Chapter Nine

Dear God...

You didn't promise it to be this way, how can I go to school after what happened this night.. How can I even sleep, now I'm going to be jeered and mocked just like the old times... I don't want this...

It had been a long night and through it all, Maya couldn't seem to get enough sleep.. She woke up with a sore eye and on a wet pillow filled with the tears of the night before...

She kept the door to her room locked and...

Thank God it was Saturday...

But she had just remembered her promise to babysit Tess's siblings and to learn Spanish too for her Test that Monday...

"What difference does it make, for one who is word blind.." She said staring at her distorted write-up from the night before...

Just then there was a knock on the door...

"Please go away mum...  I don't want to see anyone" She pleaded.

"Who's your mum?, open up or I'll break down the door myself... Did I forget to mention I'm a black belt owner in Judo the last time we met..?" Tess demanded.

Tess!!  I don't know if I should be happy with your presence or sad..

"It's open..." Maya said sliding back into her thick blanket and cuddling with Molly.



"Hey Kiddo.. How you doing?"

Tess asked.

Do you really want to know that?

"I'm good.. All thanks to you... " Maya replied sarcastically.

"What is that supposed to mean?" Tess asked..

"I don't know ... Promising and failing?... Should have known you couldn't handle it.. " Maya said..

Crossing her arms at the last words.

"I was the one, who was out there not in the comfort of where everyone else was, holding up Scott faking a sprain... Of course you wouldn't know that... " Tess rebuked with fury before adding.

"You know what... I'm done so don't bother about babysitting my brothers.. You can come over to my house and meet my Nona for Spanish lessons if you dare.. and oh yeah!! Daniel said he was sorry for the night"

Then stumped out..

Tess I'm sorry... What else did he say!! Now I have been embarrassed and lost my only friend along side... What is wrong with me??

Monday

At school, everything seemed to be going well and everyone had talked about the night, at least no one had talked about her yet until then...

"Hey look it's the blind.. girl" Logan had said stirring the others to laughter..

Please God, send an angel to take me home

Daniel saw how she had been encircled and penetrating within the scoffers, he went to her, hugged yet and enclosed her within his blazers when he had fully gotten their attention, he addressed them.

"Yes, she is word blind.., articulates slowly, clumsy.., doesn't know how to depict letters, academically backward, has no friends ....you name it..

Should I be happy?

You should be thankful you can do all this.. She might just be all you say she is.. But do not forget this.. She's also the most beautiful girl I have ever seen, the School's Queen and My Queen.."

Every one was sent aback by his speech and they gradually disintegrated in their numbers. Till it remained only the two of them and Jack who observed from a distance.

"Thanks but you didn't have to" Maya spoke up after a brief awkward silence.

"I'm sorry about the other night, I will make it up to you" Daniel replied.

"Congratulations on your leaving I guess" Maya tried diverting the path of discussion.

"I'm not leaving.... I'm staying till I help you out... My mom is a doctor perhaps she can...

Wait a minute... Is your mum?.. No it can't be... The resemblance is unlikely. On a second thought...

"Your Mum is a doctor?"

Maya asked.

"Yeah..."

"Dr. Andrea Bryant?"

"I see you have met her"

Are you kidding me? Daniel's mother is my Optometrist...

It had ended quite dismissively and Maya was still repulsive to a cause. So much to absorb for one day.. She could still hold a glimpse of what being wrapped up with someone felt like. She could still perceive his Steve Bliss' Perfume for Men, it blended quite well with hers.

But no.. I'm not going to let what happened bend me... He's nice but being with him will just get me into more trouble than I can bear... Why is my heart beating so fast.... It hurts... Tess I need you...

"I'm here, what is it?" Tess asked holding up her phone in a manner that indicated a series of unending texts had been received.

"Please don't leave me, I'm sorry I accused you, I'm sorry for everything" Maya replied running and wrapping Tess up with a tight embrace and sobs.

Tess held her hands up in total surrender to the chocking embrace. How dare she tell her best friend to get off. This was one of their 'I'm sorry you're sorry moments'

"It's OK... Best friends?" Tess reminded rather than asked sticking out her pinkie in a familiar manner understood by Maya.

"Best friends" Maya said returning the gesture.

They had broken up within a day. But spoke like they had been away for years.

They even talked about bedbugs... I mean who does that.

School Bell Rings...

Oh the sound of Bells.. How a greater percentage of the students in Hallmark detested it's reverberation... Maya was glad to be back with her best friend... But that wasn't what beclouded her, something more obscure. Recently she had found the episodes of the other day with Daniel replay over and over in her head. She grew up the hard way, often stuck besides one book or the other Reading.. Now she had gotten a pair of glasses. It wasn't an automatic remedy but it did help... Well... A little.

Patricia had walked in.. And announced that Mrs. Heather caught the flu. A rather contagious disease and had to be absent till she got better.

Everyone felt the need to let out the fact that they would miss their teacher. Just as they were about to return back to their discuss. Patricia didn't fail to add much to their discontent.

"There's going to be a substitute expect him shortly"

She was so dutiful.

Maya didn't catch every single detail.. She was apparently lost at sea. Suddenly feeling the need to wrap herself up as she felt slightly colder than usual.

Just then as if under an impulse, a man rushed in spilling his coffee right on his under sized suit and roughly knotted tie. He let out a toothed grin when he realized the class saw his coffee spill... He was loaded with a guitar case that hung by its straps across his shoulder,

Guitar?

books a variety of different history textbooks... No doubt he got those from the school, a sandwich that had his sharped edged teeth bite a chunk out of, a metre rule and his coffee that had Now spilled.

"Hey everyone!" He announced his presence.

When no one seemed to reply his greeting with enthusiasm, he added.

"I'm Andrew Johnson... Friends call me Andy, Band mates call me Dre, only my momma calls me Deandre... She's all like Deandre, I told you not to take that.. Oh I miss my momma" He said sobbing as thought about the probing memories.

Needless to say, the whole class stared blankly at the figure standing before them in awkward unison. He had Now wiped off the imaginary beads of perspiration as a sign of hardwork.. He didn't look like he had done much to that respect however.