Chapter Text
It was the first day of senior year for Maya Bishop and Carina DeLuca. They had just one year left until they’d be released into the big unknown, but neither was too apprehensive as they knew they’d have each other, no matter what awaited them. Or so they hoped.
Maya and Carina had practically been attached at the hip since they met in the summer before they started high school. Maya had been quick to come to Carina’s rescue after the dog she had been walking for a neighbour decided to run a little further than she had anticipated. Through the flustered giggles, they had immediately struck up a friendship. Carina had explained how she’d just moved to America to be reunited with her mamma, and Maya had been delighted to learn she would be starting at the same high school and that they had almost identical timetables.
Five years later, the pair were closer than ever, and still as thick as thieves. They had dealt with all the drama that came with high school, navigated the turmoil of inadequate friendships, and helped each other through the most tumultuous family issues. Through the highs and the lows, Maya and Carina had remained committed to one another, and they both knew they shared a special bond which could not be replicated with anyone else.
It had become apparent to Maya early on in their friendship that Carina was not a morning person. Without a doubt, she would refuse to get out of bed every morning, begging to be left in the comfort of her warm sheets. Maya had taken it upon herself to get creative in convincing Carina to face the world, and over the years, she had picked up some tricks that always seemed to work.
As soon as Carina’s disgruntled groans had filled the house that morning, Maya had been quick to announce that she had prepared her signature banana and chocolate chip pancakes. Although she still put up some protest, Carina was much more willing to leave her state of slumber at the promise of one of her favourite breakfasts.
As she registered the familiar smells, Carina had leapt from the bed without realising that her feet had become entangled in the sheets. As a result, she had crashed into the bedside table, topping its entire contents over like a domino chain. Maya had come running at the sound of something falling, and found Carina in a pile on the floor, looking at the chaos around her with an unmistakable pout on her face.
“How…? Why…? What on earth happened here?” Maya fought to hide a smirk. A small chuckle escaped when the comforter fell from the bed and landed over the top of Carina’s crumpled form.
“Don’t,” Carina managed to point her finger out from beneath the comforter. “Don’t you even think about laughing at me, Bishop! The stupid bedsheet was wrapped around my foot, and I was trying to come and eat your stupid pancakes, and… well, now I’m on the floor.” Carina’s pout grew as she tried to comb her fingers through the tangled mane that had grown overnight.
“Oh, it’s Bishop this morning, is it?” Maya smirked. “I guess if my pancakes are stupid, you won’t want them then, huh?”
Carina practically growled as she glared at Maya. “This is why I don’t get out of bed early,” she grumbled, reaching to grab Maya’s outstretched hand and allowing herself to be pulled upright.
“Why?” Maya quirked her brow. “Because you’re incapable of walking 20 steps to the kitchen without injuring yourself?”
“Basta!” Carina swatted at Maya’s arm, receiving a playful frown in response. “I’m more than capable of walking, thank you very much. It’s these silly silk bed sheets that make it so easy to get tangled in them.”
“The silk bed sheets that you picked out because they’d give us a better night's sleep?” Maya didn’t even try to hide the smirk that pulled at her lips.
Carina let out another growl as she removed the final corner of the sheet from her foot and made her way towards the door. “Yes.”
“Right. Because you’ve totally never fallen in your bedroom before.” Maya folded her arms and raised her brow again. Just last week, you tripped over the cushions on your way to the bathroom, and you practically tore the wardrobe rail down the other day when you fell while searching for your sweater.
Carina turned back from where she was standing at the door, fixing Maya with a hard glare and holding her finger in the air again. “What are you getting at here, Ma-ya?”
“I’m just saying, I don’t think the sheets are fully to blame here.” Maya shrugged, feigning hurt when she was met with another swipe to her arm and a deadly scowl.
“Ouch! Will you stop hitting me, dude? I was only stating facts.” Maya held her hands up in playful defence.
“Yeah, well, I don’t like your facts.” Carina frowned at Maya. “Now, can we please go to the kitchen so I can eat those delicious pancakes?”
Maya smiled at the small smirk on Carina’s face. “If you promise to stop hitting me and give me my morning hug, then yes.”
Maya Bishop had never been one for displays of affection until she met Carina. Having Lane Bishop as a father meant she had never known what it was like to get random hugs or be comforted when she was feeling unwell. She had only known the wrath that came when she did something wrong, and what the consequences were if she was not constantly striving for perfection.
Carina had changed that.
Carina DeLuca changed everything.
It wasn’t unusual for Carina to seek physical contact from Maya in some shape or form at all times. She wasn’t shy about pulling Maya into a hug or planting a kiss on her cheek just because.
Movie nights always ended in shared cuddles under the blankets, and after only two months of friendship, their frequent sleepovers had seen them start sharing a bed. Even when there had been another adult in the house, Carina had never shied away from making Maya know that she was loved and valued.
Carina’s move to America had been fuelled by the hope of rebuilding her relationship with her Mamma after Lucia had left Italy a couple of years prior to seek out a better life for herself and Andrea. That was exactly what she had been doing... Until tragedy struck.
