Maya stretched out when she woke up, noticing suddenly the bed was empty. "Riley?!" Maya called out, for some reason panicking. "Riley went home for dinner, sweetie." Her mother appeared in the room. "You've been asleep for quite a while. How are you feeling?" Maya met her eyes and sighed, falling back into her bed. "Okay, I guess. How was work?"
Katy frowned and sat on the bed, feeling her daughter's head for a temperature. "You don't seem to be hot, a little warm maybe. Work was fine, Lucas came in actually, he was looking for you, he didn't say why." Maya tensed up at his name.
"Um, it was probably about the project. He can finish it though, it's just the last little touches." "Okay. Are you feeling up to dinner? I made burgers." Maya gave her a small smile. "Yeah, thanks." "Okay, come on then." Katy held her hand out and Maya took it, following her mother to the kitchen.
"Hey kid, you feeling better?" Shawn asked, looking up when Katy and Maya entered, Maya reluctantly nodded. "Did Riley say anything when she left?" Shawn nodded. "Yeah. She said to call her when you woke up." Maya sat next to him and picked up her burger bun, squirting some ketchup inside and putting it back on. "I'll call her after dinner. Listen, I'm sorry I had to miss out on bowling, I did want to go.." She told Shawn before biting into her burger. "It's okay Maya, some other time. It's not like I'm going anywhere." Maya smiled at him warmly. "I know."
"How's the burger?" Katy asked her, Maya was still chewing so she held a thumbs up. When dinner was finished she went to her room. "I'm gonna go call Riley." "Okay, come out here after? I haven't seen very much of you lately. I miss you." Katy said. "I will." Maya half smiled.
She picked up her phone and clicked on her best friend's contact and called her. "Hi peaches!" Riley picked up the phone. "You left meee." Maya whined. "I'm sorry, my Mom told me I had to come home, my Dad was mad at me for ditching the afternoon with Farkle." "What did you tell him happened?" Maya asked nervously. "I just said you didn't feel well and wanted help home cause you had no balance. Shawn backed me up when he called him and it worked, so it's okay now." Maya nodded to herself. "That's good. Thanks Riles." "It's okay. How are you feeling?" Maya sighed. "I don't know. Lucas came looking for me apparently. My Mom told me he came into the diner."
"What did he want?" Riley asked stiffly. "I don't know, he didn't tell her. I don't care either. But didn't Farkle tell him to stay away?" "Yeah, he's gonna be mad." "Don't tell Farkle." Maya said. "What?" Riley was surprised at Maya. "Why not?" "Cause, Farkle's a good guy, he doesn't need any distractions from school, and he has Smackle, it's not worth it. It's not a big deal." "Maya.." "It's okay Riley. Listen I gotta go, I said I'd spend some time with my Mom." "Call me if you need anything Maya, remember our promise." "I will." Maya promised. "Bye." "Bye Riles."
Maya plopped down next to her mother on the couch and looked at the TV. "What are we watching?" "Some film Shawn likes, I'm just reading a book. How's Riley?" Katy asked her daughter. "She's fine." "And what about you?" "Fine." Maya repeated. "Can I get you anything honey? Maybe some soup?" Maya looked up at her mother and shook her head, simply leaning against her. "A hug would be nice." Katy was touched, Maya wasn't a huge one for affection.
"Wow you really are sick." She joked. "Do you want the day off tomorrow honey?" Maya closed her eyes. "Would you take the day off too?" "I can't baby girl you know that." Maya half smiled. It was worth a shot. "It's okay Mom." "You stay home and recover tomorrow, okay?" "I'll look after her Katy, don't worry." Shawn nudged his daughter. "Try and get an early night kiddo, it's best to rest when you're sick." "Okay." Maya kissed her parents' cheeks and went to her room. "Night." "Goodnight." Katy and Shawn chorused.
Maya brushed her teeth, changed, shut her curtains, leaving a gap so she could still see city lights. She turned her light off and got into bed, turning onto her side.
She just started thinking, and she couldn't stop. Then her mind inevitably wandered to Lucas, and what he did. She opened her eyes, the darkness of the inside of her eyelids wasn't helping push back the memories.
She picked up the phone and called Riley. "Riles?" She croaked. Maya didn't even realise she was crying. She must have really been zoned out. "Maya? You okay?" "N-no, I'm not." "Give me a minute, I'll be right down." Riley hung up the phone and went to her father to tell him where she would be. "Daddy I'm going to see Maya. She needs me." "Honey it's getting a little late." Her mother told her. "So I'll sleep at Maya's." "But-" "Let her go honey, we both know Maya doesn't get upset very often." Cory told his wife gently. "Okay, alright, go to Maya's. But make sure you get to school on time tomorrow." "I will, thanks!" Riley brushed her teeth and changed into a night shirt and sweatpants.
"Hey Riley, what are you doing back here? You okay?" Shawn asked when he opened the door. "Maya asked me to stay over, is that okay?" "If it's okay with your parents, but remember she's sick, don't get too close to her honey." Katy told her daughter's best friend. But she knew that they would end up practically attached to one another like conjoined twins in the night. "It's fine with them. Thank you."
Riley knocked on Maya's door and saw a faint shadow of the girl from the city lights, she was sat on her bed. "I'd close your eyes for a second peaches, I'm gonna turn on the light." Maya ignored her, letting the light blind her for a moment. She didn't care.
Riley sat next to the blonde and took her hand, trying to meet her eyes. "Maya?" Riley tried to get something out of her, Maya was too quiet. "Talk to me." Maya pulled her knees up to her chest and rested her chin on them.
"He's in my head Riles, and I can't get him out." Riley gave a sad sigh and wrapped an arm around Maya, leaning her head on her shoulder. "I'm sorry Maya." "I'm not going to school tomorrow." Maya told Riley. "But Farkle told Lucas to back off." "I know." "Maya you can't hide away from him." "Look Riley I just don't feel up to it okay? Please don't push it." "Okay, let's lay down and try and get some sleep. I'm here now. You're gonna be okay." Maya was frozen, Riley had to actually pick her up and put her in the bed.
"Close your eyes Maya." "I don't want to." She whispered, almost inaudibly. "You're safe. I'm here, your Mom's here, Shawn's here." "Yeah and so is Lucas." Maya snapped. "Every time I close my eyes, he's right there Riley." Riley was sad when she heard those words, how could anyone not be?
Riley just wrapped an arm around her best friend and stayed silent. She honestly didn't know what to say, she didn't know how to make it better, and really, she couldn't. But at least Maya knew she was there.
