Aj: Like I said. Immediate Update. You guys may start to regret getting this chapter, just letting you know. A LOT of nostalgia is heading your way.
I would just like to apologize for how awful this story was in the beginning. Like, seriously, how did you stick with me?
March 30th. 3 ½ months ago.
Her life was over, no longer existing as she knew it. She had woken up, feeling more desolated and alone than ever, three days ago. Maya had woken up to her mother's betrayal. She had come to the realization that there is no worse way to wake up than waking up and realizing not a soul in the world would care if you just kept on sleeping.
She had lived in isolation for the past three days in a room nowhere near as impressive as her own. It wasn't shabby, only empty. It was almost like the loneliness was a form of torture in itself. For years, she had lived as the center of attention, never alone and never with too much time left over to reflect upon herself. Now, all she had was time. Time to think about her life, her choices, and her regrets. There were so many regrets.
How long would it be until Fang realized she was gone? Maya desperately wished he would be sad, brokenhearted and still caring for her, maybe even loving her. In her heart, she knew this was only a fairytale. Would Fang really hate her enough to be glad she was gone? Maya hoped not. Was it fantasy to hope he still cared for her, despite the odds? Maybe, but if she stripped herself of hope she would be left with only a broken shell.
It would take much longer than three days for Maya to reevaluate all she had done to the flock. And what was it for? Popularity? Power? Control? Everything seemed so trivial and meaningless now. In high school, those seemed to be the only things that mattered. Only shallow labels that she thought would travel with her, but don't even exist in the real world. In the real world there was pain, there was poverty, there was fear. There wasn't Prom Queen.
If given the choice to do her life over again, would she do it differently? Would she still hurt and betray the flock? Would she stay loyal to her sister? Would she still lose Fang?
Maya wished she could know the answer.
"How are you feeling Maya?" The caring voice of her mother, entering the room soundlessly, left a bitter taste in her already raw throat. Maya remained still on her bed, back facing away from the woman who made Maya's manipulation look like child's play.
"They're going to find me," She whispered throatily, "It won't be long until someone notices I'm gone and then—"
"Nobody is going to know you're gone, Maya."
The words were cruel and vile enough to make Maya turn around, her face the picture of disbelief.
"Yes, they will! You can't silence everyone I know. There are too many, even for you." Maya argued haughtily.
"Maya," Her mother walked closer, a cruelly sympathetic edge to her eyes that Maya shared.
"Nobody will realize you're missing, because to the rest of the world, you're still there."
Maya's confidence left her, mouth forming a perfect 'o'. Her breath left her with a giant whoosh, completely lost and too afraid to know what her mother was saying.
"What do you mean?" The corners of her mother's lips turned up at the sight of her daughter's newfound vulnerability.
"Imagine my surprise after coming home, expecting Ella to be distraught and alone, only to see…you. Perfectly identical to you in every way, only on the outside." Maya only continued to stare, not knowing how she could be in two places. Was she cloned? Or…
"It seems the sister you left behind is back to live your life while you no longer need it."
Max. Max was pretending to be her? Max was stealing her life? It had been such a long time since she had thought about her; considered what she was doing.
And now Maya knew. She was stealing her life.
April 7th. 3 Months Ago.
There was no way to keep track of time, aside from painfully long. There wasn't much to do in a room void of any technology, games, or people. The room she had stayed in without much disturbance or human contact, aside from food delivery, was a void wasteland of colorless necessities. A white block-shaped room with a bed, a bathroom, and one long floor length mirror to remind her she still existed. She was still there. The world was the one that disappeared.
Every night, she would go to the mirror, staring at the broken girl before her. Every night, she would permit herself the luxury of craziness, talking to the reflection. Every night, she would ask the same question, hoping for the day she received a response.
"Max," She trembled, "Why did you do this to me? Why would you pretend to be me?"
