The final bell rang to signal the end of afternoon lectures.
Immediately, the student’s began flooding out of the building, chatting loudly amongst themselves.
Locker doors slammed shut, bags were tossed over shoulders, and all was busy as everyone hurried away towards their respective clubs, practices, or the freedom of the outside world.
Maya walked out of the science building with Carter at her side and Olivia and Ethan trailing closely behind The four of them somehow had gotten into the odd habit of leaving class together.
It wasn’t intentional, it just sort of happened Maya had her planner in one hand as she mentally prepared herself for what was to come over the next few hours.
Practice for the cheer squad had ended for the day, but she still needed to review the next day’s notes for chemistry, lay out her volunteer schedule for the children’s hospital, and fit in another tutoring session with Carter.
As she thought this over, her phone began vibrating in her pocket She dug it out and paused to stare at who was calling her Ryan Foster Maya hesitated before pressing the answer button on her phone.
Ryan: Hey, Maya.
Are you free tonight, I was hoping we could meet up and start planning the hospital fundraiser.
She stared silently at the message for a few seconds before answering.
“…Oh.”
Olivia immediately perked up in response, peering over Maya’s shoulder with a curious look on her face.
“What?” She asked, “Who texted you?”
Maya instinctively pulled her phone away so that it was out of Olivia’s reach “No one.”
Olivia narrowed her eyes suspiciously
“Oh yeah, cause everyone only says no one when it isn’t someone.”
Ethan chuckled at Olivia’s comment
“She’s got a point.”
“It’s Ryan.” Maya admitted finally
The reaction was instantaneous
Olivia’s eyes widened, Ethan shot a curious glance at Carter, and Carter himself seemed unfazed.
“So”, Olivia began with grin that made Maya wary, “what does Mr Basketball want?”
Maya reread the text before replying
“He wants to meet tonight so we can start planning the hospital fundraiser.”
Olivia clapped her hands together
“Oh that’s adorable.”
“It isn’t.” Maya countered
“It is.”
“It’s just volunteer work.”
“Volunteer work can be adorable.”
Maya shook her head before slipping her phone back into her pocket “I need to think about it.”
With that she turned to face Carter
“…Can I talk to you?”
Carter blinked in surprise
“Me?”
“Privately.”
Olivia gasped dramatically
“Excuse me?”
Maya shot a look at Olivia, who had her arms crossed tightly over her chest “What?” Olivia said again, in response to Maya’s confused look “So now you’re keeping secrets from me?”
“I’m not.”
“You literally just asked your fake boyfriend for a private conversation.”
“It’s about our arrangement.”And I’m your best friend.”You are.”
“So why don’t I get to hear it?”
Before Maya could reply, Olivia gestured sharply between the two “Just because he’s pretending to be your boyfriend doesn’t mean you get to hide things from me!” She exclaimed.
Ethan took a step back immediately
“I’m staying out of this.”
“Smart man,” Carter muttered
Maya rubbed her temples Get faster updates on g.com.
“It’s nothing bad.”
Olivia raised an eyebrow at that
“If it’s nothing bad, then why does it need to be private”
“…Because it’s about Ryan, I guess.”
Olivia blinked in surprise
“Oh.”
She quickly shook off the surprised expression and beamed at Maya “Oh! Never mind that! You should just do whatever he wants.”
Maya turned to look at Carter
“You’d better give her good advice.”
“I usually do,” he replied.
“No you don’t,” Maya and Olivia said simultaneously.
Ethan let out a chuckle
“That was a lovely display of unity.”
A few minutes later Maya and Carter walked a distance away from the others so that they were in a secluded part of the campus.
They stood next to a large oak tree that overlooked the campus grounds.
The leaves above them rustled slightly in the wind, sending long shadows stretching out over the grass as the rest of the school busied itself on the grounds below, unaware of the conversation that was taking place nearby.
Carter leaned nonchalantly against the tree trunk “So…”What did Ryan say?”
Maya unlocked her phone before handing it to him.
“He wants to meet tonight.”
Carter quietly read the message before returning the phone to Maya “You seem nervous.”
“I am.”
“Why?”
She looked down at the message before looking back up at him.
“I don’t know.”
Carter waited before asking the next question.
“Have you ever done this before?”
She gave him a strange look
“You know that’s not what I-”
“Oh, it is.” He cut in
She stared at him for a moment before sighing “I’ve never… done this before.”
He blinked in surprise
“Planned a fundraiser?”
She gave him a look
“You know that’s not what I-”
“Oh, it is.” He repeated
She sighed before answering
“I don’t know whether he likes me.”
“You do.”
“I don’t.”
“You really do.”
“I really don’t.”
Carter gave her a small smile
“Maya…”
“What?”
“I’ve met enough guys to know how they think.”
She folded her arms across her chest
“And apparently you’re an expert now?”I’m a hockey captain.”..That wasn’t an answer.”
“It kind of was.” She said
She rolled her eyes in response
“So what do you think I should do?”
Carter looked genuinely serious now
“I think you should go.”
She blinked in surprise New chapters come out on g.com first.
“Really?”
He nodded.
“Yeah.”
“But..”
She glanced at her planner
“We’re supposed to study tonight.”
“I know.”
“I don’t like canceling plans.”
“I know.”
“So?” Carter shrugged
“It’s okay.”
She looked at him carefully
“Are you sure?”
He gave her a smile
“Remember why we’re doing this.”
She said nothing in return
“The whole point of this fake relationship is to get Ryan to notice you.” He continued He pushed both hands into his pockets “If you don’t spend time with him, then nothing will change.”
Maya thought this over
“I guess…”
“The sooner he figures out how he feels,” Carter continued, “the sooner you two get together.”
He smiled
“And the sooner we can stop pretending.”
For some reason those final words felt oddly heavy coming out of his mouth Olivia and Ethan soon wandered over to where the two stood, deciding they couldn’t wait any longer.
“So?” Olivia asked eagerly.
“What’s the plan?”
Maya looked between the three of them
“Carter thinks I should go.”
Olivia nodded enthusiastically
“He’s right”
“You agree with him?” Maya asked
“I know.” Olivia said with a smile
“Shocking, isn’t it?”
Maya looked back at her phone
“…Okay.”
She quickly typed out a reply before sending it off Maya: I’m free tonight between 8:00 and 10:00.
She barely had time to finish before another notification popped up Ryan: Perfect.
See you then.
Maya smiled softly
“That was fast,” Carter remarked.
Olivia nudged Maya’s side playfully
“I think somebody was waiting for your reply.”
Maya locked her phone before sliding it back into her pocket “I guess tonight is settled, then.”
Carter smiled
“Looks like it.”
On the outside, he seemed fine.
On the inside, he wasn’t sure what to make of the fact that Maya would be spending the night with Ryan.
After all, wasn’t that what he wanted?