- 8.
I used to have a crush on Maya.
Kids weren’t that nice back then. They took
one look at me and wrote me off. I was poor,
wore Grandpa’s old clothes. They teased me
and said I looked like an old man.
I was out of place with those shiny, polished
kids.
Even the girls didn’t want to be my friends.
But Maya was different. She let me hang out
with her, she talked to me between classes,
L
made me feel less alone. She stood up for me
when some kid accused me of stealing
money.
She had plenty of friends, but she never made
me feel like an outsider.
She was the one bright spot in my life back
then. How could I not have a crush on her?
But at the start of the new year, she
transferred schools without telling me. I
slowly forgot all about her.
I spent a few days with Maya, and I started to
relax. I could even say a few words to the guy
at the fruit stand.
We were both careful not to bring up the
past.
L
I was watching TV on the couch when I
smelled something burning.
A few minutes later, Maya came in with a
plate of something black.
I tried not to laugh.
“What’s that?”
She scratched her head, looking
embarrassed.
“Coke chicken. I remember I used to bring it
from home, and you always wanted some. But
I can’t seem to get it right.”
Maya’s voice made me feel like we’d never
been apart. Every day, she came over after
く
work to take care of me, and I felt like I was
back in those safe, warm days.
Ever since I went back to the Starks, I’d been
craving my parents‘ love.
In my mind, my parents were always asking if I was okay, fussing over every little thing. But the first thing they said to me was that Jake was going to stay and live with us.
And Jake never thought about going home to visit Grandpa.
While I was lost in my thoughts, Maya picked
up the plate, ready to throw it away.
“I guess I’m just not cut out for cooking. Too
bad, because I really wanted you to have this”
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I snapped out of it and stopped her. I took the
plate.
“I’ll eat it. Don’t waste it.”
Maya tried to stop me.
“Don’t! It’s burned! You’ll get a
stomachache!”
I dodged her and popped a chicken wing in
my mouth. It was sweet, but a little charred.
Maya looked mad.
“Don’t say I didn’t warn you. I’m not gonna
feel sorry when your stomach starts hurting.”
I looked at her.
く
“These are the best chicken wings I’ve ever
had.”
Maya glared at me, and I looked away.
Half an hour later, my stomach started to
hurt.
Maya laughed at me for a while, then hurried
to get her coat and went downstairs to buy
me some medicine.
