He was ignoring her.
Like, full-on ghosting her.
Eddie freaking Thompson—quiet, cardigan-wearing, nerdy little genius boy—had somehow turned into a vanishing act. And Maya? She was not built to be left on delivered.
Forty-two hours post-sex. Seventeen texts. Zero responses.
She stared at her phone, mentally daring it to light up.
Spoiler: it didn't.
"I think the nerd ghosted me," she announced the next day, dropping her tray on the lunch table like a personal tragedy just hit the group chat.
Sally choked on her yogurt. "He what?"
Luna's eyes went cartoon-wide. "Wait—ghosted you after the party?!"
"After we…" Maya lowered her voice. "You know."
Luna dropped her fork. "You did it? With Eddie?"
Maya gave her a look. "Would I be spiraling this hard over a guy I didn't sleep with?"
Sally leaned in like it was a damn gossip circle. "Okay but like… wait… how was it?"
Maya blinked. "Excuse me?"
"You can't just casually say you slept with Eddie and not give us details," Luna added. "Was it, like… awkward? Did he cry? Did you cry? Were there… socks involved?"
"Oh my god," Maya groaned, face in her hands. "Why are you like this."
Sally grinned. "Because we love you and we're nosy."
Maya mumbled into her hands. "I'm not talking about it."
"You're so talking about it," Luna said, pulling her hand down. "Come on. Spill. Did he surprise you?"
Maya hesitated, her voice low. "Honestly? Yeah. He… surprised me."
Sally and Luna leaned in closer.
"I thought he was gonna be all awkward and shy," Maya said. "But… no. The man's a menace. Like, he knew what he was doing. It was soft at first, like, sweet-soft, but then… he switched up. Confident. Bold. He had me—me—speechless."
Luna blinked. "You? Speechless?"
"I swear to god."
Then, because Maya couldn't help herself, she let it slip.
"I didn't even tell him it was my first time."
Pause.
Absolute silence.
Then Luna and Sally—simultaneously—"WAIT, WHAT?"
Sally clutched her chest like she was physically offended. "You were a virgin?!"
"You didn't tell him?" Luna gasped. "MAYA."
"I didn't plan it!" she snapped. "It just happened! We were in the moment and it felt right and I didn't wanna be weird about it!"
"Oh my god, no wonder he ghosted!" Sally said. "He's probably in a full-on meltdown thinking he defiled your purity or something!"
Maya covered her face. "Don't say 'defiled,' I'm gonna throw up."
Luna leaned back, dazed. "I thought you'd lost it with, like, Vic or that one summer guy in Malibu."
"Absolutely not," Maya mumbled. "Eddie's my first. My only. The one who got all the trauma."
Sally let out a long whistle. "Okay yeah… now I kinda get why he disappeared. Poor boy's probably spiraling."
"He is spiraling," Maya muttered. "And I'm spiraling. And this is so dumb. And I hate everyone."
"No, babe," Luna said, resting a hand on her shoulder. "You just accidentally gave your virginity to a soft-spoken genius with zero emotional regulation."
"Shut up."
"Never."
Cut to Eddie :
He was on his third iced coffee and definitely not okay.
Laptop open, Word doc untouched, legs bouncing like they were trying to physically eject the anxiety from his body.
All he could think about was Maya. Her hands in his hair. The way she looked at him like he wasn't some awkward nerd but someone she actually wanted.
And then he'd gone full ghost mode. Radio silent.
"I'm such an idiot," Eddie mumbled into the hoodie he hadn't taken off in two days.
Zeke, sprawled on the beanbag in the corner, didn't even look up. "Still spiraling?"
"I didn't know it was her first time."
Zeke paused his game. "Wait—what?"
"Yeah." Eddie groaned, flopping backwards onto his bed. "I just keep thinking, what if she regrets it? What if I hurt her? What if she only did it 'cause she didn't want it to be weird, and now it is weird, and I ruined everything?"
