When I was in sixth grade. Katie Herrington invited me to her house for her 13th birthday party. She was one of my only friends not on the reservation. Our mom's had met in a birthing class before we were born and off and on throughout the years, I'd come over for a sleepover, or a party, or family dinner. Katie didn't particularly like me. She was blonde, blue eyed, and pale faced. I was warm, with dark hair and liquid amber eyes. Clearly opposites. But on her 13th birthday, when we were all starting to try and act more like women instead of like girls, Katie flounced around in a bikini at her pool. I was still in a one piece, my mother not ready to let me flourish into a woman. Katie had whispered in her friend's ears and I immediately knew they were talking about me. But I swam anyway, hell bent on being myself in my lame one piece. Because as long as they saw me, they couldn't erase me. I was here and they didn't have to like it, but they would respect it. When I went home though, I threw the one piece away and begged my mom for a bikini. Some things you can conquer, and some things take a little masquerading to save face.
On the way to her house, Maya asked Paul to drop her at Keye's instead so she could get her phone. He agreed and when she waved to him as she opened Keye's front door, he smiled and pulled away. The look made her heart skip.
"Keye?" Maya said as she climbed the stairs to Keye's bedroom. There was no answer and Maya wasn't sure if the silence was reassuring or indicative of something more happening. She gently knocked on Keye's bedroom door before pushing it open. She could tell there were two people asleep on the bed. Maya spotted her phone charging on Keye's nightstand and she creeped over to grab it.
The naked back of Collin was stretched across Keye's bed. Maya noticed Keye was also naked from the waist up and tucked under his arm. She couldn't help but smile a little as she creeped back out of the room, phone in hand. As she made her way down the hall, she pulled open the messages Paul had sent her last night:
5 missed calls, 2 new voicemails.
9 new text messages.
Yikes.
She opened the texts first, three of which were from Jeremy.
Jeremy: Hey Maya, I'm at the front door of Keye's. Can you let me in?
J: I brought pizza! I promise I won't be lame, Paul just asked if I could check on you.
J: Where are you guys? I called Becks but she didn't answer. Are you guys okay?!
That escalated quickly. Maya didn't realize he had Becks' number. Huh. Then she opened the ones from Paul.
Paul: Just checking in. This expo is boring. Are you having fun at Keye's?
P: I want to see you for breakfast tomorrow. I can come get you at Keye's first thing.
P: About to board my flight. Text me back please.
P: Maya where are you? Jeremy just called and said you're not at Keye's? Answer your phone.
P: I swear to god Maya if you don't pick up your phone and let me know where you are, I'm coming to find you.
P: I'm sorry if this is intense. I just need to know you're safe. It's driving me crazy. Text me back now otherwise I'm coming to get you right now.
Maya's eyes ran over the messages again. He was genuinely worried and the intensity of the messages squeezed at her heart. She listened to her voicemail's next. The first was from Jeremy:
Maya, where are you guys? For real, Paul is going to kill me if I can't find you. I know I'm only supposed to bodyguard you at school, but he asked me to check on you and you and Beck's aren't answering your phones. Listen, I won't sound the alarm or tell him that you guys snuck out or anything, I just need to know where you are so nothing bad happens. Please call me back. Sorry.
Oops. Maya pressed delete and listened to the next message that was from Paul.
Maya, it's Paul. You know, the guy who's supposed to protect you because you're my imprint and all? No big fucking deal. Anyway, Jeremy called me in a panic, said you were not at Keye's and the last I heard, that's where you were going to be tonight. You're not answering texts. You're not answering calls, and no one can find you. This is not okay. I know we're just friends or whatever, but I have to know where you are Maya. You mean too much to...to me. Okay?
And then under his breath he said 'Fuck' before hanging up. Just as the night before, the sound of it sent a thrill through her. When he said it, it gave Maya the distinct feeling that he admitted something and then realized his admission too late. Something he didn't want Maya to know just yet.
Maya saved the message in her phone and smiled. As she pondered whether or not to tease Paul about this later, she heard laughing and a rustling sound behind the closed guest bedroom door to her left. The door was left slightly ajar and Maya, unable to stop herself, peeked through the sliver of open door.
Becks was sprawled out on the bed, legs open and someone was dipping their head between them, pulling out gasps and sighs from her. In her shock and surprise, Maya accidentally pushed the door open a few more inches, causing it to creak. The sound startled Becks back to reality and she sat up quickly, her eyes shooting toward the door.
"Maya?!" Becks said when she saw the deer in the headlights look from Maya in the hallway.
