Maya POV
Mary told me to go home without her.
I'd be lying if I said I wasn't scared. Who was she hanging out with? It had better not be Lana or Lee. The thought alone made my face burn with anger.
"That snitch," I scoffed.
It had been almost an hour, and there was still no sign of Mary.
A car horn echoed from the garage.
I rushed toward the entrance, expecting to see my sister.
"Mom!" I exclaimed.
She walked in looking exhausted, her heels clicking softly against the floor.
"You didn't come home last night. Where were you?" I asked.
She shot me an annoyed look.
"Is that all you're worried about? Where is your sister?"
"We were scared," I muttered. "Actually... I was waiting for a call from the hospital."
She sighed heavily.
"Before you start telling me about your crazy concerns, get me a glass of water and heat up something for me."
Then she gave me that look.
You know the one. The look that says, if you don't shut up right now, you're going to regret it.
My feet moved faster than my brain.
"Mary made pancakes. I'll heat some up for you."
"Good. Give me thirty minutes. I'll be back," Mom said as she headed upstairs.
Another hour passed.
Mary still wasn't home.
Mom had finished eating and was already getting ready for work. She looked worn out, so I decided not to bother her.
Bing.
My phone lit up with a notification.
Lana made a new post.
That's new.
Lana never posted anything without my approval.
I rolled my eyes.
The audacity.
I ignored it and turned on The Vampire Diaries. I had never made it past this season, but maybe this time I'd finally make it to Legacies.
An hour later, I wasn't sure whether I should be angry at Katherine or at her clueless friends for never knowing when it wasn't really her.
My phone rang again.
Perfect.
Another person determined to ruin my day.
Why the hell was Mitchell calling me?
In case you're wondering, Mitchell is in my music class. We barely talked before, but ever since everything happened with Lana, we've somehow become close.
"Maya, tell me you've seen Lana's post," Mitchell said the second I answered.
"Why should I?" I replied lazily.
"She's running against you, Maya."
I frowned.
"So what? Nobody's going to vote for her."
"I don't know, Maya. Just check it."
The call ended.
I wasn't going to look.
If Lana thought I'd waste my time stalking her page, she clearly didn't know me.
Unfortunately, curiosity has always been stronger than pride.
A few seconds later, I found myself scrolling through her profile.
Comment after comment.
People were encouraging her.
Supporting her.
Cheering her on.
Then I froze.
Mary had posted a video of herself and Lana together.
Lana looked...
Happy.
Not fake happy.
Not forced happy.
She was laughing so hard that all thirty-two of her teeth were showing.
For a second, I barely recognized her.
The Lana I knew never laughed like that.
She never smiled without looking over her shoulder.
She never looked... free.
My grip tightened around my phone.
I guess that's why I hate my sister.
Mary is a snitch.
She's selfish.
She's evil.
And Lana...
Lana has no idea what she's started by posting this.
To everyone else, it's just a harmless video.
But to me?
It's a declaration of war.
And I never lose wars.