Maya was particularly curious to see how school was going to go. Would Missy talk to her? Would she talk to Missy? If they did talk, what would Riley say? Would Riley judge her? Yell at her? Hug her? All these thoughts were jumbled up inside Maya's head, giving her a slight headache. Maya just shook the thoughts out of her head and headed towards her locker, slowly making her way through the crowd of people on the hallway. Getting to her locker, she breathed out and exhausted breath. Already tired and the day just started. "Hey Peaches," Riley greeted as she came up to her side. "How far did you get on your project?" Riley asked.
Maya nodded and placed some books in her locker. "Good. I guess, I got some work done," she answered absentmindedly.
"Ha!" Riley exclaimed. "You never told me that you had a project to do! You just said that you had to go pick out furniture!"
Maya closed her locker shut and shrugged. "And?"
"And I know for a fact that you could have hung out last night! Josh didn't leave class until seven. We left school at two o'clock Maya. Where were you?" Riley asked.
Maya sighed and crossed her arms over her chest. "I was just hanging out with a friend," she explained.
Riley crossed her arms over her chest and frowned. "Wait. Who could you possibly want to hang out with more than me? I thought we were best friends," she expressed.
"Riley don't be over dramatic. I just really needed to talk to someone who wouldn't walk on eggshells around me. We can hang out tonight if you want," Maya offered.
Riley shook her head. "No. I'm talking to Lucas tonight, but Maya who did you hang out with?"
Maya sighed and drummed her fingers on her belly. "Fine. You want to know so bad?" Riley nodded. "Missy Bradford."
Riley's eyes widened to the size of saucers. "Missy?" Her jaw dropped in disbelief. "Okay, I know that you are having a baby all, but do you have pregnancy brain? Are you forgetting how awful she is to you?"
"Sometimes people change Riley, I thought you of all people would believe that. You're Miss Positive for crying out loud!"
"Yeah I am, but you've also taught me that sometimes you have to be aware of people and what they do," Riley explained. "I just don't think you should hang out with her. I don't want you to get hurt."
Maya smiled at her best friend's thoughtfulness and patted her shoulder. "Thanks Riles, but I think I'll be fine."
Riley shook her head and shrugged Maya's hand off her shoulder. "No," she said sternly. "You are not going to hang out with her. I forbid you to."
Maya was taken aback. "You forbid me!" Maya placed her hands on her hips and tapped her foot angrily. "I'm sorry Riley, but you don't have that power! So if you'll excuse me, I have to go."
Maya turned on her heel and waddled away the best that she could. Maya let out a frustrated sigh and walked past Mr. Matthews classroom. It was empty, all except for Mr. Matthews, who was sitting at his desk. Maya turned to walk into the room and stood in front of the desk. "Hey Matthews!" She greeted. "What do you do when you feel yourself changing? Despite the fact that you're not ready."
Cory looked up from his papers and frowned slightly. "Something going on?" Maya nodded and waited for him to answer her question. "Uh well, it depends on the person." Maya still looked at him expectantly. "Well as people grow, they change based on their experiences. You are changing because you're realizing that it's not about you anymore, and you are adjusting your life accordingly."
Cory set down his pen and really looked at Maya. "You can't help that you're changing. Your circumstances are in control of that." He gestures towards her stomach. "And sometimes you may find yourself growing out of people or certain things. You can't help that. Did I help in any way Maya?"
Maya took a deep breath and tapped her fingers on her belly. "Just enough, Matthews. I'll see you in class."
Maya turned to leave his classroom and clutched her head in pain. "Ow," she muttered.
Cory looked up at her and quickly grew concerned. "Are you okay Maya?"
Maya nodded her head and tried to breathe through the pain. It was so bad, that she felt like there was someone in her head pounding her skull with a hammer. So bad that she wanted to cry. Holding back the tears, she continued to walk out the room despite the pain. Truthfully, she was getting these headaches more and more, and each time she felt as if they got worse. Shaking it off, Maya continued to walk on losing her balance as she walked. "Whoa there," Missy said as Maya ran into her. "Watch where you're going Maya. You don't want to hurt anyone." Missy looked at Maya, who was clutching her head in pain and crying softly. "Maya?" Maya just shook her head and cried some more, not caring if people were staring. "Somethings wrong," Missy concluded. "Come on. I'm going to take you back to my place. Charlie's mom is there and she's a doctor. Maybe she can help."
Missy led Maya back towards the entrance of the school, where Zay and Charlie were talking. Zay spotted Missy and Maya and ran up to them. "Where do you think you're going with her?"
Missy rolled her eyes and pushed Zay out of her way. "Move," she ordered. "Somethings wrong with Maya," she explained as Zay quickly became offended.