"Oh! Sorry!" Maya cried backing away from the door. Suddenly, the man who had been working between Becks' thighs leaned up and looked toward the door, surprised at the name Becks cried.
Jeremy.
"Oh fuck! I'm sorry. I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" Maya said when she realized who it was. She flew down the steps and into the kitchen putting a hand on her head. Oh fuck. Becks and Jeremy?! That would explain why he had Becks' number and had been calling her last night to find out where they were.
To distract herself, she started to pull pans out of the cupboard and set to work fixing up a breakfast spread.
About 45 minutes later, Becks and Jeremy stumbled down the stairs into the kitchen.
"My…" Becks said softly. Maya shook her head and gave her a smile over her shoulder.
"Becks, it's fine. I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to snoop." She said reassuringly, but something in her stomach made her worried for Becks. It was one thing for Maya to be pulled into the weird protection group because of Paul's imprint, but now her friends were mingling with Sam's group and she didn't know what that meant. The feeling at her stomach pulled in obvious worry and she wanted to tell Becks to be careful, but she had no real reason to.
"I don't want things to be weird," she said, looking between her and Jeremy.
"Honestly Becks! I can't believe you're tearing my fake relationship apart!" Maya said in mock outrage. This pulled a smile from both Jeremy and Becks and eased their tension. Jeremy slung an arm around Becks' shoulder and pulled her in to kiss her head.
"See? I told you she'd be fine."
"Yeah, yeah," Becks said dismissively as she patted his chest and then slipped from under his arm to go and grab some plates. "Is Keye still sleeping?"
"Yeah. With Collin," Maya emphasized. Jeremy made a whooping noise and Maya rolled her eyes. "Can you go wake them up? This is all going to be ready soon."
"Yes!" Becks said as she skipped off. Jeremy smacked her ass as she went by to an incredulous yelp from Becks.
"Help me with this," Maya said to Jeremy for the massive spread before her. She'd gone a little crazy in her panic at seeing Jeremy and Becks and had whipped up a pile of scrambled eggs, a whole package of bacon, a heap of pancakes, and about ten pieces of toast. Jeremy looked thrilled.
Over breakfast, Jeremy recounted the absolute verbal beating he had taken from Paul when he told him Maya wasn't at Keye's and they couldn't find them. Maya blushed profusely and apologized.
"Don't. He's not the first one to freak out about his imprint. We're used to it." Jeremy nodded toward Collin who in between bites gave noises of confirmation.
"Oh! So are you going to the bonfire next Friday?" Jeremy said. Collin tensed and Maya looked at him confused for a moment.
"I mean, yeah my mom organizes them, so I'm like required by proxy." Maya responded.
"So true, I don't think Maya has ever missed a bonfire. Not since maybe second grade when you had pneumonia." Becks said.
"I honestly didn't think you'd go considering how weird the council is being with Paul," he said nonchalantly. Maya stiffened.
"What do you mean weird? What have they said?" Maya demanded. Collin gave Jeremy a look.
"What?" Jeremy said to Collin confused.
"Dude. This is why Paul bites your head off all the time. You need to let him tell her this shit. Maya, it's nothing really," Collin dismissed. Keye looked to Collin and Maya.
"Are they talking shit again about their 'relationship'? What is with them? They're worse than a group of high school girls. And I'm a high school girl, I would fucking know." Keye said a little annoyed. Maya's heart was beating too rapidly.
"Jeremy," she looked at him seriously. "What did they say to him?"
"I—" Jeremy hesitated looking at Collin and then at Becks who shrugged. "Fuck, Maya I'm sorry. They've been giving Paul shit because you guys aren't together. He told them to mind their business, but...they're kind of relentless when it comes to imprints and tribe protection and blah blah blah." He waved it off and Maya's eyes went wide.
"But Chief Black told me that the imprint defines the relationship. And I told Paul I just wanted to be friends...is that just all bullshit then?" Maya was getting upset now and Collin say 'Man, I told you you should have let Paul tell her.' under his breath to Jeremy.
"My, it's not that big of deal. Paul's told them to basicall fuck off in more diplomatic terms so, no harm no foul."
Maya wondered if Paul was going to say anything to her at all. She let it go and told herself she wasn't going to bring it up to him, but if the council said anything to contrary on bonfire night, she wasn't sure if she'd be able to keep her cool. More and more, this imprint thing felt like a growing trap just waiting to snap around her and chain her to this reservation.
