CHAPTER 11

I won't mind. 

I was still at school grounds. My talk with Ms. Acker was two hours ago, the whole parking lot was empty, no one in the school, except me. I had totally forgotten about how Max was my ride back home. And when I realized he wasn't here, it was too late. Aria was gone to get ready for a special dinner with her mom, so I couldn't really call her. I did't have Samantha's number and my brother and his crew were in the most important meeting they've ever had until now. All my hopes were down the drain.

Getting up from the entrance staircase, I decided to give walking home a try. There was no way I would take people away from their commitments just because I didn't know my way home. Pff. Please.

My feet dragged me to the way I knew I came from. Out the parking lot to the right. Maybe if I keep walking straight I would get somewhere. I knew what I was doing was quite stupid, but there was no other way. I keep walking and walking and walking until my iPod battery gave out. That was the moment I realized something was wrong.

The sun was almost gone and I was in a place I had never seen before. My feet were starting to hurt even though I was wearing my favorite sneakers. Something was deeply wrong and I just didn't know where I took the wrong turn.

Sitting on the sidewalk, I started to thing. My phone had three percent of it's battery left and it showed me that it was six in the afternoon. Not too late, I thought. Just as I was thinking about calling my brother, he sent me a text.

where are you?

It was as simple as it gets but it was life changing, I swear. My fingers quickly ran through the numbers and with one final touch, I had gotten my password wrong. Fuck. Just as I was about to try again, my phone died. It just blacked out. And so did my little sparkle of home. I was unreachable. I was lost. And I was about to cry. Actually, I was crying. Silently and discreetly, but crying nonetheless.

Fuck Maximilian Tucker. That was my first thought as I got up in my blistered feet and started walking again. Fuck him and his adorable dimples that show when he grins. Fuck him and his warm good morning hugs. Fuck him and all his adorableness. I wanted to kill him. How could he just leave me there? Yes, it was partially my fault — if not absolutely — but I really thought he was coming back. Fuck me and my naiveness.

"Maya?"

My name never sounded so beautiful in someone's mouth.

"Ryan." I sighed in relief.

"Maya, are you okay?" He said running from the porch of a huge white house. "Have you been crying?"

"You have no idea how glad I am to see you." I whispered and hugged the shit out of him.

"Oh my God, what happened?"

As I opened my mouth to speak his eyes bulged.

"You are freezing." He stated.

I shook my beanie covered head. "No, I'm fine. I just got-"

"Maya, your lips are blue."

Shit.

"Come inside." Ryan pleaded and guided me through the house. Or should I say mansion?

When I sat on the comfortable sofa, I realized how tired I was. Tears flooded my eyes and I let some out. I was so tired. And I was, indeed cold. For the past weeks, Sausalito weather had dropped immensely. And I am talking about the thermometer diving right to the 50's.

Ryan appeared again with a cup of steaming tea. Usually, I would politely decline and ask for a cup of coffee instead, but right now this tea was perfect to me.

"Here you go." He said. "Jesus, you are shaking."

"Yeah. I've been walking for the past two hours or so." I whispered closing my eyes.

"No, Maya!" Ryan admonishes me. "Don't sleep."

I chuckled. "It's not like a have concussion, Ry."

"But you could have hypothermia." He said rolling his eyes. "Come with me."

My legs were shaking so much that Ryan had to carry me and the tea upstairs. We entered what I supposed what his room. It was so much like him. It had one black wall and all the others were white. There were posters up the wall — yes, he had a girl in a bikini poster because it's Ryan we're talking about — and many books on the wall. That surprised me, I guess. Never took Ryan as a bookworm. He laid me on his bed and rolled his chair over. When I laid on my back to get more comfortable, I gasp in shock. There wasn't just one or two, but about dozens and dozes of pictures taped to the ceiling.

Most of them were with Max. There was one of them fishing. There was one of them at my house's porch, where I found them that night. There were picture of them everywhere. With people and just the two of them. But the one that I liked the most was one of the two of them — they must've been about four or five — on the swing set. It just captivated me.

"Cool, huh?" He murmured.

"Ryan, this is amazing." I whispered back. I didn't want to break this peace we had going on.

"Maya, what happened?" He asked with a frown. "Why were you crying?"

"I was crying because I was frustrated." I said.

"And why were you frustrated?"

"I was forgotten at school." I whispered. "I have been walking for a couple of hours or so."

"A couple?" He deadpanned. "Maya, school ended four hours ago."

"Oh." How come I didn't realize I was walking that long? Whatever, I should think of that later. I am so tired right now. "I think I am going to sleep for a few hours, is that okay?"

"No, that's not okay!" My friend said and walked to me. "You are shivering, that's not good, sweetie."

As Ryan talked, I started to feel dizzy. My sweater was too tight and I needed it off.

"Don't take it off." He warned me. "Maya, don't, please-"
"It's too tight." I mumbled and took it off.

