Chapter 3
She looked at him feeling embarrassed, all she wanted at that moment was the ground opening up to swallow her up.
The level of embarrassment she felt at that moment no word could describe it, she felt the universe against her.
"Why did I blurt out Liam" she thought scolding herself
He starred at her with a cold look and walked away, Alex ran after him to go meet him.
"Maya" Katie called in disbelief. " How do you know his name, like seriously even I don't know his real name except from Lee.. talking about being close to him"
Katie pulled her over.
"People are staring" She whispered into her ear.
Maya carefully glanced at her surrounding and was met with several stares fron people she didn't know.
"Let go". She muttered as they slowly walking away.
"Here is our class" Katie pointed out. "You are going to see him a lot girl"
" I know"
She heaved a deep sigh,carefully adjusting her books and they both walked into the classroom.
The classroom was an art studio, with beautiful paintings decorating the wall, each painting explained the meaning behind them without anyone explaining.
She starred at them in awe.
"This is it" She thought to herself trying to calm herself.
She grabbed a sit beside Katie and took a quick glance at everyone face, her eyes fell on in him once more, She quickly averted her eyes when he glanced over like he knew someone was staring at him.
She quickly brought out her painting instrument carefully arranging them. She tried adjusting her easel but was clumsy about it.
She was so nervous that even Katie had noticed.
"Hey, you ok" Katie asked her feeling concerned.
"Yeah". She continued adjusting her easel almost feeling frustrated. " I don't understand this stupid thing".
Not that she didn't know how to adjust it, and not like this was her first time using it but she was so nervous that her hands were literally shaking.
Katie offered her help which she surprisingly accepted. She tried calming herself ,closing her eyes she took a deep breath.
"Done" Katie said snapping her out of thought
"Thanks".
She proceeded to set her canvas,by now her body was very calm which she was so glad about.
The door to the classroom opened revealing a middle age woman as she walked into the classroom.
"So good morning guy, like I said during our last class we will be painting a portrait, and I said someone here will be our muse". She paused glancing around. "So I leave you guys to choose"
"Lee!!"
Everyone screamed,the girls mainly.
The lecturer eye fell on Lee
"Lee, it is"
He stared at her like he didn't like the idea, he had his usual cold look. He groaned and stepped out to the front of the class sitting on a stool close to the window.
The sun reflection from the window carefully glazed his skin giving him a graceful look.
He proceeded to pull of his shirt, running his fingers through his hair.
The girls in the classroom squealed especially Katie.
Maya sat staring at his tattoos.
"Beautiful" She thought.
She grabbed her palette pouring different colors of paint unto it.
She placed her brush on the canvas and glanced over at him, her eyes meeting his.
She stared at him curiously, he gave her a warm smile which was very brief then looked away.
She couldn't believe what had just happened, perhaps it was just in her head she had thought.
"His warm smile I want to see it again" she mumbled.
....
After the end of the class her painting came out as the best according to the lecturer which she felt very pleased about.
As they walked out of the department, they saw Lee with a girl flirting with him it was so obvious she was all over him and clearly was really interested.
Their eyes met but she quickly averted her eyes feeling nervous at the moment.
Lee and the girl both hopped on a power bike and rode away.
"She sure is getting laid" . Katie sputtered.
She leaned over to Maya.
"Just one night with him.. then I can happily die"
"And Jason"
"He will be fine" She declared sitting on a bench, Maya stared at her not knowing whether to be shocked or surprised,
"He sure has changed" she mumbled under her breath.
"What?" Katie asked looking curious
"Nothing"
She stared at her suspiciously but let it go. She quickly stood up to go grab ice cream.
She came back with two pack of ice cream she handed one to Katie.
"Thanks"
"You're welcome".
Katie carefully opened the ice cream pack, licking the ice cream then she paused looking over at Maya who was quiet.
"So how do you know Lee"
Maya starred at her in shock, she didn't know what to say,cause she knowing what to say will just bring up painful memories she had buried deep down.
"Just someone from my childhood" She finally said keeping the answer short and simple.
"Mmh".
Katie knew she didn't want to be bothered so she didn't pester her for more answers though she was still very curious.
...
So Friday came so fast, Maya was so happy that she could finally get to rest like she had been hoping for.
Running into Lee wasn't easy for her cause she didn't know how to behave around him plus she couldn't control herself from stealing glancing at him.
Sometimes he would catch her staring at him and give her a smile which made her very nervous,which she found very hard to hide.
