MARY Pov
The moment we got home, I knew something was wrong.
The house was too quiet.
Maya walked in first like she owned the damn place while I followed behind, tired and starving.
"Where have you girls been?" Mom's voice suddenly rang out.
Jesus.
I almost jumped out of my skin.
"At a football match," Maya answered casually, dropping her bag on the couch.
"At this time?" Mom snapped. "Do you know what time it is?"
I stayed quiet because honestly, this had nothing to do with me. I was dragged there.
"Well, Mary was the one delaying us," Maya suddenly said.
Excuse me?
I slowly turned to look at her.
This bitch.
"Are you serious right now?" I asked.
Maya shrugged. "You kept wandering around."
"That was because you wanted to wait for your precious Lee!" I shot back.
Mom frowned immediately. "Who is Lee?"
Maya froze for half a second before recovering quickly.
"No one."
Liar.
Mom sighed like she was already tired of life. "Maya, you're the older one here. You should know better."
"Actually, I'm hungry," I cut in. "I haven't eaten anything apart from what we had this morning, so please tell me you made something."
Maya literally looked away like she wanted no part in this conversation.
"Enough," Mom snapped. "Go to your room."
I stared at her for a few seconds.
"But I'm hungry," I complained. "On a normal day, I would've gone straight to my room, but not today. I need food, and I need it now."
"Order something," Mom said coldly. "I didn't make anything, and that's your punishment."
Maya avoided my eyes completely while I walked upstairs.
The moment I entered my room, I slammed the door hard enough to shake the walls.
I hated this feeling.
I hated being hungry.
I didn't even have the strength to look for my phone, talk less of placing an order.
Oh my God.
I threw myself onto the bed with an annoyed groan.
Then I remembered.
School starts tomorrow.
Great.
Just fucking great.
The next morning, I stood in front of the giant school building trying not to throw up.
Elvock High.
The students walking around looked like they walked straight out of some Netflix teen drama.
Girls in tiny skirts.
Boys acting like they owned the world.
Rich kids everywhere.
I already hated it.
"You okay?" Lana asked beside me.
I didn't even notice her car pull up.
"No," I answered honestly.
She laughed softly. "You'll survive."
Easy for her to say.
The moment we walked through the gates, people started whispering.
Actually whispering.
"Why are they staring?" I muttered.
Lana gave me a look. "Because you're with me and Maya."
"And?"
"And people here gossip more than they breathe."
Wonderful.
As we walked down the hallway, I noticed something immediately.
People liked Maya.
But they feared Lana.
Interesting.
Very interesting.