CHAPTER FIVE — WHAT MAYA DID
2539 Words
I didn’t sleep that night.
Every time I closed my eyes, I saw Sarah’s message.
I know what she did before you met her.
I hated that sentence.
Not because I didn’t want to know.
Because I desperately did.
And because some part of me was already afraid that whatever Sarah had to say would change the way I looked at Maya.
By six the next morning, I had made my decision.
I was going to meet Sarah.
Alone.
⸻
She was waiting for me behind the old science block.
The place was almost empty that early in the morning.
Sarah stood with her arms folded, watching me approach.
For a second, I saw the girl I used to know.
The girl who used to sit beside me in Sunday school.
The girl who knew every embarrassing thing I had ever done.
The girl who used to sneak sweets into my bag during church.
Then she smiled.
It wasn’t the same smile.
“Hi, Eleena.”
“Tell me.”
She sighed.
“You don’t even want to say hello?”
“Sarah.”
She looked away.
“Fine.”
There was a long silence.
Then she said,
“I didn’t send that picture because I hate you.”
“I know.”
“I sent it because I was worried.”
“You don’t get to decide what I’m supposed to be worried about.”
“I know.”
“Then why?”
She looked at me.
“Because I know Maya.”
My stomach tightened.
“You’ve known her for weeks.”
“Longer than you think.”
I frowned.
“What does that mean?”
Sarah hesitated.
Then she said,
“Maya used to attend my university.”
I stared at her.
“What?”
“She transferred.”
“Why?”
Sarah looked down at the ground.
“Because of what happened.”
“What happened?”
She took a breath.
“There was a girl in our department. Her name was Nia.”
I waited.
“Maya and Nia were close. Very close. People knew they were friends.”
“Okay.”
“But Nia was being harassed by someone.”
My expression changed.
“Who?”
“A senior student.”
Sarah’s voice dropped.
“He kept sending her messages. Following her after lectures. Waiting outside her hostel.”
My stomach turned.
“What did Maya do?”
“She confronted him.”
“That sounds like Maya.”
“It got worse.”
Sarah looked at me.
“Maya threatened him.”
“Threatened him how?”
“She told him if he went near Nia again, she’d make sure everyone knew what he was doing.”
I didn’t see the problem.
“So she protected her friend.”
Sarah nodded.
“She did.”
“Then what happened?”
“Maya got blamed for something she didn’t do.”
I frowned.
“What?”
“The boy was attacked.”
My eyes widened.
“Attacked?”
“Someone beat him badly.”
“And they thought Maya did it?”
“She had threatened him. She was the last person seen arguing with him.”
I stared at Sarah.
“Did she do it?”
“No.”
The answer came too quickly.
“You sound very sure.”
“Because I was there.”
I blinked.
Sarah swallowed.
“I saw Maya leave that night.”
“So why was she blamed?”
“Because Maya lied.”
My heart sank.
“What did she lie about?”
“She said she was alone.”
I waited.
“She wasn’t.”
“Who was with her?”
Sarah looked directly into my eyes.
“Nia.”
I didn’t understand.
“Why would she lie about that?”
“To protect her.”
Sarah’s voice became softer.
“Nia had been threatened before. She was terrified that if people knew she’d been involved, the harassment would get worse.”
“So Maya took the blame?”
“She let everyone believe she had done it.”
“And?”
“Maya was suspended.”
My mouth fell open.
“For how long?”
“Three months.”
“Did they find out the truth?”
“Eventually.”
I looked at her.
“Then why did she transfer?”
Sarah gave a bitter laugh.
“Because by then everyone had decided what kind of person she was.”
I was quiet.
“So what exactly are you trying to tell me?”
Sarah stepped closer.
“That Maya has a habit.”
“What habit?”
“She lies when she thinks she’s protecting someone.”
I felt something cold settle in my chest.
“She lied to protect Nia,” I said.
“Yes.”
“She didn’t hurt anyone.”
“No.”
“So what’s the problem?”
Sarah looked at me for a long moment.
