Chapter Seventeen

"Tess"

"Oh Hey Daniel..."

"I need a favor.. Can you... P. Please give this to Maya" Daniel said handing over a piece of paper

"What's in it... " Tess asked suppressing a grin... When she had seen Daniel didn't reciprocate the amusement... She spoke up.

"Discretion.. I see.. Fine I'll give it to her.. Just wanted to know what gets to her." Tess slid the piece of paper into her blazer pocket.. She made a mental note, to give it to her when she comes over for a sleepover they were both having.

It was going to be an amazing night seeing that that was their first sleepover as Friends.

"You're leaving?" Abigail's high pitched exclamation let Daniel shudder.

"Abi keep your voice down.. Haven't told anyone yet.. "

"But.. H..how can you leave... I just got here... More like you are running away.. "

"I have no choice.. That's what my dad wants."

"Convince him... Tell him you want to stay.. I tell my dad what I want and he always gives it to me.."

"I.. " Daniel tried to speak, but he found it pointless.. Abigail was the only child of her parents.. Her wishes were literally her parents command.

They loved their daughter so much that they gave her everything... Abigail and Daniel had grown up knowing each other.. She was a very close friend to the Bryant's... So close that she was the only person of Daniel's friends that Sofie ever liked. She was two years younger than Daniel... She had a refined British accent that was almost impossible to notice when she spoke this was because, her family had spent some years over with her in Britain... He smiled at her but it was mostly out of pity.

"I'll visit.. " Daniel said breaking the silence staring he saw tears make the eyes of Abigail twinkle... He felt tears would roll out soon.. He knew Abigail... So he hugged her and repeated the words yet again.

"I'll visit... I promise"

"So why don't you want to tell the others you are leaving.. Your soccer squad at least they should know... Leaving without saying a word would be sheer cowardice" She replied cleaning a tear or two.

Daniel thought about Maya... If he told even the football squad, the whole school will find out in seconds. He planned to silently take an exit inform just the Principal and he was sure people would find out in time... He couldn't stand being In School not with Maya being there.. He would leave in peace.

Daniel loosened her from his grip, she was at most three feet shorter. He held her at an arm's length and said.. Looking sternly into her face.. They were turning pale...

"I just want a quiet exit.. That's why.. Please this has always been my dream... If you did care about me even in the littlest, you'd know I'd have to go... My family supports me and I think this is goodbye for now.. "

Daniel left her now, he stood at the School's main entrance.. Of course he had a very good talk with the Principal about it before then. It had been great all the while at the school.. He wanted to see Maya maybe just once but he quickly changed his mind against it.. The Letter should say it all..

***

"Nona I'm home!!"

"Ah Bienvenido" (Ah Welcome)

"Gracias.. Me muero de hambre hay algo para comer (Thank you.. I'm starving is there anything to eat)

"No mi hijo todavia no, pero estoy haciendo algunas tortillas" (No my child, not yet but I'm making some tortillas)

Tess had diverted her attention now to her twin little brothers when they shattered the glass family framed picture while playing..

"What did you guys do?" Tess said reaching for the picture that was once covered within its glass enclosure.

She had four brothers.. Four mischievous brothers! Luckily, the first child had left for college leaving her with the remaining three... A pair of fluffy headed puffed up looking children, and another...

"I asked a question." The duo said nothing, but simultaneously pointed at each other. They had a round framework, both six years old, and they both looked Asian. It gave Tess more reasons to think she was the adopted child after all.. None of her siblings looked like her.. Although she did look like her grandma... A lot! Which explains their fondness...

"The second I'm out, you turn this house upside down... Clean up this mess!"

Tess left for her room... Their room actually... She was sharing a room with all four brothers, until the oldest left.. She heard Nona mouth something and give a disapproving face as she whisked up a mixture in a bowl...

"Niños muy tercos" (Very stubborn children)

Tess informed Nona of Maya's visit... Tess finally had the opportunity to introduce Maya to Nona. Her parents were out of town so Nona stood in for them.

Tess rushed into the bedroom, took off her uniform and put it into the washing machine they had.. It was Friday! and she laundered her clothes. She quickly rushed out within seconds with her toothbrush on one hand, her right to be exact.

"Who used my toothbrush... Again?" She asked, and the duo immediately pointed at the other...

They never come clean.

Just as she made for a chase to 'Kill them',  the door bell rang and Nona asked her to open it up.

It's probably Maya..

Maya wasn't used to such a lifestyle, she wasn't from the elites but for starters, she had her own room and didn't battle growing up with brothers or even one.. She was civilised.

Tess roughly combed her hair with her fingers..

I have to make a good first impression.

They still got tangled...

These coils..

And opened the door...

"Heya!!" Tess called out with a grimace just then, a raw egg was thrown on the wall, and it's contents poured out... Apparently, it was supposed to be for Tess but luckily it touched no one...

