led into Maya's bones like a

yelled at her mom In anger, unknowingly. But as

t behind her, and th

sanctuary. The posters of her favorite musicians, the lyrics she had scribbled on sticky notes and

The guitar case was tucked insi

in her che

c had been a part of her, woven into her identity so de

icking up her guitar

d and sank onto the mattress. She hugged her

a musician. Maybe she had b

off the nightstand, un

ed was filled with classmates sharing college acceptance let

LA! Can't

e, here

hool, her

ted, the words b

again, reading it for what

t to info

t?? R

s, her fingers gr

Had every song she poured he

ose in h

r fingers were sore, writing lyrics in the margins of her noteb

for

e to

onto the bed and burie

them would erase the rejection. But it didn't stop. The dam broke, and suddenly, she

essing her face against the

eless, but she

sappointment crashed over her, drowning her

he suppose

round this dream. If she wasn'

ght terr

ually quieted, leaving her exhausted, her bo

her back, starin

hest

happened. The occasional honk of a car horn, distant lau

ya fel

e again, her fingers hov

r best friend's voice, to be reminded

at if

The moment where she realized she had been c

ne fall onto th

hear Shine's optimis

her eyes and let the

row would b

find the strength to p

let the darkness

e room was bathed in darkness. The only light came from her phone scr

. For a moment, she just lay there, unmoving. Her body felt leaden, as

s weren't just a disappointment, they were a confi

cing the wall, hugging her a

gain. She could almost hear the strings of the

about picking up the guitar, letting the m

move because wh

now, it all seemed like vivid imaginations. S

t

s rea