She was interrupted by the loud symphony of pained screams traveling down the hallway outside. Maya winced, noting they sounded more gruesome that normal, but was otherwise unfazed. She had taken the boy's screams as a blessing after growing accustomed to his suffering. Not only was it a sign of the world still existing, it was a sign they were too busy with him to focus on her. Each day she would hear him wail in pain and she would smile, because she knew she wasn't going to die today. Today, she would live.
Live, in the most basic sense of the word, but she was still breathing.
"Why would you even want to be me, Max? I mean, I ended up here after all! That has to be a sign that I did everything wrong," She let out a breath, "You were safe. You were with Jeb, who is sounding better and better each day I get to know mother dearest, but most of all, you were you! Everyone loved you the most without even trying, even mom! Why would you want to be me?"
Another round of screams cracked to life, blood clenching and full of the purest of miseries. Maya had never personally seen the boy; all she knew was his name. Ari. They were planning something with him, as she had heard from the guards as she shamelessly eavesdropped. She wondered if they were planning the same for her. Somehow, she felt it would be worse.
"Max, I'm sorry for leaving you, but I never thought you would hate me enough to—"She broke off mid-sentence, placing her palm on the cool glass of the mirror. It creaked, budging inwards. Maya took in a sharp intake of breath, testing her luck and pressing harder on the mirror. It began to move, like a door, until a passageway—dark and expansive—stood before her. Maya had no light or way of knowing what was down the secret passage, but she was still compelled into beginning her descent, easing into the dark unknown. She had to believe with her last ray of hope that she could find something better on the other side.
The passage wasn't as long as it looked. It was a straight walk that lasted only a few minutes and faded into a rectangular room with a million blue lights, blinding her. Maya winced, taking a moment to shield her eyes before focusing on the rows of screens lining the walls. They were all of her, trained on her. Only, it wasn't her. It took Maya a minute to realize the events taking place—herself punching Brigid—were memories she hadn't experienced. Before her was the result of Max pretending to be her. She was watching her sister live her life.
And doing an awful job, Maya deduced, as she watched Max punch her best friend, clenching her fists. The room was empty, aside from her, and a piece of her knew that watching Max ruin her life would only hurt more, but she couldn't help tucking herself in the room's only chair, watching.
"I would like to make a toast to the now newly reunited flock! Our missing members have returned and we are whole again! To Nudge, who was gone for so long. We kinda missed hearing you talk for hours on end. To Angel, who I'm only kind of scared of now. And Maya," She turned to look at him, "Good to have you back too." He finished with a brotherly smile. Max smiled back before the flock—the one she was supposed to be part of—put their marshmallows in the center of their fire pit, stacking the on top of each other.
"To the flock!" He screamed, earning a round of applause.
"Never to be broken apart again." Nudge finished, smiling gratefully at Max.
Maya was confused. Why were they happy? How were they together for the first time in over a year? It had been clear Max was failing miserably after the stunt of punching one of her friends. So why was the flock together, reunited, and happy?
"Enjoying the view?" A voice spoke from the doorway, sickeningly soothing. Her mother stood, regarding her with not even an ounce of surprise, before her eyes flickered to the screens.
"Honestly, I think you're a better Maya than the real Maya." Nudge, the slimy little rat, came up next to her doppelganger. The fact that Nudge knew only emphasized her point on Max's horrible attempt at being her.
"I really doubt that." Max dismissed, earning a huff of approval from Maya.
"Really? Because I know that Maya kicked me out of my dream school, practically destroyed Angel and Gazzy, and single handedly broke up the flock. But you, you brought us back together, which seemed impossible for the longest time. You're doing more than just filling in and buying time, you're fixing things, Max." Nudge explained, making Maya want to wrap her hands around her scrawny little neck. How dare she say those things!
"And, towards the end of it, she seemed to just be dating Fang for popularity points just because he's hot. But you, well, things are different now. I haven't seen him this happy in a long time and I know it's because of you."