Later that week on Wednesday, Paul texted Maya during her lunch break and asked her if she would go to Sam and Emily's with him for dinner. She agreed but she was growing exceedingly more and more upset that Paul still hadn't brought up the fact that the council was unhappy that they were just friends. His words echoed in her head from a week ago:
What goes on between me and you is none of their business.
Is that what he'd meant when he said that? Paul picked her up from school that afternoon and once she was safely tucked in the car and on their way, he prompted her,
"You okay? You've been pretty quiet this week."
Maya didn't know how to answer him without opening the can of worms that was the council. And something told her that if she brought it up it would only make him mad.
"It's nothing, I'm just worn out with school," she said leaning her head back on the headrest. He gave her a sidelong look but didn't push it.
At Sam and Emily's, Maya made an effort to keep her distance from Paul just so he wouldn't read her so quickly. She tucked under Jeremy's arm and he led her outside so they could play a casual game of soccer with some of the other pack members. Maya almost felt like things were normal even though she was darting between a throng of shirtless, towering men down the small clearing in front of Emily's property. Jeremy caught her around the waist and spun her around when she got too close to the goal.
"That's cheating!" she screeched between laughter.
"It's only cheating if you get caught!" he replied. "My boys would never turn against me."
"Maya!" Sam called from the porch. Maya's head snapped up and as she made eye contact with him, he waved at her to join him. Paul was leaning against the doorframe, hands in his pockets. Maya jogged over and she found a spot next to Emily on the porch swing. Paul wouldn't make eye contact with her and looked angry.
"Everything okay?" Maya asked skeptically. Emily patted her knee as Sam looked over his shoulder at Paul before crossing his arms and letting out a sigh.
"So, we have a little bit of a problem," Sam said. Paul shook his head and Emily watched him carefully. "The council is…" He paused to look up at Maya now.
"The council is what? Unhappy that Paul and I are just friends?" Maya said knowingly. Pauls' gaze snapped up to her in apparent shock and she narrowed her eyes at him to show him she was annoyed, "You should have told me." She said to him. Paul took a step toward her and then stopped.
"Yes. They are upset with the...progression of the relationship," Sam said, almost as if he was tired.
"So all that talk about 'the imprint defines the relationship...Maya whatever you want to do is totally fine' is complete bullshit then huh?" Maya was mad now.
"It's unfortunate, but the council has very unique feelings about imprints and their bond with their imprinter. They assumed that the pull of the imprint is strong enough that the relationship automatically when turn into a romantic one. You and Paul are clearly different and they are...unhappy with the current outcome." Sam explained. Paul fixed Maya with a hard stare.
"Sorry I'm not willing to get knocked up at 18." She said, her eyes flickering to Sam.
"Hey," Paul warned Maya. "Take it easy. That's not what Sam is saying." Maya scoffed.
"That doesn't change the fact that you should have told me what was going on, Paul!"
"Okay, hold on," Sam said stepping in front of Paul who was taking steps toward Maya. "Maya, I'm on your side. I'm fine with the relationship you and Paul have. I don't agree with this pressure the council is putting on Paul. But...that's what I wanted to talk to you about."
Maya looked back to Sam before he continued. "We need you to….consider…ugh," Sam said. "Emily." He looked to her for help.
"We need you to put on a little bit of show..for Paul's sake. Just to get the council off of him and to make them think you guys are...more than what you are. That way, you two can continue on in peace, Paul gets out from under them, and the pressure gets taken off of both of you," she explained gently. Maya looked from her to Paul, incredulous.
"A show?" she said, "Like you want me to pretend that we're…."
"Together," Sam confirmed. "Just in front of the council. I honestly don't think it will take much more than some hand holding, but it's different from how you two normally act so…"
"This is stupid, she doesn't have to do this. I can handle them," Paul said defensively. Maya considered this as she looked at Paul. It's not that they didn't touch, but she did notice that they both tried to give each other a wide berth except for those moments on the couch in the low light of the living room. Innocent enough.
"No! It's fine. If it gets them off of your back...then let's do it," Maya conceded. Paul looked at her with surprise.
"You sure?" he said after a long moment. Maya nodded.
"I was cast as the lead in our production of Beauty and the Beast last fall. If I can pretend to be in love with Hector Skick, I can pull this off."
She could do this. A pang of worry pulled through Maya's stomach at the thought of Paul being close to her for an extended period of time. Her mind flickered back to his hands on her hips in the dark club, squeezing her thigh and playing with the tip of her braid on the couch, his hand in her hair. She could do this. The look of want on Paul's face was clear and he swallowed hard. Could he do this? She wondered.
