Payback

Maya lay in bed, her mind swirling with thoughts of Jake's gesture and the events of the day. But her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of her brother's voice from the room next door.

"I need you guys to find out who is Jessica Michelle," Connor's voice said, urgency evident in his tone.

"As you wish, sir!" came the response from another voice.

Maya's heart skipped a beat as fear and confusion washed over her. What could her brother possibly want with Jessica Michelle? And why was he so secretive about it?

As she tried to make sense of the situation, Maya accidentally made a noise, catching her brother's attention. Panic flooded her veins as she realized she had been overheard.

Quickly, Maya darted under her covers, her heart pounding in her chest as she held her breath. Footsteps approached her door, and she prayed silently that her brother wouldn't discover her eavesdropping.

Connor opened the door and peered out into the hallway, his gaze sweeping over the darkness. Maya held her breath, willing herself to remain still and silent.

After a tense moment, Connor seemed to satisfied that everything was normal, and he retreated back into his room, closing the door behind him.

With a sigh of relief, Maya emerged from under her covers, her mind racing with questions. What was her brother up to? And what did Jessica Michelle have to do with it?

As she lay in bed, her thoughts consumed by uncertainty and fear, Maya couldn't shake the feeling that something big was about to happen, something that would change everything. But for now, all she could do was wait and hope for answers.

In the morning, Maya rose early, her mind still buzzing with the events of the previous night. As she made her way downstairs, her mother called out to her, "Maya, breakfast is ready. Go tell your brother it's time to eat."

"Okay, Mom," Maya replied, her voice tinged with apprehension.

Heading to Connor's room, Maya hesitated for a moment before gently pushing open the door. She couldn't shake the feeling of unease that lingered from the previous night's discovery.

As Maya stood in Connor's room, she quickly glanced at the list of names, her curiosity piqued. However, she brushed it off as some sort of random doodle or notes for a project. Shrugging off the strange feeling in her gut, Maya turned her attention back to her original task.

"Hey, Maya, what are you doing here?" Connor's voice broke her concentration, and she turned to see him stirring awake.

"Oh, uh, Mom just told me to wake you up," Maya replied casually, trying to appear nonchalant. "Turns out you're already awake."

Connor nodded, rubbing the sleep from his eyes as he got out of bed. Maya followed him downstairs, putting the odd discovery out of her mind for the time being.

As they sat down to breakfast, Maya pushed aside any lingering thoughts about the list of names. She decided to focus on the present moment and enjoy the meal with her family, choosing not to dwell on things that seemed too mysterious to comprehend.

With a smile, Maya engaged in the usual morning banter with her family, feeling a sense of comfort and normalcy wash over her. And as they finished breakfast and went about their day, Maya pushed the strange discovery to the back of her mind, content to let it remain a curious mystery for now.

As Maya entered her classroom, she felt a sense of happiness wash over her. It was a new day, and she was ready to tackle whatever challenges came her way. But her cheerful mood quickly evaporated when she saw Jessica surrounded by a crowd of students, murmurs of gossip filling the air.

Confused and concerned, Maya made her way over to Coley, who looked equally troubled.

"What's going on?" Maya asked, her brow furrowed with worry.

Coley shook her head, her expression grim. "There's some bad news about Jessica. Her parents got divorced, and their family money got stolen. And to top it all off, their car exploded."

Maya's eyes widened in shock as she processed the devastating news. "That's awful. I had no idea things were so bad for her."

Coley nodded, her voice filled with sympathy. "Yeah, it's really sad. You can check it out on your phone. It's all over the news."

Pulling out her phone, Maya quickly searched for the news story. As she scrolled through the articles and images, her heart sank even further. But it was something in one of the photos that caught her attention - a message scrawled on the wall of Jessica's house.

"Greetings from Rex," Maya read silently and with concerned feelings.

The words sent a chill down her spine, and Maya couldn't shake the feeling that there was more to Jessica's misfortune than met the eye. With a sense of unease gnawing at her, Maya vowed to uncover the truth behind the mysterious message and the strange events plaguing her classmate's family. Little did she know, this discovery would lead her down a path filled with danger, intrigue, and the unraveling of secrets long buried in the shadows.