"Mama, I'm home." I heard the scurrying of feet then Lucas' mother appeard, smelling of laundry detergent.
"Maya, sweetie, how have you been?" She hugged me and I wrapped my arms around her to give her a hug back.
"I've been good, Mrs. Friar, how have you been?" I smiled because it's hard not to smile around Lucas' mom. She puts off a very happy, cheerful vibe.
"Good, good. Busy." She replied with a chuckle.
"If you two are hungry I'll fix some lunch after I finish up some laundry, sound good?" She said on her way back to the source of the detergent smell.
"Yes ma'am." Lucas' and I said simultaneously.
"Maya I gotta work on my part of the project, you can stay and chat with my mom if ya want." He turned his back to me and started walking to his room.
"I'll come with you!" I Cheered, skipping to catch up with him.
"It'll be awhile, Maya."
"Look, Billy Bob, as much as I love your mom, I don't feel like discussing horses and Texas for an hour."
Lucas opened his bedroom door and I followed him through the frame.
He sat at his desk and pulled out paper and pens and sticky notes. I sat one his bed and sat criss cross, grabbing on of his pillows to place on my lap.
He started writing and all I could hear was his pencil led hitting the wooden desk. I looked around and then looked down at the pillow in my laugh.
I picked up the pillow and chucked it in Lucas' direction. It hit him in the back of the head.
He slowly turned around in his chair and glared at me.
"What was that for?" He asked.
"Fun." I smiled.
"Well that wasn't very-"
"I can't hear you, ba-da-da-da-da-da-da-da!" I sang, interrupting him.
"Very funny, Maya." He laughed spinning back around to get back to work.
I layed back on his bed and grabbed a plastic basket ball he had sitting on the foot of his bed.
I began to toss it up, then catch it before it could fall onto my face.
I did this for a good bit of time.
I threw the orange ball up and put my hands infront of my face to catch it. Somehow it managed to slip through my hands and hit me in the face.
I started laughing at myself as I threw the ball across the room because it hurt me.
"You hurt you self didn't you?" Lucas asked, not even turning around or looking up.
"It attacked me!" I defended myslef.
"Likely story." He said. He spun around in his chair and was laughing at me.
"You're so mean! It could have broken my nose!" I declared dramatically.
"Awh, poor baby." He pouted his lip out and got up out of his chair and exited his room.
I got up and followed him out of the room and when I finally caught up to him I looked up and glared at him.
"You left me in there alone with the evil ball that attacked me." I said.
"My sincerest apologies."
"You're pushing it, Billy Bob."
"I'll take that risk, Pancake."
I stopped walking for a second and glared at him, even though he couldn't see me.
I started running towards him and jumped on his back.
He barely even stumbled!
"Jesus, Lucas. You act like I don't weigh a single pound." I sighed, still on his back. He wrapped his arms around my legs and I locked my fingers infront of his chest.
"You don't." He laughed.
He walked into the kitchen and opened the pantry and refrigerator, looking for food.
I stayed on his back because I was kind of tired and didn't feel like walking... and I'm lazy.
"You two kids hungry?" Lucas' mom popped out of the laundry room again and pulled food out of the fridge.
"I am." Lucas said.
"Me too." I tried to squirm off of Lucas' back, but he tightened his grip around my thighs, so I locked my fingers around his chest again.
"We're gonna take a walk, that okay?" Lucas asked his mother.
"Yes. Be back soon though, this meal won't take long to make."
"Yes ma'am" Lucas replied, carrying me out the front door.
"Lucas can I get down now?" I asked. He had walked around the block and then turned back around to head home.
"I guess." He let go of my legs and I slid off of his back.
I began to walk beside him and I looked into the shops along out path back to Lucas' apartment.
When we got back to Lucas' apartment, we walked in and it smelled of pasta sauce.
"I made spaghetti you two, eat up. I've got to run a few errands and then I'll be back."
"Bye." Lucas and I said together.
Lucas handed me a plate and then took one for himself.
We sat down in the living room to eat, and at first, neither of us talked. Then Lucas broke the silence.
"Do you like it?"
"I do." I admitted. "But if it had garlic bread it would be perfect." I laughed. I just really like garlic bread.
"Next time." He smiled.
I giggled and Lucas stared at me, shocked.
"Maya Hart, did that noise just come out of you?" He sounded surprised at my little girly laugh.
"What?" I spun my fork in my pasta and shoved a fork full in my mouth.
"That little laugh." He smiled.
"Well did it come out of you?" I commented back.
"No."
"Well then it must've been a ghost."I got up and rinsed my plate off in the sink.
"Oh so spooky." He teased.
"Hey I should get going, my mom is probably off work by now." I grabbed my coat and headed for the door.
"Do you know if they got that guy yet?" Lucas stopped me. I shrugged and pushed past him.
"Maya you call me or Riley if he's still out there. Promise?"
"I promise, Ranger Rick."
I left his house and walked back to mine. The walk was long and cold walk, but I enjoyed it actually.
When I got home, I opened the front door, then turned to lock it. When I turned around to keep walking, my mother was sitting at the kitchen table. She seemed anxious... scared... nauseous almost. She practically looked green!
"Mom are you okay?" I asked rushing over to her.
"Maya, sit down. we need to talk."
I mumbled some stuff under my breath because I knew this couldn't be good in anyway.
I sat down in a chair diagonal from my mom and looked into her eyes.
"Maya, about your dad..." She started.
I stayed quiet. I tried to keep eye contact, but just couldn't. I have trouble looking people directly in the eyes.
"He said he wants to see you."
"I know that, you told me this morning." I nervously laughed.
"Maya he still has visitation rights with you." My mom blurted out. My eyes widened and I looked at the table.
"So this means?"
"It means if he wants to see you during the day time hours he legally has the right, as long as he let's me know twenty four hours in advance."
"When did he call you?" I asked suddenly getting anxious.
"This morning, but if you're not comfortable seeing him you do not have to go, Maya."
"No... There's a few questions I have." I looked at my mother's face and she looked concerned.
"Are you uncomfortable?" I asked.
"No, no, no, baby girl. You deserve to know your father."
I nodded in agreement but I was still a bit anxious. By the sounds of it I have to spend the day with my dad tomorrow.
"Um mom, I'm a bit tired." I said. I was being truthful though! I had, had a long day already and it's only like two o'clock! "I think I'm going to go take a nap."
"O-okay. Sweet dreams, Maya."
I got up and hugged my mom and she kissed my forehead. I walked to my room, shutting the door behind me. I wanted to scream and cry and throw something all at the same time!
I don't get it! Why would my dad want to see me now! Fourteen years old and I never knew my dad. Wow, what a screwed up thing to say...
I changed out of my jeans and layed down on my bed, pulling my covers up over my body.
As I drifted to sleep, I thought about how tomorrow might go...