I AM SO SORRY FOR THE DELAY!!!!

I was going to post a few days ago, but my parents thought that it would be fun to exile me in the beach :(

Well, at least I had time to edit as much as I want. And then BAM! I found THE SPOT. It has Wi-Fi.

So here it goes, hope you guys like it :P

See ya later, alienator. Xx

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CHAPTER 2

Take me with you.

The rain was pouring outside. Fog covered my garden and I instantly felt a heavy weight on me, keeping me on my bed, holding me captive of my own head. My alarm showed me that it was still too early, but why did I felt so tired, so drained? Almost as if the whole day had already passed, leaving me behind.

A cold chill ran through my body as I threw the blankets away from my exposed legs. It was a habit, I guess; I just couldn't sleep with pants on, they made me feel limited and trapped. Awful.

Three hard knocks on the door woke me up completely, my brother's voice echoed in the hallway. He was asking me to hurry up. Something came up at work and he needed to be there, he said, but he also needed to drop me off at school. That's unusual. Always, when I get up, Rob is already on his way to work, he is the lead of his research team and they seem to be getting somewhere. I don't really understand him, I know nothing of genetical engineering.

Putting on some sweatpants and an oversized sweater, I fished my shoes from under themed and ran to the door, where mom as already waiting with my backpack and an apple. Her frown marked its presence as it got deeper and deeper.

"Maya, honey, are you okay?" She asked offering me a ind smile and a warm hug. "You seem a little of this morning."

I shrugged my shoulders and grabbed some money for lunch.

"Maybe you should stay home." Rob said from the door. "Whatever you're deciding, do it quick. I'm in a hurry."

I nodded and bid my mother goodbye. Her worried look didn't go unnoticed and somehow it made me feel guilty. The way her eyes followed me as I walked and how her kind smile was swept away as I didn't smile back. She shouldn't worry. I'm fine. I'm okay.

"What's up with you, huh? You're quiet." Rob asked as we neared the school. I saw it in his face too. The scrunched forehead, squinted eyes, pursed lips... all signs of worry.

"I am fine." I am okay. " Thanks for the ride."

"Yeah, whatever." He smiled. I didn't. "Just come straight home after school, okay?"

Nodding, he finally let me go with an air kiss. As usual, the school was a chaos. Girls were screaming, boys were running and teachers were talking. No silence. No peace. I kind of liked that. I felt much more comfortable in noisy places, it made me feel less intense.

Biology lab was full, also. Ms. Meyer, my sweet old teacher, was already preparing today's exercise, but she seemed to be struggling much more than someone her age should, so I dropped my bag on the ground and ran to help her organize the materials.

"Thank you, Maya." She said smiling and petting my cheek. I liked her smile, it was so... parental like. So caring. "Always the sweet girl."

I hear a laugh echoing in the class and looked towards Vince, a good friend of mine. His large frame was occupying a little bit more than his place on our table, but I didn't care. Vince's heart was just as big as he was, and he was defense on the football team. Even though I tried to find one, no stereotype worked on him. He was more fat than muscles; more poetry than girls. He grew in my heart with those rhymes of his.

"Always the sweet girl." He mimicked as I sat down beside him.

Truth being told, I was the sweet girl. Always been. I grew up learning that kindness was the best quality anyone could ever have. I grew up learning that a smile could change someone's day and I grew up knowing that a smile could change someone's day. I grew up happy. I grew up smiling. And that's something I wouldn't trade for the world.

Class went by too fast, between failed jokes and beautiful poems, and soon enough I was heading towards History, where I would be sure tot make a well deserved nap.

Just like my previous class, the rest of the day went by pretty quickly, so in what seemed a couple of hours later I was walking home, with an improved humor and a shadow of a smile playing on my lips.

A voice called over my name and there was no need for me to turn around. I knew who it was, already. Carl Bennet jogged closer to me and even went as far as hugging me. I didn't hug him back. Taking a deep breath to calm my nerves, I almost choked on air. His smell was something else, something disturbing. Cigarettes. Booze. A weird cologne that didn't match the rest.

"Haven't see you in a while." He said. I nodded and uncomfortably laughed it off. "How you've been?"

