Living Together

***BLAKE’S PLACE***

Blake walks into a hallway and stops in front of a door. He opens the door and turns on the light inside of the room. He turns around, “This’ll be your room from today onward.”

Behind him was a teenage girl with long straight black hair like Obsidian. She slowly turned her blue teal gaze towards the room. She was Maya Obelisk. Starting today, Blake was incharge of watching over her. He was going to be her substitute guardian. Even though she was the prime suspect for the murder of her sister and adoptive mother, there was no murder weapon found, and they couldn’t put her in jail based on one person’s words with out physical evidences. 

Moreover, the prime suspect herself hasn't even confirmed or denied these accusations, and hasn't even asked for a lawyer. So his boss, the director of the police station he was located at had ordered him to keep an eye on her. He wanted to refuse but he couldn’t disobey an order. 

Maya took a few steps into the room. Blake leans against the door, “Since you’ll be living here, I have rules for you to follow.”

She sets her luggages down and turns towards Blake. He puts out five fingers, “Never turn off your GPS ankle locator, always call me every hour to give me an update of what you’re doing when you’re not in my range of sight, we have lunch, breakfast, and dinner together, and don't stay up late.”

So far, Blake has only said four rules. Maya waited for him to mention the last one. He turns to her as his body covers the entire entrance of the door. His expression was menacing as he said the final rule, “If you try to run or even try to do anything that is dangerous, I will shoot you.”

That was the last and final rule she had to follow. Maya nods at him without anything a single word. Blake hopes that she keeps those rules in mind. He turns away and closes the door behind him. It was a weekend, and school didn’t start until tomorrow. But even if school started, Maya was going to have a difficult time. Her face and her situation was already all over the news. Though she will have a difficult time, it was none of his business. 

Blake’s phone vibrated in his pocket. He took out his phone and looked at the text message sent to him from Char.

Tomorrow is a school day, remember to make good food for her to eat! - Char

Blake texted back to him.

If you’re that worry for her well being, then you come and cook for her. - Blake

Follow the director’s order, or I’m reporting you. - Char

Blake clicks his tongue at the text message. He wished that Char would have taken over and not him. He had no experience in dealing with teenagers, and didn’t have good social skills. Also, it was a long day of processing the guardianship over to him. Blake heads into the kitchen as he prepares for dinner.

Blake finished making dinner and called out to Maya to come down and eat. She came out of her room like a ghost. She didn’t make a sound nor a ruckus. Normally, when a teenager or anyone in particular goes through this kind of situation they would either grumble about it, or whine. They would also throw a fit, but Maya looked completely calm.

She took her seat and started to eat the food Blake made. Blake watches her reaction eating his food. He was surprised by what she did next. Maya was in tears again, however, this time there was life reflected in those dead eyes of her. He had to blink a couple of times to make sure he wasn’t seeing things.

“It’s… yummy…” she spoke.

Blake was taken back. The whole time he had been with her, she had never spoken. This was the first time she ever even said anything. Blake knows that he’s a good cook, but he didn’t think that his food could make someone that looks as dead as her cry.

“Uh… thanks…?”

Maya chews on her mouth lightly as though she was trying to hold something back. She grabs a few more meat into her fork and eats it. She closes her eyes tight and lets her tears fall down more. Blake was baffled. He didn’t know what to do. He quickly grabs a paper towel and hands it to her. She takes the towel and cries into it. 

Well, at least her reaction now was better then her dead reaction. Even though she wasn’t whining or complaining about her situation, at least she was venting. 

“Eat as much as you can,” said Blake, “You need all your energy for tomorrow.”

“It’s yummy… It’s really good…” Maya spoke out.

At that time, Blake had no idea what she kept saying those words. He wouldn’t find out about it until much, much later. For now, Maya finished the portion of food he made and went to sleep right after taking a shower. Maybe taking care of a teenagering wasn’t so hard after all.

Next Day

BEEP BEEP BEEP! BEEP BEEP BEEP! BEEP BEEP BEEP!

Blake’s hand wanders around the small side table until he finds the clock to turn off the alarm. His sluggish eyes open to look at the time. It was six in the morning. He groans out with irritation. He had no idea why he set the clock so early. He doesn’t even go to work until nine. He snoozes back into his bed until something in the back of his head keeps him awake. The sound of footsteps woke him up.

He gasped out in shock as he recalled what it was that was whispering to him. It was Maya. And the reason why he set his alarm so early was because she had school at 7:45 in the morning. Blake grumbles in his pillow, pondering if he should get up or not. Just why did he go with this when he could have just done everything to refuse it. His sweet morning sleep is now gone forever. Well, until they found out more evidence if she really is the murder or not.

Blake forces himself to wake up and heads into the bathroom to get ready. He received Maya’s schedule from Char the other day when they were still doing the process of transferring the guardianship over to him. He had to drive her to school in order to keep an eye on her, pick her up, and then start the process over again. He heads out of the bathroom like a grumpy old man and knocks on Maya’s door to wake her up.

There was no answer after he finished knocking on the door. He knocks again. No answer. Blake looks at his phone, the GPS said that she was still in the house. He knocks again. No answer. Irritated, he knocked louder, but still there was no answer. Suddenly, he heard the fire turn on in the kitchen. Blake runs down stairs and finds Maya cooking eggs for breakfast. So she was up before him.

He ruffles his hair, “At least let me know if you’re awake damn it.”

Maya looks at him and nods as she resumes on making the egg. They were having bread with egg for breakfast. Blake pours himself a cup of milk. When they came to his house, he told her that she could use whatever was available in the kitchen and bathroom as long as she doesn’t do anything that seems suspicious to him. It hasn’t even been a day yet, and she’s already making herself home.

Maya sets out the bread and burnt egg for them to eat. Blake’s lips lightly twitches as he looks at the burnt egg. He looks up at her, “Have you ever made eggs before?”

Maya didn’t answer him and ate the hard black burnt egg. Blake yanks the egg out of her mouth causing her to flinch at his action. She glares at him for his rude behavior. Blake glares back at her, “Haven’t you heard that eating burnt food will give you an upset stomach? I don’t want you to use this as an excuse to escape.”

She narrowed her eyes at him. Blake gets up from his seat, “I’ll wake up and make us food, so don’t you dare make anything if you can’t make it. I can’t eat this.”

He throws away the burnt egg and starts to cook them new ones. Once they were done, he set the freshly cooked egg without any burnt edge on the table. Maya looks at the egg then back at him. 

“What?” he said, “I’m not going to yank it out of your mouth this time. Eat.”

Maya places the egg on her bread and eats away. The texture of the egg made her eyes widen in shock. It wasn’t hard but smooth and silky. It even melts in her mouth with the delicious light salt to it. Maya tightens her grip on her cup of water and glares at Blake. He smirks at her, “That’s how you make an egg.”

Maya snubs off at him as she digs into the food. He scoffs at her reaction and eats his egg as well. They finally got out of the house after finishing their breakfast. The time was 7:13 AM. Just as Blake was about to close the door, he noticed that the flower vase wasn’t where it used to be. Before, it was at the window of the kitchen, but now it was suddenly on top of the shoe cubby. Weird, he doesn’t recall putting there nor moving it.

Blake shrugs it off without thinking about it too much. It takes at least twenty minutes to get to her school from where he lived. They were going to be late if they stayed there any longer. Blake closes the door and heads over to his car where Maya was waiting.

To Be Continue

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