Pearl sat on the green bench by the trains, the ones leaving and the ones passing or stopping. She brushed one of her bangs back and started to swing her legs abit, even though she was now 16 and had grown a lot recently, she was still too small for her legs to reach the ground on the huge bench. She waited, full of suspense for Maya’s return. She saw that her train was next and smiled, faintly.
‘I can’t wait to hear how it was…’ She thought in her head ‘The first time in almost 8 years.’ She smiled and giggled to herself, feeling immature, but remembering why she was laughing. ‘They’ll have so much to talk about! Love is reunited.’ She brushed one of her bangs back, again, pinning in her new hairpin, A Christmas present that Maya gave her before she left to see Phoenix.
When the train arrived, many people passed before Maya came out, skipping, holding a purse and her pinned-up hair messing up. She waved when she saw Pearl and sat next to her.
‘Mystic Maya!’ Pearl squeaked, almost, beaming ‘Happy late-Christmas!’ She said, after kissing her on the cheek. ‘Hi, Pearly, It’s great to see you again.’ Maya said, stretching after the long train ride, she seemed almost tired, for some reason. Pearl jumped up and down, almost as they started walking towards the exit, anxiously asking questions. ‘How was it? How was HE? Did you have fun? Huh, huh?!’ She got overexcited and apologized when she realized it herself. Maya just laughed and smiled, happily ‘It was fantastic, we went to this Christmas fair and did almost everything, all the rides, all the games, all the burger places…’ She rambled on about what they did, without pausing, until they got on the bus to their village. Maya yawned and rolled her head on the back of the seat, in a tired position, Pearl could tell. Maybe it was her head and the way she looked very peaceful. Pearl just held Maya’s hand and went up and down on every bump the bus went over.

‘Whew!’ Maya sighed, louder than she should have, collapsing onto her oriental-styled couch. She sighed and said, only Pearl, her cousin who stayed in the same shoji as her, heard her since the sign of exhaustion was said in a very gentle and light manner. She turned over on the couch and pulled a cushion closer to her face and put it underneath the right side of her head and closed her eyes, while Pearl walked to the kitchen, glancing at the tired Maya, falling asleep.

Pearl woke up, slowly, the following morning, having slept in until after 10, since she spent all night watching a late night repeat of 'Children's Theatre.' She rubbed her eyes and sat up, balancing on her right arm, and yawning, looking at the steel samurai digital watch on her wrist. 'It's late... I better do the dishes.'
Pearl opened the screen door and saw Maya, her face buried in her palms, and 3 tears dripping from her chin, she seemsed amazingly depressed. Pearl rushed towards Maya and shook her, gently. Maya looked up, her eyes open wide and an emotional smile on her face, not showing her teeth but almost in a strange, anxious way. Pearl had a puzzled look and went face to face to Maya, repeatedly asking what was wrong. Maya put her hand on her shoulder, and said 'Guh... Good M-morning... Pearl...' Her voice cracked into a higher tone when she said Pearl. She wiped a tear away from her cheeck and took a deep breath, holding in more tears. Pearl waited for her to say Something, she didn't care what, just to know she felt like talking about it. Maya shook her head and said 'It was just... Hard to.... y'know, know that I wouldn't... see Nick for another... another...' She let two tears out and moaned, Pearl patted her hand and told her 'It's okay, It's natural to feel like that, but you'll be fine!' She turned around with an encourageful smile as she turned to the sink and picked up a pile of saucers and tea cups. Maya turned to her, calming down, and turning to Pearl.
'There's another thing...' She said, taking a deep breath. Pearl turned the sink in and washed, then asked 'What is it?' Maya said, in a nervous voice 'I think I...' Pearl said 'Speak up! I can't hear you for the tap!' She kept own washing, Maya bit her lip and started to break it up.
'I think...'
'Yes?'
'I think I'm...'
'What is it?' Pearl asked, turning the sink on and walking over to the table 2 saucers and 2 tea cups in her hands.
'I think I'm... Pregnant.'
Pearl dropped the cups and plates and opened her mouth in a slack way, and ran over to the table, taking the chair opposite her. 'You mean with...!?' Maya turned away and scratched her neck 'Yes...'
'How do you know!? Don't you need, like a few weeks before you can tell after you...' Maya nodded and sighed 'We got lazy and didn't...'
Pearl started to feel like she was swurling inside, with emotion. She shook her head, slightly and gritted her teeth a bit. 'You and Mr. Nick...?'
'Yeah.'

'Two weeks...'
Maya paced the room and stayed in bed, iscolated from everyone in the villiage. Phoenix had phoned a few times while she was still sick with worry about the special night they had at least two weeks ago... She never told him, though, She couldn't. She new how Phoenix would react when she told him... 'Maybe I just shouldn't tell him. I dunno, I'll just hide his child from him and raise him on my own...' Her heart raced when she kept thinking about the future and how she was going to raise her child on her own, she wanted the best for it. She was so confused, maybe she wasn't even pregnant, maybe luck was in store for her... 'I'll have to wait aq while to be sure...' She rolled over and closed her eyes, she was locked in her room for 2 days, surviving on little snacks, like oreos and pretzels that she had taken from the kitchen. She got up, slowly and unlocked the door, yawning twice.