She hit the table with more force than intended when Jared in character had asked her if they should end it in his home or hers.
Jared looked at her startled then burst into a fit of laughter while she collapsed too on her seat knowing she had flipped a little bit more than intended.
Fifteen minutes later, Jared asked her why she wears such hideous baggy clothes that even his granny won't be caught in and she sarcastically retorted, calling him a perfect gentleman for pointing that out while she wondered what she had been thinking humoring her 10 years old son and going out with a crack nut.
Jared as a character, is elated secretly thrilled that the woman in front of him was more interested in handling stacks of bills; he had sure done a little background check on her to avoid the risk of going out with a mental health patient or stalker and knew that she was grappling with a loss of debts hence her lack of opportunity to check out who was the "it" artist and her obliviousness to his status, he enjoyed immensely and did he also mention the unbearable urge to hold her up and strip her of her walls.
"And that's a wrap!" Tyler enthusiastically clapped even as the cameramen packed their equipment and Maya gave Jared a towel to clean the water she had poured him exasperatedly before walking out on him.
Jared was saying something but she stopped listening the minute, she noticed the two people in the world who somehow despite how tired and sore she have been after juggling normal work and shooting, always managed to remain at the back of her mind.
And because they were her best friends and couldn't do without drama she wasn't surprised to see them lifting writings on placards they had kept behind them.
"Can you ever forgive us for staying too angry at you?" Jared had a lopsided grin on his face and noting Tyler's unsurprised reaction she could tell that they both were in on it.
She giggled as Jasmine dragged the marker pen off Jessica's hand, quickly writing on an empty placard and lifting it.
She stood up, even as she read the line, the soreness and slight headache she had felt minutes ago suddenly disappearing as she felt a warm fuzzy kind of way at the side of her shoulder, "But if you have already moved on and have gotten new best friends, don't worry we know a guy that is good at disposing bodies."
She chuckled lightly even as tears stung her eyes, "What we are trying to say in our own fucked up way is that," Jessica sniffed even as Maya's legs moved in their accord intent on closing the gap between them.
"God we have fucking missed you," Jasmine sighed exasperatedly as they both met her midway for a bear hug.
"I've missed you girls more."
***
Xavier groaned as he sighted Melissa's car pulling up in the driveway from the window. The last thing he needed at the moment was for someone to whine at him and remind him that Maya was happy without him hence he should move on with his life.
She was already doing that over the phone and if hers wasn't enough, social media was always there to rub it in as the public have put light on Maya's empty finger and without a second everybody had suddenly become team Mayjar, which was a dumb ship name by the way not even pausing for a second to think of him, how he might be feeling, if he still slept at night or had the urge to eat at all.
He heard the clack of heels in his empty halls and rolled his eyes, standing up from his bed displeased that he wasn't even allowed the option to just stay in his room and wallow in abject dejection, now he needed to face his too concerned little sister who he didn't dare habour the thought of thinking she'll leave if she didn't get an answer from him.
She narrowed her eyes at him, "You look like what the cat dragged in literally,"
He snarled, "Thank you for being so brutal and blunt dear sister. People just love it when you point out the obvious." He sprawled himself on his couch while she sat down on another opposite him, scowling.
"Have you eaten, Xavier?"
"I think." He mumbled, closing his eyes praying that just once his sister would frickin see he wasn't in the mood to engage in what involved his input since he lacked the reasonable ability to construct words together to share his thoughts without feeling a throbbing searing ache.
"Okay maybe I haven't eaten and I don't feel hungry, what would you do about it?" He snapped knowing that such a miracle of his sister leaving was one of the wonders of the earth he was not going to be granted today.
"What is the point of all of this?" Her voice was calm and he opened his eyes confused as to what she was hinting at.
"Hardly talking to anybody, going back to your robot-like self and overworking, not eating, refusing to sleep either. What is the point of all of this?" She seemed tired and stressed, angry too and frustrated knowing that her brother was about to fall back into the pit where he was secluded before he had met Maya but the difference is that this one seems deeper and darker and she was supposed to do nothing but watch.
Back then when he had slipped out of her life she had been too young to comprehend or fight but now the fuck she would just comfortably watch him leave again.
"I understood that maybe you both were plunged so deep into your pretense you became attached but at the end of the day I can see why Maya decided to leave and move on with her life but you?" She gave him a confused look, "Why are you making this a huge deal? Why ain't you back to the arms of your various lovers? Why are you wallowing in abject misery?"
"Because I care about her!"
"Why the heck does your care have anything to do with living your life? I care about Maya too and I'm not living life like a living - Dead character?"
His eyes widened.
"Why are you acting like you are in love with her?" He audibly gulped, eyes wide while it was his turn to sit up and gape at her while she closed her eyes.