Girl Meets World | AU

S5 E9 - Girl Meets Senior Year

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The food is finally set on the table, I can't wait to eat! I grab the fork and immediately shove the pasta in my mouth but a burning sensation fills it. Hot. Too hot. I quickly grab the glass of water and drink the whole thing with only one gulp.
"Maya, is everything fine?" Ms. Matthews asks and I nod
"Yes, it's just that the food it's too hot. I can't eat it"
"You're hot and I'd still eat you" Matthews and Shawn let the forks they were holding to eat fall on the plate at Elliot's comment. I'm honestly shocked too. I didn't expect him to say it out loud. In front of everyone. Especially my family!
"One dinner! One peaceful dinner is all I ask for!"  Wow, they're pretty synchronized.
"Sure, sorry" Riley and Auggie barely manage to hold back their laughs while my mom uncovers my siblings ears.
"It's not funny, Riles"
"Oh, yes it is"
"Who wants some lasagna?" Topanga' asks to ease the atmosphere
"Me!" everyone says immediately and I'm the first one to be served. This time I'm more careful and blow on it before taking a bite. Her cooking skills have surely improved since the last time she made chicken and Matthews refused to eat it but it needs some salt. I look around the table to see where it is and notice that it's in front of Shawn
"Daddy, can you pass me the salt, please?"
"Sure" both Shawn and Elliot say as they reach for it. At the same time.
I just wanna crawl in a hole and die.

*the next day, in the school's hallway*

"How's your brother?"
"You really want to know?" I close my locker.
"I just gotta make sure he's still alive after Shawn literally snapped at him"
"He deserved it"
"I don't think so"
"Oh, trust me. He does. You two need to be a bit more private and... Daddy?! Seriously, Maya? Of all the kinks in the world you really had to choose the daddy one?"
"Shut up! I don't have a kink! I don't know why your brother stood up. I guess he heard his nane or something like that"
"Is his name Daddy?" I ignore her and grab my backpack to head to Matthews' class
"Aren't you gonna reply to me?"
"I'd rather slam my tongue in a car door"
"I'll take that as no" I hear her mutter as we take our seats
"We were Kings. Now we're Patriots"
"I have a feeling we already had this lesson, dad"
"You're right. I taught you this lesson on your first day of high school. Do you remember how little all of you were? Now look, you're all grown ups" he glances at me
"Well, the majority of you"
"Dad, we should appreciate the little things in life" my best friend says happily while holding my hand and I pout
"Okay, I get it, I'm short. Stop reminding me"
"But the meaning of the lessons is kinda different this time. Abigail Adams was the wife of John Adams and the mama of Johnny Q. They were quite the historical triangle. And I'll tell you that the one thing they understood about this brand-new nation was to stick together because every direction they turned was brand-new, undiscovered country"
"I am an Abigail Adams Patriot" Riley says proudly
"No, you aren't. You are a king. All of you are. You managed to survive and discover this new world for three years. One more to go and you'll be free. But remember that if you go to college then history will repeat itself and you'll become a Patriot again. Never forget that"

