Let's Play The Short Game {Joshaya}

"Can You Tell Me Why"

Josh

I wake up to see Maya under my arm. Her head is laying on my chest and her right hand is next to it. I almost shut my eyes as I hear a voice. "WHAT THE?!" Maya immediately wakes up and looks at Riley. "Can you tell me why you were sleeping wth my uncle Maya?!" She stands up. "Relax peaches it's not like we did anything I just got tired and had no energy to walk home. I crashed with Josh for the night." She rolls her eyes and walks back to her room.

"Josh I have school can you drive me and Riles?" I stretch out my arms.

"Yeah sure Maya just tell me when your ready and I'll take you to school." She walks out to Riley's room as I fall back on the couch. I reach under it and grab a pair of jeans and a t-shirt. I quickly change my jeans then take off my shirt.

"Woah." I turn to see Maya walking in. I start to put my shirt on. "No! I wanna hug you first!" She runs to me and hugs me like she did yesterday. I hug her back as I laugh. When she pulls away from me she lays back on the couch. I stand there next to her. "What? Carry on with your shirt. We need to get to school." I slip on my shirt and grab my keys.

"So Maya are you ready for that Spanish test today?" I hear dead silence  which means Maya probably didn't study.

"Come on Maya! Thought you two wanted to get into NYU like me." I look in the mirror back at Maya. I see her cheeks turning red. I pull up to their school and get out of the car.

"Alright have a great day at school guys." I hug Riley as she gets out and she she runs to Lucas.

"Good day boing." Maya hugs me tight. I hug her back. When she pulls away she starts walking to the front door. I get in my car and drive off to my dorm.

I spend every night at the Matthews unless I fall asleep here doing homework. I start to pull a pencil out of my back pocket ,but pull a piece of crumpled paper instead

Thought you might miss me boing. Oh and took your pencil. I look at the number on the paper. It's none other than her number. I type it down in my phone and put Maya❤️ as her contact name.

You got impatient Maya

Sorry boing just needed another person to talk to.

What about all those dark ballerinas in your heart

Well they're not very outgoing

Get back to work Maya.

Ugh fine.

I take a pencil off of Kaleb's desk. I sit down and write my name on my homework. I hear the door quickly open and before I know it I'm against the wall being held by my shirt.

"Matthews I know you hit on my girlfriend. Now your gonna get it." I put my arms up. "Hey man I never did Katie hit on me, but I told her I'm unavailable." By a 15 year old. "She told me that you hit on her." He pushes me harder against the wall. "I didn't I swear Kaleb I'm telling the truth." He lets me down slowly. "Sorry man it's hard to not believe your girlfriend." He leaves and slams the door behind him.

I ruffle my hands through my hair. That was a lot to happen in just thirty seconds. I sit back at my desk and start on my Spanish homework.

"So how did you do on that Spanish test Maya." She looks up at me from her phone. "I did okay even though I didn't study." She seems proud of herself.

"And did you get something higher than disgraced Riley?" She nods with happiness in her face. "I got an awesome!" We pull into the garage and head up the stairs.

"Well what to do now?" Maya plops her body on the couch. "I have another date with Lucas today. I'm going to get ready for that." She gets up and skips to her room.

"Well what are we gonna do Maya?" She looks at me. "Can we do movies?" I nod and stand up. I heard her running towards me as I walk toward the door.

"Don't do it Maya." She laughs and walks beside me.

"Can you walk up your self this time?" She nods. "It's not that late Josh I still have energy." We open the door quietly. "I'm gonna go sleep on Riley's floor so she doesn't get surprised again." I nod a lay on the couch.

"Yeah I don't think I should be in there." I sit up. "Why it's not like Lucas is in there." She sits next to me. "Well actually..." I get up immediately. I walk into Riley's room to see Lucas shirtless and in jeans over the covers. Riley dressed as she was for school under the covers. "Get out cowboy!" Lucas sits up and grabs his shirt. He slips it on and rushes out the window. I do Cory's job and pull his left shoe off. I throw it to the bucket filled with Lucas shoes. "Uncle Josh why did you do that?"

I stare at her blankly. "Riley he was shirtless and in your bed. It was gonna end badly." She nods and pulls her covers over her. She closes her eyes.

"Well that's taken care of." Maya's holding my NYU letter in her hand reading it. She runs to me and jumps on my back. "We regret to inform you that you will be spending the next four years...with Maya." She kisses my cheek.

"I remember that. When I got my NYU letter. You read it wrong but it still made me happy." She hugs me tightly as always. Once she pulls away from me I lay on the couch. She lays next to me. She falls asleep in my arms once again. I don't want to play the long game either.