Luna
1249 Words
Maya's POV
I stepped into the hotel lobby, keeping my head down. Thankfully no one spared me a second glance.
I crossed the lobby, heading straight for the revolving doors.
A blast of cool morning air met me the moment I stepped outside. The city was already awake, traffic crawled through the streets, horns blared somewhere in the distance.
I headed straight for the bus stop at the corner.
A taxi slowed beside the curb, the driver lowering his window. "Need a ride?"
I smiled politely and shook my head. "No, thanks."
He shrugged, pulling away. I watched him disappear into traffic before glancing at the cash tucked safely inside my bag.
I could afford the ride now but every dollar I didn't spend was another dollar that stayed with Luna.
By the time the bus dropped me off, the morning rush had already swallowed the streets. I pulled my hoodie a little higher, adjusted the strap of my bag, and headed down the familiar road toward our neighborhood.
Halfway there, I stopped in front of a small jewelry store. My fingers brushed against the watch inside my bag…It couldn't hurt to ask.
A little bell chimed as I stepped inside. The man behind the counter looked up from a magnifying glass. He was in his late fifties, wearing thin spectacles that rested low on his nose. "Can I help you?"
I placed the watch on the glass counter. "I want to know how much it's worth."
He barely glanced at me before picking it up.
His brows drew together as he turned it over in his hand, examining every detail in silence. "Where did you get this?"
"My grandfather." I shrugged. "He left it to me."
His eyes lifted to mine. "For someone selling her grandfather's watch, you don't sound very sentimental."
I smiled. "That's because sentiment doesn't pay rent."
He held my gaze for another second before looking back at the watch. "This isn't something people usually walk around with." He paused. "Assuming it's authentic..."
"It is."
"...then you're holding a small fortune."
I blinked. "How small?"
“$250,000.”
For a moment, I thought I'd heard him wrong. "You're joking."
"I'm not."
I stared at the watch lying between us. All that...for something that told the time.
Slowly, I reached across the counter and picked it up. "Thanks for your time."
The jeweler frowned. "You're not selling it?"
“Not today." I slipped the watch back into my bag. As I turned to leave, I could still feel his eyes following me. He obviously didn't believe my story.
-----
I unlocked the apartment door as quietly as I could, stepping inside.
The television was still on, playing some morning cartoon. Her half-finished homework notebook lay open on the coffee table.
I smiled to myself…Luna.
My eyes found her a second later. She was curled up on the couch with a blanket thrown over her legs, one hand tucked beneath her cheek. Guilt settled in my chest.
I walked over and nudged her shoulder gently. "Luna."
"Hey, sleepyhead. You're going to be late."
I nudged her again when I didn't get a response.
She frowned, cracking one eye open.
She blinked at me, then shot upright so fast the blanket slid off her lap and hit the floor. "Maya!"
“H…..”
"Where were you?" she demanded. "Do you have any idea what time it is? I called you, like, a million times! I thought you got kidn*pped or hit by a bus or…or..." She stopped to point an accusing finger at me. "You didn't even text me!"
I held up both hands. "Okay, okay..."
"No, not okay!"
"You done?"
"No!"
"Crazy pants," I chuckled, reaching over to ruffling her messy curls.
She slapped my hand away. "Don't 'crazy pants' me! I'm serious…I was worried." She whispered the last part.
I softened. "I'm sorry."
She crossed her arms, pretending to stay angry. "...You're buying me bubble tea after school."
"There it is."
"What?"
"The real reason you're yelling at me." A grin tugged at the corner of my mouth. "Now go. You're already late."
Luna groaned loudly. "I knew you were going to say that."
"Because I'm the responsible one."
She stopped halfway down the hall and looked back at me. "The responsible one disappeared all night."
"...Okay, that's fair."
She pointed a finger at me as she walked backwards. "And don't think saying sorry gets you out of this. We're talking after school."
"Yes, ma'am."
She lingered in the hallway, still looking at me. "You better be here when I get back."
I blinked. "Where else would I be?"
"I don't know." She shrugged. "Doing whatever you were doing last night."she mumbled, turning toward her room.
I laughed, shaking my head as I walked into the kitchen.
The loaf of bread was exactly where I'd left yesterday. I grabbed it and reached for the cheese.
I cracked the egg into the pan and got distracted looking for the ketchup.
By the time I turned back, smoke was curling up from the pan. "Oh, come on..."
I hurriedly flipped the egg. It had burned around the edges.
I sighed. "Good enough.” I slid the egg onto the bread and reached for the knife.
The smell caught in the back of my throat. I stared at the blackened edges as I scraped them with the knife.
For a second, all I could see was another piece of bread.
My stepmother set the plate down between Luna and me without so much as a glance. “You two can have what's left.”
Luna, so small back then…looked from the bread to the roast chicken everyone else was eating. "But... I'm still hungry."
"Then drink water." My step sister giggled.
My father's chair scraped softly against the floor. I remember looking at him, waiting for just one word…Anything. But he lowered his eyes and kept eating.
"Maya?" Luna's voice pulled me back. She was standing in the kitchen doorway, her backpack hanging off one shoulder. "Is that my breakfast?"
I looked down at the sandwich in my hand. "...Yeah." I slid the plate toward her. "Try not to judge it too hard."
She poked at the toast with one finger. "So... if I survive this, can I get those bubble teas?"
“Maybe.” I leaned against the kitchen counter, watching her chew.
After a moment, she cleared her throat. "Um..."
"Hm?"
"My sneakers are kind of falling apart." She kept her eyes on the sandwich as she spoke. "The sole's coming off but I can glue it for now if it's too expens…"
"No." I cut her off. "I'll get you a new pair."
She looked up. "Really?"
"Yup."
A smile spread across her face. "Wow... that was easy."
"It should be." I smiled back. "I made good money last night."
The smile on her face faded just a little. "Maya..." She put the sandwich down.
"I know you do what you have to do..but every time you go out like that..." She let out a small sigh. "I keep thinking this is going to be the night something goes wrong."
"It won't."
"You don't know that." She shook her head. "Just... be careful, okay?"
"I always am, Luna. There's nothing to be worried about."
She held my gaze for another second before looking back at her breakfast. "I just don't want you picking the wrong person one day."
I forced out a small smile. "Don't worry."
- Writer
