"You two are official the worst children on earth." Mom slammed down our breakfast cereal on the counter in front of our hanging heads.

     I yawned in sync with Maya. My head spun and the painkillers didn't stop an aching headache. "Sorry, Mom."

     She sighed and fell into a chair beside me. Her hands buried in her hair. "What am I going to do with the two of you. You are underage. You shouldn't be drinking."

     I flew the spoon into my mouth, swallowing more than chewing the tasteless food there really didn't belong in my stomach at this time.

     Maya struggled to keep her eyes open. She just stared at her food, holding tight around the glass of water.

     I blinked for a few seconds. "I'm so sorry, mom. We didn't go that hard. We're just tired." I yawned again, my mouth stretching to new limits.

     She sighed, taking away the dishes from her own breakfast. "I don't believe you. You're grounded for a week. And Maya, I'll make sure your parents know what you have gotten yourself into."

     Maya didn't obtain a word, just sitting motionless. I, on the other hand, was furious. "Mom! That's not fair. It was a little party. Nothing special happened and we're just tired."

     Maya shook her limps, sliding the glass towards her, cutting through me and my mom's conversation. She wasn't able to lift the glass, instead, she rose a finger. "Can I get an espresso instead? Double shot?" I lifted an eyebrow. "And maybe a few painkillers."

     Her head swayed and she went directly down into the table, her eyes closing shut.

     Moms eyes were wild, rushing over to Maya to shake her awake. "Maya! Wake up, honey!"

     I threw in another spoon full of breakfast. "Don't bother. She'll wake when she's ready." I shrugged my shoulders, a lock of hair tickling my forehead.

     This was a way too common scenario. Mom wouldn't ground me and Maya's parents would never find out about what went down last night. She just liked to threaten, but deep down, she was way too soft to be a strict mother.

     Mom helped Maya onto the couch in the living room, practically carrying her. I jumped down from the stool and moved over the counter, where a fine box of painkillers laid ready. As I swallowed, mom entered again, her hair messed up on one side.

     "I love Maya and all, but she has a sleeping problem," she said, a smile tugging on her lips.

     I giggled, nodding my head in agreement. "Yeah, but that's just a part of the package you have to live with."

     Mom smiled, sitting on a stool and leaning against the table, her arms holding her head. "I'm not going to ground you and I'll keep this from Maya's parents, but promise me one thing, will you?"

     "Of course." I lifted myself up on the counter.

     "Please take care of yourself. I don't want to see any of you hurt." She combed through her hair with her thick fingers. Her lips were slightly drawn under her teeth.

     "Of course." I rushed down from the counter and kissed her on the cheek before I went upstairs to take a bath and make myself ready for today.

...

     "I'm never going to drink again." Maya rolled her seat back, blocking her eyes from the sun shining through the car window.

     It was way past lunchtime, but sitting indoors and watching horror movies for hours had left us hungry for some burgers. So here we were, in my car on our way to the local -and quite popular- cafe close to the school.

     I pulled into the parking lot, stealing a spot as close to the doors as possible. Maya said nothing as I exited the car, she just followed, keeping her baseball cap hiding most of her face.

     "You know, baseball caps never really liked your face." I held the door open for her, welcoming the warmth and chatter of the small and 90's inspired cafe.

     "Well they hate your face, too," she scoffed, finding a spot with two couches surrounding a small table for four. Maya rolled into the red leather seats and cuddled with her legs.

     "You're such a baby." I laughed, lifting my eyes to look out of the massive glass windows. Outside, a face stared right back at me.

     I jumped in my seat, widening my eyes. Mike stood outside, a hand combed through his hair and another one planted deep within his pocket.

     Oh shit!

     The bet!

     "Maya!" My hands slammed into the table, echoing throughout the cafe.

     "What?" She hissed, her eyes rolling lifelessly around in her head.

     "Do you remember what happened last night?"

     She scrunched her nose, drawing her brows together and avoiding my glare for a second or two. She leaned forward over the table. "Only a few things. I remember we made some kind of bet." Her eyes widened. "Oh shit!"

     I slammed my upper body back against the small couch, my sore muscles trembling. "Well, we where drunk. It doesn't count. We can just sweep it under the rug, you know."

     Her head bounced from left to right, her dark hair falling all over. "We made a bet. We can't just sweep it under the rug. That'll only make us sinners and someone our grandma's are ashamed to call granddaughters." her fists curled on the table, her eyes springing with determination.

     Maybe she just really wanted to screw Daniel?

     "I still think it's a bad idea. In some way, we're prostitutes. Our grandmothers won't be proud of that, that's for sure." My voice rang a bit too high and as I glanced around. A bit of unwanted attention was pointed our way. My shoulders hugged around my ears and I crumbled inside my oversized hoodie.

     "What? Your thinking is unbelievable." Maya showed a dazzling smile, before returning to her serious state.

     "Well, we're going to have sex just to gain a price?" I said. I grimaced at the thought. How the hell could I agree to such a foolish bet? At least I thought I was smarter than that. I guess not.

     "It's a bet. People probably do that all the time. It's not prostitution." She made sure to whisper the last words, her eyes wandering around the small cafe.

     "Please tell me you don't want us to proceed further into this madness." I folded my hands in the ever so cliche prayer pose and leaned closer towards her, pouting my lips and widening my eyes.

