Girl Meets Him

Girl Meets True Maya

"Oh, but it's so charming when he can't do things," Riley gushed.

"He's a face! He's just a face! What's the matter with you?" Farkle questioned.

I walked over and leaned against the back of Farkle's chair. I tilted his head up to look at me. He smiled dreamily at me. "Hi, beautiful." Farkle looked at the girls as I played with his hair. "You say nothing."

I sat back down, making him pout.

"Mount Farkleuvius sends two billion tons of burning lava straight into the air," Lucas declared. "And right back down on his head."

"Why?" Farkle questioned.

"Because you insulted Mortimer," Lucas snapped.

"What's his last name?" I asked, playing along with the game.

"Twiggle-bottom-smythe," Lucas said, making me burst out into laughter.

"Okay, fine. I'll do it." Farkle raised his hands in the air. His hands came back down, smothering his face.

"Maya, what's going on with you?" Lucas asked.

"It's like I don't have a role here anymore," Maya admitted. "Riley the Sweet, (Y/n) the Brave, Farkle the Genius, Lucas the Good-"

"Oh. I thought that was gone."

"It's not gone. I'm gone. I'm the one that's gone."

"Maya, I've been down that road." Lucas stood up. "Forget it. I missed a whole year of school because I thought I had to be something. That doesn't get you anywhere."

"Yeah. And now you say please and thank you, and what does that get you?" Maya questioned.

"It gets me to like him," Riley pointed out. "Do you still like him?"

"I don't know what I like anymore."

"Whoa," Farkle breathed.

"No whoa. No whoa while I'm figuring things out," Maya snapped, lifting Farkle up by the collar.

"Maya?" Lucas questioned.

"I need to know who I am before I know what I like," Maya reasoned.

"Hey, you know what's up with me? The cash register is short a hundred dollars. So what's up with you?" Ms. Hart asked. "That's great. You know what's up with me? Who took my one hundred dollars?"

Riley grinned. "Just do it."

"I didn't take the money!" Maya protested.

"Yes, you did! Maya, you took the money! She took the money, everybody! Yeah! She's a cat burglar!" Riley shouted.

"I didn't do it."

"Yes, you did. This is all over."

"Well, if no one took my one hundred dollars, then what happened?" Ms. Hart questioned. "Huh? Somebody just put two fifties under the whole drawer and forgot all about it? Somebody just... did that. Stay in school, kids."

"I don't want my role with us to be someone you think takes money or sets off fire alarms," Maya protested.

"You've done both of those things," I reasoned.

"You think you know what I'm capable of?" Maya questioned. "You have no idea what I'm capable of. You guys want the Maya back, the Maya I really am? You got her."

Maya left.

~~~

Maya's desk was empty the next day. I got more and more worried. Even Ms. Hart didn't know where her daughter was. My leg bounced with anxiety, and even Riley looked like she wanted to reach out and hold my hand.