big. When they had walked out of there for the last time, she'd played it cool, even though inside… Her heart would go and get raging on every so often. It wouldn't let her forget that it was all ending. Every new thing that was taken away was just one more piece of her world being taken from her. Soon she might not feel as though she belonged anywhere at all.
At least she had spent her last night in New York at Riley's house. Her mother had slept on the couch, while she'd been off in her friend's room. Maya could not say that she or Riley had even tried to go to sleep. They had fallen asleep, eventually, but they could have stayed up all night if not for that. They had spent most of their time awake talking about her last afternoon in school.
She'd still been made to go in, even though she would be gone in a matter of days. Maya had spent those days in a fierce battle between wanting to just ignore what was happening around her and wanting to absorb it all while she still could. Then, on her last afternoon, in Mr. Matthews' class, of course, she had her last class with her friends. It had been her plan not to let anyone know she was leaving, but with Riley around, and Farkle…
In that last class, Mr. Matthews had let them have the period to themselves with a game, though they'd all seen through it and found the lesson he'd wanted to give them. She had appreciated it, more than she knew how to say. That night when they had returned to the Matthews' house she had thanked her now former teacher, going so far as to hug him. She had done the same with Riley's mother. Even with her ongoing issues with the move, a part of her wanted to take the chance to thank them both for what they'd done, for the house but everything else, too, everything they'd done for her since she'd known them.
Morning had come, and she'd woken up knowing she would be leaving today. She stood and went to sit in the bay window, looking out at her habitual entry point. Would she leave through there, just as she'd come in the first time? No… that would suggest she'd never be back here again. But she would… of course she would. They would visit, wouldn't they?
They'd had breakfast, all of them together. Riley would not leave her side for a second, which was absolutely fine by her, although she had waited in the hall when Maya had gone to the bathroom, talking to her all along.
The time was coming. The last things had been packed up in their rental car, and now her mother was giving her a look that said she needed to get on with her goodbyes. Auggie had come to her first, in his valiant five-year-old stance, saying he would look after Riley for her. She'd smiled and given him a good squeeze and a kiss on the cheek.
The Matthews had come next, and she wouldn't have expected to be so affected at having to say goodbye to them, but seeing how they had a hard time of it, too, she took in that emotion they passed to her with great appreciation. They were family, as much as her own mother, and now the lump in her throat made its return, before she even had the time to turn to her last goodbye.
She'd already said her goodbye to Farkle the day before. As aggravated as she might have shown herself around him a lot of the time, he was one of her two closest friends. She told him as much, and also that Austin could never be as good as New York, because it didn't have a Farkle Minkus. He had never looked so proud, and that was the image she'd keep of him.
When all there was left for her to do was to say her goodbyes to Riley, she'd turned to her, seeing immediately her brave little smile splashed with tears. She pulled her near, and held on as tightly as she was held. She leaned in at her best friend's ear, whispering words that would remain for only the two of them to know. Riley gave a quick nod against her shoulder in acknowledgment.
It was time to get in the car. She made Riley promise not to run after her, and as much as she swore it, Maya gave Mr. Matthews a look. He would keep her there; she would have run all the way to Texas if she could.
She watched them as the car drove off, Riley, Auggie, their parents… They got smaller and smaller, until she couldn't see them anymore. When that happened, Maya took a deep breath. This was it. Soon it would be the whole city that shrank away, and then she'd have nothing familiar to hold on to. All she'd have would be mile upon mile of the unknown, stretching before her, as she and her mother made their way to their new world, in Texas.
TO BE CONTINUED
See you tomorrow! - mooners