Maya leaned down in the sink and splashed her face with cold water. She breathed deeply in through her nose and out through her mouth as she repeated this process a couple of times before turning the tap off and grabbing a hand towel to dry her face.
She was going on thirty-six hours of no sleep as well as her sixth cup of coffee of the day. It was now around six in the evening and she had just gotten done taking her final exam of the year that afternoon. College was no joke.
She envied her friends who seemed to be natural's at test taking and studying. Farkle and Smackle were legit genius's, Riley and Lucas enjoyed school and creating healthy study habits, Zay was the only one who was like her. They both had to work harder than anyone to make sure their grades kept up. The only difference is Zay was a 'go-with-the-flow type of guy. He studied, he took the test, and if he passed great. If he didn't it was an 'oh well I tried' type of situation.
Maya was the opposite. She was like that in high school. She wished she could go back to that. Back to not caring whether or not she got good grades. But college wasn't high school. And she couldn't afford to go back to that attitude.
So here she was, trying to stay awake through her friend's party because it was the first one Riley had ever hosted and she wanted the comfort of her best friend by her side. All Maya wanted to do was go back to their dorm room and crash, but this was Riley they were talking about. And she would do anything for Riley.
So instead of tucking her tail and making a run for it to her wonderful, fluffy bed. She sucked it up and walked out the bathroom door and back into the party. They were having it off campus in someone's house. Maya wasn't sure who. Lucas had become friends with him instantly in the first few months of them being here and he agreed to let Riley host the party at his place.
It was a nice house. But she was sure with the amount of rowdy people here tonight it wouldn't be for much longer. Maya yawned as she made her way around the corner and back to where Riley had been standing before she excused herself. Her best friend was all smiles as she clung to Lucas's side, or rather Lucas clung to hers. She wasn't sure which one it was at this point.
"Nice party." A voice commented beside her. Maya looked up and her brows rose at the person staring down at her.
"You can thank your niece for it. She was the one that planned the whole thing." Maya said. Joshua Matthews gave her one of his award-winning smiles that she had fallen so hard for as he stuck his hands in his pockets and leaned against the doorframe that led into the living room.
"That's what I heard." He stated.
"I thought you weren't much of a party person anymore." Maya teased him. He had been telling her all through out her freshman year here at NYU that he didn't like to go to college parties anymore.
"I'm not. But when I stopped by your dorm room nobody was there. That's when I heard from someone in your hall what was going on. Figured I'd catch you here." Maya couldn't help but stare at him. She had seen a lot of good looking people, but Joshua Matthews really was a sight to take in.
He looked good in his button-down shirt with his sleeves rolled up to his elbows. Messy hair as always. He had those lazy blue eyes that she could get lost in forever. She on the other hand looked horrid. Going on thirty-six hours of no sleep seemed to make you not care about how your appearance looked.
Maya threw on an old t-shirt with a pair of ripped jeans and her favorite sneakers. She threw her hair up in a messy bun and was currently sporting no makeup. She wondered if she looked as worn down as she felt.
"Well, you found me. What can I do for you?" She asked as she crossed her arms over her chest and leaned against the other side of the door frame opposite of him.
"I wanted to know how your exam went." He said casually. Maya snorted. She doubted that was the reason he came all the way across campus to see her.
"Okay, I guess. I won't really know until next week." She turned her face into her shoulder to try and hide her yawn, but with no success. Josh's eyes were only ever on her whenever they were in the same room. "I'm just glad it's over." She told him before she leaned her head against the door frame and closed her eyes. The loud beats of the music was starting to make her head pound.
"What are you doing here, Maya." His tone was gentle but sharp at the same time. Maya didn't open her eyes.
"I'm here for Riley." She answered. This felt nice. Being able to close her eyes. If only there wasn't so much noise.
"Whoa-" Arms suddenly grabbed onto her to steady her. Maya's eyes snapped open and it was then that she realized her whole body must have been leaning sideways. Josh wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her closer. She knew she should probably pull away, but it was nice to be able to lean her head against his chest and hear his heart beating rather than the pounding music. Plus he smelled nice.
"Sorry." Maya slurred, not really sorry at all. Josh rolled his eyes as he allowed her a moment to just rest against him. Although this wasn't just for her. He liked the feel of her in his arms. Of being able to hold her like this and not worry what other people might think.