     "Don't be all poetic." She rolled her eyes so far back I was afraid they would get stuck. "And drop those puppy eyes and pouting lips. I'm not your dad."

     I sighed and threw my hands in the air. "Come on, Maya. It was a foolish bet. It doesn't matter."

     "But we made a bet and we promised each other we would never break one ever. We can't just throw that out the window because you're afraid to flirt and get into bed with Mike." Her arm pointed out towards the street, where Mike was walking closer. She was not helping my wrecking nerves.

     "Get your arms down!" I punched after her pointing arm. "He's going to notice us."

     "And? How else are you going to get him into bed with you? It doesn't just happen, you know." She lifted an eyebrow and I fell defeated back into my seat.

     I crossed my arms over my chest firmly. "How about you. What's your game plan about Daniel. You can't even talk to him." I smirked, knowing I had her where I wanted.

     She was flustered, hiding her girly smile behind a stony expression. "I'll figure it out because compared to you, I'm not a pussy. I'll win this stupid bet and you'll regret that you didn't get to climb that man right over there."

     To my surprise, she actually had to the courage to speak up. Her words didn't flatter.

     I whisked my spit around in my mouth, glazing over my shoulder to find a servant. My stomach was growling and my mood dropping.

     "Come on, D. The worse there can happen is that he rejects you or something. Soon we'll all be on our way to college and you'll never see him again." I turned towards Maya and her confident self. Her hangover had suddenly disappeared as he sat with a lifted eyebrow.

     "I don't know. It just seems weird for me to try and seduce him. He's the most antisocial handsome boy at school. I couldn't do it even if I was a model."

     Her eyes rolled dramatically. "I-"

     "Are you ready to order." Both out eyes darted to the blonde waitress who stood with a genuine smile. Her blue eye twinkled as she took us in, waiting patiently.

     "Yeah, we'll just have two special burgers and two bottles of water, thank you." I gave her a shy smile. She scrambled our orders down on her notepad as her head nodded.

     "Alrighty." Her voice pitched and she popped her notepad and pencil back in her pocket. "Thank you for eating at Dannie's." She waltzed away in her white sneakers and went over to another table close by.

     "She was friendly," I commented and spun to face Maya again.

     "Don't change the subject. We're going to -oh! Hey! Mike is coming in!" Her finger pointed behind my back. I quickly shifted in my seat and glanced over at the door.

     And just as Maya said, Mike came inside with his feet drawling along the floor. His face was hidden behind his black hood, however, you couldn't deny the fact that it was indeed Mike Everson.

     "Talk to him," Maya said rushed and low. "Let me see how dirty you can talk."

     At that moment I could literally punch her in the face and fell no regret. "Of course I'm not going to do that. He doesn't even know who I am. And by the way, I'm sure he hates me already."

     I sighed deeply and leaned my elbows on the table only for my head to rest in the palm of my hand.

     Maya smirked. Not the normal shallow smirk, no, this one meant trouble I wasn't ready to deal with just yet.

     She stood in her seat, raising a hand. "Hey, Mike! Yes, you! Please come over here! My friend here wants to talk to you!"

     Oh. God. No!

     "What the hell are you doing!" I crumbled in my seat, trying my best to hide.

     She sat again. "He's coming over." She winked, her smirk widening. "He doesn't look happy, maybe you can cheer him up?"

     I widened my hoodies by drawing my legs up under my chest. I tugged the hood down past my eyes.

     "What do you want?"

     That voice could only belong to Mike. It had something to it.

     "Debbie likes your glasses," Maya told him, nodding her head towards me and I swear I could feel myself dying while, you know, while my cheeks blushed.

     "I-I." My voice died down in my hoodie and didn't even reach Mike or Maya. Couldn't she just kept her fucking mouth shut?

     "And she would like to study with you." Maya kept the conversation going after neither me nor Mike said anything or intended to. "She's falling a bit behind on her math homework and would like a smart and clever man like you to help her-" Her head spun to me. "-right, Debbie?" And she smirked.

     Mike blinked, his facial expression showing no clues of his emotions or thoughts.

     "Uhm... I-I." I caught his stone-cold eyes. They bore into my very soul an spoke the answer for me. "No! Definitely no! Uhm, she's just kidding! I mean... you know. I don't need your help. Please leave." My hands fidgeted with the bands of my hood and in a fraction of a second, I had pulled the hood tight around my face, blocking me from the awkward situation.

     "Well.." Maya's voice was lightly scented with the anger over my words. Maybe I shouldn't have blamed her. But what could I do? She was literally putting me on a pedestal. "I'm sorry. She's shy... and awkward, but she really needs your help. Would you be interested?"

     Oh damn! That girl could get into any boys pants with that voice.

     No response was heard from Mike. An urge to creep out from my hiding washed over me, but I resisted by waltzing towards the window and pressing my body up against it. Maybe they weren't able to see me now?

     If my prayers had been answered, he would be on his way out of the door by now.

     "I can't do that. Bye."

     For five seconds we just sat in silence and listened to his footsteps walk away.

     I peeked from my tiny hole in my hood. Maya's was staring right at me, her eyes deathly. She was ready to kill me.

     However, the only thing I could really think about was the fact that a little sting in my heart had formed as Mike Everson had walked away.