Maya's POV
I rest my forehead on the table and groan. I listen to the sound of feet shuffling and loud chatter as students make their way out of the class.
"Maya, are you alright?" I hear the voice of my ecology professor and I look up.
"Yeah, I'm alright." I reply with a small smile.
She returns it with one of her own.
"If you're having any problems in class, feel free to let me know." She offers, her words laced with her British accent.
"I will." I nod.
I get up and grab my backpack, laptop and textbook. I say goodbye to Professor Allen before walking out of the large room.
I wish I could sit down and tell her all my problems but I can't. I can complain to her about how difficult I'm finding college and how stressed my schoolwork is making me but that's all I can say to her. I can't explain to her how I'm stressed out about my love life.
That I'm with Maxwell Jones but I keep thinking about Mason Wilder.
I haven't seen Max the entire week. We've both been very busy and I haven't had time to see him except around campus for a few minutes. We couldn't even have lunch together even once.
"Maya!"
I stop in the middle of the hall, looking around me to find who's calling my name.
Max appears in the midst of the students walking around and I smile when he waves at me. His backpack is slung over one shoulder and his hand grips the strap.
"Babe." I reply and give him a kiss on the cheek. "How're you?"
"Terrible." He says and my face falls. "I've missed you."
He pouts and I smile before hooking my arm through his. We begin to walk out of the building in silence.
"Any plans for this weekend?" He asks as we step onto the grass surrounding the area.
I shake my head and he continues.
"I was thinking we can just chill at my place and watch a movie or something. We could go out if you'd like."
"Oh, I wish." I sigh. "I've got a lot of work and studying to do."
"Bummer." He groans. "I hardly see you."
"I know, I know. We can do something during the next week. I'm sure the professors will have calmed down."
"It's Mason's birthday on Wednesday." Max states and I stop.
"Oh..." I realise I never knew when his birthday is.
"Yeah. Chris and I are thinking of doing something small for him. You, Bianca, Zoe and Pey should come."
"Definitely!" I beam.
"What exactly are you guys planning?" I ask and we resume walking.
***
I'm in my bedroom, jotting ideas for Wednesday evening in my notebook. Max said it'll just be his closest friends. Well, plus my friends. We'll have dinner, cake and snacks and play some games. I'm compiling a list of Mason's favourite things and all of Max's ideas.
I've realised that I barely knew much about him. Well, the little things. I knew what his biggest fears were but not his favourite cake.
"So, you didn't know when your boyfriend's birthday was?" Zoe asks from behind me.
"Yeah." I roll my eyes, not bothering to look at her.
"Well, you were a bad girlfriend." She laughs.
"I told you," I turn my upper body around to look at her, "we weren't really dating."
"Either way," she waves a dismissive hand, "you were in a fake relationship. You said you spent almost every minute of the day with him."
"That was an obvious exaggeration." I turn my attention back to my notebook. "We did spend a lot of time together but most of it involved running from bad guys, training and me trying to figure out what he was planning."
Memories of junior year, Mason and I and all the- adventure, flood my mind. I feel a smile tug at my lips.
"It's Friday. You should be out with your boyfriend, not planning a party for your ex."
"A, it's not a party and B, Max and I spoke about this. I'm busy and he's also got a lot of studying to do."
My phone vibrates and I grab it. A weird feeling fills my stomach when Mason's name appears. I slide my thumb across the screen and place the phone on my ear.
"Hey."
"Hi, Maya, it's uh... It's Mason." He sounds nervous.
"Yeah, I know."
"Oh, of course you know." He nervously laughs but quickly stops. "I uh, I need your help with something."
"Sure, what's up?" I turn around but find Zoe staring at me and I quickly look away.
"Priya, do you remember her?"
I nod but reply with a yes when I recall that he can't see me.
Of course I remember Priya. How can I forget her?
"She needs help with biology and I remembered that I know an honours student."
"Mason, you were also in honours classes." I reply with a laugh.
"Yeah, I know." His laugh has a hint of nervousness yet again. "It's just that it was never really my thing and I'm no longer taking it. Max mentioned that you're studying environmental sciences."
"True, I am."
"Did she say yes?" I hear a girl's voice and Mason hums a reply. "Ask her if we can meet up tomorrow."
He's with her now.
There's an uncomfortable feeling that rests on my chest and I shift on the chair. I stand up and walk over to my bed, Zoe's questioning eyes still glued to me.
"Can you meet up with her tomorrow afternoon?" Mason asks.
"Yeah, I can do that. Just text me the details."
"Sure." He replies. "Bye, Maya."
"Bye, Mason." I say and he hangs up.
"That was Mason?" Zoe asks. "You don't look too happy to hear from him."
"Well, I was, until he mentioned Priya and I heard her voice in the background."
"Who's Priya?" Zoe scrunches her nose.
"A friend of his." I roll my eyes.
"Maya, are you jealous?" She laughs.
"What? No." I shake my head.
She stops laughing and her features turn serious.
"Good, because you can't be jealous unless it involves Max."
"What do you mean?"
"You tell me." She shrugs. "You can't meet up with your boyfriend but your ex calls and you're setting up dates."
"Thats not what I'm... It's not a date."
Zoe gets up from her bed and sits on mine, next to me.
"Maya, if you're unsure about you and Max, please, break up with him."
"What?" I take in a deep breath.
"I don't want you to be unhappy or to end up causing the people you love to be unhappy."
I open my mouth to reply. To tell her that I'm happy and sure of my decisions but I can't. No words come out.
***
Mason's POV
"You could've asked someone from your class for help." I raise my eyebrow at Priya who is sitting across me on the table.
"Yeah, so?" She replies, still focused on her cellphone.
"So, why Maya?"
"You've been praising her, talking about her top grades and how smart she is."
"Your parents could've paid someone to help you if need be."
"Fine." She sighs and sits up on the wooden chair. "I'd like to get to know her."
"Know her? Why?"
"She's your friend so perhaps I should also become friends with her." She shrugs.
"Why am I not buying this?" I fold my arms and tilt my head to the side.
"Oh, c'mon."
"Priya."
"I think I can make you guys get back together." She blurts out.
My eyes slightly widen and I lean forward and put my hands on the table.
"Priya, no. She's dating my best friend."
"You know the more you say that the more wrong it sounds." She frowns and slowly shakes her head.
"I'm protecting my best friend's happiness. Regardless of what you think, this is a good thing."
"No it's not and I'm trying to protect my best friend's happiness." Her face falls and is immediately masked with concern. "You've been so miserable; worse than when Maya was just a memory and not actually in front of you."
"I'm fine." I thin my lips.
"You're not." She shakes her head. "I know you care so much about Max but...don't expect me to. He's dating his best friend's ex girlfriend and doesn't see anything wrong with that. You're putting his happiness before your own. I don't like that."
"Priya, Max and I are like brothers. We've been through so much together. He has always put himself before me, put his life on the line for me. If Maya makes him happy..."
"You don't have to feel like you owe him." She takes my hands in hers and gives them a gentle squeeze.
"I don't feel guilty."
"Who are you trying to fool, Mason?" She raises a brow and I sigh.
"H... Hi." I hear a soft voice greet and I look up.
When I see Maya, I abruptly release my hands from Priya's. I push my chair back and stand up.
"Hey." I smile.
"Hello, Maya." Priya replies.
I offer my chair to Maya and she mutters a thank you as she takes off her backpack and sits down.
"I uh, I have to go back to my place..."
"It's okay. Maya and I will be just fine." Priya turns to Maya and her smile grows.