“The problem is that you don’t know when she’s protecting you and when she’s making decisions for you.”
I didn’t answer.
Because suddenly I remembered every time Maya had told me not to worry.
Every time she’d changed the subject.
Every time she’d looked at me with that strange certainty.
I’ll protect you.
Sarah touched my arm.
“I don’t think Maya is a bad person, Eleena.”
I looked at her.
“I think she’s the kind of person who would burn everything down to keep someone she loves from getting hurt.”
My heart stopped.
“Someone she loves?”
Sarah’s expression changed.
“That’s what you need to figure out.”
⸻
I found Maya beneath the mango tree.
The same place where we’d first met.
She was sitting on the grass, her backpack beside her.
When she saw me, she smiled.
Then she noticed my face.
The smile disappeared.
“What happened?”
I stopped in front of her.
“Did you lie to me?”
She went completely still.
“What?”
“About what happened at your old university.”
Maya’s eyes dropped.
That was all it took.
My heart cracked.
“You did.”
“Eleena—”
“Did you?”
She stood.
“Yes.”
I took a step back.
“Why?”
“I didn’t want you to hear it from someone else.”
“But I did.”
“I know.”
“Sarah told me.”
Maya closed her eyes.
“Of course she did.”
“You let everyone think you attacked that boy.”
“I didn’t attack him.”
“I know.”
“Then what are you angry about?”
“You lied!”
My voice broke.
Maya stared at me.
Then she whispered,
“Because I was trying to protect someone.”
“That’s what Sarah said.”
“And she’s right.”
“You always do this.”
“Do what?”
“Decide what people should know. Decide what they can handle. Decide who you need to save.”
Maya looked hurt.
“I was trying to protect Nia.”
“And now?”
She didn’t answer.
“And now, Maya?”
She looked at me.
“You.”
My breath caught.
“What?”
“You.”
She stepped closer.
“I’ve been trying to protect you since the day I met you.”
I shook my head.
“You barely knew me.”
“I knew enough.”
“Maya—”
“I knew you looked over your shoulder before you laughed.”
I froze.
“I knew you checked the time every time we stayed together too long. I knew you stopped yourself from saying things whenever you thought someone might hear.”
Her voice trembled.
“And I knew you were scared.”
I couldn’t speak.
“I wanted you to know that somebody could stand beside you without asking you to become someone else.”
“Maya…”
“I wasn’t supposed to fall in love with you.”
The words landed between us.
Everything went silent.
Maya’s eyes filled with tears.
“I tried not to.”
She laughed shakily.
“I swear I tried.”
I couldn’t move.
“I told myself you were just my friend. Then I started looking for you everywhere. I started saving things I wanted to tell you because I knew you’d understand them. I started remembering stupid things—what you liked to eat, how you took your tea, the face you made when you were annoyed.”
She wiped her cheek.
“And then one day I realised that when something good happened, you were the person I wanted to tell first.”
My eyes burned.
“And when something bad happened…”
She swallowed.
“You were the person I wanted to run to.”
She stepped closer.
“I love you, Eleena.”
I stopped breathing.
“I don’t know when it happened. I don’t know how it happened. But it did.”
A tear slipped down her cheek.
“And I’m terrified because I know your family won’t accept me. I know your mother hates the idea of us. I know you’re scared.”
She reached for my hand.
I let her.
“But I need you to know that none of that changes what I feel.”
I looked down at our hands.
Then back at her.
“I love you too.”
Maya froze.
“What?”
I laughed through my tears.
“I love you.”
She stared at me like she wasn’t sure she’d heard correctly.
“I love you,” I repeated.
Her eyes closed.
For one second, she looked relieved.
Then she pulled me into her arms.
I held her tightly.
And for the first time, I understood why people wrote about love like it was something that could destroy you.
Because in her arms, I was happy.
And happiness had never felt so dangerous.
⸻
But happiness lasted exactly three days.
Three days of secret smiles.
Three days of messages I deleted before going home.
