In the passage, the speaker expresses feelings of envy and resentment towards Maya. The speaker perceives Maya as effortlessly excelling in various aspects of life, including school, relationships, sports, and her deep connection with animals. This sense of specialness surrounding Maya makes the speaker feel overshadowed and inadequate, as she struggles despite her hard work and dedication.

The contrast is highlighted between Maya's seemingly effortless success and the speaker’s relentless efforts, which do not yield the same recognition or rewards. The speaker draws a parallel to Serena, another seemingly perfect person, emphasizing how little effort they appear to put in compared to the speaker's hard work, which leads to feelings of frustration and inadequacy in a competitive environment.