Maya’s stomach sank at that, thinking back to how amazed Lily had been at the fort and their sleepovers. It all continued to make sense, the more she got to know Lily at home. “Okay, but she has friends, right? That Eve girl she talks about sometimes?”
“Yeah, I think Eve is heronlyreal friend though? She was the only person I saw in her grad photos.” Hanna paused and sighed. “I really shouldn’t have stopped us from going, it would have been so cool for us to have shown up for her. It was selfish, I’m selfish.”
“What’s done is done, Banana. Besides, I don’t think Lily needed us there; like you said, she had Eve. In any case, she has ushereand that’s what matters. One day versus the many we’ll have together, remember that.” Maya smiled at Hanna. “So what should we do? Should we hire a clown? A stripper? The latter feels more like Lily’s speed.”
Hanna laughed. “Oh my god, can you imagine?” She grabbed a pillow from the head of Maya’s bed. “You can, can’t you? You’re thinking about it right now, aren’t you?” Hanna threw the pillow at Maya.
“Is that so wrong? We’re young! We can look, fantasize,” Maya said, grinning. “Besides, it’s only hot to me because you both would be there.”
Hanna crossed her arms in feigned indignation. “I can’t believe I am dating you two!”
“What did Lily do?”
“Oh you know she’d agree with you, you both would be sitting there thinking about it!” Hanna was laughing now, and it made Maya’s chest warm.
“You love it, Banana,” Maya said, and Hanna’s face flushed, because she knew she did. Their little brat.
“I do not.”
“You do, you’re thinking about it right now, some hot brunette’s running her hands through Lily’s hair, touching what’s yours. You’re thinking about how you’ll throw a fit and get what you want by the end of the night, aren’t you?” Maya hadn’t meant to go that far, but she was there now.
Hanna’s eyes went dark and soft. “Don’t do this to me in your mother’s house.”
“What would you like me to do in my mother’s house?”
“Maya!”
Maya laughed but let the matter go. She wouldn’t torture Hanna any further.
“Can we focus?” Hanna said in the tone of voice Maya associated with deflection.
“Yeah okay–we could do something fun and kinda retro? Is there a roller rink around here?”
“Oh, I really like that, and then we could do pizza and beer after?”
Maya nodded. It was very tenth-birthday-meets-adulthood. It satiated Maya’s need to give Lily everything she missed. Just when she was about to start looking up the roller rink, Hanna’s phone lit up with a call. Hanna grabbed it.
“You’re on speaker,” Hanna warned.
“Let me in!” Lily’s voice answered back.
“Where are you?” Hanna said, looking slightly panicked, as if Lily could see into Maya’s room where they were conspiring. Maya found it endearing.
“Uh, where our super hot Papaya lives–hurry, it’s hot out here!”
“Wait why?—”
“Hanna let me in, or I am going to feel left out here!”
Maya knew Lily wasn’t serious, but an impatient Lily was not to be questioned. Hanna sat up, giving Maya a pointed look, and left the room to retrieve Lily.
Two minutes later,both Lily and Hanna were laying on Maya’s bed. When Hanna had tried to move away, Lily had latched onto her, exclaiming, “Maggie isn’t even home!”
“So this is a pleasant surprise, how’d you know we were at my place?”
“Spies,” Lily deadpanned.
“Seriously,” Hanna tried to wriggle from her arms but gave up.