"When was the last time you slept?" He asked. He felt her half-heartedly shrug her shoulders.
"A while." She replied. He kept one arm around her waist as the other one came up to brush her hair out of her face. Her hands were resting contently on his chest where she was clutching at his shirt.
"Maya!" Riley's voice called out from behind them. "Did anyone see her come out of the bathroom?" That snapped Maya out of her sleep haze and she pulled back from Josh. He hesitantly let her go as she looked up at him through sleep deprived eyes.
"Sorry about that." She said awkwardly. He opened his mouth the tell her it was okay, that he really didn't mind in the slightest and it was part of why he wanted to talk to her so badly. But she was gone before he could even draw in a breath. Her short frame disappeared into the edge of the crowd as she looked to join Riley again.
He sighed as he leaned back against the door frame, watching people go by him. Greeting the ones he knew and chit-chatting with the ones he didn't. From the space he was at, he could tell who exactly walked past him in couples to go up the stairs and head to one of the empty rooms.
And although he was trying to come up with excuses in his head as to why this was important. There was only one real answer. At first, he told himself it was to make sure Riley didn't get in trouble. But that was a lie as she had been with Lucas for years now and if they were to do anything, Josh was hardly in any position to stop them. They were adults. They could make their own decisions.
Then he tried to think that it was because he was just looking after Maya and making sure she didn't do anything she regretted. But Maya wouldn't go upstairs with anyone else. She had made it clear to him that she didn't like anyone else. Wasn't interested in anyone else. But was that still true? Had he waited too long to make his move?
Then he tried to say he was just looking after her and Riley. Making sure that nobody tried to take advantage of them at this party. But the way Lucas was following not only Riley, but Maya as well. It seemed as if he had the same idea as Josh. And though Josh was sure Riley wouldn't take drinks from strangers, he had watched Maya countless of times turn down drinks from guys and stick to what looked like coffee. She was barely making it through this party.
"This is pathetic." Josh turned to see Zay shaking his head at him. Josh rolled his eyes and turned back to where he was currently watching Riley dance and Maya simply just sway beisde her. "How long are you going to watch her before you finally tell her you're ready for a relationship?" Zay asked him as he came to stand beside him.
"No offense but I don't really see how it's any of your business." Josh kept his tone light as Zay was one of Maya's best friend's. But he couldn't help but still feel slight jealous over the fact that during this time he had been taking his own sweet time in making a move, Zay had been the one by her side feeling in that role as to speak.
"It's my business because it's Maya." Zay told him. "And if you break her heart, I'm one of the ones that will be picking up all the pieces." Josh didn't say anything. A moment of silence between them, then- "There's nobody else."
There was a pause. "None?" Josh asked. Zay shook his head.
"The only person that is standing in the way of the two of you, is you." He told him before patting him on that back and then heading to where Lucas was watching Riley and Maya dance.
Josh didn't feel like there was any reason for him to speak up and tell Zay all about his plan. How he was going to show up at her dorm and ask her if she wanted to get dinner with him to celebrate her exams ending. How he would take her on a walk through the park to get back to campus instead of taking the subway because it was more intamite. How there was this fountain in the middle of the park that he was planning on kissing her at the end of the night.
Josh sighed as he broke out of his thoughts. Those were plans that would never happen now since he was now stuck at this party, waiting for the chance to go speak to her again. It was nearing seven o'clock now and the party seemed as if it was just getting started.
There still weren't a lot of people here. And that was because college parties didn't usually start until late. It made Josh grin to think of his niece holding onto her innocence by starting it earlier. He would bet ten bucks to anyone who would listen that Riley would be in bed passed out by the time ten o'clock rolled around and that would be when everyone really started showing up.
Maya swayed along with the music as best she could. But her head was getting worse and worse as she continued. Her exhaustion was really kicking her ass and she knew that if she didn't get to a bed soon, she would pass out right here on the dance floor. And that really wasn't something she wanted to be known for going into the rest of her college years.
"Riley," She called to her best friend. Riley looked up and smiled at her. "I'm sorry, but I think I'm going to call it a early night." Maya said.
"Are you alright?" Riley asked her in concern.
"Tired." A look of understanding came over Riley's face.
