As Leo Alvarez's grades begin to slip, so does his facade as the school's golden boy. Much to his surprise, he ends up finding solace in the last place he'd expect, in his tutor― Maya Chopra.
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SHE STARED AT THE white, popcorn ceiling of her bedroom. The plush, lavender blanket underneath radiated off a snug feeling as her hair fanned across the beige pillow. Her ears perked up at the voices she heard downstairs; it was her Ma, her Aunt, her sister and two of her cousins as they discussed the possible decorations for the house.
It was a tradition in her culture to decorate the house during the wedding week; the front doors would be lined with garlands made of marigolds, colour coordinated ribbons tied to the bannisters of the staircase, silk curtains folded to create a backdrop in the living room as colourful pillows scattered across the floor for the Maiyan.
A white tent would be pitched in the backyard, plastic tables with matching plastic chairs set up to serve as a place not only to sit and eat but, to watch the festivities of the night unfold.
She was should've been downstairs helping them decide but, instead, she was here, hiding in her room with Emma.
"What's he like?" Emma asked before blowing a bubble with the large chunk of pink, bubblegum that was in her mouth.
She paused at the question- a number of answers riddled in her brain as she thought of the best way to reply to what was being asked of her. She counted the passing seconds with each smack of Emma's gum and finally came to a conclusion.
A conclusion of what Leo Alvarez was like.
Maya rolled over to her left side, tucking her arms under her head as support as she watched Emma draw shapes in the air with pale fingers- she was attempting to align the specks of plaster on the ceiling together. Ever so often, Emma would squint her eyes to help her better imagine what she believed she saw up there.
Emma Park had been Maya's best friend since the seventh grade. They had been partnered together for a project and the sparks had flown, sparks that had flown due to a common dislike for their teacher.
To Maya, Emma was her confidant. She was someone that she could always come to, regardless of what happened, Emma was always there for her.
And that was what you needed in a best friend.
Someone that was always there.
There weren't quite different either, which made it easier for them to understand one another. Both of them had an undying love for Leonardo DiCaprio (pun not intended), murder mysteries, early 2000's music and a considerable amount of other things that brought them closer together.
Often Emma's mom would humour herself by stating that Emma and Maya shared the same brainwave- they could easily finish each other's sentences and immediately understand what the other one was thinking with a single, clandestine look.
However, there were times that Maya wished she was more like Emma.
Emma, between the two, was more of a risk taker. She was upbeat and approachable- Maya wouldn't have labeled her as a complete social butterfly, but, she could be up there if she wanted to be. Emma was frequently waved at by students passing by, asking her how her weekend was, and if she was going to attend the next party. Sometimes, according to Emma, if she had a little wine in her glass and a smile on her face, she could conquer the world.
