Thanks to Maleeha x for reviewing

I am so, so sorry for not having updated in months. I have way too many stories going on right now, and haven't been sure about how to continue with this. I've known all along where it'll lead but I didn't know what would come next only. But anyway, here we are and here's a brand new chapter. I hope you like it.

Jody POV

"And then…" Mr. Stevens was going through which students have come to close. "…We have a new girl in this class. Maya-Nicole Connally- Henderson?"

My God? How could I had forgotten all about Maya?

"Maya- Nicole Connally-Henderson." Mr. Stevens looked around the room. "Isn't Maya- Nicole Connally-Henderson here today? Miss Jackson." He looked down on me. "I thought she was supposed to come with you. Wasn't she?"

"What?" I heard from the back of the room and turned. I had to force myself not to get onto my feet, run over to the girl in the back and punch her or whatever. Anything that would mean she hurt. Because I knew exactly what was coming next. "So it's just another care kid then? Why does she come here one month into the term? In the middle of a group essay? She's going to have to be a part of one group and she'll mess the whole thing up for everybody else in that."

"Thank you for your concern Miss Conrad." Mr. Stevens said calmly. "But I think we can make it work together. Now again, Miss Jackson." He looked down on me. "Would you be so kind and go and see if you can find your friend?"

"Of course Mr. Stevens." I got onto my feet quickly and hurried towards the door. "MAYA." I shouted through the hallway. "MAYA, where did you go? Maya?" I walked in the direction where I had seen her the last. And past our lockers. "MAYA? You're not getting sick again, are you? Nope. There's nobody in here." I was talking to myself while I checked the bathrooms. Then gave a deep sigh while I walked out into the hallway. "There you are, class have started and Mr. Stevens is wondering where you are? What happened? Why didn't you come after me?"

"I just got a bit lost and forgot in what direction you went. Should we just get to class?"

Weeks after Maya's first day at our school I would be able to barely remember things I actually didn't care about. Because today I didn't care about the way Maya held her books and things in front of her, pressed towards her abdomen as if to cover something. If I had known I might have noticed the way she pushed pieces of the cheesy, pasta with chicken we had for lunch and threw big parts of the portion she had taken in the trash afterwards. I might have noticed the way she shook her head for her fringe and hair to hang over her face. Or at least cover half of it- the half with all the scars.

But I didn't. I thought then they only made sense. She'd be a bit shy, she was at a new school after all. She wouldn't be hungry since she had only been ill just. And boy. If I would have had those scars…

And of course I would have punched that girl talking loud and clear about care kids in the hallway in the face. Break her nose or something. Give her scars. I had hit her before and wouldn't mind doing it again. Although Mike wouldn't be happy about it and I might get suspended.

"I've got better things to do then to join a dance team with Jamie "Care kids suck" Conrad and her squad…" By the end of the day I stood with Tyler by the doors and waited for Maya to catch up. Talking about the dance team that had started getting ready for the competition in two and a half months. To show what I thought about them all I made a few moves, then made some weird ballet-parody thing and put my arms in the air just as the girls from dancing walked by with their teacher at the end. "Oh hello."

"Do you know…" I sent Tyler a death glare when he started talking. "…That Jody is actually a really good dancer. She dances I don't know… Break or street or whatever they're all called. She even taught herself to do it." I sighed and rolled my eyes. "You should see her."

"Hmm." Miss Donoghue stopped in her tracks and looked from Tyler to me and back again, then back to me and up and down. "We could use one more who does mostly hip hop dancing. Jackson right? Jody Jackson?"

"Yes Ma'am." I glared on Tyler, then looked over the group of dancers in front of me. "Could need some more boys too couldn't you?"

"Oh no." Some of the girls giggled and Tyler laughed out loud. "I couldn't dance well to save a life. Look. If I dance, I look like a walrus with an afro trying to move around. BUT. Jody is actually really good at dancing."

Miss Donoghue looked me up and down once again and seemed to think hard about something. And if there was something every student at this school knew about- Miss Donoghue's words were law.

"Auditions are in the gym tomorrow, four PM. I hope I'll see you there."

"Who is she?" Just as the dancers walked away Maya came from the other direction. "And who are they?"

"The dance team." I told her and glared at Tyler one more time while we started walking towards the doors and the bus stop. "And their coach, Miss Donoghue. Apparently the auditions for this year's team are tomorrow and it seems she wants me on her team this year."

"And what do dance teams even do?" Maya questions. "I don't think any other school I've ever been to has had one. Dancing is for free time and… Don't we have to run now to catch the bus?"

"It's fine. They have dancing competitions in town twice a year. In June and in December. And there is one in two months, right before Christmas. So she wants people for the team. And she's like very picky. And only wants the best and some of the girls are so…. Ugh! I just don't care about it. I can't even bother."

"It sounds like you know awfully much about it for someone who doesn't care."

