"Aren't you happy your suspension is over, Maya?" I put my happy smile again, slightly faking, because I know things have changed.
Maya's face is blank, staring forward, and she breaks out of her trance. "Yeah." She replies shortly, letting out a breath she was holding in.
"Are you okay?" I ask the worst question possible. I know she's not okay. It's obvious. But I need to break this silence.
"I will be."
"This isn't over, is it?" I lean against her.
"Nowhere near." She doesn't stop staring at something invisible directly in front of her face.
I want to ask her something, any one of the questions swirling in my brain, but I want to give her a break.
"Riles." She says directly.
"Yeah peaches?" I reply innocently.
"If you want to talk to me, you can. You don't have to hold back, you never have."
"Maya, I'll always be innocent and confused and stuff. And even though I know more about the world I know I'm still learning. But I will never be scared of you, even if everyone else tells me to." This is the one thing I'm sure of. "I just don't know where to start, and I don't want to pressure you."
"I can take it." She says, somewhat defensively.
"I know, peaches." I pause, and decide on the one question that has been bugging me since the first time I realized something weird was happening. "Maya, I have just one question..."
"Just one?!" She gasps, laughing a little.
"For now. Everything else can wait." I explain, and she smiles. "Last week Farkle said you were on a warning. Like when I still liked Lucas, and he wanted me to tell you before New Year. He told me to warn you that it was like that. What was he talking about?"
"Um..." she sighs. "He was there when Marly first said something to me. The day before, she was saying the same stuff, and he told me to ignore it, so I did."
"That makes sense, but it seemed more important..." I thought out loud. "I mean, he had no idea you'd break that promise... and..." then I remembered the other think Farkle said. "He said you needed to tell me something." I repeat his words from my memory.
"One question, Riley, remember? You said it!" She joked, laughing, trying to lighten the mood, but I still have no idea what she would want to keep from me. Marly confronting her and making a mere joke doesn't seem dire enough to be on a Farkle warning for.
"Ok, sure. Let's go then, we don't want to be late for school." We get our bags and leave through the window.
Walking into school on Monday scares me. Everyone's had a weekend to think. It feels like we're being watched, and not just by the freshmen class. News sure gets around quickly in high school.
Nevertheless we still walk in as if nothing happened, but more nervous. "Hey!" I greet the rest of our friend group, trying to stay as cheery as possible.
We all head to history and sit in our normal places, and everything seems to go as if nothing happened last week. My dad looks us all over and sighs, before starting a lesson about the revolutionary war.
I cant find any links to our real lives right now, it maybe I'm not thinking straight. Everything is weird. It's more normal than it's ever been. Farkle and Smackle answer most questions, despite my dad's attempt to get everyone else to try.
This is until I turn around and look at Lucas, who has been extremely quiet. He is shaking uncontrollably, beads of sweat lining his forehead. When he sees me looking at him, he quickly turns his head away.
"Lucas?" I ask, but am interrupted by my dad.
"No talking in class, Miss Mathews." He says, with the most blunt voice I've ever heard him use in my life. My head whips back to the front of the class and my eyes widen.
I open my mouth, ready to query him in utter shock, but I see a helpless look in his eyes that tells me he'll explain later. My mouth closes and I turn to Maya, who shrugs with eyes which must be as wide as mine.
"Head to the front, Riley. Don't forget we're discussing the importance of the battle of Yorktown in the war." My father warns me with the same flat tone of voice.
"Class dismissed." My dad calls just as the bell rings, and everyone gets up and runs out. I want to follow Lucas and ask him what was wrong, but I also want to ask my dad why he was acting so weird.
I feel like the only clueless one. Everyone is acting like this is normal, but I know it isn't.
"Lucas, wait!" I call, deciding that I can ask my dad later, but he keeps his head down and rushes to Math. So instead, I stand in the middle of class until it is empty, then shrug at my dad.
"You have a class to get to, don't you?" He sighs.
"Drop the act now, Dad, what's going on?! I need someone to actually normal around me for a change." I almost yell.
"Calm down, Riley. It's ok." I finally hear some sincerity in his voice.
"Please explain why you were acting like that earlier." I repeat.
He looks reluctant, but sighs and begins. "Maya's therapist contacted the school and advised that maybe me giving certain student skills special treatment in class gives them the feeling that they can do anything."
"What?!" I gasp. "They're blaming you for what happened?"
He gives a speechless nod. "Cmon now, you're going to be late for Math."