CHAPTER EIGHT

"So, I heard a little something about you, Maya," Paul sang, sitting down next to the preteen who was quietly eating her lunch. His tone was teasing, almost playful, and he leaned in as if sharing a big secret.

Maya shot him a glare, her expression one of clear annoyance and distaste, but she didn't bother responding. Instead, she took another bite of her food, her eyes focused firmly on her plate.

Paul, unperturbed by her cold reception, leaned back with a grin, undeterred. "Are you sure you're not secretly Sam's little sister? I swear, you and him both glare like it's your full-time job!"

From across the kitchen, Sam, who had been quietly preparing some food, stopped and turned towards Paul. He lifted an eyebrow, a neutral expression on his face as if considering whether he should respond to the remark.

"What?" Paul threw up his hands in mock surrender. "It's true, isn't it, Jared?"

Jared, who was sitting nearby and eating, couldn't help but chuckle softly at the banter. He shot Paul an amused look. "Don't drag me into this," he said, his voice light. "I don't feel like adding an extra patrol to my shift today."

"Good suggestion, Jared," Sam agreed, casting a look at Paul that made the latter grumble under his breath. He wasn't exactly thrilled with the turn of events, especially since Maya had barely even looked up from her food.

Maya, however, wasn't about to let this go unnoticed. She rolled her eyes and finally spoke, her voice tinged with sarcasm. "Oh, and I've also heard you've become friends with Seth," Jared continued, breaking the tension. His tone was neutral, but there was a knowing glint in his eyes.

Maya looked up at him, surprised for a moment but then nodded, accepting the conversation. "Yeah, that's true," she said, not wanting to make a big deal out of it.

Paul scoffed, his earlier mockery turning to a more exaggerated offence as he turned toward her. "I was—"

Maya cut him off, speaking over him, her tone suddenly more direct. "Yeah, well, Leah pretty much shoved us in a room together, saying that Seth was too scared to be friends with me," she said, making a face at the memory. "She practically forced him to talk to me."

The others around the table exchanged glances. Emily, who had just walked in carrying a new plate of food, smiled at Maya's comment. "Well, that's good," Emily said, her tone warm and welcoming. "Seth's a shy one, so I wouldn't have done it that way, but if it led to you two becoming friends, then I'm happy for you."

Maya chuckled slightly, her smile a little shy but genuine. "He makes me mad sometimes, though," she said, stabbing her fork into her food for emphasis. "Whenever Brady or Collin are around, he acts like he doesn't even know me. It's so annoying! Why does he do that?"

Jared leaned back in his chair, an amused glint in his eyes. "Boys are like that," he said with a shrug, speaking in a tone of experience. "Especially when they're young. We tend to still have that 'girls have cooties' phase, you know?"

Maya's face twisted in disbelief, and she scoffed, letting her frustration show. "That's so childish," she muttered, her voice laced with irritation. "How do I stop it?"

This time, it was Sam who answered, his voice calm and steady. He was always the voice of reason in moments like these. "You can't force it," he said, watching her carefully. "You just have to let it play out. If you tried saying something to him now, it'd only cause a fight, and that's the last thing either of you want."

Maya frowned, looking down at her plate. She didn't like the idea of waiting. She wanted to confront Seth, to understand why he acted the way he did when he was around other guys. But she also didn't want to make things worse. Sam's words made sense, but it didn't make her feel any better.

Paul, however, wasn't about to let the conversation end without adding his own opinion. "Please, come on," he chimed in, waving his hand dismissively. "I bet it's better to just say something to him. If you don't, he'll never learn."

Jared made a face, clearly not impressed with Paul's advice. "Paul, stop talking about things that don't suit you," he said, his voice dry. "It doesn't make you sound any smarter."

Paul's eyes narrowed as he glared at Jared, ready to pounce in mock indignation, but he stopped himself when Emily shot him a sharp look. She was sitting across the table, her gaze challenging, daring him to make a scene. He immediately quieted down, muttering under his breath, clearly deciding that it wasn't worth it.

Emily, sensing the growing tension, turned her attention back to Maya with a soft smile. "Maya, honey, I think it's best you follow your gut. If you want to confront Seth, go ahead. But if you'd rather just wait and see, then that's fine too. It's your choice," she said gently, her hand resting on Maya's shoulder for reassurance.

Maya smiled at her gratefully, feeling a wave of comfort wash over her. "Thanks, Em, Jared, Sam," she said, standing up from the table with a small but sincere grin on her face. "I appreciate it."

Paul, who had been glaring at Maya, sulked and crossed his arms, his eyes wide with mock outrage. He couldn't believe that she hadn't even acknowledged him in her thanks. "How—why does she hate me so much?" he grumbled, the pout on his face almost comical as he stared after her.

Jared, unable to resist, leaned forward with a smirk. "Because you tend to pick fights with Embry, Paul," he said, his voice amused but matter-of-fact. "And we all know how much Maya idolizes her cousin. So, to her, you're kind of an enemy."

Paul turned toward Emily and Sam, looking for some semblance of support. But the couple merely nodded in agreement with Jared's words, not offering any comfort to his wounded pride.

