"Everyone has something to hide,I just didn't know mine would start and end with a name I wasn't supposed to say out loud,If I'd known this year of high school will come with secrets that were meant to be buried forever,I would've stayed in bed"
"Maya!!!! You'll be late for school!!!"
Mum shouted from downstairs
"Urgghh" as I rolled my pillow over my head lying on my stomach on my bed in my room (falling back to sleep)
"Maya Monroe get down here right now!!!!!!"
Mum shouted again
"I'm coming" I said back as I got out of bed, walked to my window opened the curtains, felt the warm sun on my face through the clear glass,took a deep breath while looking at the view before I started getting ready for school.
Maya's pov
Hi, I'm Maya Monroe a 17 year old high school student I stand 5'6", pretty face,soft brown eyes and bouncy brown hair that falls just past my shoulder ,as I'd like to describe myself.
"Good morning mum" I said while walking down the stairs with my school uniform and bag all prepared for school
"Morning sweetie" my mum replied while setting up the breakfast table
"Look at the time you're getting ready hun" mum said
"I know am sorry mum I was up late reading for my science test today" I replied
"I damn well know that was not the only thing you were doing last night as I heard your giggles at night on call with your best friend,but anyways hurry up with breakfast so we can go as you see am late for work" mum said
"Yes mum" I replied as we ate breakfast and headed out
Maya's pov
I know you're probably wondering where my dad comes in and am afraid you'd have to stop that wonder because there's no "dad" in this story we don't talk about him.
My mum drove to the gate of my school and dropped me off and she headed to the hospital,yes my mum is one of the doctors in silvervale hospital.
School hallway
"Maya!!!!!" She screamed, I turned around and saw cherry.
"Cherry!!!!!" ,I screamed back
Meet cherry hart my best friend since childhood,5'8", with a pretty face and long straight ginger hair
She ran up to me and we hugged
"Fweetttttt" Lilly sounded the whistle so loud across the hallway
"LISA" we both chorused as Lisa walked in
Maya's pov
You know this story was definitely not gonna miss the one girl,the girl in every high school, meet Lisa the girl that's not gonna let you live your best life in high school also her minions Lilly and kate.lisa thinks sounding a whistle on arrival is somehow grand entrance but not me I think it's stupid.
"Gurl I heard she got her nose done" cherry whisperd to me
"What?isn't she like 17" I replied
"Her mum literally insinuated it, anyways gurlll did you get my text" cherry said
"What text" I replied as I reached for my phone in my bag and saw a text from cherry
"Oh my God" I gasped "gurl where on earth did you get the tickets it was sold out everywhere" I said all shocked and excited
"Gurl when I tell you I've got connections,trust me I've got connections" she replied, we giggled
The hallway buzzed with chatter, sneakers squeaking against tiles, lockers slamming open and shut. I leaned against my locker,listening to Cherry go on about some new gossip.
Then everything shifted.
It was subtle at first a hush, like someone had pressed pause on the noise. Heads turned whispers started.
"That's him…"
"Adrian Sinclair."
"That jawlineeee."
"His dad literally owns half of everything."
As he walked in Tall, sharp jawline, blazer draped over his shoulder like it was styled that way for a shoot. His hair curled just enough to look effortless, and his uniform, perfectly disheveled.
He didn't smile or speak,he just glanced around with those unreadable grey eyes, like he was bored or above it all.
I stared, arms crossed trying so hard to look unimpressed but my heart thudded anyway
"Now that's rich rich I bet his shoes cost twice my rent" cherry said
"Relax cherry he's just a guy with good shoes" I replied
"Babe trust me he is not just a guy ,his dad owns the Sinclair holdings company,some say Sinclair Holdings is worth more than what's on paper… that's why the family keeps everything private"
"Well good for him then" I replied
"So.....you two done with the commentary, or should I come back later?"
We turned
Cole Sinclair.
