Snapshots

Nicknames

~

"We start senior year in a week," Maya says to her friends that are all gathered in Topanga's.
"I know, it's crazy. In a year, we'll all be in different places, doing different things," Farkle says.
"You're freaking me out a little bit Farkle," Zay says as the rest of the group laughs.
"But he's right," Riley says once the giggles have died down. "We're so close to this chapter of our story." All of the friends sit in silence for a moment as that fact sinks in.
"We're gonna be all over the map," Maya says, breaking the silence.
"We're not going to get to do this all the time," Riley adds, looking at each of her friends.
"But we're never going to let distance keep us apart, right guys?" Lucas speaks up.
"No, never," Farkle responds to his best friend. "And we have this last year together still."
"So let's make the best of it," Zay exclaims, jumping up from his seat.
"Ice cream for everyone," Lucas adds. Everyone laughs and gets up from their seats, heading out the door to their favorite ice cream parlor around the corner. Everyone except Maya. "Hey Maya, you coming?" Lucas asks her, holding out his hand for her to grab. She nods and takes hold of the outstretched hand he left for her. "Anything on your mind?"
"Just promise me the distance won't mean anything," she says stopping in her tracks in the open door and looking up at him.
"Promise sweetheart. You're stuck with me for a long time," he tells her.
"Good," she says, Lucas pulling her into his body for a tight embrace.

~

Snow was falling and the city was at a standstill. Maya was at Lucas' house when they closed the subway. "Well, I guess I have to stay," Maya says standing at the window of Lucas' room.
"Yeah, I guess so," Lucas says watching her watch the window, not even trying to hide the smile on his face.
Maya feels someone watching her and turns to look at Lucas. "Why are you looking at me like that?" Maya asks, her voice suddenly turning small.
"Because you're beautiful," Lucas tells her.
Maya blushed involuntarily, feeling the warmth creep up her neck and onto her cheeks. They stand there at the window listening to the nearly silent snow fall. Maya felt a chill run down her spine, causing her to shiver. "You cold?" Lucas whispered to her as he wrapped an arm around her shoulders. Maya nods and Lucas nods his head to follow him, trying his best not to disturb the quiet of his family's apartment. She follows him through the hallway and into the dark living room, the simulated fire being the only source of light. Lucas brings his beanbag over to the heater and places a stack of heavy blankets and pillows on it, smiling to Maya when she tells him she's going to change clothes. By the time Lucas comes back with two mugs of hot chocolate, Maya is a pair of his old sweatpants and one of his old sweatshirts, her hair pulled into a braid. He feels himself smile again against his will, sitting down and wrapping his arms around Maya after covering them in a pile of blankets.
They sit there for a good hour and a half just sipping their hot chocolate and listening to the sounds of the city, enjoying each other's company before Maya looks at Lucas and thanks him for letting her stay, sealing her gratitude with a gentle kiss on the cheek.
"I'm glad I could keep you warm, snowflake," Lucas tells her pulling her in close for a second kiss.

~

Easter at Riley's was always the holiday that Maya looked forward to the most. All of her family, Lucas and Farkle's families, Mr. Feeney, and the Matthews would get together and paint eggs, eat a lot of food, and take pictures. Maya, Katie and Shawn were always the first to get to the Matthews' household early that Sunday morning to help show up, which is precisely where they found theirselves on this early morning.
Riley answered the knock on the door and grabbed Maya into a tight hug. "Last Easter celebration of high school, you ready peaches?"
"Of course Riles," Maya said smiling and wrapping her arm around her. The two girls giggled and sat down on the sofa to start making their flower crowns.
Fast forward 3 hours and an apartment full of people later, Topanga announced she was about ten minutes to being done with their ham and ready to start lunch. "Let's take some pictures before lunch," Shawn said smiling at his adopted daughter and her friends. He had been taking pictures all day but Riley and Maya had just finished putting up the backdrop and wanted to test it out. The gang all got their pictures taken together, with almost everyone getting their pictures with the others separately. Riley took some with Auggie and then Maya, showing off their matching dresses and flower crowns, an Easter tradition. Riley then took some with Farkle, including one of her kissing his cheek, surprising everyone except Maya. Then it was Lucas and Maya's turn, and Shawn took about 25 of them before a minute had passed by.
"Hey wait a second sunshine," Lucas tells Maya before adjusting her flower crown that had gotten messed up in her fits of giggles. Lucas didn't think he had seen Maya this happy in a while, and was glad she was having a good time. He kissed the top of her head, hearing the all too familiar click of Shawn's camera, before Topanga finally called everyone to lunch.
"What is everyone thankful for this year," Cory asks. It seemed like a Thanksgiving tradition, but it ended up being a Thanksgiving and Easter thing in this household. Everyone else shared before the question was directed to Lucas.
"Honestly sir, I'm thankful for her," he said politely, grabbing Maya's hand under the table and kissing her cheek, earning an "aw" from the rest of the table.