"Dude…" Zeke rubbed his face. "She didn't tell you?"
"No. But I should've known. Or asked. Or something. And now I'm the guy who disappears after—God, I'm a walking PSA."
"You're being dramatic."
"I am dramatic. And a coward."
Zeke raised an eyebrow. "You ghosted her, bro. That was pretty cowardly."
Eddie threw an arm over his eyes. "Thanks, Zeke. Really helping."
"Just being real. Look, you clearly care about her. So stop pacing and talk to her. Like a normal human person."
"I don't even know what to say."
Zeke shrugged. "Try 'Sorry I panicked. I'm a mess. Please don't hate me.'"
Eddie sat up, hair a disaster, heart pounding. "You think she'll even want to hear it?"
Zeke gave him a look. "Bro. If she slept with you, she likes you. You're just lucky she picked a nerd with a guilt complex instead of some dude who'd never think twice."
That shut Eddie up.
He stared at his phone. Then stood up fast.
"Okay. I'm doing it. I'm going to her. In person."
Zeke nodded. "Good. Go be awkward and romantic. I'll be here if you need backup or snacks or like… a playlist."
Maya was in the art room after school, pretending to work on a sketch and not think about him. She'd recharged her phone just to not check it.
Still nothing from Eddie.
She wasn't gonna cry. She was fine. Totally over it. Boys were dumb. Nerds were dumb. Her taste in men? Tragic.
The door creaked.
She didn't look up.
Then she heard footsteps.
"Maya?"
Her heart punched her ribs.
No. No way.
She turned.
Eddie stood there like someone had rebooted him halfway through an existential crisis. Hoodie wrinkled. Eyes wide.
"You're actually alive," she said.
"I deserve that."
"You deserve way worse."
He stepped inside. "I didn't know how to talk to you. So I didn't. Which was dumb. And I'm sorry."
She stared at him. Arms crossed. "You ghosted me."
"I know. And I swear I wasn't trying to be a dick. I just… freaked out."
"Because?"
"Because I found out it was your first time. And I didn't know. And I started overthinking everything. Like, what if you regretted it? What if I ruined something? What if you never wanted to see me again?"
Maya's expression didn't shift, but her jaw clenched.
"I should've just asked," he said. "I should've talked to you. But I was scared. So I disappeared like a loser."
"You think I would've slept with you if I didn't want to?"
"No. I just… I don't know. I couldn't stop thinking that I messed it all up."
"You did," she said. Then paused. "But you showed up, so… I guess that counts for something."
Eddie nodded, shoulders tense. "I like you. A lot. And I didn't take what happened lightly. I've been freaking out 'cause it meant something to me, and I hope it meant something to you too."
"It did," she said quietly.
They stood there in that weird, heavy quiet that comes right after two people stop being stubborn.
Then Eddie, voice cracking just a little: "So… if I took your virginity, does that mean I'm, like, emotionally responsible for you now? Is there a form I sign?"
Maya blinked. "Are you trying to be my boyfriend or my guardian?"
"I'm open to options. Just—please don't hate me."
Her mouth twitched. "You're such a nerd."
"But I'm your nerd?"
She rolled her eyes. But she didn't move when he stepped closer.
He held out his arms like a hug was a question.
She answered by walking right into them.
They stood there for a second—just holding on. Not saying anything. Like maybe this was the part where things could start making sense again.
"I missed you," he mumbled into her hair.
"Don't ever disappear on me again," she whispered back.
"I won't. I swear."
And just as he leaned in, like he was finally gonna kiss her—
The intercom crackled to life.
"Eddie Thompson, please report to the front office. Immediately."
They both froze.
Maya pulled back, confused. "What did you do?"
Eddie shook his head. "I have no idea."
The intercom clicked off. A pause.
Then her phone buzzed. One new message from an unknown number:
The end is close, the clock is ticking .
Her heart dropped.
She showed him the screen.
Eddie stared at it. Then at her.
"…What the hell?"