"You didn't get any sleep last night, did you?" She asked. But of course she already knew the answer. Riley had been up late studing as well but had passed out around midnight when Maya was still going strong. She found it weird that Maya was also up before her that morning. She had been suspicious, but this now confirmed it.
"Not all of us have a natural talent for test taking." Maya joked. Riley rolled her eyes.
"Let me get Lucas, we'll walk you back to the dorm." She was turning around to motion to Lucas, but Maya grabbed her arm to stop her.
"No, it's okay, really." She said. "I'll be fine." Riley didn't look convinced. "It's your party, Riles. You should stay here."
"At least let me grab Zay or Farkle-"
"No need." A voice spoke from behind her. Maya snorted at who it was as they both turned around to look at Josh. "I'm heading out anyway, I'll walk her."
"Deja vu." Maya stated. Riley smirked lightly.
"See you later." She winked before turning back around to grab Lucas. Maya rolled her eyes before looking up at him.
"I'm in no need of a night and shining armor, boing." She told him. "But I suppose I could make an exception since you give out such a great view." She winked.
"I borrowed Andrew's car, so we don't have to actually walk back." He told her. He could tell that her swaying wasn't because of the music anymore, a small frown came on his face. "Come on, let's get you to bed. you look like you're about to fall over."
"Mmm, is that an invitation, Boing?" She asked. He wrapped his arm around her waist and started leading her through the party and out of the house. "Because I will gladly force myself to stay up another night if it meant you keeping me up in more productive ways." They made it out of the house and toward the car.
"Why don't we start with the sleep first," he told her. She looked up at him through her half lidded eyes. He opened the car door for her and stared down at her.
"You're no fun." She said, pointing a finger in his face before ungracefully slumping down in the passenger seat. Josh closed the door behind her and made his way to the other side of the car. He slid into the drivers seat and closed the door. After putting on his seat belt and starting the ignition, he looked over to see Maya with her head leaned back and her eyes already close.
"Hey," He said gently as he reached over and pushed a piece of her hair behind her ear. "Try to stay awake until we get there." He told her. She smiled at him as her eyes opened and she stared at him through her half lidded eyes. She reached up and grabbed his hand in hers as he turned his attention towards the road and started driving, very much aware that his hand was now resting comfortably in hers on her lap.
They rode in silence for a few minutes, Maya too tired to start up a conversation, Josh with too much running through his brain. But it was comfortable silence. Suddenly Maya groaned and brought her free hand up to her face.
"Shit," She said. She then reached for her phone and tapped an icon on the screen before bringing it up to her ear. When whoever was on the other line was clearly not going to answer, she sighed and squeezed her eyes shut.
"What's up?" He asked.
"Don't hate me." She told him, the corner of his mouth twisted into a crooked grin. "I rode with Lucas and Riley, I didn't bring my key to my room with me." She told him. Josh felt a leap in his chest and immediately reprehended himself for it, though only half heartedly.
"So I guess that means you're staying with me tonight." He said casually as he turned a corner. Maya stared at him in shock. He glanced at her and chuckled lightly. "I'm not going to drop you off in your hall and make you wait for Riley to get back. Besides, Andrew's gone for the weekend."
"He's gone and you have his car?" She asked in amusement.
"He rode out of town with a friend." He shrugged. She was quiet for a moment, his thumb creasing the back of her palm.
"You don't have to." She said quietly. Josh took a deep breath.
"I want to." He said just as quietly. Maya stared down at their hands in her lap, a smile lighting up her face even though she wouldn't look up to show him. The rest of the drive was in silence, neither one of them spoke again until Josh had pulled into the campus parking lot and shut the car off.
He got out of the car and walked around to meet Maya on the other side, who had already gotten out and was now leaning against the door. "I'm afraid I might not to be too thrilling of company tonight." She told him. He stepped closer toward her and took her hand in his again.
"You're always thrilling company to have." He stated. He then gently started leading her away from the car and up to the campus building. She leaned on him pretty heavily, her footsteps falling into the course of his own every now and then. Josh wrapped his arm around her waist and let her head fall onto his shoulder as he led her toward the elevator.
"You smell good." She told him, burring her face into his shirt as her arm wrapped around him. "You're dressed up nice, too." She leaned her head up to look at him, her eyes only half open. Josh smiled down at her.
"We can talk tomorrow, and believe me, I do want to talk. But you need to sleep." He told her. She leaned up closer, this time letting her nose graze against his chin causing him to shiver.