~

"Lucas, can you please get that? I'm not quite done yet," Maya calls, pulling back another strand of her hair.
"Of course," Lucas tells her smiling to himself and pulling open the front door to her apartment.
"Hey Lucas!" Riley smiles, giving him a quick hug before bouncing around him and up the stairs to Maya's room.
"Hey man," Lucas says, patting Farkle's back and closing the door behind his tall friend.
"Hey Lucas," Farkle says sitting down on the couch. "So, you excited for tonight?"
"Oh yeah," Lucas tells him sitting down and putting his hands behind his head. Lucas had bought tickets to Luke Bryan for Maya back in December for her Christmas present. Four of them to be exact. Riley and Farkle were joining them as it was the summer after their senior year and they were trying to make as many memories as possible together.
"We're ready," Riley calls down and Lucas hears them run down the stairs, Maya laughing at Riley who was pulling on her hand.
"Wow," Lucas says standing up and walking over to Maya who was ready to go in her blue tank top and jean shorts. "You look amazing babe," he tells her pulling her into him and leaning down to kiss her.
"Thanks Luc," Maya says blushing.
"Okay kids," Farkle says interrupting them as Riley giggles. "Are we ready to go?" Maya and Lucas both nod before taking each other's hands and following the other two out the front door.

~

"Lucas," Maya whined as he moved, making her more uncomfortable than she already was in this 94 degree weather. The Fab Four was having a picnic in the park before they left for colleges the following week, and they were all hot.
"You are such a whiner," Lucas said. "I was just switching positions."
"But you love me anyways," Maya says once Lucas settles back down and her head is comfortably rested on his stomach.
"Yeah, sure I do," he tells her, rolling his eyes.
"Lucas Friar," Maya scoffs in disgust, not really meaning any of it, her giggle at the end of her statement giving away her bluff. "I have a right to be whiny today. It's like 187 degrees out here."
"Whatever you say princess," Lucas says earning a laugh from the previously silent Farkle and Riley who were leaning up against a tree together, arms and legs tangling them so that they were one.
"I am a lot of things Luc, but a princess is not one of them," Maya says, giving up and begrudgingly pushing herself into a sitting position to look Lucas in the eyes.
"Whatever helps you sleep at night," he says putting his arms behind his head and closing his eyes.
"Psh, alright, we're not having this conversation right now," she says laying back down.
"I'm sorry," he says playing with Maya's hair.
"No you're not," she says as she relaxes into his soft white t-shirt.
"No I'm not," he tells her.
"You guys are cute," Riley says smiling at her two friends, earning smiles back from the pair.

~

Maya and Lucas had decided to go to the same school, not because they were trying to stay together, but rather that it had everything the pair was looking for. Lucas and his roommate were in the campus Starbucks, ordering drinks for Maya and Katelyn, who just happened to be Lucas' roommate's girlfriend and Maya's roommate and fellow art major. Their parents had just moved them in and Maya had pulled herself away from her conversation with Riley in order to get to know her and Lucas' new friends.
Maya and Katelyn were sitting at a table outside talking while the boys waited for the drinks inside. "Hey John, I bet you won't go ask out that blonde girl," Lucas hears the guy next to him and Adam say to his friend.
"Yeah, I bet you won't either," Lucas says, standing with his arms crossed in front of John and his friend. Lucas was at least a foot taller than the two boys, and knew he was scaring them. "Considering she's my girlfriend."
"Um, you know what John, maybe we should go to the Starbucks across campus. David just texted me saying there's a whole sorority group there," the boy said to his friend.
"Sounds good to me Michael," John says, following Michael out of the famous coffee shop. "I'm sorry by the way," John tells Lucas. "Michael doesn't really think before he speaks. She's really very pretty though."
Lucas looks out the window and sees Maya throw her head back in laughter. "Don't I know it," he says to himself. And in that moment, he felt so lucky he could call her his.