Chapter 28: Calm After The Storm

By Victory Thru Tears

Maya's POV

I slowly open my eyes, blinking in the sunlight. We should really have closed that window shade last night. I sit up, looking around. Nobody else is awake. Taz is covered with blankets next to me, snoring lightly. Connie is on the bed by herself, a pillow over her head. Julie is on my other side, a content look on her face.

I grab a hair band and pull it around my mess of a hair. I hate sleepovers for one simple reason- you always wake up feeling like you've been run over.

I have no idea where the bathroom is. I think it's attached to the other room, the one where the boys are sleeping.

I walk through the door, and am greeted by eight boys, all dead to the world. I can't help but stop and stare at them for a moment. Adam and Charlie are wrapped around each other, their faces barely inches apart. All the boys I've shared beds with said that they hated cuddling. It must be a gay guy thing. Fulton and Portman are also close together on the bed, each with a few limbs hanging over the edge.

There is going to be a huge fight for the showers later. I'm glad that I'm the first one awake.

Taz and I easily made up last night. After yelling at Adam for making her cry, I went outside and tried to calm her down. I convinced her that I wasn't mad at her, and then went back inside with a happy lesbian.

And I guess that it's true- I'm not mad. Just jealous. Very jealous.

Adam and I have had this conversation many times. Taz and Charlie, Charlie and Taz- the dynamic duo. It's so annoying. I get the idea that Adam doesn't think that Taz likes him much either, but I think he's too embarrassed to tell me that. I understand that. I'd never tell him about my suspicions about Charlie not liking me.

I don't think Taz has ever really thought about Adam. I mean, she hated him for the few hours in between him kissing me and our detention a few months ago, but after that he just wasn't really something she was worried about. So of course she likes him.

I know she was upset to find out that Adam doesn't exactly love her. But she got over it quickly. She always does. Taz doesn't dwell on things. That's more of my way of thinking. I hold the worst grudges sometimes, mostly because I don't know how to deal with things.

I brush my hair after my shower, dressed in new clothes. I open the door to find a line of very sleepy looking boys.

"I should have guessed it was a girl." Fulton mumbles from the front. He pushes past me and gets into the bathroom.

"Took you long enough. Did you put on a new face or something?" Portman asks, now the front of the line.

I'm awake, he's not, and he's annoying me. They come together to form an easy solution. I throw my shoulder against him, causing him to stumble backwards. He tries to catch himself, but lands on his back on the floor. The boys snort with laughter.

"Portman's a wimp!" Kenny yells. Portman stands to tower over the small Asian boy, who gives him a polite grin.

I roll my eyes and leave the boys to do whatever they want. I enter our room again. Taz's snores have gotten louder. I'm not going to wake her up. 'Taz asleep' is a synonym for peace. Julie's sitting on the bed, and Connie is nowhere to be seen. Julie smiles at me, and I smile back. I'd only gotten to know her last night, and I found that she is a really cool person. I think I'll enjoy her company.

"Guy's awake," I tease her, sitting down next to her and brushing the rest of my wet hair.

"Shut up." She mumbles, her face turning a deep shade of red.

It'd taken her hours, but she'd finally admitted to having a crush on her old best friend's ex-boyfriend. Connie hadn't been in the room, she had been downstairs making out with her new flame, that snake Luis. Taz had been downstairs also with (who else?) Charlie.

I'm going to keep encouraging Julie. Guy's a cool guy, and is so obviously interested in her too. She insists that he's not, but I beg to differ. I'd like to think I can read people fairly well.

Julie excuses herself as Connie enters the room. She's also freshly showered. I don't want to be stuck in a room with Connie either, so I kick Taz a few times to wake her up. She groans as she rouses.

"What?" She's always so grumpy in the morning.

"Wake up." I command.

"No." She rolls over, pulling the blankets over her head.

"If you don't, I'll get Charlie in here to torture you." I sigh. When in doubt, use Charlie.

She jumps out of her bed and runs off into another room. That was easy enough.