"Maya, come down and eat! You don't want to sleep the day away!" Emma calls.
I groan and roll over, slowly opening my eyes. I blink a couple of times and then look at my clock. I see that it's almost ten o'clock. I moan and slowly sit up. I rub my eyes and run my fingers through my hair before getting out of bed.
I walk to my closet and turn on the light. I stare at the clothes inside. For the first time since moving to Clearwater Bay, I wonder why I own so many t-shirts and so few nicer tops, pants, and even skirts. Come to think of it, I don't even think I own a skirt or a dress for that matter. I sigh and grab a faded purple t-shirt and black Nike shorts.
I throw my hair into a ponytail and then go downstairs. When I'm downstairs, I'm greeted with an amazing aroma of something baking. I take a deep breath and then sit down at the kitchen island.
Emma turns around and smiles. "There you are, sleepyhead. I have a breakfast casserole in the oven, and I'm about to make a smoothie. Do you want some?"
I raise an eyebrow. "I would love some of the casserole, but I would like to skip the smoothie."
"Alright. I'll cut you a slice," Emma replies as she walks over to the oven and pulls out the casserole.
She places the casserole on the kitchen island. She gets a plate out of one of the cabinets and then gets a knife from one of the drawers. She cuts a square out of it and then places the plate in front of me. She gets a fork from a different drawer and places it beside the plate.
I pick up the fork and take a bite. It's delicious. The egg, sausage, and cheese all taste amazing. I smile at her, and she smiles back. "Thank you. It's really, really good."
"Anytime. Do you want a drink?"
"Could I have some water?" I ask.
She nods and gets a glass from one of the cabinets. She fills it with ice and then water. "So, anything interesting happen last night? You stayed with Nick for quite awhile," Emma says.
I roll my eyes, but I feel my cheeks get warm as I tell her, "He just, um, asked me to help him out with the festival, and I, um, said yes."
Emma raises her eyebrow at my response. "Okay."
I nod and take another bite from the casserole. Then, I remember what I heard my uncle call her last night, so I decide to mess with her a little bit. I take a couple more bites while Emma is reading something on her phone.
I clear my throat and carefully say, "Well, there was one interesting thing last night."
Emma looks up and sets her phone down. "Really?"
I take another bite, chew, and then swallow. "Yeah, and I thought you might know the answer to the question I have about it."
"Sure," she replies with a slight hint of confusion in her tone.
"Why'd my uncle call you 'darling?'" I ask her.
Emma seems to freeze, but she soon recovers and asks, "What are you talking about?"
I laugh. "I'm seventeen. That won't work on me. You two were talking last night when I came in, and I heard him call you 'darling.' I just want to know what's going on."
She looks at me nervously. "What else did you hear?"
"Nothing really. Will you please just answer my question?" I reply.
She sighs. "Maya, it's hard to explain."
"I have time."
She sighs again and gives me a small smile. "He likes me, and I like him. We're just seeing where it goes."
I raise an eyebrow. "Whatever you say."
"Do you not believe me?" she asks as she takes my empty plate and sets it in the sink.
I shrug. "I don't really know. I mean, you moved your engagement ring to your right hand. Doesn't that mean something? That's not something you just do all of a sudden."
Emma looks at her hand and then back at me. She quietly says, "I've been learning to let go of some things. I still love him; I'm just learning that he would want me to be happy. He would want me to enjoy my life."
I nod. "Does my uncle have something to do with that?"
She laughs. "Possibly."
I try to think of something to say, but I can't. Luckily, the doorbell rings, and Emma hurries to get the door. I finish my water and set the glass in the sink with the plate.
I start to walk in the direction of the door to the deck when I hear Alli's voice. I turn around as Alli and Emma walk into the living room. Emma smiles at Alli and then walks back to the kitchen, leaving me alone with Alli.
I give Alli a small smile and greet her. "Hey."
She smiles back. "Hi. Do you think we could go somewhere to talk? Don't you have a garden here or something?"
I nod and lead her to another room off of the living room. I open the door and step outside. Alli follows me and closes the door behind her. I hear her gasp once she sees the garden, and I understand why. It's a large garden filled with many, many different types of flowers and even two fountains.
I walk to a bench sitting in the middle and remember the time when I saw my uncle walking out here. That was the day when things started to change. I sigh and stare at the flowers in front of me.
"Maya?" Alli asks as she pokes my side.
"What?" I ask as I turn my head to look at her.
"Are you going to ever answer my question?"
"What question?" I ask her confusedly.
"Are you the Random Girl? Please don't try to hide it," Alli says.
I sigh. "How did you figure it out?"
Alli smiles. "After I read what you wrote, it just made sense. It was the same style as the person who was writing the blog, and I noticed you were on the same website as the blog that the Random Girl was writing. Why wouldn't you tell anyone?"
"I'm a private person. Don't you remember?" I reply.
"Sure, but you have real talent. Plus, you've been releasing your emotions to the world with that blog. Is it so hard to say the words you write?"
I nod. "Yeah, it is. If I said how angry I was, I would lose it completely, and I wouldn't be able to finish what I'm thinking because someone would tell me to stop. If I tried to say how depressed I felt, it would come out all wrong, and I would get too nervous. Words don't come easily when I try to express the thoughts and feelings I have."
"But you did it just now," Alli tells me.
"What're you getting at?" I ask her.
