Maya refused to slow down as she continued walking along the sidewalk, her footsteps carrying a steady rhythm that matched the frustration building inside her chest.
The afternoon sunlight stretched long shadows across the pavement, but she barely noticed any of it because her mind kept replaying the exact same scene over and over again.
His bedroom.
That girl.
The casual look on his face.
The complete lack of concern after getting caught.
Every single detail repeated inside her head until she wanted to scream.
Her fingers tightened around the strap of her school bag as she forced herself to keep moving forward.
She had no intention of looking back because the last person she wanted to see right now was Carter.
“Yo, Maya!” Carter called after her while jogging across the sidewalk, his voice echoing loudly enough for nearby pedestrians to glance in their direction.
Maya released a slow breath through her nose without acknowledging him because pretending he did not exist felt much easier than dealing with whatever excuse he planned to invent.
Unfortunately, Carter had never been very good at taking hints.
She heard his footsteps closing the distance behind her, each one growing louder until they were only a few feet away.
Before she could speed up again, she felt gentle fingers wrap around her wrist, stopping her just enough to keep her from walking away.
The touch wasn’t painful or aggressive, but it was enough to make her freeze.
For several seconds, neither of them spoke.
Maya slowly turned around, her expression remaining calm despite the storm raging inside her thoughts.
Carter stood in front of her breathing slightly harder from catching up, his dark hair completely messy and his shirt thrown on so carelessly that it looked like he had dressed in less than thirty seconds.
“Let go,” Maya said calmly while looking directly into his eyes, refusing to raise her voice even though she desperately wanted to.
Carter hesitated for a brief moment before releasing her wrist, realizing immediately that grabbing her had probably been another mistake.
“Look, I didn’t know you were going to show up that early,” Carter said awkwardly while rubbing the back of his neck, hoping the explanation sounded believable.
“I wasn’t early,” Maya replied firmly while folding her arms across her chest.
“You gave me the time, and I arrived exactly when you told me to.”
Carter opened his mouth to argue before quickly realizing she was completely right.
“…Okay, yeah,” Carter admitted with an embarrassed sigh.
“That’s completely on me.”
Maya gave him a single nod without changing her expression.
“Good. At least we agree on something.”
She turned around and started walking again, determined to end the conversation before it became even more exhausting.
“Wait!” Carter called out while taking another few quick steps after her, refusing to let the discussion end so easily.
Maya stopped walking again, although it was not because she wanted to continue talking.
She simply knew he would keep following her until she answered.
“What?” Maya asked without turning around, her patience wearing thinner by the second.
Carter pushed a hand through his already messy hair before speaking again.
“You’re seriously going to walk away because of what happened back there?” he asked with genuine confusion written across his face.
That question finally made Maya turn around completely.
She looked at him slowly, almost carefully, as if she could not believe he honestly failed to understand the problem.
“Because of what?” Maya asked while keeping her voice controlled.
“Go ahead and explain exactly what you think happened.”
Carter frowned slightly before answering.
“You walked in on something awkward, that’s all,” he said while shrugging casually.
“It’s really not that big of a deal.”
Maya stared at him for several long seconds, studying his face as though she hoped she had simply misunderstood him.
Instead, she realized he actually believed every word he had just said.
“It’s not a big deal?” Maya repeated while raising one eyebrow in disbelief.
“So it’s somehow my fault because I opened the bedroom door after arriving at the time you told me?”
“I mean… yeah, kind of,” Carter answered while lifting both hands defensively.
“It’s not like we’re dating or anything.”
“Exactly,” Maya interrupted sharply while taking one deliberate step toward him.
“We’re not anything.”
The words landed harder than either of them expected.
Carter’s confident expression flickered ever so slightly before settling into something more uncertain.
“Then what’s the actual problem?” Carter asked while crossing his arms, trying to sound confident despite the growing tension.
Maya let out a quiet laugh that contained absolutely no amusement.
“The problem,” Maya explained while stepping even closer, “is that I refuse to waste my time helping someone who clearly doesn’t take his own future seriously.”
Carter’s jaw tightened noticeably as he stared back at her.
“I do take things seriously,” Carter replied while holding her gaze, his voice carrying a hint of irritation.
“Really?” Maya asked while gesturing back toward his house with one hand.
“Because everything I saw suggested the exact opposite.”
“That has nothing to do with hockey,” Carter argued while shaking his head impatiently.
“It has absolutely everything to do with hockey,” Maya shot back immediately while refusing to let him change the subject.