"That's not true!" Maya wailed, eyes glistening with sparkling tears. Nudge was a liar. That's all she was and all she had ever been. Fang was just the victim of ignorance and he obviously still loved Maya if he was so enraptured into believing such an obvious fake was her. He had to still be there for her, because the list of people who cared for her grew smaller by the day. Nudge was clearly scum, almost rivaling her mother and father. Max and Fang were all Maya had left. Despite Max pretending to be her, Maya knew her sister was the most tragically loyal human being to exist. Max must've been trying to help her by taking her place, but her sister would never steal Fang from her. It wasn't in her nature.
"You could keep watching, you know. I could allow you free roam, starting with this room." Her mother offered, hands folded behind her back and words hanging, like she wanted to say more.
"What's the catch?" Maya asked, detached and feeling hollow once more. She still hadn't recovered from the whiplash of her mother's betrayal.
Her mother smiled lightly, "Only your cooperation."
Maya remained silent, noticing the absence of Ari's screams.
"What are you doing to Ari?" She mumbled, looking down at the floor.
"I have plans for him later on. Soon he will be placed near your sister as her first test." Maya pursed her lips, wondering how sane someone could be after so much pain. Everyone reached their breaking point eventually, although some became more broken than others. If Ari had reached his breaking point, what would he be like around Max?
"I'll give you my cooperation, as long as I get some say in what goes on concerning my sister and the flock. Deal?" Maya argued, testing the woman in front of her.
"I do believe we have a deal."
Maya sighed, turning her attention back to the screen. Maya was gone, she had come to accept that. But Ma wasn't and Maya planned to keep it that way. She would protect her sister, even if it meant selling part of her soul to the devil.
June 8th. 1 Month Ago.
Maya had always loved dances. They were the closest she could get to being a princess. Decorations littered the ball, music danced to life, ricocheting symphonically against the walls, and two people could share a close intimate moment founded on grace and love. Maya had always loved being part of the dances, feeling her most beautiful and feeling as if she were in an elaborate dream; the world at her feet.
Now, she had never hated a dance so vehemently. Not only was she an onlooker for the first time, she had been reduced to watching the dance on a screen. She sat, frustratingly mesmerized by the couple who stood out from the rest. He was so infuriatingly handsome, like always, but he had never looked so mature than he did at that moment, wearing a brand new suit. The girl dancing with him was stunning in her red dress, blonde curls dancing wildly down her back and exposing her natural beauty in a way Maya had never could. The two looked right together, but Maya knew they were inexplicably wrong together.
Max was dancing with Fang, looking incredibly clumsy and awkward while Fang was smooth and cool as ever. Maya was grateful for Max refusing to hurt Fang, even if it meant her sister would be trapped pretending to be the girlfriend of someone she barely knew, of someone so devoted to Maya. In fact, if she separated her thoughts just enough, she could look at the two dancing as if it were Maya and Fang dancing. If she tried hard enough, she could imagine that the screen was some video recording of Maya and Fang in a happier time. Unfortunately, reality had a stronger pull than fantasy, so she was always reminded it wasn't really her and Fang dancing. Still, it was nice to see how Fang could forgive her so willingly, even after Maya had made the biggest mistake of her life with Sam. She had never imagined he could forgive her for that, not when she couldn't even forgive herself. Yet, there he was, putting it all in the past and willing to just dance with her.
It was a shame that technically it was Max, but he believed it was Maya, so that was all that truly mattered. It looked like a nice dance, even from afar. Until Nudge, the little brat that she was, practically clawed Max away from dancing to go to the balcony. It was bad enough somehow the dance had been made all about Nudge, but now she had to be in the spotlight even more. Disgusting, that's what it was.
"I'm going to tell Fang. Everything."
Nudge's mouth dropped and she began spluttering inconceivably like a retarded pig. Maya, on the other hand, had a hopeful gleam in her eyes. Do it, she mentally chanted.
"Max, have you ever considered that this facade you've put on has actually helped people? Sure, it's not exactly the most moral thing, but you've fixed things! You're the glue that has kept us together as the flock and...you're my best friend! Without you, I would be going to a crappy public school with a bunch of dumbass stoners! And not to mention, you're in love with Fang and if you spill the beans, the 12 year plan is over!"