She pauses. "I guess I'm telling you that I think it's time. It's time for you to talk to your uncle, and I mean really talk to him. Tell him what you've been feeling these past couple of months. And if you're ready, I think you should tell him that you're ready to forgive him."
"What?" I ask, shocked.
Alli shakes her head. "You know exactly what I said. Maya, it's time. You've even shown that it's time."
"How have I shown that it's time?" I question.
"You've let me into your life. You're talking to me right now, and you've let Nick into your life. Last night, you told your uncle some of your feelings, and I know he listened," she explains.
I shake my head. "Maybe I've let you and Nick in, and maybe I've expressed some of my feelings to my uncle, but I've expressed my feelings to him before."
"Tell me about those times when you told him how you felt," she says.
I pause. "It usually ended up as an argument. I would tell him that I didn't believe him and that he hadn't tried to get to know me in four years, and I didn't get why he suddenly wanted to get to know me."
"How'd the arguments end?" Alli pushes.
"I usually left because I couldn't take it anymore," I reply.
She nods. "That's what I thought. The way I see it, you didn't run last night. You stayed and waited for a response. You even talked to Emma afterwards."
"But I left after I talked to her," I point out.
"That may be true, but you still waited for a response from him. From what I can tell, you've never done that. You've never wanted to hear his opinion, have you?" she explains.
"Okay, maybe I haven't wanted to hear his opinion before, but I don't get how that means I'm ready to forgive him."
She sighs. "Okay, maybe you aren't ready to forgive him, but you're ready to hear his opinion and thoughts. You're ready to try to get to know him."
I stop and realize that she might actually be right. "Are you a shrink?"
She laughs. "I might've picked up a few tips from one. I'm just analytical, and I seem to understand the feelings of people. I'm also good at reading people's body language."
"What do you think I should do?" I ask.
"I already told you; I think you should talk to him."
"Right now?"
She pauses and picks a flower from one of the nearby bushes. "You're the only one who can make that choice. You're the only one who truly knows if you're ready. I can only tell you what it looks like in my perspective."
I don't respond. We just sit in silence. I begin to see how much I've really changed. I've let two people into my life more than I've ever let anyone in before. I didn't run away last night, at least not right away.
The more I think about it all, I see that Alli might be right. Maybe I do want to get to know my uncle. With all the changes I've been going through, maybe it's time for me to take a step in the direction of reconciliation. Not everything can be fixed right away, but it might help if I let it actually start.
"Hello?" a voice asks from behind Alli and me.
I turn and see Nick. "Hi," I say with some hesitation.
He looks nervous. He's running his fingers through his hair, and he's at least five feet away from us. I stand up as Alli greets him, and we walk in his direction. When I approach, he takes a step back. I stop, and Alli stops.
"Would you mind if I talked with Maya for a second?" he asks.
I look over at Alli as she raises an eyebrow. "Sure," she says, "but don't lay it heavy on her. I don't think she can take anymore of that. I've kind of already ambushed her."
He nods slowly, and Alli takes that as a cue to leave. She waves and then disappears inside. I turn my attention back to Nick, and he's staring at me with an unreadable expression. I shift under his gaze, but he doesn't stop staring. I clear my throat as the awkwardness builds. He finally seems to complete his staring session because he blinks and then clears his throat.
"What is it?" I question.
He runs his fingers through his hair again and hesitantly says, "I need to talk to you about last night."
I raise an eyebrow. "What about last night?" I ask, trying to not let him see or hear the nervousness I am beginning to feel.
He sighs. "I don't know if you felt the same thing I did, but I think it isn't such a good idea."
"What?" I ask with surprise.
"I have to be straightforward with you. You're brutally honest, and I need to do the same thing with you right now. Maya, you've been a great friend to me. I hope we'll always be friends, but right now, I think I need to go," he explains with a solemn tone.
I stop and take a deep breath. "What are you saying?"
He runs his fingers through his hair. "I'm going back to New York City as soon as all the festival details are sorted through. I've decided to start promoting my new single and album, and that means I'll be busy for the next few months doing interviews and other appearances."
"What does this have to do with me?"
He stares at me. "You honestly don't know?"
I just shake my head, not trusting my voice. He opens his mouth but then closes it. He stares at me for a few seconds and then turns his head away from me. I wish he would just say what I think he wants to tell me.
"Nick," I say quietly, "what are you trying to tell me?"
He turns his head back in my direction and replies, "I don't really know, so I guess I'm just going to say goodbye. I won't need your help with the festival, so don't worry about that."
I don't dare let my disappointment show, so I just nod. "Okay."
He gives me a look as though I can't be serious. I just stand and stare at him. He finally sighs and waves to me before walking back inside the house and leaving me standing in my spot, wondering what just happened.
I slowly sit back down on the bench. I take a deep breath and close my eyes. Why is Nick leaving like this? How could he tell me he's leaving without giving a good reason? Call me crazy, but shouldn't someone have a legitimate reason for leaving all of a sudden?
I thought he would tell me that he liked me. My eyes fly open as I realize my foolishness. Why would I ever think that? Nobody has ever shown interest in me, so why would someone like Nick show interest in me? I shake that thought out of my head and try to come up with other reasons why he's leaving.
Maybe he's tired of small town life, or maybe he's decided that he's too good for people like me. I'd much rather him be a snob to me than act like he did.
I sigh and close my eyes again. All these conversations and questions are making me feel exhausted. I don't know if I can talk to my uncle like Alli suggested.
"Maya?" my uncle's voice asks.
Well, I guess I'm going to be talking with him.