"Damn it, girl." Ryan sighed and cursed some word in Spanish. He disappeared for a moment behind his closet door, but soon enough he came back with different clothes. "These are all mine, so they will be gigantic on you and keep you warm, okay?"

I nodded. "Thanks Ryan."

He just stared at me for a moment and left the room so I could change. I must admit it was a hard task. His sweatpants were enormous on me; I guess that's the result of borrowing clothes from the school's football captain.

When Ryan entered the room again, I was struggling with the shirt. I knew I should be embarrassed of him seeing me in just my bra, but I wasn't functioning right. Walking to me, my friend helped me with the long-sleeved tee and the sweatshirt.

"Shit Maya! You have hypothermia." He stated.

"How do you know?" I asked frowning.

"My parents are doctors. In fact, I just called mom. She is on her way here." 
I started to cry. I was crying and I didn't know why, but Ryan didn't care. He shushed me and hugged me. He was like an older brother. Like Rob. Shit! Rob!

"My brother!" I whispered.

"I'll take care of it." He said. "How could you brother just leave you in the parking lot?"

"He didn't." And with that I feel asleep.

—————————————————————————

I woke up to an empty room and loud voices. Someone was shouting outside the room that, right now, was spinning. I tried to get up, but my arms were weak. My stomach was knotted and suddenly I had strength enough to run to the bathroom and throw everything I ate in the toilet.

"Shit!" Someone exclaimed behind me. Ryan. He held my hair and screamed for his mother.

I felt so embarrassed. There, in the bathroom door, was one of the most beautiful woman I have ever seen. I should put her and Samantha on a pedestal and worship their beauty and good will as goddesses. He brown locks fell on her simple white shirt as her blue eyes started at me pitifully.

"Oh sweetie. Hello, dear. My name is Martha Sanchez, and I am a doctor. I am here to help you, okay?" She said with a sweet voice, rubbing my back. "What you have is normal. It's just your body trying to heat it up."

"I am so sorry Ms. Sanches." I whispered, my throat dried and hurting.

"It's okay, honey. I'm just thankful that my son found you or else things would be much worse."

When I noticed that Ryan wasn't in the bathroom anymore, it was too late. Shouting had returned from outside and it was bugging me. It must've been irritating Martha too, because she helped me back to the back and joined the scream-fest. Except she did it in Spanish.

As I checked my now fully charged phone, enters Max. His hair is worse than usual and he is pale. He was just like when He saw my bleeding hand. A relieved sigh left his lips as he walked towards him. I was still upset with him, but that didn't mean that I would refuse on of his warm hugs. That didn't mean that I wouldn't smile when I saw him. Because truth is, no matter how mad I am at him, he makes it up.

"I am so sorry Maya." He said with a shaky voice, his breath fanning my neck. "Please forgive me Chipmunk."

Just as I was about to say 'no', a flashback of my afternoon appointment came back.

"Maya, there are some things about Max that you don't know yet." Her chocolate eyes were poring out emotions. "Some things that only Max can tell you. And it'll will take a long time for him to do so."

"I understand. We all have secrets."

"Exactly. So please, don't be so harsh on him..." She said. "Max is such a good boy, and I'd hate for him to be alone."

"Me too." I whispered. "I'd hate for him to be alone too."

"It's okay." I whispered and hugged him back.

"Maximilian Tucker, this is not the end of this conversation!" Ryan said sitting down on his chair.

"What's going on?" I asked chuckling a bit, but soon giving into a coughing fit.

"He's giving me hell because I forgot you in school." He said caressing my hair. "And he is right to do so."

"I agree." I said and cuddled more into Max's arms. I noticed he tightened his grip too.

"So this is your girlfriend, Maxie?" Martha squealed. "Ryan told me so much about her and yo-"

"We're not dating." Max blurted and blushed deeply. I just keep quiet.

"Oh, that's a shame. You guys look good together. And it would be less awkward to ask you to do something." She said frowning.

"What?"

"Hypothermia is the lack of heat in one's body." Martha explained. "And there is no easier way to warm someone up than with body heat."

The room was silent for a minute or so. My foggy mind not processing her words right.

"Okay." He whispered. "I'll just take my shirt off and-"

"Pants too, darling." Martha said, holding in her laugh.

"Oh." Max said letting go of me. "Is that really necessary? I mean it's a little uncom-"

Just as he was talking I started to shiver again. My eyes closed and I got into a dizzy state.

"Fuck." He murmured hastily getting rid of his shirt and pants. "Maya, don't fall asleep on me."

"Leave me alone." I murmured and turned around.

"Maya Reed!" Max said sternly. "I am getting undressed for you and you fall asleep on me? That's not how I imagined our first time."

"Fuck you, Max." I said trying to hide my smile.

He laid on the bed, under the covers and hugged me close.

"Hum, not wanting to be indecent or anything," Martha said awkwardly. Ryan wasn't even in the room anymore. "But she needs to be undressed too."

Oh fuck me.