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50 - Cigarette Smoke

50 – Cigarette Smoke

Maya Sumedh

 I had to endure a long silence when I got home and explained my situation to Ma and Dad. Zania Mausi’s eyes were wide as she heard me go on about Luke and what had happened and all the misunderstanding and the fact that we were friends now. Dad started muttering to himself and Ma had her hand clapped over her mouth when I was done. I didn’t really want to see their further reactions, so I excused myself to my room when they were done gasping like fish. It was late afternoon – Luke and I had spent the morning wandering around Downtown Crossing and had been forced to lunch at McDonald’s because we couldn’t really afford anything else.

 Back in my room, I showered and finally changed out of my sweatshirt and skirt. Then I dialed Layla.

 “Racking up the bill,” I mumbled to myself as I waited for her to pick up.

 “Heya. So weird that you’re calling me from an American number.”

 “Lay, where are you?”

 “Um….at home? Why, you wanna talk to Sam?”

 “No, I wanna talk to both of you. Put me on speaker.”

 She put me on speaker. Sam bellowed out a hello and they turned down the music in Lay’s room.

 “Guys, I have news,” I said quickly.

 “I know that tone,” Layla said.

 “Did you meet a guy?” Sam inquired.

 “Oh my god, is he cute? What’s he like?”

 “Guys. Shut up.”

 They shut up. I took a deep breath.

 “It’s about Luke.”

 Predictably, they both gasped.

 “Maya,” Sam hissed. “No fucking way you’re –”

 “No listen,” I said impatiently. “You don’t understand.”

 “Maya, this is what every lovestruck, jilted girl says when –”

 “Layla, shut up,” I snapped. “Don’t call me that. I was not lovestruck and I wasn’t jilted, you’re talking as if I was stupid or something. Listen to what I’m fucking saying.”

 There was a brief silence on the other end.

 “Sorry,” Layla mumbled.

 “It’s okay. Now listen.”

 And they listened.

 I told them everything, from the email to the gallery to our chat in the kitchen to this morning, and what his side of the story was, and his parents, and his injuries. It took a while to explain. They were deathly quiet all throughout, and when I was done, I mumbled a “So…yeah” to conclude.

 “Holy hell,” Sam said finally.

 “Indeed,” I said, getting comfortable on my pillows once that was out.

 “B-but…what, are you guys friends now?” Lay asked.

 “Yeah.”

 Silence.

 “Maya, do you still love him?” she asked.

 I raised my legs, staring at the chipped polish on my toes.

 “Yes, but it doesn’t matter anymore.”

 “Oh, hush,” Sam said, sounding almost annoyed. “Soapmouth, do you even know how many times he used to ask me about you when you guys had just started dating? It was crazy.”