Between the Lines

4: Family Issue is Everywhere

Maya sits with the girls on the football bench while hanging around. Classes were suspended after the teachers had their emergency meeting. She was holding a book, reading it for the ninth time now while Raven was again sketching on her pad with Sora. Mila was watching the football team practicing. She was trying so hard to focus on the book despite the heat of the sun. Raven showed her sketch to Sora which Sora complimented with a little insult. Then Sora did the same which Raven insulted without any compliment. They laugh together trying to ruin each other’s work until they hit Maya. She looked at them, eyes gleaming with anger. Then, out of nowhere, the ball came over and almost hit Maya but it knocked her book down. Cain came over to pick her book and handed it to her.

“Did you get hit? Are you okay?” he asked. He was about to touch her face when he realized he shouldn’t, his hand retreated.

Everyone looked at them while the boys waited for Cain to retrieve the ball. He was there, standing while looking at her, worrying if he just hit her with the ball. Maya was stunned. She wasn’t hurt but she was mad. She wanted to scream at all of them for ruining her day. She hated that the girls hit her when they’re teasing each other and got even mad when a ball knocked her book, causing it to fall a few steps down. She was worried about the book. She takes care of her things more than she takes care of others so it’s a little painful for her to see her book spiraling as it fell.

Maya waved Cain’s hand that is left hanging in the air. She snatched her book and left the

bench without looking back at them. Meanwhile, Cain looked embarrassed in front of the girls.

He gave them a bitter smile as he retrieved the ball and went back practicing. Maya didn’t came back. She settled in her room about to take a nap when her phone rang. She looked at it with bitterness on her eyes. When she answered it, her tongue suddenly tasted like copper.

“You had the time to call me, surprisingly,” she directly said as she laid down on her bed.

“I was trying to reach you but your phone’s off.”

“What do you want, mom?”

“I haven’t seen you for a year now, how are you? Are you at home? How about dinner together?” her mom said over the phone.

Maya sighed. It was long indeed and she misses her mom so much but she was mad at her. She left her without any words and now she wants to spend time with Maya. She was bitter about the fact that her parents decided to have a divorce without considering her. She’s a

grown woman, yes, but she needs her parents too.

“I’m at prep school. Dad enrolled me here,” she answered.

“What? He didn’t tell me about that, just when?” she asked again.

“I don’t know! I don’t care so I never give it much thought. Why do you care now? Nothing’s gonna change anyway,” she replied.

“What happened to you, baby? What did I do to you? Why are you so–”

Maya hung up the phone before her mom could say anything else. It was evident to her that she didn't know Maya felt abandoned when she left. She turned around, wrapped her pillow around her face and she screamed on top of her lungs. She was trying to pour everything out. All the pain, frustration, fear, and anger. She hates everyone around her for making her feel so lonely. She wanted to be heard particularly by her parents and that’s all she ever wished for.

“You know you can talk to us,” Raven’s voice suddenly occurred right by her side.

She was sitting right at her bed with her pad on her lap. When Maya looked at her, Raven hugged her tightly. She didn’t say a word and stayed like that for a couple of minutes. She wanted Maya to know that she doesn’t have to keep everything to herself. She wanted her to need her friends as much as they needed her. For Maya, she was thankful for Raven’s understanding and sense of compassion. It was always her that made her feel better after a breakdown. Though she always stayed by her side, no words came out of her as if she knew what exactly Maya needed at that moment.

After crying, Maya fell to sleep. When her friends got to their room, her chest was heaving soundly with Raven by her side. She was combing her hair with her fingers while humming a song they both know. Sora laid on her bed while Mila looked at Maya closely, examining the girl while it’s asleep.

“What happened to her?” she asked Raven in a hush voice.

“She got a call from her mom. She had a breakdown after,” Raven answered.

Mila stroked Maya’s hair with her palm, then she cupped her cheek with it. She planted a soft kiss on her forehead before she headed to her bed.

“Her mom? She was the least Maya wanted to talk. No wonder she’ll break,” she added.

Sora sits on her bed, hugging her knees to her chest. “She can’t avoid her forever, though. It’s still her mom after all.”

Raven faced them, slowly taking her hand from Maya’s head.

“Can you hear yourself? Stop acting like you don’t have a parents issue because no one in this room doesn’t have a parents issue. You talked like you can do what you’re talking about,” Raven defended.

Sora leaned forward, letting her legs down. “At least I’m not avoiding the issue. It’s hard to find a solution for it but I’m not avoiding it,” she retaliated.

“Does that make you different from Maya? No, you had your breakdowns too and never once did Maya question your decisions when it comes to your parents. She was always there for you, ungrateful b***h!”

Their voices start to grow with the tension around them.

“When did I ever say anything? What I said was the truth. No matter how she tries to keep her mom away from herself, time will come and she'll face her and it's unavoidable!” Sora fights back.

“Will the two of you please stop? Your voices are deafening! Any moment now you’ll wake

Maya from her sleep. Shut the f**k up!” Mila interjected while clenching her jaw. “Sora, you’re right about facing her mom, about avoiding her, but Raven wanted you to see that this is not about the future or what's about to happen, this is about now! TODAY!” she continued.

Both girls lowered their heads. Raven went back from stroking Maya’s hair, keeping her back from Sora.

“You’ll never understand where she’s coming from. Maybe all of us never will, the same goes to her but the important thing is we know we have each other’s back at all times and that’s probably enough to give us strength to continue to live despite all the struggles we’re facing,” Mila said for the last time.

Sora sighed as she stood from where she’s sitting. She left the room without a word and Mila followed her right away. Raven stayed with Maya because that’s all she can do for her and she’s dedicated enough to help her friend. She laid beside her, slowly falling into sleep.