Unwritten scars

Chapter 3: An Unexpected Encounter

My phone rang just as I was walking out of my last class.

I didn't even have to look at the screen.

Mom.

Her ringtone hasn't changed since I got this phone. I could change it, obviously. I just never bothered.

"Hey, Mom."

"Hi, baby! How are you? How's the hostel? Are you eating properly? How are your roommates?"

There it was. The questions came one after another, like she'd been saving them up all day.

"It's fine."

"Just fine?"

"Yeah. Fine."

There was a little silence. I knew that silence. She was deciding whether to ask again.

"You'd tell me if something was wrong, right?"

"I'm fine, Mom."

"I know. I'm just saying. You don't have to handle everything by yourself."

I looked across the quad. People were everywhere, walking to their next classes, sitting around, talking like they didn't have a care in the world.

"I know."

"Okay." Another pause. "Have you made any friends?"

"One."

"One?"

"Her name's Goody."

"Oh, that's nice! What's she like?"

I thought about it. "Loud."

Mom laughed. "That's it?"

"She's nice too."

"Well, that's something." I could hear the smile in her voice. "Is she in your class?"

"No."

"What does she study?"

"Mom."

"What?"

"I'm tired."

She laughed again. "Okay, okay. I'll leave you alone. Call your dad later. He's been asking about you."

"Okay."

"And Miley?"

"Yeah?"

"We love you, okay?"

I swallowed. "Love you too."

I ended the call and slipped my phone into my pocket. I stood there for a second, not really sure where I was going next.

I wasn't upset. I wasn't happy either. Just tired.

I started walking.

I was still thinking about absolutely nothing when I walked straight into someone.

My phone nearly flew out of my hand.

"Whoa—hey."

A hand caught my arm before I completely lost my balance.

"You good?"

"Yeah." I stepped back quickly. "Sorry. Wasn't looking."

"No kidding."

I looked up.

He was tall. Dark hair. Hoodie. The kind of messy hair that looked like he'd probably run his hands through it about twenty times and then given up.

He bent down and picked up the notebook I'd dropped.

"Here."

"Thanks."

I took it from him. He looked at me for a second, then smiled.

"You always walk around without looking where you're going? Or is today special?"

"Today is special."

He laughed. Not a little polite laugh either. A real one.

"Fair enough." He stuck his hands into his hoodie pockets. "I'm Maverick."

"Miley."

"Miley." He said my name like he was making sure he had it right. Then he looked at me again. "You were pretty distracted back there. Everything okay?"

"It's fine." I paused. "My mom."

I don't know why I added that.

He nodded as he understood immediately. "Ah. One of those calls?"

I raised an eyebrow.

"You know. Are you eating? Are you sleeping? Have you made friends yet?"

I laughed before I could stop myself. "Exactly."

"Yeah, my mom does the same thing." He shook his head. "Calls like I'm supposed to have become a completely different person since the last time she saw me. Last week it was because I texted back 'k' instead of 'okay.' She didn't talk to me for a full day."

I smiled a little.

It was strange, how easily he said it. Like his mom being in his business didn't cost him anything to talk about.

I didn't really know what to say, so I adjusted my bag on my shoulder.

He noticed.

"Okay. I'll stop keeping you."

"I wasn't—"

"You're doing the bag thing."

I looked down at my bag. "What bag thing?"

"The 'I should probably leave now' thing."

I almost smiled. "Maybe I am."

"Fair." He stepped aside. "I'll see you around, Miley."

"Sure."

I started walking. I didn't turn around.

But for some reason, I remembered his name.

Maverick.

I don't know why. It wasn't like anything happened. I bumped into a guy. He helped me pick up my notebook. We talked for maybe five minutes.

That's it.

Still, his name stayed somewhere in the back of my mind for the rest of the day, which was annoying, considering I didn't even know him.

I definitely wasn't expecting to see him again.

Turns out, I was wrong about that.