Expectations and Ties

Maya was very absentminded when she came back. She was just not in the moment.

But that all changed when she saw Riya. She then remembered her plan. The devil entrusted it to her anyway.

"Hey, who is the guy with you in the lunch?"

Riya was shocked at the sudden question that she threw the book and glass lotus flower piece. But with the agility of a spy, she caught back.

Before Maya had the reaction to help her, everything was back to as it was.

Maya kept looking at her with dumbfounded face. She then understood how the spies worked in the movies she saw. Those martial art moved should be magnificent.

And she was a normal human who could not do a split.

Tears of sadness.

"What did you say?"

It was good that Riya had some knowledge and made her remember her purpose.

Otherwise, with the train of thought, she would have reached another station. Like the martial arts ones, she was totally engrossed just now.

"Who was the boy you were hanging out with?"

Riya was speechless.

Maya caught on her expression.

"Tell me. You were so distracted that you didn't notice me."

She added the element here. Now Riya would be guilty.

"How is that possible? I kept an eye everywhere."

"Then how did you not find me? Huh?"

Maya lied. Well, she had to. Otherwise, how would Riya be even more vigilant?

"Okay. He is my fiancé."

That was a bolt out of the blue. People still had fiancés in high schools.

"Ho-ww?"

"My mother made the agreement. I like him. I don't know if he likes me."

She added with doubt.

"No matter what, you have to focus on the mission. Frankly, you are the brawns and brains in this operation. And I'm the arm candy here."

Riya burst out laughing.

"Arm candy! Good one. What about being my assistant?"

"Not bad. But I'm not that good. I mean the spy stuff should be sophisticated and secret-y."

"I will give you easy ones then."

Yes, she could do easy ones.

Maya was given an eavesdropper and she played with it for a whole night.

The next morning, she realized that Riya had obviously fooled her.

She guided the conversation with spy stuff and Maya forgot to lecture her about her "fiancé" which was very wrong.

Maya felt that she was still young. And she was really persuaded easily.

She shook her head and went to the classes. Nirup was quiet and she was also quiet.

She remembered her gaffe and didn't want to talk first.

Nirup also wanted to talk but he kept hesitating.

Thus was the moment when both of them were shy.

Maya lived for twenty-four years in the first life, eighteen years in the next life and now she was seventeen years old.

But her love life was blank.

She understood that she had a crush on Nirup but she wasn't that invested yet. It was like she found her favorite celebrity. She wanted to make screensavers and keep watching the videos of the celebrity and follow his social media.

Also, she knew that her crush would be one-sided at most.

She just hoped that she would stop crushing after some days.

Crushing was easy. She had many celebrity crushes and this was the same too.

"So?"

"So!"

Both of them talked at the same time.

"You talk."

"You tell."

Again, at the same time.

Awkward with capital letters, Maya thought in her mind.

She quickly made a flower bouquet of papers and gave it to Nirup.

"What are your plans for the weekend?" She asked him.

"I'm going home. You?"

Maya nodded.

"Me too."

Then what?

Say something, you idiot, Maya yelled in her mind.

But what? She retorted back.

Tell him, he has long eyelashes. Can you say this? Or say that you smile very nicely. Do you practice it?

He will hit you, Maya scoffed.

All this mental talk had no indication on her face.

"Keep your bonded plant secret!"

Sure enough, not everyone thinks about other people's eyelashes. Some think about immediate problems. Not like her, Maya thought.

"Okay.'

She nodded.

Nirup felt it was adorable but he didn't say anything.

The last day went quite well and the next day Maya and Riya went back.

Maya didn't expect her parents to pick her up. They had a secret location to come from where they would go to the pant vampire tribe. It was like transporting goods in various false locations to keep the real location secret.

If someone followed her, they would never know where she went.

Cool.

Maya never knew that the plant vampires were this good in her previous life.

Her parents were waiting for her and she quickly hugged them.

Her mentality was stable now. The day she was reborn, she had many messy emotions to deal with. But with the passage of time, she learned how to control her emotions. Or rather she learned how to hide them.

The place was the same. Nothing changed but she knew that had changed.

Riya nodded to her parents and went to her home. She lived with her uncle.

Maya was welcomed by her sister. Her big eyes were pitiful. She hugged her legs. Maya picked her up and sat her on the table.

"Miss me, sis?"

She nodded.

The cute girl just laughed. Her giggles lit up the whole courtyard.

Maya spent her time playing with her sister making castles, and puzzles.

The sisters played and her parents worked.

They talked, made dinner, and then sat lazily around the bonfire. Maya talked about the school. Her parents told her fun things about the tribe; it was like she never left.

If the incident hadn't happened in her last life, her life would be perfect.

Her parents were awesome, her sister was adorable and her life was good. That's why she wanted to keep it the same way by any means possible.

The next day, Maya went for a run on the mountain trail.

The plant vampires lived in the deep forest near the mountains. The place was a natural hidden. No one could know about it because a natural magical barrier covered it.

The plant vampires were here because the plants helped them stay here. No outsider could come in.

In a mountain cave, Maya summoned her bonded plant.

"We are here, little buddy. You can live in the forest. There are many trees here."

She encouraged the plant to go outside and look.

The plant slowly moved as if gathering courage. It kept looking back ag her for each step and Maay smiled encouragingly.

After seeing the trees outside, the plant shrunk back in fear.

"Don't worry. All of them are friendly."

A branch stretched itself to touch Maya's palm.

"See?"

She showed the plant.

"Girl, it takes you as its family."

An old voice sounded.

"What? Who is talking?"

Maya thought the place was haunted. How come there were no haunted stories? Maya selectively ignored the ones her cousins told to scare her.

"I'm the elder tree," The voice answered exasperatedly.

"Junior respects the elder."

She bowed and kneeled ceremoniously.

The plant also learned from her and imitated her actions. It was funny and Maya controlled herself. The elder tree had no such scruples.

The hearty laugh made the plant cover itself in leaves as if it could not face the world.

Even Maya twitched her lips in response.

"This kid has less vitality so it absorbed yours. Till it becomes an adult, it can't live without you. And further, you have a bond. The kid formed a family bond with you. I think you are good with each other. Also, a bond at this age is very promising. "

The approval in the words made Maya blush.

"Thank you, senior."

Maya learned more tips about bonded plants and had a good chat with the senior.

"Take this leaf. Blow on it if you need urgent help. I will come to you as soon as possible. I'm leaving you. Good luck."

A golden leaf fell from above her head as if magic. It was magic.

Maya wanted to see the elder tree. She visualized it all golden with golden fruits like apples.

She smirked at herself.

"Come on, little plant, go up."

The plant shrunk itself and became a necklace. Her collar hid it and the plant nestled calmly.

Maya sighed and returned.

No one was home. Her sister was in kindergarten and her parents were working.

She sat in the lawn thinking.

Her golden finger would expire tomorrow.

What could be the next power?

Maybe teleportation, telepathy, super speed, super strength, or maybe invisibility.

These were her favorite powers.

She fell asleep and dreamed that her invincible powers saved the world.

Seeing her haha face, her sister stared at her without blinking.

It was good that she didn't have a smartphone. Or it would become her black history.

Maya slept in peace not knowing what kind of superpower would present itself to her when she went back to school.

And her powers weren't anything from her list.