< HSoS 54 | High School Of Scenes | HSoS 56 >
< HSoS 48 | H So S Timeline | HSoS 56 >
Furud Throughout the drive to Maia's house, including the stop for pizza, Furud has been largely silent, just staring ahead at the road and tapping his fingers lightly against the steering wheel. The tension is thick and heavy.
Maia flips through the principal's files nervously as they drive.
Furud flicks a glance at her every so often to see her reaction to the files
Maia doesn't seem too surprised at anything.
Furud pulls up at Maia's house eventually, and gets out, waiting for her to go in first.
Maia eyes Furud, then grabs the pizza and heads inside, fumbling with her door keys while trying not to drop anything.
Furud watches her for a minute, then takes the pizza so she can use both hands.
Maia "Thanks." Maia opens the door and lets them into the living room, then, looking furtively around, leads him into her room.
Furud follows her, balancing the pizza in one hand.
Furud glances around Maia's room and shoves a couple pieces of clothes to one side to make space for him to sit on the edge of the bed.
Maia is about to collapse on the bed when Furud sits down. Reorienting, she drops down on a pile of slightly dirty clothes.
Maia "So...uh...okay."
Furud opens the pizza box and offers the first piece to Maia
Maia takes a piece and kind of inhales half of it.
Maia looks at Furud, kind of waiting for him to say something.
Furud takes a piece and chews on it slowly. "So. What's going on?"
Maia sighs.
Maia "So...ever since the beginning of freshman year, I've been working with Johnstone."
Maia "I took those pictures, I gave him all the info I had on what was going on."
Maia shrugs.
Furud closes the pizza box and stares down at her. "Why?" he asks flatly. "How could you betray us?"
Maia "Betray you?"
Maia stares at Furud.
Furud gestures to the files.
Maia "Do you remember when Heka told everyone I was a frigid bitch? That was just two months into school."
Maia "Do you remember what you did?"
Maia "I remember."
Maia "Nothing."
Maia "Flat fuck nothing."
Maia "Don't you fucking tell me I betrayed you. I don't owe any of you anything."
Maia "I tried to PROTECT you -- " Maia stops abruptly.
Maia "You don't understand."
Furud crosses his arms, glaring at her, trying to stop his fingers from digging into his skin. "You always told me you could fight your own battles. Did you want me to swoop in and protect you?"
Maia "You could have tried."
Furud "You would still have hated me."
Furud "And I wasn't even involved."
Maia "You could have said SOMETHING."
Furud "What was I supposed to say? That I spied on you and I saw everything?"
Maia "That was almost three years ago and this is the first time we've ever talked about it.'
Maia "...what?"
Furud "It happened when I wasn't around. It was my two friends' words against each other. How the hell would what I say make any difference?"
Maia "What do you mean, you spied on me?" Maia's voice is much quieter.
Furud looks angry. "I didn't. OK?"
Maia "Well, then, why did you SAY you did? What the hell was that supposed to mean?"
Maia "Just a random example?"
Furud "Well we were TALKING about spying it seemed like a relevant example of why I would know what actually happened. Even though I didn't," he adds.
Maia eyes Furud a little more.
Furud "Listen that's not the POINT. We're talking about you and Johnstone"
Maia "Fine."
Maia stares defiantly, and eats pizza.
Furud "So you've been feeding him information about all of us for whatever probably evil purpose he has. Because Heka said you were frigid."
Maia "No, retard."
Maia palms her forehead irritatedly.
Maia "Because..."
Maia "I had to. I just had to."
Furud "Why."
Maia "I can't tell you what happened."
Furud "But you can tell Antares?"
Furud gets up and starts pacing around the room.
Maia "That's different."
Furud "Fuck you."
Maia raises her hands, then drops them.
Maia "I trust Antares."
Furud twitches, and in the path his pacing takes him, things start to vibrate slightly. "You love her."
Maia clenches her fists at her sides.
Maia "You really do spy on me."
Furud "No, Maia. I walked down the hall and heard you by accident. I wish I hadn't."
Maia "Well."
Maia "Yes. That's part of why I trust her."
Furud "I have to go."
Maia "Furud, wait."
Furud 's body is one rigid band of tension, his knuckles white, his movements stiff. He starts walking towards the door and looks back at her for a moment.
Maia opens her mouth, then closes it, looking at Furud carefully.
Maia "YOU love her."
Furud doesn't say anything, but she can see it in his eyes. Then he turns away again and walks rapidly through the door and out of the house, needing air, and the stars, and... a place with less fragile things.
Maia chases him into the living room, then slows and stops, looking after him. "Maia? Come to dinner," her dad calls to her, and after a moment, she turns, and walks into the dining room.
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