Maya laid on her bed looking exhausted reminiscing on the past.
"If that didn't happen he wouldn't have changed so much like that" She thought too herself.
She snuggled up her pillow letting out a sigh.
She didn't have up to an hour of alone time before Katie bursted into the room, interrupting her peaceful time.
"It's party time!!". She shouted moving toward Maya. "So we are going for a party of our life time". She squealed
"We?" Maya questioned looking surprised.
"Yeah we and girl!,I'm not taking no for an answer"
"Well I don't feel like"
"No, don't be like that" Katie gushed in frustration and reaching out for her hands to hold them. " this is like a one in a million party everyone is going to be there.. like everyone".
Maya ignored her put her air-pod into her ear, Katie quickly removed it giving a serious look.
"Seriously! This, you are going. You can't be curled up in bed all weekend"
"I don't see why I not "
Maya tried collecting her air pod but Katie was fast enough to dodge her.
"Everyone is going to the party both the hot and the freaks are all going to be there, so quit acting like your body has been drained of its joy"
Katie suddenly stood up twirling round the room, she glanced over her Maya who just ignored her.
"Liam or what you call him will also be….the main character of the party"
Katie paused starring at Maya, she turned to Katie sitting up on her bed.
"I don't know… I'm really great with party.. I'm not really great with things like this.. make up or dressing up". Maya said fidgeting with her fingers.
"You will do great I promise and you can leave the dressing to me, I promise to make you look very nice"
Katie jumped on Maya giving her a hug.
"I don't know about looking nice"
"Nah, don't say that about yourself, you are beautiful"
Katie tucked Maya's hair behind her ear, staring into her eyes. "Don't you dare look down on yourself.. you are so cute that I kinda envy you"
Maya chuckled hearing what she had just said.,She doubted herself being beautiful.
"If only you've seen my sister" She thought. "Fine I will go". She declared trying hard to hide her nervousness.
Katie squealed as she fell on Maya giving her a hug. She yelped in pain pushing her off.
"Easy"
"Sorry about that"
They bought chuckled and breathed out a sigh of relief.
"So the party will be starting now, but we will be going late, the main characters has to arrive late so all eyes can be on us" Katie beamed with joy, running over to the closet to pull out some clothes.
She ransacked through Maya's clothes and was met with disappointment as she looked through her closet.
"Seriously your closet is so boring"
"Yeah I told I wasn't good with things like this"
Maya heaved a deep sigh and rolled her eye.
"It's fine, you can wear my clothes and I think I have something that will look so good on you"
She quickly pulled out a gown from her closet swinging it in front of Maya's face.
"No, no I don't think it will look on me" Maya protested staring at the gown with a rather irritating look.
"Trust by the time I'm done with you, you will have guys tripping"
...….
After an hour of argument, applying make up and dressing they were finally done.
Katie jaw dropped as stared at Maya who looked so beautiful in the dress and make up.
She found heels difficult as she kept stumbling around so they agreed on flat, which she felt relieved about.
Katie also changed her hairstyle which made her look a lot like her sister.
"You look so beautiful girl"
"I don't know about that"
She replied feeling shy
"Be confident girl, you look stunning believe me when I say this"
Maya stood in front the mirror staring at herself, her mind clearly clouded with nervousness.
Katie walked over to her from behind placing her hands on her shoulder.
"Trust me you look stunning"
"Ok" she mumbled under her breath.
"Come on let's go"
They got to the party which had clearly started since. the apartment was filled with different people who were dancing, some clearly out while some were making out like they were the only one in the party.
Maya felt people staring at which made her nervousness she wondered if she hadn't made a mistake coming to the party but Katie kept encouraging her.
"You see i told you, people are staring cause you look stunning".
"I honestly don't know where to look"
Maya replied nervously
"Come with me"
Maya pulled her away.
"To where"
"Upstairs where the main party is at"
Maya looked at her confusingly but just gave him.
They got upstairs, the air upstairs felt different like it was more intense than downstairs.
She glanced around staring every where, she saw Alex flirting with a girl,she rolled her eyes looked away.
"Maya" Alex called. "I can't believe you came". He stood up walking over to them leaving the girl he was kissing so hard in shock.
"Wow you look so different"
"Your babe is glaring at me, don't you think leaving her all to herself is bad"
"My babe?" he scoffed and took a quick glance at her. "Nah she ain't my babe don't worry about her she will be fine".
"Ohh"
"Come let sit over there"
She clearly wanted to decline but Katie urged her to go over to where he was.
