They Don't Know {Sequel}

Chapter 30 - MAYA

Next Thursday
4:13 PM

"There's no way you're picking Thanksgiving over Christmas."

"What? I love Thanksgiving. Only time I don't feel guilty about eating a shit ton in one day."

"Maya, you always eat a shit ton."

"No you're thinking about yourself and I don't eat that much."

"Yeah right," she laughed, "I really wish this trip would've fell on Thanksgiving. I would've loved to see the city covered in snow for the first time."

I nodded. "Yeah."

I laid back in the lounge chair beside her desk and felt her burning a hole into my face.

"Speaking of trip, have you packed yet?"

"Nope."

"Nope as in you haven't started or nope you're not packing at all?"

"Nope as in I'm not packing at all because I'm not going."

"What? Maya you love New York, since when do you not want to go home?"

"Oh I don't know, ever since my cousin became hell-bent on getting me killed."

"Damn. I almost forgot about that."

"Yeah," I mumbled, "it's not that easy for me to forget."

"So what are you going to do? The whole family's going. Aren't you scared they'll find out why you didn't go?"

"Nope. They're safe wherever they are."

"What's keeping you from going and just keeping your head down?"

"It's not that simple. The hood knows me. If word gets out that I've stepped foot back into the city, I'll be dead before I leave the airport."

"Maya come on. They can't be after you that bad."

"Yes, yes they are. You don't know who the Garcia's are."

"Of course I do. I know you."

"Yeah and look what I've done. Look at who I am. I'm just as bad as they are but the only difference between me and the rest of them is that I've got a heart and I don't act on impulse."

Nia sighed and scratched her head. "So what are you going to tell your mom?"

"I'm not telling her anything. I'm sure she'll stay the night at my tía's house so all I have to do is not leave the house."

"Here you go with these secrets again. Have you learned nothing?"

"She'll be fine. I'll pretend I overslept and my phone was off. Simple."

"Maya this is crazy. You know this will crush her and Aunt Linda."

"What'll crush her is if something happens to me on a trip she planned and she finds out it's because of something I never told her about."

We sat in silence, realization starting to set in for me. I'd love to go but I knew that there was no way I'd be able to be in the city unrecognized.

"Then just chill indoors. At least show up on the trip."

"Nia I can't."

"You can. I mean no one knows where we are or where we'll be. Just fake like you're sick and stay at the Airbnb while we're there."

".....You think that's a smart idea?"

"It's the only way you'll go undetected. You know your mom will beat your ass as soon as she got back if you didn't show up to the airport tomorrow. You need to go."