A Kiss for Maya

"Best Cheeseburgers In Town?"

After taking a shower, I decide to wear my favourite black and grey sweatpants and my oversized grey mickey mouse t-shirt.

It's not like I'm going anywhere so I'm wearing my comfort clothes. Shelly and Bianca will be here with board games and snacks and we'll probably spend the rest of the day gossiping.

I take out my laptop from the bedside drawers and open it.  Lilly asked me to notify her when I logged in so she could video call me. I feel like we haven't talked in forever.

Before I can even open the laptop, the doorbell rings. I close it and put it on Lilly's bed before walking out the room.

The person continues to ring the door bell and I shout that I'm coming as I rush down the stairs.

"Maya Blythe Banks."

That's the first thing Shelly says when I open the door. I cringe at my middle name. It makes me feel old. I was named after my paternal great great-grandmother.

"May." Bianca hugs me and enters the house.

Shelly follows her inside after giving me one of her threatening looks.

"You have so much to spill, young lady." She points an accusing finger at me and I take a step back.

"Calm down," Bianca laughs, "but she's right, May, you have a lot to tell us."

"Why are you dressed like that?" Shelly eyes me up and down, a confusion all over her face.

"Huh?" I look down at my clothes.

"Sis, I know you and Bee, don't care about clothes but that is a no."

"Hey!" Bianca and I protest.

"This is how I always dress when we stay in. What's wrong now?" I collapse on the couch and grab the tv remote.

"Uhm, no we're not." Bianca sits down next to me and takes the remote from me.

"We said we're going to have lunch." Shelly throws herself on the couch opposite ours.

"Yeah, here." I wrinkle my forehead with confusion and shrug.

"No, May." Bianca laughs.

"We're going out, weirdo." Shelly throws a cushion at me. With my slow reflexes, it hits my face and we all laugh.

"Best cheeseburgers in town?" I ask with a grin and they both nod, their own grins plastered across their faces.

Without another word, I run upstairs to go get changed.

The three of us don't go out much but when we do, it's usually for movies, the arcade or some good food. Lucy's is our favourite diner.

It's a good thirty minutes drive but the burgers and fries are so worth it. We discovered the place last year when Lilly miraculously convinced me to get out of the house during Spring break. She took the three of us on a mini road trip around town.

I open my closet and grab the first t-shirt and jeans I lay my eyes on. A plain white t-shirt and faded blue jeans. I take my grey cardigan and put it on before completing my outfit with my white converse.

Wow, I have a lot of grey clothing.

The thought occurs as I skim my eyes across my closet. It's neatly packed, with my clothes coordinated and packed according to their colours, how long I've had them and material.

My eyes move to the laptop on Lilly's bed. I'm not sure if I'll be able to speak to her tonight.

I send my mom a text notifying her of where I'll be before exiting the room.

"That's better." Shelly says with a smile when I come down the stairs.

"Can we leave? I'm starving." Bianca groans and gets off the couch.

"How will we get there? The bus?" I ask.

"Nope, we'll take a cab. We used one of those cab service apps."

I nod and put my phone in my pocket before following them out the door.

***

We've been waiting for our cab for about fifteen minutes. Initially we were standing outside, waiting for the notification that it was nearby so we could walk to the nearest cafe where Shelly said it should pick us up.

After ten minutes, we decided to come back inside. I wish we hadn't. Perhaps if we had been standing outside, exposed to the afternoon heat, they would still be complaining about the weather and the late cab driver.

Now inside, in the comfort of the house, they've found the opportunity for asking me about Mason.

When I told them he and his family came over for dinner yesterday, they freaked out and started squealing.

"I can't believe you're keeping so much from us." Shelly whines and pouts at me.

"He's helping you in PE, he's giving you rides." Bianca says with a grin on her face.

"Correction," I shake my head, "he's not giving me rides. It just happened a couple of times but I'm not going to come to school in the same car as him. I actually want to have a good day."

"Maya," Shelly whines again, "you're killing me. Here's a boy, who just so happens to be one of the hottest guys in school, right in front of you. Yet you, my bestie, are acting stupid."

Shelly tries to wrap her arms around me in a hug but I push her away.

"I'm not going to fall at his feet like all the other girls at school." I roll my eyes.

"It's not falling at his feet." She laughs. "Maya, get yourself a boyfriend."

"Where will that get her?" Bianca laughs.

"A first kiss for starters." Shelly joins her and laughs.

I'm the only one of the three of us who's never been in a relationship. Well, Bianca isn't really experienced as well. She once dated some Nick McCartney in eighth grade. It lasted for three months before he moved.

Shelly's the experienced one. She's always got a boyfriend. That's how she is, she falls quickly and she falls hard. I don't know, it's like she believes someone out there is meant to reciprocate the amount of love she has and they'll end up together.

Her last relationship lasted for two months and it was with Roy Newton. They broke up three weeks ago.

"Aren't you supposed to be moping over your breakup with Roy?" I question her.

She looks at me and shakes her head. Getting up on her knees, she cups my face in her hands.

"He's dead to me. I mourned that idiot for a week, now we act like he doesn't exist."

She laughs and we join in.

We still don't know why they broke up. Shelly really liked Roy and she was heartbroken when the relationship ended. All we know is that he did something to hurt her.

Her phone buzzes and she checks the screen.

"Let's go." She says and we all get up.