I had to hold my tongue. Truth was I blamed him. I blamed him for the lost connection. I blamed him for John's time at rehab. I blamed him for everything that's wrong. But even though my feeling towards him weren't the best, I couldn't help but miss him. Since Carl was held back on junior year, John, James and me ceased to exist. The many years we spent together, the many trips we made; all forgotten.

"I am just fine. What about you?" I said politely, taking a step back from his and his taunting smell.

Carl laughs and nods. "I am okay too. It's so good to see you. Any boys I should beat to a pulp?"

I tilt my head to the side, taken aback be the sudden and random question.

"Come on, you know no one messes with my baby girl." He said winking.

I blushed deeply and shake my head. While Carl laughed, all I could think was how disappointed I was with him. In us, even though that is pass. I could see he was slightly altered, not completely sober, and all I wanted to do was scream.

I wanted to scream at him, make him stop caring, stop pretending. I knew he would forget this conversation and all about me again. I wanted to shout at his face, punch it, push him, I wanted the anger to be gone! But drama is not for me, and at least one of us had to be with a sane mind for that conversation to occur.

"Yeah, well, I gotta go. My brother's waiting for me and stuff." I said smiling apologetically.

Carl scoffed and scratched his stubble. "Still the goody two-shoes, I see."

I laughed along with him and started to walk backwards, until he was far away and all I could do was wave.

Than I ran. Me, Maya Reed, the girl who struggles to move from her bed, ran all the was to her house because she just couldn't feel it. She just couldn't feel anything, and I didn't know who the hell was that girl. The wind whipped her hair and her backpack was starting to hurt from its weight. But I just couldn't feel it.

All of my family looked surprised, after twenty minutes, when I bursted through the door. I was sure I looked equally shocked. They were all together in the living room; Rob, mom and dad. I didn't understand why. We didn't do family night. Family night was like one of those stupid New Year resolutions, for us. Something that never got through.

"What the hell?" Rob asked walking to me. "Did you run all the way here?"

I nodded. Slowly, my senses were coming back to me. I felt my head get lighter all the weight of my backpack long gone.

"Why?" Mom asked.

I shook my hand and dismissed the subject with a wave of my hand. It was nothing, at least for them. I was calming my breath and slowly moving to the couch.

"Well, okay than. Sit down, I need to tell you guys something." Rob said walking to the fireplace, centering himself on the room.

Dad pulled me down to sit beside him and passed me a glass of water.

"I got a promotion." My brother said, a huge grin forming on his face. "At work."

Commotion started. Mom screamed and hugged the poor man while dad cheered around them. It was kind of a big deal for Rob to get this promotion. It's all he's been talking about for months, now, and he finally got it. It would give him more opportunities and founds to work on the research he's been on for about three years now.

I got up and hugged him, returning to my place on the comfortable sofa after my heart felt congratulations.

"Okay, good. So, because I was promoted, I decided to move out." He said sitting on the armrest near me. "I am twenty four, for Christ's sake! It's time."
The news had thrown the house into overdrive. Mom started to cry and laugh at the same time. She was very emotional and just couldn't hold it, so her face was contorted into a nasty expression that put Rob and me into a state of shock. He got up quickly and hugged her as she mumbled some weird thing on his T-Shirt.

"Sorry," She said after a few minutes of drama. "I am so happy for you, son."

"I need to move out, mom." Rob said. "It's time... and my job is in Sausalito, so staying here is not an option."

"Sausalito? You're moving to California?" Mom screeched.

"Honey, he is not a kid anymore." Dad said massaging mom's shoulder. You could tell that they were sad, even though the proudness overcame it.

My parents were always very fond of having lots of people in the house. They said that it meant that our home was a good and happy place. So I knew that what they were felling was a bittersweet kind of emotion.

"We'll miss you." Mom said. "But I am so proud of you, my love."

"Thanks mom." Rob said a little embarrassed.

"Yeah, you deserve it, boy." Dad said giving my brother one of those men hug, with the tap on the back and everything.

As for me, all I could think was how good of a timing this was.

"Say something to your brother, Maya." Dad said, frowning. "He just accomplished some-"

"Take me with you."