I couldn't help but to just grimace jokingly at Maya. But she just rolled her eyes while our group of three walked back towards the bus stop where we had gotten off the bus this morning and went back to the dumping ground. Still without a single word.

"A letter came for you today Maya." May-Li said coming out of the office just as we came inside and handed an envelope to the dark-haired girl next to me. Maye looked down on it for a second, then before saying anything to anyone hurried through the hallway and up the stairs. Where we could hear her bedroom door slam behind her.

I looked after her and in the corner of my eye I could see Tyler and May-Li doing the same. And there had just been something in Maya's body language that had me thinking that the letter Maya had gotten meant something more than commercial or anything else that ever came to the children around here.

I did understand that someone might tell me that Maya could need some time alone if I said anything. So without a word I hurried up the stairs and after Maya. Where I knocked on the door to hers and Candi-Rose's room and waited.

"Come in or stay where you are. It's your decision… Really? We only spent the whole day together already. What's up now?"

"Yeah I know. I just saw you with that letter and I wondered. Well. Are you alright?" Maya nodded and threw the folded letter on her bed in front of her. "What was the letter about, if you don't mind me asking?"

"It's fine. Everybody asks." Maya looked like it was anything but fine and I regretted my question but was too sneaky to interrupt. "You're going to find out sooner or later anyway. Well, you can't exactly miss it. I look like…" She gestured to her scarred face. "A monster from burn scars. And about once a year I have surgery. Because as we grow the skin is supposed to stretch out or… well… Just look at this…." She held up her left hand and showed me how she couldn't fully stretch four fingers. "Scarred skin doesn't stretch if you get what I mean. So when all of the rest of me has grown I have to have surgery. Skin transplants." Maya grabbed the paper and waved with it with a deep sigh. Then fell back towards her bed. "Just go away will you?"

"Shouldn't you tell Mike? If you're having surgery I mean."

"I've got almost two months to do so. I'll have time."

"Do you want me to tell him?"

"NO." Maya stood up and shouted in my face. "And go away. Go, go… shoo." I backed out the door and Maya slammed it in front of my face. "And stay there." She shouted through the door. "I just want to be alone."

I didn't move for another few seconds.

Then finally, I just had to realize that getting Maya to open up might be a bigger challenge than I thought at first I went into my room and slumped down onto my back on the bed and stared into the ceiling as if an answer to how I would be able to help Maya, or even help myself to help her. Or do anything to help anyone would turn up right ahead of me if I just stared for long enough.

"Hey." Mike suddenly appeared in the doorway. "Can I come in?" I nodded and sat up. "How was it today?" I shrugged, pretty normal day. "Listen. I wouldn't ask you for this if I didn't have to. But you have noticed that Maya is… well. She's a bit special. But, as you already know. There are loads of children here right now and we've got a lot to do which means that you older kids gets to spend much time alone and without my or May-Li's help. And Maya just came here. And… What I'm trying to say is… I know that you're in the same homeroom and everything so I was hoping. I was hoping that maybe… Try and be her friend yeah? Can you do that? I know it's a weird thing to ask for but… I think it's what she needs. And I think you two could make good friends if you gave each other a chance. And like I said, I think it's what she needs coming to this place. Knowing that there is someone in the whole wide world who doesn't want to give up on her. Do you get me?"

"I get it. And I'm already trying, I figured it would work since we're in the same homeroom at school and everything. But she… She's not exactly the easiest person to talk to."

"I know. But she's only been here for a couple of days. And neither were you when you first came here. Believe me." I just glared back at Mike, but knowing he was right. "But we had Tracy then. And you guys understand each other better than what I or May-Li or anyone else will be able to." Mike smiled back at me. "I really think you could be able to help her. I trust you Jody. And I also know that what Maya, or actually any new kid that comes here. Needs someone to care for them, a friend. Or at least just somebody who doesn't give up on them." Mike looked pleading at them. "And I know that if you put your mind into doing something you're not giving up until you've done it."

"Yeah that sounds like me." I smiled back at Mike who smiled at me, patted my knee and then left the room. "Close the door after you please." Once the door was closed I fell backwards towards the bed and stared into the ceiling. "Mike trusts me…" I spoke mostly to myself. "…He is right though. I don't give up on things I've made up my mind on. I just wish there was a way to show Maya that no one here, neither me nor Mike nor anybody else will give up on her like I guess everybody she's ever done have before."

Well. Maya and Jody go to school together. And Jody is trying to be her friend. But it's kind of hard and she's not thinking about some things that seem pointless now but won't be so in the future. Now Mike is asking her to keep doing so… So what is it that will change in the future and how bad will it become?

Random fact

I did realize that told from Jody's point of view like this it almost, during some whiles seemed like Jody was in love with Maya. So just to clear everything up- she's not. She just cares for her and wants to be friends with her. As she and everybody else are realizing that would be what Maya so badly needs at this moment.