Chemistry:

Noun (u) / ˈkɛmɪstri/

The reason it hurts so much

The week following that event has not been my greatest. If I'm going to be completely honest I can't remember the last time I left my room, besides from when I go to school or my friends attempt to cheer me up. I hope they'll give up soon. From what I can gather they're doing the same for her. It's nice that they're not picking sides. A part of me wishes they would. What is becoming of me?

I know it's not her fault. I can understand that. But I can't bring myself to put the complete blame on me either, though in the middle of a late-night crying-fest I seem to think a little differently. I feel completely pathetic, curled up under my covers with the lights off. But that doesn't make me move from my current position.

"That's it. This is ridiculous." My mother's voice breaks through the silence of the room and I shield my eyes from the sudden flood of light, "Get up." She prompts.

"I thought it was the father who was supposed to do the sharp reprimanding." I turn onto my side, blowing a piece of hair out of my face.

She chuckles, "Your father isn't the best at convincing scolding."

I don't reply and the woman takes this as her cue to apply force. She rips the covers off of me and hooks her arms under my shoulders.

"Besides," she continues, hoisted me up and dragging me towards the window, "I'm just so good at it."

I snort despite the fact that I am in no position to be haughty. She sits down by the window and pulls me with. I end up curled into her with my head laying in her lap. If I weren't so out of it I would applaud her efforts. The petite woman managed to pull me all the way across the room with her pure mom-strength. She sighs and brings her hands to my hair.

"Honey, what's wrong?"

I miss her. "I'm just tired."

My mother lets out a thoughtful breath of air. "It seems you've been tired for quite a while now."

There's a long pause. I close my eyes before speaking, "What was it like falling in love with dad?"

Her hands still in thought. "I don't think it was love at first sight. I knew him since he was a boy, so that was off the table. It happened quietly over the years. I think I loved him before I even realised it, before I even knew what it meant. "

"But what was it like? What is it supposed to feel like?" I sit up to look at her confused expression.

"I don't think it's supposed to feel a certain way for anyone." She takes my hand in hers and squeezes it, "But for me, it was always a take it or leave it fact. I did my thing and he did his. He is him and I am I. And if we end up together then it's beautiful, and we did."

"Love shouldn't be about control Riley," she continues, "You're two different people, you both have to accept that and learn to work with it."

She leans over and kisses my forehead. "I'm not too sure what this has to do with you and Maya though."

I let out and audible gasp. My mother laughs, "What, you thought we didn't know?"

"Does Dad?" I stammer out, pressing my hands to my scarlet cheeks.

She shrugs, "It's pretty obvious, but your father is less than perceptive."

With that, she gets up and exits, leaving me with a swirling head and a newfound resolve. I'm going to make things right.

I arrive to school the next day with the decision to sort thing out with Maya the moment I see her, but that moment never arrives. She wasn't there at registration, which isn't really unusual, and then I spot her in the halls during the day. At first, I thought she was avoiding me, which we'd both taken up the habit of doing recently. Then she didn't show to any classes that we share, and now I'm hyper-aware off her absence.

I ask everyone I can think of, but nobody has any idea where the blonde could be. I enter my chemistry classroom and sit down next to Lucas; Zay and I switched seats the lesson after my fight with Maya. I put my head in my arms the minute I touch the seat.

"Well Hello to you too." He grumbles, used to my mood.

Our replacement teacher is late to class, and everyone seems to be taking full advantage of it. I continue my attempts to sleep, despite my loud classmates and louder thoughts. I'm just about to fall asleep when a tug on my arm rouses me. I groan, refusing to lift my head.

"Riley," Zay flicks me on the head, "Your phone is ringing."

He gets no response and continues to flick every reachable part of my body, "It's Maya."

I sit up so fast I feel a bit of a head rush. Zay rolls his eyes and hands me the vibrating cell phone. I see it is in fact Maya calling before I press answer.

"Hello?"

"Riles?" I loud sniffle comes from the other side. The line is crackly, and I can hear plenty of voices in the background. I latch my focus onto one voice alone.

"Maya, where are you?" I keep my voice calm and steady, but inside I'm a complete wreck.

"I'm at Metropolitan Hospital Centre. It's on first Avenue. Riley-I..." her sentence is breaks off into choked sobs.

"Maya, what happened?" I urge her

"My mother had a stroke. They're performing a procedure to stabilize her and remove the tumour. Riley, I need you."

I stand up abruptly from my desk, causing most of the class to pause their conversations.

"I'm coming Maya. Don't worry."

"I don't know where you think you're going, or why you have a phone out during lessons. Name?" Our replacement has finally arrived, with perfect timing too. He looks young, which is perhaps why he's attempting to intimidate us before he's even introduced himself.

"Riley Matthews." I answer. The entire class has gone silent, and anyone who wasn't paying attention to his presence is now completely tuned in. Heads flicker between us, eager to watch the drama unfold.

"Well Ms Matthews, care to explain where you're racing to?"

I swallow, "I need to go to the bathroom. It's girl troubles."

"Well, you should have thought of that before you got to class. Now, please be seated."

I resist the urge to bang my head against the table, slowly sinking back into my seat. His gaze settles behind me, "Yes Miss?"

I turn around to see Missy, lowering her hand and directing her best venomous smile at the man.

"Bradford. I just wanted to know if you enjoy cleaning blood off of the seats?"

The man is stunned by her question, phrase in a sugary voice, but filled with enough malice to knock him backwards. Before he can stammer a reply, and Missy uses the lapse of time to continue her attack.

"That seems like the only viable reason for you to be refusing to let this clearly stricken girl out of class. Do you know what menstruation is like?" He continues to splutter and Missy scrunches her nose up and hums.

"No, I didn't think so. So how about this. You let the young lady go to the bathroom and take care of the dreaded things of which you know nothing," She flashes him a bright smile, all teeth and no sympathy, "And I refrain from taking you to the school board for sexism and gross-incompetence. Sound like a plan?"

He scratches the back of his neck, completely speechless, before wordlessly writing out a hall pass and holding it out for me.

"Thank you." I state softly, to no one in particular.

I sling my bag onto my shoulder and take the slip from the defeated man. My eye's find Missy, and she stares back at me with an almost sheepish expression. I give her a cool nod, and I see her return it as I turn to exit. She is nowhere near redemption, but I feel as if a rivalry died today.

I run up to the front counter, frantically asking a woman in blue if she knows the location to a "Katy Hart". Before she can reply I hear a choked cry coming from the door to her left.

"Riley!"

I sprint towards Maya and gather her up into my arms. She feels smaller than she was when I last saw her, but the emotion the embrace brings is still the same. I hold her tight against me, like I'm trying to absorb her through my skin. She clings tightly, burying her face into my neck and warming it with her tears.

She pulls away to look at me. She places her hands on either side of my face. "You came."

"Of course I did peaches. I will always do my best by you."

She pulls me into another hug. "I'm so glad you're here," She whispers into my shoulder, "My world needs you in it."

AN:I'm back with the newest craptacular edition...

well shit, look who discover a new editing format!

am I going to edit the other chapter to match it?

pfft, no.

I hope I revived some of you (did ya'll really think I would keep them apart for more than a chapter?)