*Later that day, at Topanga's*

"Yo. Guess what?" I ask my boyfriend while we're preparing some coffee and a strawberry smoothie.
"What?"
"I know how to flirt" he raises one of his eyebrows in disbelief. I gotta prove him that I can flirt
"Oh yeah? Shoot"
"You have a face" Shoot, I already screwed things up.
"I mean, a nice face. You have a nice face"
"Thanks. I think" I groan in frustration
"Please accept my attempt at flirting. I have no idea of what I'm doing" he laughs before engulfing me in a tight hug that makes my heart beat uncontrollably fast. Can he feel it? Can he feel what he's doing to me?
"You don't have to impress me with your flirting skills. I love you just for the way you are. I love my little and girlfriend who doesn't know how to flirt. I love your quirkinesses. It makes you stand up. And even though you don't like to show it, and try to hide it with your rude side, I know you're actually a softie"
"Hey! Don't call me a softie"
"Well, you are" he gives me a quick peck on the lips
"Now go get those customers, while I clean up the counter, okay?" I nod and take my notepad out
"Yes, captain" I turn around to see who the customers are and I notice that they're our freshmen! Well, only the boys.
I smile warmly at them and start approaching them but stop to hear their conversation.
"Friendships can come apart in high school. I guess I just never thought that it could actually really happen to us. How stupid was I to trust people I don't even know?" I decide to step in
"Not stupid"
"You" Mike hisses under his breath at me.
"Why would you guys do this to us? Our friends left, you know"
"Yeah, that's what happens. People leave"
"So, what, you're following us now?" their naiveness is so adorable
"No. You're following us, actually. I'm in here all of the time. This is my place. I work here"
"How come we never noticed you?"
"Because you guys have been stuck in your own little world all this time. Now you want to grow up and join me and my friends? You guys have to stop and look around more. That's why we put you down there. Don't jump so fast. Look around"
"Are you guys good people or are you just  messing with us? Just tell us that"
"Well, we're definitely messing with you. But I like to believe we're good people. You know, you guys will just have to figure that out, okay"
"Not okay. I don't believe in you. But I do believe in him. Thanks for coming. Hope you find another project" they grab their books but I stop them
"Boys, sit. Just a minute, I'll be back" I walk to the counter and grab two cups of hot chocolate for them.
"We didn't order those" I place them down on the table and sit between the two teenagers.
"I know. They're on the house. I need to talk to you. You guys come here pretty often?"
"All the time"
"How come?"
"It's our safe place"
"Why do you need a safe place?"
"Cause there's a whole world out there that we don't understand"
"Why did you guys throw us into a hole?"
"Why us?"
"When we were freshmen we were put in that hole too"
"So now you want revenge?" I can already tell that this Mike doesn't like me at all.
"No. See, me and my friends were in your same situation. Well, one day we asked the seniors who put us there why they did it?"
"Why did they do it?"
"When they were in middle school, they were six great friends. Three of them thought they'd kick high school's butt, figure out the whole thing real fast. Three of them were smarter, took some time to figure out the new surroundings"
"Were they the ones who took some time to figure things out before you jumped in?"
"No, they were the ones who broke off from their friends"
"Why?"
"You never mean to lose friends, but high school has a lot of things calling for your attention. You get caught up, friendships can come apart"
"Yeah, I've heard that"
"Do those guys don't see their friends anymore?"
"Oh, they still see 'em. It's just not like what it was"
"That can happen?" I nod. This is what I was afraid of. I hate hurting them.
"Yeah"
"But those three are still together"
"How come?"
"See Ryan, they are... Complicated"
"Oh, they like each other"
"They're a triangle"
"They like each other"
"They're a triangle!"
"Don't lose your friends"
"But they're angry at us"
"No, they're not angry at you at all"
"Then what are they?"
"They're humiliated. Like they were"
"Why?"
"Cause it's high school, and everybody gets massacred"
"That's why you guys put us into a safe place"
"That's not the safe place, guys. That's a hole. We just wanted you guys to be together. Your safe place is each other. Go get your friends"
"Did you and your group of friends stay together?" I tilt my head to the side
"Well, kinda. At the beginning we were all torn apart but eventually we all got back to being friends. The ones who left are gone because they moved away. But we managed to make some new friends as well along the way.
"How did they resolve the triangle?"
"Oh, they didn't. They're still stuck in it" I smirk
"Let me guess, you're in a triangle with that Lucy, huh?"
"How do we solve it?"
"Just follow what your heart says. Don't be afraid of hurting or losing somebody. If you really are close friends then you'll be happy with who she'll end up with no matter what"
"What do you know about triangles?" Mike asks bitterly
"I got stuck in two of them. It's not that fun" I glance at the time in my phone
"Well, we're gonna close the bakery now. Good luck in life"
"Thanks, Maya" I frown, I never told them who I was
"How do you know my name?"
"Are you serious? You think we can't recognize the most popular girl in school?"
"Cheer captain, Art club..."
"You even dated the best football's team captain the school has ever had"
"Hey baby, can you help me with the coffee over here?" I stand up
"Sure, I'm coming"
"Is-Is that him?" Well, surprise.

*The next day, at school*

Riley, Zay, Farkle, Smakle, Missy and I are watching the freshmen in the hole. They're together. They passed.
"Ready?"
"Ready" they all go upstairs to us
"I'm glad you guys picked me and my friends"
"You really put us through it" I nod
"I know"
"You messed with our heads"
"I did"
"We'll be better friends because of it"
"You will" Lucy smile fondly at me.
"Thank you"
"You're welcome"
"We'll be here for you guys anytime" I look around the school and let Riley do the talking
"Now that we're seniors and we've learned so much in this place... We wanted to leave somebody a..."
"Legacy?"
"Yeah, a legacy. Pass it on someday"
"We will. When we're kings" as the bell rings we walk away. Leaving them behind. They'll do just fine.