Three days of pretending that my mother’s warning hadn’t happened.
Three days of pretending I could have both.
My family.
And Maya.
I was wrong.
It happened on Thursday evening.
I had just finished dinner when someone knocked on the door.
My mother was in the kitchen.
My father was watching television.
I didn’t think anything of it.
Until I heard my mother’s voice.
“Who are you?”
My blood ran cold.
I knew that voice.
I ran downstairs.
And there she was.
Maya.
Standing at my front door.
My heart stopped.
“Maya?”
She turned.
Her eyes found mine.
She smiled.
“I wanted to talk to your mother.”
I nearly screamed.
“What are you doing here?”
My mother looked between us.
“You know this girl?”
I couldn’t answer.
Maya stepped forward.
“Mrs. Jones, I’m Maya.”
My mother stared at her.
Then at me.
“You came to my house?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
Maya took a breath.
“Because I don’t want you to think I’m trying to hide from you.”
I wanted to disappear.
“Maya, please leave.”
She looked at me.
“No.”
My stomach dropped.
“I need to say this.”
My mother folded her arms.
“Say what?”
Maya looked directly at her.
“I care about your daughter.”
Silence.
“I know you don’t trust me. I know you think I’m a bad influence.”
My mother’s face hardened.
“But I’m not going to pretend I don’t care about her just because people are talking.”
“Maya,” I whispered.
She continued.
“I love her.”
My mother went completely still.
My father muted the television.
The whole house seemed to stop breathing.
Then my mother said quietly,
“Eleena.”
I looked at her.
“Did you tell her to come here?”
“No.”
“Did you invite her?”
“No.”
“Then why is she standing in my house telling me she loves my daughter?”
I couldn’t answer.
Maya stepped forward.
“Because she shouldn’t have to be ashamed of me.”
My mother’s eyes flashed.
“Get out.”
“Mum—”
“I said get out!”
Maya looked at me.
There was fear in her eyes now.
But she didn’t move.
“Please,” I whispered.
This time, she listened.
She walked away.
I watched her disappear through the gate.
Then I turned around.
My mother’s face terrified me.
She wasn’t crying.
She wasn’t shouting.
She was calm.
Too calm.
“You lied to me.”
“Mum—”
“You looked me in the eye and lied.”
“I was scared.”
“You brought her into this house.”
“I didn’t bring her.”
“She came here because of you!”
My father stood up.
“Your mother told you there would be consequences.”
My mother’s voice shook.
“I have spent my whole life building a good name for this family.”
“Mum, please—”
“Do you know what people are saying about me?”
“I don’t care what people say.”
The room went silent.
I immediately regretted it.
My mother stared at me.
“You don’t care?”
“I didn’t mean—”
“You don’t care about the shame this has brought to this family?”
My eyes filled with tears.
“This isn’t about shame.”
“For you, maybe.”
She pointed towards the door.
“Do you know what happens when people at church hear that girl came into my house declaring that she loves my daughter?”
I said nothing.
“I cannot continue like this.”
My mother walked past me.
Then stopped.
“I have made a decision.”
I looked up.
“What decision?”
She turned around.
“You will not return to that university next semester.”
My heart stopped.
“What?”
“If that school is where this started, then that school is where it ends.”
“No.”
“You will finish your education somewhere else.”
“No, Mum.”
“You will transfer.”
“Mum, please!”
She didn’t move.
“I will not allow you to throw away your future for this.”
I shook my head desperately.
“You can’t do that.”
“I am your mother.”
She looked at me coldly.
“And until you understand what is right and what is wrong, I will make the decisions for you.”
She walked upstairs.
I stood there, shaking.
Then my phone buzzed.
A message from Maya.
Maya:
I’m sorry.
Another message.
Maya:
I thought telling her the truth would make things better.
I stared at the screen.
Then one final message appeared.
Maya:
But there’s something I didn’t tell you about Sarah.
My blood ran cold.
I stared at those words.
Because suddenly I realised something.
Sarah hadn’t told me everything.
And neither had Maya.
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