CHAPTER 09

What a feeling.

For a coast city, Sausalito was pretty darn cold in this time of the year. It was about 64 degrees outside when I dared to leave my house. Rob came running after me with a warm sweater of his and off we went. He dropped me off at school, and I couldn't be more nervous. Today was my first appointment with the school counselor. It was the closest thing to a psychologist around here, and it was for free. Sort of.

Rob's sweater was past my mid-tights and I felt like one of those Tumblr girls with my glasses and beanie. But the cold was too much, and I was loving it. Always had loved those cold days that all you want to do is lay under the covers, because all I did was lay under the covers.

"Hey, Maya." I heard Aria and I jumped, scared all of sudden. I was jumpy since I woke up, and it was starting to get on my nerves. I fell from bed because of my alarm clock, and I tripped the stairs when my brother greeted me. "Wow, what happened girl?"

"Nothing." I muttered not really feeling like talking.

"You look like you've seen a ghost." She stated. "Are you sick?"

"No."

"Are you sure?" She asked again, pushing me.

"Yes!" I snapped, sighing right after. Regret filled me and I looked at my friend, only to see her with an amused look on her face. "I'm sorry."

She laughed. "It's so funny to see you mad."

"What? Why?"

"Because you get all rilled up, but your eyes are still so soft." Aria said chuckling a bit. "It's super cute."

"Thanks... I guess." I said and sat down on the bench.

We had a little while until someone spoke again.

"Why does she look so adorably lost?" Ryan said and rested his arms on my shoulders. Aria looked at him, puffing out some air in anger, but all she managed to do was puff a little cloud, and that made me giggle.

"Oh my God, she's like a child." Aria said.

"Darling," Ryan replied, fake sadness in his eyes as he theatrically rested his head on his heart. "She is a child. Our child."

"Have a child and didn't tell me, you wanker?" Max said slipping his friend's head. "I expected better from you."

"I am sorry, buddy. But I must give my family my full attention." Ryan said winking at Aria. "Especially my wife. She is really needy, if you know what I mean."

"Oh my God!" I exclaimed and his my face in my hands. "That's so-"

"Maya Reed?" Ms. Lee called out from the hallway. "Maya, dear, come with me, please."

It was time. It was time but I was not ready. Serious stuff was bound to happen in that office. Max looked at me curiously, but soon all my friends were walking alongside me to the counselor office.

I was going to be sick. Suddenly my breath hitched on my throat and I had to hold Ryan's arm, because my legs started failing me. I had no idea what was going to happen inside that place. That was what bothered me the most. I didn't know what was going to happen.

"Maya!" Max shouted running to my side. "Maya, come on. You're okay."

I nodded to his statement. I was okay. Everything was okay.

"You're just fine, Chipmunk." He said straightening me up. "You going inside that office and you'll come out forty-five minutes later. No big deal."

He was right. It was nothing. I could do this.

"Now come on, big girl." Max said smirking and turning me to the door. "You can do this."

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The counselor's office felt like it was a completely different place from school. The yellow walls and patched up sofa made it almost feel like home. Somewhere safe where you can just talk and no one will ever know what about. I guess that was the purpose.

On top of the table was a little metal thing written Ms.Acker in big bold letters. I has been waiting for three minutes when a head popped in. Long, thick and marvelous black hair was mostly what I could see, as the woman fiddled with many folders and papers. Instantly I got up and relieved the weight on her arms.

Ms.Acker looked at me with a relieved smile and puffed some hair out of her face. "Thanks. This is a nightmare to organize." She said and laughed.

"It must be." I replied chuckling. "So many papers and stuff."

"Yeah, tell me about it." Her soft laughter made me at ease and soon I was facing one of the most beautiful woman I had ever seen.

Her dark skin glowed with a healthy glow and her black hair fell in the most wonderful way. Everything about that woman screamed trust. He brown eyes were fixated on my face as she studied me, just like I was doing to her.

"So, tell me more about yourself, Ms.Reed." The counselor asked, getting a stack of paper and a pen ready.

"I really don't know what to say." I murmured quietly.

"Oh." She said looking quite surprised. "Well, why are you here?"

"I don't know, Ms.Acker." I replied feeling guilty all of sudden.

