A Portion For Love

"…I think the Headmistress hates men."

It was the only conclusion Maya could deliver to Elena after spending time with her guardian.

"Don't worry, she hates women too," Elena scoffed, tying her shoelaces.

Maya frowned, not appreciative of her joke. 

"Is it really okay if we come here later?" she asked, already triple-checking with Elena.

Days were becoming quite short and cold, while the curfew was extending. An evening outing was for the brave and Amellan would close up as soon as the dark approached. That didn't leave much room for date activities. Maya didn't want to endanger herself and Adam by strolling outside.

The dorm common area, while convenient for hanging out, was also accessible to anyone at any time and posed a risk of awkwardness. Not to mention, their grumpy housekeeper could decide to chase a boy out of the female dormitory at her own convenience if she saw Adam.

To Maya's logic, hanging out in their room was the only solution.

"It's fine. I'll make myself scarce."

"I don't want to kick you out of the room. You can hang out with us."

Elena looked at her side-eyed. "I'll leave first." Already prepared, Elena left the room.

On short autumn days, dusk fell early. Maya found herself waiting in a garden known as Marble Stream, named after the marble features that constituted its fountain and the small waterway leading from the fountain to the town's main canal.

Alone but for the soothing sounds of splashing water, she waited for her date. After nearly an hour in the chill, she was more than ready.

A rustling in the nearby bushes scared her. The garden was on the town's outskirts, with one side bordered by a wall. However, her concern was not for herself, but for Adam. Clutching her necklace, she swiftly summoned Leo and sent him to find Adam.

He obliged silently, and she followed Leo to the male dormitory complex and into one of the buildings. By then, it was evident that Adam wasn't in danger. Yet, Maya resisted acknowledging the truth. She ascended to the first floor, trailing Leo to a room filled with voices. Laughter and enthusiastic shouts echoed from within. Mustering courage amidst her teary eyes, Maya knocked on the door.

Isaac answered, surprised by her presence. However, she managed to peek inside. The boys were huddled on the room's open floor, engrossed in a lively D&D party. She spotted Adam and saw his expression change from merriment to shock as his gaze met hers. Positioned to face the door directly, he couldn't hide his realization. Overwhelmed with sorrow, she turned away and fled. Adam gave chase.

He caught up with her near the bottom of the stairs. Unable to conceal her sobs, Maya was met with Adam's plea, "Maya, please."

"I waited for more than an hour in the cold and dark," she was yelling at him. "Putting myself in danger while you… What? Played some board games?!"

"I'm so, so, so sorry, Maya. I messed up. I lost track of time," Adam apologized.

"I thought you'd died! Or something worse. I was so worried about you. I thought something happened to you. But you just stood me up."

"Please, Maya. Forgive me. I'm begging you. I never meant to hurt you. I just forgot the time. I had it all planned. I just… Please, forgive me. I'll make it up to you. Just wait here for a minute. I'll change and we can go."

"No, Adam. I'm not in the mood anymore. You can't expect me to just continue like this didn't happen. I'm just going to take a hot bath and contemplate what an idiot I was to even agree to this."

"Maya, please. Please. Let's reschedule. I'll make it up to you. I'll treat you like a princess, next time. Please. I really, really like you. Don't let this end like this. I'm an idiot. Okay. I know it. Please, give me a second chance. I'll pick you up on your doorstep. I'll make sure you have the best time you ever had. Please."

Maya ceased crying as Adam begged for another chance. She too was fond of him and saw his mistake as a foolish one. She looked at Leo's shattered expression. He had left. Despite knowing Leo would disapprove, she decided to give Adam a second chance.

"Okay… But if you do this to me again, I—I don't wanna ever see your face again. I wouldn't be able to forgive you."

"Of course. That's perfectly sensible. Thank you, Maya. Thank you." With that, he took her hand and kissed it.

🜺🜺🜺🜺

It was an unfortunate incident. One Maya had hastily forgiven, but a seed of doubt was planted. Adam had easily received a second chance and, a couple of days later, Maya was beginning to question if she had given in too easily.

Now, already half an hour had passed. Maya all dressed up for the second time, was waiting on the doorstep for their second date, watching people go in and out of Delta Major House.

'He'll show up. Any minute, now. He's probably around the corner.'

Having nothing but her thoughts to occupy her, she wondered why Adam liked her. Her mind began mulling over small things, resurfacing her insecurities, like wondering if he was really paying attention to her talking.

At times it seemed like he stared more into the distance than at her when they would hang out. Then, after being asked if he was listening, he would get it slightly wrong but with enough confidence in his voice that Maya wouldn't have the heart to correct him.

'Is he pretending to care about me?'

Those were the thoughts that began to plague her after their miserable first date. If he truly cared about her, would he have forgotten their date so easily?

Adam was important to Maya since he was the first boy who showed his interest in her since she started caring about boys, and she was full of insecurities and kept rationalizing her thoughts.

Twenty minutes have passed. Sitting on a cold bench under the window, she felt foolish for still waiting while people were returning home. The curfew was just minutes away.

'What an idiot!' She let him do this to her, again. Waiting inside would have been a better choice. 'Maybe something did happen this time.'

Clutching her phone in her hand, she wondered what to do. Considering calling Isaac to see if they were having another D&D session crossed her mind. No. A direct confrontation was what she needed.

Dialling his number, she began her ascent to her floor. The phone rang, then abruptly, the call was rejected. Shock and confusion washed over her as she halted halfway between the first and the second floor. The phone still pressed to her ear, she tried to make sense of it.

Adam had hung up. He didn't pick up. He had outright rejected the call. 

What did that mean? Was he possibly waiting for her downstairs? Should she check? Racing thoughts filled her mind. No. If he was there, he would call back. So, she decided to wait there.

Doubts began to riddle her mind.

Maya sat on the stairs, staring at her phone's black screen, hoping it would light up with an incoming call. But there was nothing. She held onto the phone so tightly, wishing it would crumble to dust in her hand. Unable to contain her sorrow any longer, she broke down into sobs.

Her thoughts spun around Adam's betrayal. Was it a cruel joke or just thoughtlessness? Did Adam only wish to be near her because she was gaining popularity? Either way, it hurt. It hurt more than it should.

The incident made her reconsider her circumstances and question if she could ever trust anyone who approached her, especially since her powers had been revealed. She even began to dread the potential repercussions if the truth about her being a Prima got out.

Previously, she had contemplated telling her friends about it when Elena had insisted that she shouldn't, but Adam's actions had left her scarred. She was unsure if her own friends would betray her and use her as a stepping stone.

Maya started to wonder about her possible fate if the world found out about her powers. Would people want to protect her, or erase her, or control her for their own desires? She knew she was far too inexperienced to make sound judgements about who to trust.

Amidst all these thoughts, she found some reassurance in her relationship with Elena. Their friendship wasn't based on false pretences or ulterior motives. Their gains were laid out in the open. It was contractual, and it was on Maya to turn it into a true friendship.

Although Elena may seem like the person who would sell her out first, she won't be able to get the help that Maya can provide from anyone else… she was assured there at least.

After a few minutes, she heard nearby doors opening. Someone must have heard her. Not ready to face anyone, she ran up the stairs before anyone could see her.

In her room, she didn't turn on the lights. She climbed into her bed, wanting to scream and rip off these nice clothes, unable to believe what was happening. All she could do was cry herself to sleep.