"Then take her to the nurse!" Zay exclaimed.
Missy's nostrils flared as she grew frustrated with Zay. "Does the nurse of a high school seem like she knows enough to take care of a pregnant teenager?" Zay closed his mouth and stared at Missy.
"Then where are you taking her?" He asked, annoyed that Missy was suddenly involved in Maya's life.
"You're taking her to my mom, aren't you?" Charlie piped.
Zay turned to see Charlie standing there with a worried look on his face. Missy nodded and turned her attention back to Maya. "Wait. You two talk?" Zay asked.
No one answered Zay as Charlie pulled out his car keys. "I'll drive you guys. There's no way she can walk if she's bawling like that."
Charlie went to the other side of Maya and helped her towards the door as Missy tried to aid her in the midst of her misery. Zay opened the door for them and followed them out the door. "If you're going anywhere with Maya I'm coming too."
Missy sat with Maya in the back of Charlie's car, moving the car seat out of their way in the process. Zay sat up front with Charlie and didn't even notice the car seat that was just abruptly moved in the back. "Okay Maya can you tell me what's going on?" Missy asked.
Maya took a deep breath, trying to draw her attention away from her horrible headaches to answer Missy. "My head," she groaned. "It's throbbing," she cried. "And I just want it to stop! It's getting worse by the second and they've been happening on and off. I just- ugh!" Maya screamed from the pain.
Zay just watched fearfully from the passenger seat, not really knowing what to do. "Where are we going?" He asked as he looked out the car window.
"To Charlie's place," Missy answered.
Charkie looked up in the rearview mirror and locked eyes with Missy. "Our place," he corrected. "My mom should still be there right now."
Zay shook his head. "Wait so you two live together? What are you guys married or something?"
"Something," Charlie answered vaguely. He looked over at Zay. "Do you have Josh's number?" He asked.
Zay nodded and pulled his phone out. "Yeah he gave it to me in case of an emergency."
"Well then call him. Because this is an emergency," Missy hissed from the backseat.
"Missy," Charlie warned.
"What?" She asked. "I said I was working on being nice."
Charlie shook his head and parked on the street swiftly in front of his house. Zay stood outside the car trying to reach Josh, but not getting an answer. "He's not answering," Zay announced as he helped them guide Maya into the house.
They sat her down on the couch and listened to Zay make countless calls to Josh, and while Charlie went to go find his mom."
"Now his mailbox is full!" Zay exclaimed as he shoved his phone in his pocket.
Suddenly, Charlie came back into the room with his mom in tow. "Here she is mom. She's been crying non stop from these bad headaches."
Charlie's mother, Rachel, looked at the poor girl in front of her. "Alright," she began. "I'm gonna need to you two to take her to my room. All my stuff is in there. I'll check her out see what's wrong. Okay? Now go!" She barked.
Missy and Charlie led her up the stairs where she sat down on top of Rachel's bed. "Great. Now you two leave so I can do what I need to do," she declared.
Charlie and Missy walked back down the stairs and waited nervously. "I'm gonna try Josh again," Charlie announced as he walked into the kitchen to make the call.
"Okay," Missy replied, looking around the room.
Zay looked at Missy and frowned. "I don't understand," he voiced.
"What's there to understand?" Missy asked obviously.
"I mean you and Charlie. What's going on here?" Zay asked curiously.
"Nothing you need to worry about," Missy answered quickly.
Zay shook his head. "Quite the opposite. It became my business when my friend was placed into your car and is now upstairs being checked out by his mom. What's going on here?" Zay asked again.
Missy sighed and rubbed her hands down her jeans. "Hold on. Just wait for Charlie to get back.
The pair waited silently for Charlie to come back in the room. Charlie came back a few minutes later looking slightly relieved. "Josh finally answered. He should be here soon." He looked at Missy and noticed her eye balling him. "What?" He asked. Missy gestured towards Zay and looked back at Charlie pointedly. "Oh," Charlie gasped, realizing what she meant. "Are you cool with telling him?" Missy nodded. Charlie looked at Zay and shrugged. "Well basically, we live together." Zay looked unimpressed. "Raising our son," Charlie finished.
Zay's eyes widened as he kept on shifting his focus. It went from Charlie to Missy and back again. "Remind me not to have sex in high school," he deadpanned. Charlie threw him a warning look. Zay raised his hands in surrender. "Just being honest man. Where's your bathroom? I drank a mega sized soda this morning."
Missy pointed him down the hall and watched him leave quietly. "You do realize he's probably going to lock himself in the bathroom until Maya comes back, right?"
Charlie shrugged. "Maybe, but it doesn't really matter."
Charlie opened his mouth to say something but was cut off by his mom entering the room. "Things don't look to good. She needs to go to a hospital now."