Ms.Acker was trying to help me with something that I didn't even know it was wrong. I was sure I would be a lot more trouble to figure than her last visitors and just the thought of wasting that sweet woman's time made me feel guilty.

"Oh darling, call me Sam." Her full lips pulled into a comforting smile and I nodded. "Okay, so I'll just list the things I know of you, and we'll go from there... good?"

I nodded again.

"You are Maya Reed." Sam started. "You have seventeen years old and you travelled a long way to be here in Sausalito. I know your parents are insisting in weekly consults because they called me. You're a good student, in your last year of High School."

With every information she told me, I realized something.

It didn't matter if if had changed cities. It didn't matter if I had changed countries and schools and houses and everything else. I was still the same. What Sam Acker was listing for me right now, was my pure and raw essence. And I don't think I can ever change that.

"Do you know what you want to do when you finish High School, Maya?" Sam asked, helloing an expectant gaze upon me.

I sighed. "No. I have no clue, actually. I was hoping a little bit of change could help me with that too."

"Huh... Well, what do you like to do in your spare time?" She asked letting the pen down. Somehow, that made me ten times more comfortable.

"Uh, not much actually." I said scratching my head. "I like to draw. Yeah, I really like to draw. I like to read and watch TV shows... and I like writing some random stuff."

"That's awesome!" She said, grinning widely. "Do you happen to paint with oil? Or any kind of paint, actually?"

"I-I never tried." I said stuttering a bit. Art was something that I did at very random times.

"Would you be interested in doing such thing?"

"I don't know. Maybe. Yes?"

"That's for you to decide." Sam chuckled. "Why don't you think about it, and in our next appointment you tell me your decision?"

I nodded smiling weakly.

"You can go now, dear." She said pointing to the door. "Today was just an introduction and your friends must be tired of waiting."

"They're here?" I asked frowning. They shouldn't have. Even though t was just a twenty minute session.

"Yeah, well, that's Maximilian Tucker for you." She said smiling, always smiling. "Stubborn as a mule."

"Thanks Ms. Acker." I said getting up and opening the door. "See you next week."

"Call me Sam, Maya." Her look kept trapped in the pile of papers in front of her and she waved. "See you."

When I stepped outside of the heated office, cold hit me again and I couldn't help but shiver. My brother's sweater did little to warm me up as I could feel frosting bites on my arms and belly. I jumped a little when warm jacket was wrapped around me, looking back to see Max smiling at me with the best of smiles. The I'm-Proud-Of-You smile. I think that was my favorite of all.

"Thanks for waiting me." I said hugging the jacket. It was bigger than me; it's arms covering my hands and and the hem reaching my mid tights. But that's was understandable, since he was almost a full head taller than me.

"No problem, Chipmunk." He said and we started walking. "Rob called me and asked me to give you a ride home. My car is just on the end of the parking lot."

I nodded and walked behind him, trying to keep his pace. The thing about Max is that he had these long legs; and even though he walks at a normal pace, his steps were huge. I had long legs too, but damn. I had to jog a little once in a while to keep up with him.

We stopped in front of a blue jeep and I instantly feel in love with his car. It was beautiful, a clear mixture of the old and new.

"You like it?" He asked opening the door for me and hoisting me up. Again I repeat, I wasn't small. Not at all. I had a great pride in my 5'7 stature, but come on, give me a little break. "It's a 1980 Jeep CJ-5. I had to really look to find this beauty."

"It's a really cool car." I agreed closing my door and waiting for him to enter. "And it's in a really good condition."

"Yeah, that's thanks to many nights in Many's shop." He chuckled and started to drive.

We put on a weird song and we just sang along, mysteriously knowing the lyrics to the awkward beat. Our bodied tried to move in the confined space, not only looking like two fishes out of water, but two happy fishes out of water. Now I understood why people were always smiling in Sausalito. It was just something about this place, these people... that makes me want to smile. And I did. And it felt right.

For a second there, inside of the old car of my new friend, I looked at him. Max was still bouncing his blonde curls to the beat, alienated from the rest of the world. It was such an unique sight and I couldn't look away. All I could think was how happy I was, with him, with my brother and the team, with my school. I was generally bubbly.

And in my mind, Max was a great part of this. I was in the new city for a week, and I had memories already; all of them including a blonde, blue eyed boy, with his taunting smile.

My turn to smile.

Thank you, Maximilian Tucker.