"Are you finally going to confess?" She asked. Even through her sleep exhaustion state, she was still somehow able to make him flush.
"I've already confessed." He grumbled slightly. She let out a small giggle.
"I'm talking about your undying love for me." She teased. "Oh Maya, My heart only beats for you," She said in a dramatic representation of his voice. "Oh Maya, you send shivers down my spine." He squirmed and pulled her closer as her lips trailed up to his ear as she stood on her tippy toes. "Oh Maya, the things I've fantasized about with you."
The elevator door opened and in one quick movement, Josh had bent down and literally swept her off her feet. She let out a surprised "Whoa!" as she swung her arms around his neck and he apologized to the students who he was walking past to get out of the elevator.
"Get it, Matthews!" One of them cheered as he walked down the hall with her, Josh only rolled his eyes and shushed Maya as she let out a cheer of her own in response to the student.
"What the hell am I going to do with you?" He asked only slightly frustrated at some of the peering eyes of people staring at them as he carried her down the hall.
"Tie me up and have your way with me, I'd hope." She whispered in his ear. He flushed again before stopping right outside his door and setting her down so that he could reach for his key. She had passed the state of delusion, he realized as she swayed on her feet, her eyes closing momentarily.
Once he had the door opened and ushered her inside, he dropped his keys, wallet and phone down on his desk before walking over to close the door and lock it behind him. Instead of making a witty comment like he expected her to, Maya took a moment to look around the room. Andrew had a taste for the hard rock and roll era. So he had all kinds of posters hanging on the walls of AC/DC, Queen and Aerosmith. She turned to look at him and smiled.
"You can take my bed." He told her, motioning to the one on the right. She nodded her head appreciatively before walking over and starting to set the covers down. "You can-" He hesitated as she turned back to look at him. He swallowed hard. "You can borrow something to sleep in, if you want." He said.
"Actually, that would be nice." She told him. He nodded and turned to his dresser, grabbing a set of clothes and handing them to her. "I'll step outside." He said. They stared at each other for a moment, a silent challenge resting on her expression. He didn't want to step outside. And she wouldn't make him. Josh swallowed hard and gathered every inch of gentlemanly control he had and turned to walk out the door and stand in the hall.
He waited for a solid minute before slowly walking back in. She was dressed in his t-shirt that was a size too big for her, and some sweat pants that he hadn't worn in a while. It caused him to stop for a moment, because holy shit she looked good in his clothes. She finished folding her clothes and neatly setting them on his desk before turning around to face him. He smiled at her, and she gave a small chuckle before wrapping her arms around herself.
"Thanks for letting me stay here tonight." She told him. "I really do appreciate it."
"I'm glad that you're here." He admitted. Maya bit her lip before turning around and crawling into his bed. She settled in and looked up at him from where he was standing.
"I'll cover my face so you can change." He narrowed his eyebrows.
"You and I both know you wont." She laughed before pulling the covers over her head and giving him a little privacy. He pulled out sweats of his own, quickly throwing them on before unbuttoning his shirt and ridding himself of it.
"You should just stay like that." She spoke. He grinned as he turned around after grabbing a shirt from his drawer. Her face was peeking slightly out from above the covers. He threw it on and made his way toward her. She watched him, the challenge expression back on her face.
"Move over," He told her, and held back his laugh as she practically leaped to the other side of the bed to give him room. He settled down beside her and then turned to look at her. She was laying on her side, the side of her face resting on her hand.
"I had a dream about this once." She spoke. "Except we were both wearing far less clothes."
"Only once?" He teased with a grin on his face. She grinned back.
"Never thought it would come true though." He motioned his head back toward Andrew's bed.
"I know the things he does in that bed, I refuse to even sit on it." She bit her lip.
"Is that the only reason why?" She asked. He stared at her intensely, bringing his hand up to crease her cheek.
"Tomorrow," He promised. She couldn't keep the smile off her face as she scooted closer toward him. He wrapped both his arms around her, her head coming to rest on his shoulder, her face in his neck. She squeezed her leg in between his, and they played a silent game of footsies for a minute before he felt her breathing even out.
He smiled as he held her in his arms, something he had been longing to do for quite a while. The night had not gone the way he wanted it to. But this, this was worth everything.
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