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I turn and leave without a word — not even goodbye. As I walk out the door, I know this is it for me and Sunstone Resort. Losing this job feels like I'm losing a part of myself.
The crisp Fall air hits my face. My feet come to a stop and my eyes fall on the trees. The falling leaves are reminiscent of my own situation.
My phone buzzes in my pocket, jolting me out of my thoughts. I grab the phone and look at the name across the screen.
"Great," I mumble as I read it. With reluctance, I answer the call. "Hey, Mom."
I prepare myself for one of 'those' conversations.
"Maya, sweetie. How was your day?" Mom's voice flows through the phone. It's bursting with the usual fake perkiness that I'm not in the mood for at the moment.
"Well…" I hesitate. "Not great."
There's a pause on the line. "What happened, Maya?"
I take a deep breath, bracing myself for the inevitable fallout. "I… I got fired today."
Silence. It's so thick and heavy I can almost feel it pressing down on me through the phone. Finally, she speaks. "What?"
"Yeah," I say, trying to keep my voice steady. "I got fired."
"Maya. You were doing so well. What happened this time?"
"What do you think, Mom? I spoke up about something I felt was wrong and got fired for it."
There's a long pause. "We've talked about this, Maya. You can't just go around stirring up trouble."
"Mom, they were exploiting people. I couldn't sit there and say nothing."
There’s another long pause. "Maya, you have to think about your future. You can't afford to throw away good opportunities like this."
I can't help but roll my eyes. "Thanks for the advice, Mom."
My tone must have given away my irritation because there's a soft sigh from the other end. "Maya, I just want what’s best for you."
"I know, Mom. I know."
The conversation ends, but the disappointment lingers.
I stand there, surrounded by the falling leaves. A chill runs through me and I wrap my arms around myself. The cold air does nothing to numb the pain of rejection and failure clawing at my heart.
* * *
After stoppingat Eli Tea Bar to kill some unwanted free time, I make my way over to the youth club. I've been volunteering there for years now. It's my sanctuary and playground all rolled into one.
"Maya!" I hear a familiar voice call out to me from across the room. I turn to see who it is.
"Hey, Kitty Kait!" I throw up a playful kitten wave.
Kaitlyn is my partner in mischief. My best friend. I met her years ago at the youth club and we hit it off immediately. She volunteers here too and her dad is a big-time donor. She's a few years younger than me, but she gets me and she's like the sister I always wanted.
I make my way toward her and start laughing when I see her gaze locked in on a doodle-ridden notepad.
"Planning to take over the world?" I laugh again as I slide into the seat next to her.
"Maybe." She grins before turning to face me. "You in?"
"I don't think I have a choice."