“You are weeks away from losing your place on the team because of your grades, and somehow you still found time to fool around instead of preparing.”
Silence settled between them like a heavy blanket.
Maya rarely raised her voice.
That made every word she spoke now feel even more powerful.
“You’re standing on the edge of throwing away every opportunity you’ve worked for,” Maya continued while speaking more quietly than before.
“Your coaches are losing patience, your teachers are frustrated, and yet you’re behaving as though none of those consequences actually matter.”
Carter remained silent for several moments, no longer smiling or making sarcastic jokes.
For the first time since Maya had met him, he looked genuinely annoyed instead of amused.
“You think you’ve got me all figured out after seeing five minutes of my life,” Carter said while narrowing his eyes slightly.
“That’s pretty impressive.”
“I know enough to recognize someone wasting their potential,” Maya replied without hesitation, her voice remaining steady.
“No, you really don’t,” Carter answered while stepping closer until only a few feet separated them.
“You saw one moment and decided that’s who I am.”
“And you’ve given me any reason to believe otherwise?” Maya asked while refusing to look away.
Neither of them moved.
The air between them felt tense enough to snap.
People walked past on the sidewalk, but neither Carter nor Maya paid any attention to the world around them.
Eventually, Carter released a long breath before dragging one hand across the back of his neck.
“…Look,” Carter said quietly while avoiding her eyes for the first time.
“I messed up, alright?”
Maya remained silent, waiting to hear what came next.
“I honestly forgot you were coming today,” Carter continued while speaking more sincerely than before.
“That’s all that happened.”
“You didn’t forget,” Maya answered immediately while shaking her head once.
“You simply didn’t care enough to remember.”
Those words struck him much harder than anything else she had said.
Carter looked back at her immediately, his expression showing genuine surprise.
“That’s not true,” Carter insisted while taking another small step forward.
“Then prove it,” Maya replied before she could stop herself, the challenge leaving her mouth almost automatically.
Both of them froze.
Maya blinked once, clearly surprised by her own words.
Carter tilted his head slightly, studying her expression more carefully than he had all day.
“…How?” Carter asked quietly while his voice softened.
Maya hesitated for several seconds before answering because she had not expected him to ask that question seriously.
“You show up tomorrow,” Maya finally said while meeting his eyes again.
“You arrive on time, you bring everything you need, you stay focused, and you don’t waste another minute.”
She held his gaze without blinking.
“And for once, you actually put in some real effort.”
Carter watched her silently.
Not as the smart girl from class.
Not as the popular cheerleader everyone admired.
Just Maya.
Someone who had every reason to walk away but was still giving him one final chance.
“…And if I don’t?” Carter asked while quietly testing the seriousness of her words.
Maya slowly stepped backward, putting a little more distance between them again.
“Then we’re finished,” Maya answered firmly while adjusting the strap on her shoulder.
“You can find somebody else willing to clean up the mess you created.”
Without waiting for another response, she turned around and resumed walking down the sidewalk.
This time, Carter made no attempt to stop her.
He simply stood there watching her disappear farther down the street while countless thoughts raced through his head.
After several long seconds, he sighed heavily before shaking his head with a small, disbelieving smile.
“…Damn,” Carter muttered quietly while rubbing the back of his neck, unable to decide whether he felt guilty, frustrated, or strangely motivated.
Just as Maya reached the corner, Carter suddenly raised his voice again.
“Hey, wait!” Carter called while jogging a few steps toward her.
“There’s a café nearby, and we could study there right now if you don’t mind.”
Maya stopped walking once more before slowly turning around to face him.
She looked at him suspiciously for a moment, trying to decide whether this was another joke.
“What about your books?” Maya asked while crossing her arms, clearly expecting him to realize how impossible his suggestion sounded.
Carter scratched the back of his head sheepishly before giving her an awkward grin.
“You said it yourself,” Carter replied with a small shrug and an embarrassed smile.
“I don’t exactly take notes.”
Maya stared at him for a full three seconds before closing her eyes in complete disbelief.
“Oh my God,” Maya muttered while pinching the bridge of her nose, wondering how someone with so much talent could also be this unbelievably hopeless.
Carter chuckled nervously while rubbing the back of his neck again.
“I’m serious this time,” he said with an unusually sincere expression.
“We’ll buy notebooks on the way if we have to. Just… don’t give up on me yet.”
Maya opened one eye to study him carefully, searching his face for even the smallest sign that he was joking.
For the first time all afternoon…
She couldn’t find one.