"Your brothers... " Maya said concealing her laughter..and returning Tess's smile.. Truth be told, she was starting to love it there already... Even before she stepped in...

She stepped into the house, her hair packed into a ponytail, her face partly oily at the fore head... It gave her a glow..., she wore a stud earring on both ears, a black night top that were a little below her elbows and a loose black pajamas trousers that freely moved due to the evening breeze.., a slipper with a fluffy design at the top... She however had on one shoulder, a black backpack, with pink patterns where she kept all she handpicked for the night's sleepover. On the other hand, she held so tight to her body her fluffy soft cotton pillow...

"Hey Tess"

"Nona meet Maya, Maya, Nona... My Grandma the one I told you about."

"Hey Nona!" Maya greeted when she got no response.. She slowly reached for the couch.

"Mi pequeña Tess.. Quien Esta contigo?" (My little Tess, who's that with you?)

"Mi amiga ella quiere aprender español... No tienes que enseñarle." (My friend... She wants to learn Spanish, you would have to teach her)

"Ah La vieja forma de Nona." (Ah the old Nona way)

Maya stares at the duo... It annoyed her that she couldn't understand what they said... She wanted to learn and join in the fun.. Because they seemed to be laughing and telling some inside jokes only them knew... Maya occasionally gave a faked laughter, although she spoke a bit of Spanish, she didn't seem to have been in the bus with them.

Maya went and sat beside Tess at the kitchen counter as they assisted Nona in preparing the Tortillas

Ah Tortillas! I've heard a lot about these.

Nona whispered something into Tess's ear, and she leaves.

Maya later understood it was to make sure the bedroom was properly dressed for their visitor and to keep her brothers out. She sighted Tess giving a warning to her brothers instructing that they either sleep on the couch, or with Nona... Considering the options, the chose the first. Tess had a particular dictatorship rule over her brothers..

Leadership everywhere..

Maya thought smiling until her thoughts were brought to an abrupt end.

"Pasa La sal.." (Pass the salt)

"I'm sorry Nona... I didn't get th.."

"Pasa La sal!" (Pass the Salt!)

She exclaimed a bit impatiently..

Where are you Tess...

"Aqui" (Here) she said.

"Bien...estas aprendiendo rapido.. (Good... You're learning fast)

In no short time, the meal was ready... They ate and after Dinner, the girls went over to the room and shut the door behind them but secretly left the lights on... They were going to do some girly stuff together! Like face painting, watching movies and eating some popcorn Maya brought on her way over... The sang along and jumped about to the music from the Karaoke....

Finally!! A girl and girl time out at the Montes's. Tess had always dreamed of doing fun things like this with a sister.. But no! What she got was a pair of identical gum balls... She had learned to love them nevertheless... I mean who wouldn't love her siblings no matter how dubious they may be..

She sometimes played dress ups with them and wore them some of her dresses...but nothing could be compared to how she felt then... So happy to have Maya over.

They were done singing and dancing to a familiar song and jumping over the place... Tess brought out a stack of movies from the cupboard in their room. Maya suggested they watched a movie on High School a seasonal movie but Tess had other ideas... A sinister movie.. Something extremely terrifying.. So they watched the Horror movie.. The Haunted House

Maya basically dug her face into the pillow whenever a horribly horrifying scene comes on.. It was that was for an hour and a half.. The movie was over...

Thank God!!

When they had played enough, they laid with their backs on the bed arms stretched, they giggled.. Everything was funny.. They minimized their giggles to avoid waking Nona. Tess had remembered what Daniel told her earlier that day, and sat up on impulse.

"Tess what's wrong."

"Maya... D.. Daniel told me to give you something a note... " She said. Her voice shaky a bit... She couldn't remember where she kept it.

"A note?.. "

Should I be Happy or sad.. Hope it's good.. Maybe he wanted to reprimand me.. I could tell he was jealous when I was with Scott... Or maybe he wanted to apologize... He apologizes for everything... Or maybe... Maybe I should see the note first..

"What are you waiting for? Give me the note"

"That's the problem... I'm not sure where I put it.. "

You are joking... I hope it's a joke.. A note from Daniel is missing?

"Try retracing your steps.. "

"After he gave me... He didn't look so bright... I stuck it into my pocket and for the rest of the day I was busy with Scott, Jerome and Patricia.. I also went to the Cafe.. Classes, labs, restroom, Principal's office.. "

"You are really busy indeed"

"Yes I remember... When I got back home.. I greeted Nona and.. " She stopped she knew it was now..

"...and what?"

"I think I laundered your note.. "

"Oh my! Tess how could you be so careless with it... It's from Daniel remember..?"

"Hey.. Calm down a bit... I'm sorry I just had a lot on my plate.. But it's just a note... You can ask him later In School for the contents..."

"But it's still weekend.. Monday is very far.. What if something happens to him?... What if it was something to do within the weekend.. What if...? "