"Why did you think I said we should come upstairs".
Alex tried wrapping his arm around Maya but she gave him a death glare which made him back off but no without holding her hand.
They walked over to the corner there her eyes met with Lee who stared intensely at her like his was scanning her.
Katie telling her to sit snapped her out of thoughts.
She sat down nervously looking around.
Lee gulped down a full cup of alcohol clearly feeling irritated for some reason.
"You ok bro" Alex asked
"Does it he look like I'm not"
He snapped back almost immediately .
Alex stared at him in shock and chuckled, then he moved over to Maya to sit beside her.
Maya quickly scooted over not wanting him beside her but he kept moving close to her.
He tried flirting with her which Maya clearly didn't welcome.
"You look easy" Lee blurted out from where he sat.
Everyone in the corner looked at Lee in surprise.
He hardly talked, like hearing his voice was rare. So hearing him talk felt so unreal.
Maya glanced around confused not knowing if he was talking to her.
"You look easy" he repeated clearly looking at her.
"Excuse me" she scoffed displeased with what he said.
"If you don't want anyone flirting with you, you shouldn't have dressed like that, it makes you look so easy"
He stared her clearly looking irritated, he didn't like the fact he felt that way and he didn't know why he felt like that.
"You're such an ass hole you know"
Maya said glaring at him, she felt so embarrassed about the situation.
"Lee" Katie called. "I don't understand what's wrong but you sound like a dick you know"
"Wassup man you good"
Alex asked l,confused why Lee was acting out.
Lee groaned as he ran his hand through his hair in frustration.
"Fuck" he mumbled as he poured himself a cup of drink gulping it at one go
"Easy man" Alex said trying to calm him down.
Maya stood up angrily.
"Maya" Katie called giving her an apologetic look.
"I want to be left alone please, I don't understand why he his acting like a douchebag"
She stormed off finding her way through the crowd.
Lee watched her as she stormed off with a pained look.
She tried finding her away in the midst of strangers who were high as fuck.
She closed her noses trying not inhale the smoke.
Then she found herself out in the front porch, she felt relieved cause she was already feeling suffocated in there and needed a breath of fresh air.
The cold breeze gently brushed through her skin as she gazed at the stars in the night sky.
"That's not the Liam I know" she mumbled tears welling up in her eyes, she sniffed trying to wipe off the tears.
"Mia he's changed"
She heaved a deep sigh tucking her hair behind her ear.
"Hey" someone said from behind snapping her out from her thoughts.
She turned back and saw Lee leaning on the wall, she looked at him clearly shocked but anger quickly took over her face.
She ignored him trying to walk away but he pulled her back gently with a pained look.
"I'm sorry" he muttered his voice almost breaking, he soft gaze met with her eyes.
She paused staring at him, his voice leaving a profound intense impact in her heart. Mixed emotions started to fill her up.
He held her hands squeezing it gently, she felt some warmth from his hand which gave her some sort of comfort she had been longing for.
She looked into his eyes, getting lost in his blue eyes immediately.
He wrapped his hands around her waist pulling her closer.
"I've missed you"
She looked at him in shock,she knew that statement wasn't for her but for someone else. Her heart ached as she listened to him but some how she felt happy that she was the one who got to hear it.
"You look beautiful, I'm sorry for behaving like an ass, I don't know what came over me in there"
His pleading eyes locked onto hers telling her not to go.
She tried pulling away from his grip but he held her tight, she knew he was so intoxicated by the alcohol that it was the alcohol making him do things he wouldn't have done on a normal day.
"Liam please let go" she said making a grimace as she tried pulling away from his grip.
She didn't really want to let go in fact she kinda of like the way he held her , it brought back a nostalgic feeling she had once buried, but she knew it wasn't right and felt conflicted about it.
He tucked her hair behind ear leaning toward her.
"I've missed you Mi…" his words slurred as he tried planting a kiss on her lips.
She quickly pushed him off angrily, she didn't know where the strength came from but hearing what he had just said made her felt angry.
"I'm not her you know, she is not here"
Her pinched face showed she felt a deep pain.
"You…"
Her voice trembling denying her as she tried saying something,tears streaming down her cheek.
She stormed off leaving him standing as he watched her leave.
He plunged to the ground feeling frustrated.
"Fuck!!!" He uttered angrily punching the wall injuring his fist.
He sighed at the sight of blood on his fist.
The pain from his fist was nothing compared to what he felt in his heart.
"Maya" he muttered slowly closing his eyes.