Chapter 29: Meet Maya
Tony boarded the bus and immediately spotted the small blonde girl sitting in the very back row... right behind the only open seat left on the vehicle.
He walked over to the empty row. The girl already sitting in the window seat had long black hair and was staring quietly outside. As Tony went to sit down next to her, she turned her head, sat up straight, and offered a calm greeting.
"Hello, Tony. It is a pleasure meeting you in our civilian attire."
Tony looked at her as she gave a curt, polite smile.
"My name is Suki Mizaki," she introduced herself.
Tony stared at her for a second, putting the pieces together, before whispering in a low voice, "Stoic Samurai Girl?"
Suki smiled and clapped her hands together happily. "Yes! You are very perceptive, Tony!"
Tony was just about to reply when the back of his seat was furiously kicked from behind. The impact was so sudden it nearly made him choke on his own tongue.
A mischievous chuckle echoed from the row behind them.
Tony glared over the top of his headrest. Suki looked back too, looking a bit annoyed since the kick had rattled her side of the seat as well. All they could see was the top of a blonde head. The girl pulled herself up to look over the barrier, wearing a massive, victorious smirk.
Suki frowned. "Maya... why are you being rude?"
Maya narrowed her eyes at her. "Wait... you're Suki, right?! I'm not being rude to you. He is just my new target for entertainment!" She pointed an accusing finger at Tony.
Suki looked from Tony to Maya, completely unfazed. "Why? He is not going to react to you."
Suki remembered how remarkably well Tony had kept his composure yesterday. At least until he'd discovered that every magical girl on the team was emotionally damaged while somehow remaining capable of defeating armies of aliens and werewolves. She wisely kept that observation to herself.
Maya crossed her arms defensively. "Yeah... well, I'm sick of being a model student! How's that?!"
Suki furrowed her brow in utter confusion, turning back around to face the front of the bus. "I had no idea she actually felt that way..." she muttered.
Tony looked back at Maya. "You really don't have to... be like that, you know."
Maya kept her arms crossed, her smug smirk completely locked in place. "But I want to be."
Tony leaned over to Suki and hissed, "Was she always like this?!!"
Suki shook her head. "No. Usually, she is very well-behaved and a model student. I have no idea what caused this sudden change, or why she is specifically targeting you."
Maya chuckled darkly behind them, acting as if she had the entire universe figured out. "Isn't it obvious? He's a lonely guy! He reads manga all by himself! And..." She leaned in closer, dropping her voice to a dramatic whisper. "I've heard he absolutely hates cereal with dried fruit... though exactly which brand it is... is still in question."
Tony turned around slowly, looked her dead in the eyes, and whispered in horror, "You little monster."