Falling Into Place

Chapter Twenty-Four

"Hey, beautiful." Lucas greeted me when I opened the door to his car and hopped in the passenger seat.

"Hey, doofus." I smirked. Though I would never admit it out loud, I loved the cute little nicknames he called me... one of the few things that made me get butterflies in my stomach.

"You ready for school?" He asked. I shook my head and sighed, buckling my seat belt before he drove out of the parking lot of my apartment building. "Well too bad. You have one year left, it won't be too bad."

"Your definition of too bad... or mine?" I laughed. Lucas shook his head and came to a stop because of all the morning traffic. My phone vibrated but I ignored it as I had been all morning.

"So, um, did you do the history homework?" I cleared my throat, trying to cover the sound of my phone.

"I did, but I can bet you didn't."

"You'd win that bet." I chuckled. My phone continued to vibrate, receiving message after message, and I tried to ignore it.

"Maybe you should reply to whoever's texting you." He chuckled.

"Maybe." I sighed, looking out the window and tapping my fingers.

"...Aren't you gonna see who it is?" He asked hesitantly. I looked down at my phone and breathed.

"No." I smiled. "Not important."

"Why's that?" He questioned. We pulled into the school's parking lot and parked in Lucas' designated parking spot.

"Because I'm with you, silly." I winked, grabbing my bag and getting out of his car.

"As sweet as that was, what if it's Riley?"

"Oh no, she'd call." I lied through a smile. Riley only ever calls me when it's super important... like if someone were dying, otherwise we text eachother!

"Okay... I'll see you second period?" Lucas smiled.

"Yeah." I nodded. He kissed my forehead and headed to his first period as I stood in the parking lot for a minute. My phone vibrated again. Frustrated, I read it on the way to class and immediately regretted it.

Unknown: I don't understand why you're so cocky and selfish.

Unknown: Stupid.

I sat down in my first period desk, not even bothering to read the multiple other messages that I'd received. I cringed, hearing Riley's cheery voice enter the room.

"Maya aren't you excited? We get to meet the kids today!"

"Uh-Yeah! I can't wait!" I smiled. Liam came into the room, happy as ever, as usual, and took his seat next to Riley. We heard a bit of commotion in the hallway, then the teacher came into the room, multiple little kids in a line behind her.

The kids went and sat at little tables in little chairs. Not many of the students seemed interested in talking to or hanging out with little kids, but Riley, Liam and I were excited to talk to them!

"Hi!" Riley smiled as Liam and I followed her. A few kids waved, others replied with a 'Hi' or 'Hey.' Riley and Liam kneeled down at a table and began to talk to a group of the kids, but I noticed one little girl sitting all by herself. I walked over and pulled one of the mini chairs out from under the table and sat next to her.

"Hey." I smiled. She looked up and waved, and then looked back down at her little hands. "I'm Maya, what's your name?" She hesitsted, but looked up at me and sighed.

"Alice."

"That's a pretty name!" I smiled, hoping she would show at least a small smile, but she didn't. "Why are you sitting by yourself?" Alice looked around at the other kids and then hung her head over her hands again.

"I just don't feel good." She shrugged, and turned away from me in her chair. I chuckled a bit and grabbed the bottom of her chair, turning her back around to face me.

"I've used that excuse before. What's up?"

"Everyone thinks I'm weird because I don't have parents." She whispered. My heart sunk a little... I didn't know how to take in what she'd said!

"What do you mean?"

"I live with foster parents." Pain was evident in her little eyes when she looked up at me and I nodded.

"If it makes ya feel better..." I started. "I only have half a mom." I tried to make humor of my family situation for the sake of this little girl who couldn't have been more than seven years old at the most!

"How do ya only half half a mom?" Alice question, she furrowed her eyebrows and I smiled.

"She's not around much." I shrugged.

"Dad?" I looked around the room dramatically before leaning forward on my knees to get to her level.

"He got abducted by aliens." I whispered, nodding and pulling away. A small smile appeared across her face and a chuckle escaped her lips.

"Who are your foster parents? I might know them."

"Carol and David Bell."

"Oh! Your dad is my history teacher. I have him next period."

"Really?" She smiled. "Are you a bad student?" She asked. "I am."

"I'm not too bad, and you shouldn't be either!" The bell rang and the smile that spread across Alice's face fell and mine did too. "Do you think Mr. Bell would let you hang out with me and my boyfriend after school?" I asked, trying to perk her back up.

"Maybe." She smiled again. "Are you serious?"

"Yeah, come on. We can ask him together." She nodded and I let my first period teacher know I was going to borrow Alice for a quick minute and then we headed to my second period.

"Hi... Maya?" Lucas noticed the little girl holding my hand and was obviously confused.

"This is Alice." I smiled. I turned to Alice and pointed to Lucas. "This is Lucas." She nodded and motioned for me to come to her level.

"He's cute." She whispered.

"I know." I smiled before standing back up. "Lucas, if Alice's dad agrees, would you mind if she hangs out with us after school? She pretty cool." Lucas looked from my eyes, down to Alice's eyes, and grinned.

"Why not." The bell rang and Alice's foster father came into the room.

"Alice?" Mr. Bell questioned.

"Hi!" She smiled.

"Why so perky? I haven't seen you this happy since your last birthday."

"Can I hang out with Maya when she gets off school?" Mr. Bell raised his eyebrows and looked to me.

"I'd be glad to take her off your hands for a little bit, sir. I promise we won't go to too many wild parties." I joked.

"I suppose." He chuckled. "Have her home by four, please?"

"Yes sir." Alice's grin grew and I walked her back to the child care class. "See you at noon?"

"Noon." She smiled and went back to the little tables and little chairs.

I wasn't sure what I had gotten myself into, but all I could see was a sad little girl who just needed a friend. So why not be that friend? She kind of reminded me of me when I was her age. If it weren't for Riley, I would've been sitting by myself when I was little... but she never let me. I was still an unhappy kid, but Riley distracted me from everything that made me such an unhappy, angry child. If I could do that for another kid... why not?

"So we have a kid now?" Lucas whispered, jokingly when I took my seat next to him.

"Why not? She's cute."