"For the love of—" Paul groaned, leaning back in his chair as he shoved a forkful of food into his mouth, his frustration evident. But despite his grumbling, the others at the table could see the corners of his mouth twitching, trying—and failing—to hide a reluctant pout.

The moment had passed, and the rest of the group continued eating in peace, the conversation flowing effortlessly now that the tension had dissipated. But Maya, still feeling the weight of her earlier frustrations, couldn't help but smile to herself as she thought about Seth. She would figure things out with him, in time. But for now, she had more pressing matters to think about—and at least she knew she had friends who would always have her back, no matter what.

As Maya sat back down to finish her lunch, her mind wandered to the situation with Seth. She couldn't understand why he acted so differently around his friends. One moment, he was warm and friendly with her, and the next, he seemed to completely ignore her when Collin or Brady were around. It was confusing and, honestly, a little hurtful. But what bothered her more than anything was the idea that maybe it wasn't something she could fix with a single conversation. What if it was just how boys were like Jared said? What if she was overthinking it all?

She glanced over at Paul, who was still sitting there, his mood visibly sour. It was clear that he hadn't appreciated the teasing earlier, but Maya couldn't bring herself to care too much. He had this way of making everything feel like a joke, even when it wasn't, and it rubbed her the wrong way. Still, it wasn't like he meant any real harm. He just didn't understand.

Her attention shifted back to Sam, who was quietly eating, his usual calm demeanour a steady presence in the room. Sam was always the one who knew how to handle situations like this. He could see things from all angles, and his advice was always practical, even if it wasn't the easiest path to follow. Maya appreciated that about him—he didn't sugarcoat things. He was real with her, even when it was uncomfortable.

"Maya, I know you're upset about Seth," Sam spoke up, breaking the silence. He hadn't been talking much since the earlier conversation, but now his voice was steady and soothing. "But I want you to remember something. He's still figuring things out. It's not an excuse for how he's treating you, but you're not the only one who's confused by it."

Maya nodded, grateful for his understanding. "I know," she said quietly. "It just hurts, you know? One minute, we're having fun, and the next, he acts like I don't exist when his friends are around. It feels like I'm being... left out, I guess."

Emily, who had been quietly observing the exchange, placed a hand on Maya's shoulder again. "Boys that age don't always know how to handle their feelings, honey," she said softly. "It's not that he doesn't care about you—it's that he's still learning how to navigate relationships, especially friendships with girls. I'm sure he's just trying to figure out where he fits in with everyone else."

Maya sighed deeply, her gaze dropping to the table. "I get that, but it doesn't make it any easier to deal with. I want to talk to him about it, but I don't want to make things awkward."

"You'll figure it out," Sam said with a reassuring smile. "But don't rush it. Let things play out naturally. If you really feel like you need to talk to him, just do it when it feels right."

Maya appreciated the advice, but a small part of her was still conflicted. She didn't want to be the one to bring up the issue if it was just going to make things worse. She had enough on her plate already with everything else going on in her life—school, friends, and the ongoing tension with her parents. This wasn't a battle she felt like picking right now, but the more she thought about it, the more she realized that she couldn't ignore her feelings forever. Sooner or later, she would have to confront Seth about it, even if it made her nervous.

As the lunch conversation continued, Maya couldn't help but feel a sense of unease in the pit of her stomach. There was so much going on in her life, so many pieces that didn't quite fit together, and sometimes it felt like everything was shifting under her feet. La Push had become her home, but she couldn't shake the nagging feeling that her parents still held a thread over her life, even from a distance.

She pushed the thought away for the moment, focusing instead on the easy camaraderie around the table. Jared and Paul were bantering, Emily was laughing at something Sam had said, and Maya felt a small sense of peace wash over her. These were the people she could rely on. They had her back, no matter what. They were her family now, more than her parents ever had been.

That night, as the group parted ways after a long, laughter-filled day, Maya felt both comforted and unsettled. The path ahead of her wasn't clear. There were still too many things up in the air—too many unknowns. But for the first time in a long while, she felt like she wasn't facing those uncertainties alone. She had her friends. She had Embry, Seth, and everyone else who had become a part of her life. And most importantly, she had herself. She knew that whatever came next, she would figure it out.

As she walked back home, the cool evening breeze tugging at her hair, Maya's mind drifted back to Seth. She couldn't deny that a part of her still hoped things would change between them—that maybe, just maybe, the tension would fade and they could go back to being friends, without all the confusion and awkwardness. But for now, she knew she had to take a step back and give him space. Maybe it would take time for him to realize how much he valued their friendship. Maybe he didn't even understand what was going on in his own head.

But one thing was certain: Maya wasn't going to wait around forever. She was stronger than that. She was learning to trust herself more, to follow her instincts, and to make the decisions that were best for her—even if it meant standing up to the people she cared about.

As she entered her room and closed the door behind her, she took a deep breath. Tomorrow would bring its own challenges, its own questions, but she was ready to face them. She wasn't alone anymore. And that made all the difference.