And Then She Stopped

chapter one

"So, Maya," Topanga started, taking a bite of her pancakes, "your mother tells me you've been really enjoying your dinners with her since I've started closing the café earlier in the evening." Maya looked down at her plate, her mother hadn't been coming home any earlier. The only time she ever saw her was when she was working or sleeping on the couch. But as always Maya put on a smile.

"Yes, it's always lovely to be with family. Thank you so much Mrs. Matthews." Maya then continued to eat in silence while thinking of the things her mother could've been doing instead of being with her.

After breakfast Maya thanked everyone for the food and waited for Riley by the door. Cory started letting them leave a little before him instead of at the same time so they felt like they had more freedom but he could still keep an eye on them from a distance, what he didn't know was Maya actually valued the time he used to spend walking with them – he was the closest thing to a father figure she had since Shawn decided to only show up once a month. Once a month is better than nothing, yes, but every day would be better. She tried not to think about this though, having a father was just another thing to envy about Riley, and another thing to run from.

Because Cory was now a teacher at the High School both him and the girls would have to get there at least a half an hour before school started. To pass the time Riley and Maya either talked, did homework they procrastinated the night before, or they'd help Cory set everything up for the day. It was great, and right before the bell rang Maya always threw all the homework she'd just finished into the recycling bin. Maybe this time her mother would react in any way when the report card came in. Maya tried A's, they didn't work. F's don't seem to either though.

Their first class of the day was History, of course with Mr. Matthews. The seating arrangement from their middle school years remained the same just like how the lessons revolved around their lives.

"Good morning Maya."

"Morning Huckleberry." She smiled and sat down. Hope is for suckers. Mr. Matthews stood at the front of the room, Belgium 1831 was scribbled across the board in his messy hand-writing, yet everyone in that classroom knew that they wouldn't be learning about Belgium at all, based on what happened the day before with Smackle telling Farkle that she was sick of warning him not to talk to Riley and she wanted to break up with him, they would be learning about Germany and unrestricted submarine warfare during World War I.

"Good morning class." Cory started, "A World War is coming in our very classroom." He looked around.

"Who knows why America entered the War?" Mr. Matthews asked, Farkle raised his hand.

"Because of Germany's unrestricted submarine warfare and the Zimmerman note sir!" He may be dressing differently now, but he was still the same Farkle underneath all the black hoodies.

"That's right, and who knows why World War I started?" Farkle raised his hand again, "Maya?"

Maya looked up from her desk, "I don't know Mr. Matthews." Lucas kicked the back of her chair lightly and she spun around and glared at him.

"I think you know Maya." Lucas said while she continued to stare at him.

"MANIA, Militarism, Assassination, Nationalism, Imperialism, and Alliances." She said before turning back around to face Cory. "Those are the main causes of World War I."

"Good, now which of those has happened right here in this school with your very own classmates? Riley?"

"All of them." Riley shifted in her seat and looked around at all of her friends. Militarism, Farkle and Smackle were trying to build up their friend groups so if they got into a fight they'd have support. Assassination, Smackle killed their relationship. Nationalism, all of their friends were showing more support to the person who was their friend first. Imperialism, both Farkle and Smackle were becoming more possessive and demanding of their friends. And Alliances, Maya was in an alliance with Smackle while Riley stayed true to Farkle. Lucas had yet to choose a side, but America eventually had to join the war.

The bell rang and everyone involved in the war learned what was inevitably going to happen when the fighting stopped and everyone who wasn't involved got a history lesson they're sure to forget after the test. Just another day in High School.

Riley ran to catch up with Maya in the hallway as she walked to her next class. It was weird for them to be at the bottom of the food chain again, they'd just came from the top of the pyramid of Middle School but now they were stuck at the bottom all over again.

"Maya, why did you side with Smackle? After she'd told Farkle to stop talking to me?" She was upset, probably because she knew in this situation Farkle was Germany, and Germany didn't win the war.

"Because Riley, Farkle was flirting with you almost every day and she had the right to want her boyfriend to be loyal to her." She slammed her locker closed, not because she was angry, but because that was the only way to keep it shut.

"But I'm with Lucas."

"I know, believe me I know." And she walked away.

The day went by slowly, as it did most days, but when sixth hour swung around things always started to pick up. You see, Maya went to take AP Art Culture at the other High School, and Lucas was taking photography there. This meant they got an entire bus ride together, alone.

They always sat in the back Maya planned this so that they would have more time together when everyone else was getting off the bus. It wasn't often she got to talk to Lucas without Riley breathing down her neck. So every day she sat in one of the back wheel seats, she liked those best because she had somewhere to put her feet.

"So, America, when are you going to join the war?" She said nudging him.

"If Mr. Matthews is as right as he usually is, then I'll probably be stepping in the next time we're all together." They both laughed. Lucas has confided in Maya many times, admitting he was on her side despite what Riley wants him to believe. Besides, Maya was on Smackles side, and Lucas thought Maya always saw things the right way.

Maya rest her head on Lucas's shoulder, she was always tired. When the bus came to a stop and everyone started getting up Lucas nudged her a little.

"I just need a minute." She said, she wasn't physically exhausted as much as she was emotionally, and she needed these moments alone with Lucas to recharge. Eventually, she would feel selfish or guilty and they'd both stand up and walk off to their separate classes.

The ride back was the same as the ride there. It was strange to Maya, how she could sit and just talk to him without getting bored. They didn't need to be on their phones or with other people, they could just sit there and talk. When the bused pulled to a stop in front of their school Maya stood up and nodded.

"Thanks for the conversation." And without fail, every day after saying this she would disappear.

Maya walked home because none of the buses went into her neighborhood and her mom couldn't spare the time or money to come get her. She used to wait with Riley and then walk over to Topanga's but seeing her mom there was uncomfortable. When other people were there or when Shawn was around she would try, really try, to be a good mother, but after seeing her there after school all the time it was just disappointing to come home and find that she hadn't changed. Maya didn't blame her, she was still broken from when Kermit left and she was stuck with her as a daughter. Not exactly the ideal life.

The walk home took a little longer since it was starting to snow and no one shoveled in the city. Maya didn't have a winter coat so she hugged herself as she walked to try to keep warm. It was about a 10 minute walk from the school to Riley's and a 40 minute walk from Riley's to her house, so the trek home always took around an hour – but Maya stopped timing herself. After all there was no one at home to worry about getting home late to anyways.

On this particular day Maya stopped just in front of her apartment building. She really, genuinely stopped – everything. She closed her eyes and dropped down to the steps and felt her warm tears burning into her frozen cheeks.

Usually it wasn't until she was locked up and alone in her room that she fell apart, but today she wasn't quite sure she had the energy to put herself back together. She dragged herself up to her room and she started writing them. She started writing the letters.