Maya's mouth dropped open, seething as she boiled with a pitfall of rage. Nudge had never been more wrong. Max did not love Fang. Max was her sister. Sisters wouldn't do that to each other. The very idea of Nudge convincing Max not to come clean was disturbing and selfish in itself. Maya was beginning to loathe Nudge more and more by the second, her regret growing thinner.
Maya had spent two months protecting her sister, but she wanted her life to stay the same. The idea that her life was changing, moving on and evolving without giving her the chance to live it was tragic. She wanted to protect her sister, but she wanted her life. At that moment, Nudge was both an obstacle and a danger to her life. That needed to stop.
"How's it coming, Maya?" Her mother walked in, unannounced like always.
"How long did you wait after Max left for the dance to come here?" Maya asked in return.
"Long enough for Ella to go over to a friend's. Are there any problems?" Her mom came closer to where Maya sat, knees pulled up to her chest.
"Yeah, a ninety-five pound problem was has more mouth than hair." She grumbled, turning to the screen just in time to see the lights go out. That's right, she remembered. Tonight was the night Brigid was scheduled to be collected. Maya had suggested is shortly after seeing Brigid's hand in Ari attacking Max. It might have also had something to do with Brigid reminding Fang of Maya's infidelity.
"I see. Well, I was thinking of waiting, but if there's a problem, I think it would be good to bring Max in on her birthday." Her mom began to walk out the door with an air of finality. Maya's eyes widened, the grips of panic gripping at her chest. She would have to think fast.
"No, wait!" Her mother turned around, raising an inquisitive eyebrow, "Max isn't ready. I think what she needs is to really be tested, shown that she can't trust and hit right where it hurts, you know."
"What do you suggest?" Her mother was curious now.
"Take Nudge. Nudge is her best friend and the only one who knows her secret. By taking Nudge, it will isolate her and keep Nudge quiet." There was a slight pleading edge to her tone, but her mother smirked, liking the idea.
"Nice call, Maya. It's good to know how easily you've adjusted and proven yourself. You're becoming more and more like me by the day." On that note, her mother left. Maya sat alone, reeling over condemning her once best friend to hell. It was strange, it was awful, but she couldn't help herself from feeling a sick sense of pleasure. It was like her endorphins had run rampant with the regained sense of power and control. She had wanted to be good, to be a person that people wouldn't stab in the back. She felt good, but did that mean she had done good?
It had been done to protect her sister. The end would justify the means.
June 16th. Three Weeks Ago.
"Hello? My name is Nudge! Please, I need your help!" A faraway voice pleaded. Maya had been enjoying the free roam she had been given when she heard a familiar voice that she couldn't help but walk towards. Maybe, once she saw Nudge, she could explain herself. She could remind Nudge she was a good person too and—
"Max?" She cried, hope filling her voice, as her eyes grew wide. Maya felt herself slipping as she walked away, smirking as the strong allure of power crept it's way back to her. The way Nudge's mouth dropped, looking on the verge of tears, assured her she was right. Nudge deserved it for thinking she was Max. For a brief moment, Maya flashed to a time where Nudge was a shy nine year old with a fascination with swings and the girl to befriend her so willingly. The nostalgia faded quickly, replaced forever by smoothing much darker that, at the time, Maya couldn't place.
She continued to walk, her heels she had borrowed from her mother clacking against the linoleum tile to the Visual Room. It was her birthday and she wanted to spend it with the two people she cared about—Max and Fang—as much as she could. Until she walked into the Visual Room, eyes assaulted by the image of Max kissing Fang. Fang kissing Max. Max, her sister, and Fang, her boyfriend, kissing. Maya let out a blood-curdling scream.
June 18th. Three Weeks Ago.
"How could you do this to me?" Maya yelled to her reflection in the mirror. It was getting too easy to believe her reflection was Max.