Adrian's step brother drey hoodie with backpack slung lazily over one shoulder,Hair messy in that I-don't-care-but-it-works kind of way,he looked good that was the thing about Cole he didn't need to try.No designer labels, no theatrics. Just that quiet confidence you don't notice at first until you do,No hallway silence when he walked in But still... he had presence, Adrian's dad Mr Sinclair got married to Cole's mother when they were 12
He raised an eyebrow at me, smirking
"Didn't know expensive shoes made your heart race, Maya"(sarcastically)
"They don't," I shot back, maybe a little too quickly
He laughed under his breath
Cherry gave me that look,the one that said he likes you and you know it. I ignored her
"Just saying…" Cole muttered, his voice fading as the bell rang
we walked to class
The final bell rang like a sigh of relief, and the hallway instantly came alive with chatter and slamming lockers.i moved slower than the rest with my books hugged to my chest, my mind still floating somewhere between math equations and Adrian Sinclair's flawless face
Then I sighted cherry who was already at her locker which was right next to mine and I smiled,her glossy lips curled into a mischievous smile too as she saw me
"There you are!" Cherry beamed, slamming the locker shut "I thought Mr Jackson locked you in detention or something"
"Mentally, yeah," i muttered with a small laugh "You know numbers hate me"
"They hate us both," Cherry said "But I've got something that'll fix your brain fog"
"Oh no," i teased "Not another Pinterest smoothie recipe, please"
Cherry grinned wider, reached into her bag, and pulled out her phone and showed me the tickets she got earlier "I got us actual therapy 'Moon love Mirage,' 7PM, tomorrow night Center seats thank me later"
"Oh gurll I still can't express how happy I am that you were able to get this" I stared at the tickets like they were made of gold "This is... insane I was just going to binge watch it alone in bed in two weeks when it streams"
"Well now all thanks to me that wouldn't be your fate" cherry replied
'Phone chimes' cherry got a text
"Urgghh it's my dad,his waiting for me at the parking lot" cherry said
"What? Since when did your dad start picking you up" I replied
"Since the divorce he has been trying really hard,a little too hard to prove to me that he's still with me which is just really uncomfortable" cherry said
"Parents getting divorced is such a hard thing to get over , I'm sorry you're going through this gurll"I said
"Thanks babe, anyways I got to go,see you" she replied
"Bye"
"Oh crap" I realized I forgot something,that ridiculous 18+ magazine the one with the half naked firemen and shirtless actors Cherry had brought it last weekend for laughs, and i had meant to give it back
"Oh no where did I keep it" I said while checking my bag and then I remembered flipping through it during free period and shoving it into my Chemistry notebook to hide it when Mr Jackson walked by
"My chemistry note" which was still in Mr Jackson's class
Panic flared in my chest as I ran back toward the science wing
"Please please let the room still be open"I said as I ran like my life depends on it, I reached the door and peeked inside
There was someone already there and of course..... of course,it had to be Adrian Sinclair,the least person I expect to see
He was leaning casually against Mr Jackson's desk, flipping through something with that infuriating smirk of his
"No No no no"I whisperd to myself
My heart sank as i stepped fully into the room and yes,There it was,Cherry's cursed magazine open in his hands, spread to a page with a model wearing nothing but a towel and a tattoo
Adrian looked up slowly
"Well," he said, holding up the magazine, "I wasn't expecting this level of educational material in Chemistry"
I raised a brow as I walked towards him with forced calm
"Funny,I didn't realize snooping on private property was a Sinclair trait"
Adrian chuckled, unfazed "Wasn't snooping It was just... lying there" He flipped to another page "This one's my favorite,very... artistically lit"
I snatched the magazine from his hand
"Glad to know your taste is just as shallow as your sense of humor"
He stepped a little closer, amused
"You don't strike me as the type to own something like this"
"I don't" i replied coolly, shoving it into my bag
"It's Cherry's she's got a thing for shirtless men and bad decisions"
Adrian tilted his head
"So, what does Maya Monroe have a thing for?"
Wait, how does he know my name,oh he must have seen my name on my chemistry notebook
I met his gaze without flinching
"Privacy"
That earned a slow smile from him, the kind that felt like a challenge
"Noted" he replied
I turned to leave but paused at the door
"Oh, and next time you find something that doesn't belong to you…"
i turned and looked him in the eye
"…try not to look too excited."
And with that,I walked out,heart pounding, face burning, but steps steady as ever
As he watched me go
Later That Day At Brew & Bloom Cafe
The bell above the cafe door gave a soft jingle as i slipped behind the counter, tying my apron The scent of espresso, cinnamon, and fresh pastries wrapped around feels like a second home. It was quiet this time of day, golden hour pouring through the windows, soft indie music humming through the speakers
I love it here
It was my peace,no drama,just me and healthy thoughts
I wiped down the counter and started prepping orders
Then the bell chimed again
I glanced up, expecting a regular
But a man walked in…..wasn't a familiar face
He looked around, wearing a charcoal coat even though it wasn't cold, with dark sunglasses that he didn't take off and had a cap on,he had a quiet presence, not loud or sketchy just...very... off like he didn't belong here
"Hi what can I get you?" I asked as he walked slowly to the counter, eyes hidden, expression unreadable,he didn't answer right away just looked around, as if he was memorizing the place
Finally, he said in a low, even voice "i'll have double espresso"
"Great coming right up" I said as I started preparing his order
The man sat at the counter cleared his throat gently
"Your dad owns this place?"
"What?" I replied looking startled
He smiled "You look comfortable here,figured it might be the family business"
I forced a polite laugh "Oh no just work here part-time"
I handed him the espresso carefully, watching his hands looked rough with faint scars on his knuckles
The man nodded and took his drink
"You live around here?" I asked
"No," he said "Just... passing through"
He reached into his coat, pulled out some cash, and placed it on the counter
But as he turned to go, he paused
"Tell your father," the man said softly, "he still owes a lot more for my silence"
Then he walked out calm,casual, like he hadn't just dropped a bomb in the middle of my shift
I stood frozen, the air suddenly too heavy, the cafe too quiet
But somehow, it felt like it came from a door I had kept locked for a long, long time