At the end of the summer, just two months after reuniting their family unit, Lucia had suffered a catastrophic stroke, and Carina’s life had been turned upside down as she lost her mamma again. This time, though, it was permanent.
Carina had discovered from Lucia’s best friend that her mamma had been about to surprise them with a new house, one where they could continue to build the life they’d dreamt of together. Apparently, Lucia had always been one for forward planning because her best friend showed no hesitance when she suggested that she would move into the new house with Carina and Andrea until Carina was able to take on the responsibility of the house herself. Something they both decided could happen the summer before senior year.
Carina had been quick to agree, wanting to bring life into the walls that her mamma had picked so carefully for them, but Andrea had ultimately decided to take the offer to move in with another family friend who had children of the same age. While Carina and Lucia had begun to heal old wounds between them, Andrea still held a lot of resentment towards Carina. In his young mind, she had chosen to abandon them both and had decided they weren’t worthy of being in her life. A consequence of protecting him so well from Vincenzo.
One benefit of having a mostly empty house was that Maya was able to find refuge there. The two had worked together to convince Lane that Maya could spend most days and nights at Carina’s house without it impacting her rigorous training schedule. After a two-week trial run, during which Maya made drastic improvements in her performance, Lane decided that it was worth allowing his daughter to stay with a distraction if it meant they were closer to winning results on the track. His only stipulations had been that she had to attend a fortnightly dinner and that she had to stick to her strict diet. They had been quick to agree, but Carina never intended to stick to the plan.
Cheat days for meals had been introduced within three days, and Maya learnt that she could indulge in her own ways, and it wouldn’t cause the end of the world. Carina had taught her what it means to rest, eat, and sleep properly without having to worry about any repercussions, and while she was reluctant to admit it, Maya had noticed how much it benefited her.
They both loved that they were able to live every part of their lives so closely intertwined, and it only served to strengthen the bond between them. Whilst neither had ever said it out loud, somewhere along the way they began to enjoy being in each other’s company in more than a friendly way. They wouldn’t admit it, though. They couldn’t for fear of losing their safe haven.
Just as they had every other morning of their school lives, Maya and Carina walked together with their arms linked, giggling about the morning’s events. As they approached the dreaded school building, Maya tightened her grip on Carina’s hand. She wasn’t entirely sure why, but something about the place completely unnerved her. Having Carina by her side helped, though. Carina always helped.
The bell sounded to signal the beginning of the school day just as the pair took their seats at the back of their English class. It was the same group of students as had been in their class last year that had signed up for the creative writing elective, many having assumed it would be an easy A. They weren’t a bad group, but there were always a few whispers about the nature of Maya and Carina’s relationship that often made it a tense atmosphere. Before either one of them could dwell on things further, their teacher, Miss Grant, was addressing them.
“Welcome to the Creative Writing elective, everyone!” Her tone only grew in enthusiasm as she noted a few rolled eyes being cast in her direction. “I know a few of you have probably got it into your head that this would be an easy class to pass based on previous years, but I’ve decided to switch things up a bit.”
A collective groan filled the room as Maya looked at Carina with wide, panicked eyes. While she hadn’t been one to assume that she would get a guaranteed good grade, she had picked the class for the familiarity of knowing what to expect.
“Calmati, we don’t know what is changing yet,” Carina whispered, squeezing Maya’s hand as she sensed her rising panic.
“Each week, I will set you an assignment based on a certain topic. It is entirely up to you how you interpret the subject, and we will be sharing our responses as a class.” Miss Grant smiled at the ripple of shock that made its way through the room.
“I know it’s different to what you expected, but I know that all of you are more than capable of this challenge. The first assignment topic is ‘colour,’ so you have the rest of this class to start brainstorming about how you might want to approach it.”
Maya’s eyes had grown impossibly wider. While both she and Carina loved writing, reading, and anything remotely connected to the world of words, Maya hated public speaking.
“Carina…” Maya’s voice was barely above a whisper as she looked around at the rest of the class, seemingly inspired by the topic, if the way they were scrawling notes was anything to go by. “I- I can’t do this. I don’t speak to people. H-How am I supposed to speak to the whole class?”
“Everything will be okay.” Carina placed her hand on Maya’s cheek, knowing that everyone else was distracted, and seeing how much Maya needed help grounding herself. “We both know you are more than capable of writing brilliant things.”
Maya nodded slightly, knowing Carina was right. Several gifts that they had given to each other over the course of their friendship have centred around sharing heartfelt letters and poems depicting what neither could quite articulate out loud yet.
“It’s different to share my words with everyone else, though,” Maya sighed. “I only share them with you.”
“Imagine it is just me.” Carina smiled as if it were that simple. “When you stand up there, just look at me. It’s only us.”
“Together?” Maya whispered, a small smile on her face as she waited for Carina to finish their special saying.
Carina’s eyes softened as she intertwined her fingers with Maya’s. “Always.”
The fear was still there, and Maya wasn’t sure how she was going to navigate her way through it, but she knew that with Carina by her side, anything would be possible. She decided to embrace the challenge for what it was, and if nothing else, she was grateful that they might be able to get some of their thoughts out loud, that they could finally share some of their words unspoken.