"You stole my life! You fell in love with my boyfriend and on top of everything you're too caught up with being me that you can't even see the simple clues left behind! You stopped looking and stole my boyfriend and lied to everyone and…I don't think I've ever betrayed anyone as much as you. For god's sake, you betrayed your own sister! Betraying family, that's something only someone as sick as mom would stoop to." She spat, expecting the mirror to argue back. The argument and accusations felt so much hollower with no reply.
"I've protected you! I've practically lost myself all over again to try and protect you! I trusted you and lived in denial, but it turns out you were just a lying whore and—"
Her fist shot out, clamming into the mirror. A spider web of broken glass began to form almost as elaborate as Max's lies around Maya's bloodying palm, crimson rivers twisting their way down the glass. Slowly, Maya retracted her palm, not yet feeling pain.
"We had a blood bond," Maya whispered, "We were supposed to be eternally bonded and…I don't know if I can protect you anymore. It hurts too much. I doubt you know this, but it's a lot easier to embrace the worst part of yourself than to unleash your best. I'm sorry Maxie, I just don't think I'm a good person and it's time I accept that."
July 3rd. Three Days Ago.
If given the choice to do her life over again, would she do it differently?
"Are you sure about this?" Her mother asked, surprised that Maya had, for once, entered her office.
Would she still hurt and betray the flock?
"Yes, I'm sure. I know I had some…hesitancies about bring Nudge in, but after seeing this tape I knew I had to report it to you. I've waited to tell you for a few days, but I finally decided this was for the best." Maya had done many things she wasn't proud of, but the line between right and wrong had become too lost in translation for her to care. Nudge was in treatment, Maya had managed to give Angel the cookie that almost killed her, along with hand delivering the photos that revealed who Max was, but she was still justified.
"Iggy knows about your sister's identity? And she kissed him?" Maya avoided telling her it was the other way around, "I was hoping it wouldn't come to this, but I'll set a plan to bring him in."
Would she stay loyal to her sister?
"No, not Iggy. He's not a threat, but I think Max has reached her time limit. She went to see Jeb. She told Fang I shot his dad. She knows too much." Maya argued emotionlessly. She couldn't keep protecting her sister, not if her being on the outside had Fang falling more and more in love with her. Maya had spent too long being the second choice, only to Max. It was for the best.
"Max?" A delighted smile grew on her mother's face, "That is good news. I just got a phone call asking to have lunch, but I'll just send him to deliver the bear."
"Of course." Maya inwardly growled at the mention of him, but revealed nothing to her mother. She was planning a trip to the outside too. She had been wrong when she had first arrived at the lab. Popularity. Power. Control. Those all existed in the real world and she still had all of them.
Would she still lose Fang?
It was time to regain her life. Now that the Max delusion would be over, she could spend her time on the outside, regaining what she had lost. It was time she saw Fang.
"Maya," Maya looked up once more at her mother, who had a devilishly clever gleam in her eyes, "How would you feel about a swap?"
"What kind of swap?" Maya asked, feeling a shudder run down her spine for a reason unknown to her.
"A swap that would get you your old life back. With Max gone, we can't have too many questions asked about where she went. You could be just what we need to keep things quiet." The meaning behind her words became painfully clear.
"You want me to switch places with Max and steal back the life she stole from me?" Maya smirked, "I'd love to."
Aj: So yeah, this was ALL Maya. I think you can tell Maya will be in this a lot more from now on. Hmmm. How many death threats will I get from this? Just wondering, do you guys think Maya is redeemable? Debate in the reviews and we'll see the tally next chapter!
Thank you so much for all the birthday wishes, it's actually tomorrow, so let's see if we can get even more reviews as a present? No? Alright then.
I want to put off the next chapter so I'll give you guys a harder amount of reviews to get to before I post the next chapter. When I get to 611 reviews, I'll post the next chapter immediately. Until then, see ya guys when you send me your therapy bills!
-Aj