Skipping In Land Mines: A Girl Meets World story

Chapter 18: Falling

Lucas's POV
"I... I what?" I could feel my heartbeat in my throat.

"Lucas, don't..." She trailed off, swallowing her tears, and choking back a sob. "Don't make me say it again." She says, trying not to break down again, but failing miserably.

"No, no, no." I say, rushing up to her and pulling her t me. "Shhh. Maya, calm down. Please, don't cry, sweetie. You know I hate it when you cry." I whisper, soothingly in her ear, brushing my fingers through her flowing, golden hair.

" I know you'd never make your friends upset on purpose, but what you don't know is, sometimes you can't help it." She says, sobbing into my chest, soaking through my jacket, to my starched white shirt. Good thing I'm wearing a black blazer or I was sure there would be eyeliner and mascara stains on my shirt. What? I have two sisters, who both have went through multiple heartbreaks, who do you think comforts them? Don't judge...

"No, Maya, you don't get it. Sure, I don't like my friends sad, but it is so much more than that. Every time you cry because of your dad, or Josh, or how life just sucks, my heart breaks. Every time. Maybe you'll never understand. But maybe someday, you'll accept no matter what, I'm always gonna be here for you. Right here."

"That's what I'm afraid of." She says, pulling her tear-stained face out of my shirt. I brought my hand up to her face, and tried to wipe a tear away. As soon as I did, her eyes widened and she pulled away, out of my embrace. She stumbled away from me, tripping over a can of white paint knocking it over, spilling it all over her shoes. As the paint reached her black wedges and perfectly painted toes, she stumbled away. A logical reaction, but she tripped over her dress, stumbling backwards and grabbing on to a table to balance herself, only to have her hands splashed in two containers of bright blue paint.

"Aah, see what you did?" She screeched. I cleared one of the tables, and lifted her up to sit on one, grabbing a packet of moist towelettes. I started wiping off her shoes so the white didn't stain and ruin her shiny black heels. After that was done, I threw away the wipes and grabbed another pack to clean her hands. Now, you may be wondering "Lucas, why are there so many moist towelettes in the Art Room?" Well, the answer is simple...-ish. Well Ms. Kossal demanded Mr. Matthews buy her a closet full of the stuff because, as I recall, "Riley will not stop painting so many damn purple freaking cats," and our 6th period teacher was tired of scratching Riley's nose. As I started cleaning her hands, I had a flashback to 3 years before...

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"Hey, Riley?" Maya called, poking her head out of the room.

"Yeah?" Riley answered, turning to her best friend, pausing from cleaning the paint off my face.

"Farkle, uh, needs to talk to you for a minute." She says, stepping out into the hallway, pointing to the room.

"Oh, right." She turned to me awkwardly. "You going to be okay? You know with the paint and all." She says, motioning toward my face. I laughed.

"It's fine, Riley. I'm a big boy." I say, my mouth involuntarily turning up at the corners. She returned the smile, turning on her heel, and walking in the room. Maya and I both looked at each other awkwardly, until I gave her a small smile.

"Well, guess I'm off to the boys' room." I finalized, gave a curt nod, and turned away from her.

"Wait." Her voice stopped me. "I could help you. Y-You know, if you want me to." She stuttered. Wait a second, when does Maya Hart ever stutter?

"Sure, thanks." I say. She smiled walked toward me, but as she was came up to me, her smile fell.

"What?"

"C-can you..."

"Can I what?"

"Can you sit down?" She asked, looking at the ground. "If you hadn't noticed, I'm kinda...short." I laughed, and her eyes shot up at me, filled with hurt and anger. She threw the packet of wipes at me, they hit my chest and landed in my palms. "You know what? You can clean your own dang face!" She shouted, and attempted to storm away. I pulled her back.

"Hey, I'm sorry, ok? But you can't really blame me!"

"Um, I beg to differ, Lucas. It wasn't funny! I know I'm short, you don't have to rub it in my face."

I hold both her hands, and sit down on the bench.

"I wasn't laughing at your height, Maya. I was laughing at how you're being right now."

"What do you mean?" She says, and I sighed, because she knew good and well was she was doing.

"You're just being so vulnerable, I've never seen you act shy before. It's a whole different Maya in front of me. And I don't know what to think of her."

"Oh, sorry I yelled at you. It's just my height is one of the only things I'm insecure about." She says, as she grabs a moist towelette, and wiped my cheeks and nose.

"I know, but Maya, don't be. You are more amazing than you know. You are caring, bold, strong beautiful," at this, her hand stops, but only for a second, then it continues to my chin," and you should never let anyone tell you different, or make you feel insecure, especially a boy." I say. She finishes cleaning my face, and just looks at me for a second.

"Thank you Lucas," she says, and before I know what's happening, she leans down, kisses my cheek, still wet with disinfectant, and walks off, leaving my mind blown, and the place on my cheek where she kissed still tingling.

£

I smiled at the memory, and Maya noticed.

"What? You think this is funny, HeeHaw?"

"What? No, a memory just popped into my mind."

"Oh. Of what?"

"Remember in 8th grade when the entire class got detention, and the class was split up into Rileytown and Mayaville? And then we kidnapped Riley, and she yelled at us, like a mom?"

"Yeah. That's what you were remembering?"

"Well, not exactly. After, when you cleaned the paint off my face."

"Oh. Yeah, I'm still pretty short."

"That was the moment I fell in love with you." I said, quickly, before I could stop myself. She froze.

"What?"

"I love you, Maya. I love everything about you. I love your personality, you boldness, you beauty, your strength, but most of all, I love your quirks. Your imperfections. Because they make you....you. You're not Maya Hart without vertical challenges, and money problems, and family issues. Without all of these things that make up your beautiful, perfectly imperfect self, you wouldn't be the girl I loved." Her face was shocked, but before she could say anything, I met my lips with hers. She responded at first, but then she shoved me away, and jumped off the table.

"I can't. I'm sorry, Lucas. You know I have feelings for you, too, but I just...can't."

"Why not?" I demanded, getting angry now.

"Because life isn't a fairytale. At least not for me," she says simply, and runs out.

A/N Hey guys, I decided to incorporate Girl Meets Rules into this chapter, because it has one of the most amazing Lucaya moments, and I know this is not a scene in the episode, but oh well. There weren't any adorable scenes like this in the episode. So yeah, until next week...

(When you're PLL af! But no, my name really does start with this.)

-A