~ In the views of Maya Hart ~
Summer. Summer break.
All of our classmates are either going to the beach, hanging out at the pool, or going away to another state. Summer break is supposed to be the three months where you live life to the fullest before school overtakes you once more.
Riley cajoled me into going to California with her, even though I just wanted to stay home. She always wanted to get the chance to meet a celebrity, and act like she was one. I thought she only wanted to go because some of our classmates were going to California as well, too.
We started packing after the last day of school. I made Riley agree letting Kayla come with us too, as a treat for all she did for me. At my 'house', I packed up all I needed: A bunch of clothes, shoes, my toothbrush, my makeup, and other things. To be honest, I was pretty excited to see California. It would be a change to see something other than the busy streets of New York.
Kayla came upstairs to my room. "I just wanted to say thank you for taking me to California along with you and Riley," She said, sitting down on the edge of my bed. I sat down next her, tired of doing all my packing.
"No problem. You're practically my sister, and this is just my thank you gift for everything you did for me," I said, giving her a small smile. "I should be thanking you, so I am. Thank you, Kayla." Kayla gave me a side hug, and I hugged her back.
Kayla was like my sister, but also like a mom. My actual mother rarely gave me affection like that.
Kayla stood up and headed for my door. "I should let you continue packing. I still have to pack, too," she said before leaving my room. I called Riley and asked her to come over to help me, since she already finished her packing a week ago.
When she saw how my room was a mess, she shook her head as if she was disappointed.
"Maya, Maya, Maya," she said, a smile creeping onto her face. I gave her a fake look of alarm, putting my hand up to stop her. "Whoa! There is no reason to three Maya me. I'm not a neat freak like you, Riles," I said, smirking.
Before I knew it, Riley was separating all my things into different piles to make my room more organized. She brought a duffel bag along with her, so she put some clothes in it. I grabbed my satchel and put small things in it, like my makeup, my toothbrush, my camera, and other necessities.
Riley and I put the rest of the clothes and my swimsuits in my main suitcase. Half an hour later, all my things were packed in a duffel bag, a suitcase, and a satchel. We were going to be in California for about four weeks, so I had to bring a lot of stuff.
"Well, that wasn't hard at all! What do you want to do now?" Riley said, sprawling herself over my bed. I laughed before laying down on top of her. She grunted. "I just want to take a nap. This packing thing was tiring," I muttered before closing my eyes.
~ The next day ~
When I woke up, Riley wasn't there anymore. I soon realized today was the day we were going to the airport for our flight. I was pretty much late. "Maya, hurry up!" Kayla yelled from downstairs. I quickly brushed my teeth and got dressed in a red flannel and jeans. I grabbed my suitcase and put my duffel and my satchel on my shoulders. Before I forgot, I grabbed my phone and my hairbrush. Then, I rushed downstairs with difficulty.
Kayla and I got in her car and we went to LaGuardia Airport as fast as we could. Riley and her family were already there, of course. Topanga handed Kayla and I our tickets.
"Peaches! You didn't brush your hair!" Riley said before we both burst out laughing. Other people in the airport stared at us, but I didn't care.
It was finally time to board the plane. Kayla, Riley, and I went into a row behind Riley's family and we took our seats. I put on my travel pillow and laid my head back on the seat. I was super tired, even thought I slept in for a few extra minutes.
"Attention, passengers. Welcome to Southwest Airlines! We will be taking off in approximately two minutes. Please find your seats and stay seated as we prepare to take off," A feminine voice said on the intercom. I was super hungry, and I couldn't wait for the airplane food.
"I can't wait to go to Los Angeles! We can see the walk of fame, possibly meet huge celebrities, and go to Disneyland! Are you excited as I am, Peaches?" Riley practically yelled, causing people to stare. I gave her the "Quiet down!" look before saying, "Not as jovial as you, Riles."
Later, the plane finally went up in the air. Looking out the window was a beautiful scenery. The water of the earth and the clouds collided to make an amazing picture. I grabbed my sketchbook from the top compartment in our row and began sketching the view. Riley rested her head on my shoulder. She watched me sketch the view.
"What do you want to do first when we land?" Riley muttered, snuggling up closer to me. I shrugged, making the outline of the plane window so it looks realistic. Suddenly, I felt my heart speed up an octave. Riley still had this effect on me that probably would never go away. It's her fault for being such a beautiful girl.
"Maybe we can hike up to the Hollywood sign, I guess. The view could be amazing. After that, we could probably go to Venice beach, and then we could go to Star...." Riley put her hand up, as if it was a stop sign. I rolled my eyes, giving her a grin. "Looks like you're the most jovial about the trip, Peaches," Riley said.
I could feel her lips brushing against my neck, which made my breath hitch in my throat. I continued to sketch the view until I was finally finished. I looked around the plane just to pass time when I saw a very familiar face.
Lucas.
I growled loud enough for Riley to hear me. She woke up from her brief nap and gave me a concerned look. "What's wrong?" She asked me in a genuine tone. I did not intend on telling her that Lucas, the boy who vigorously broke her heart, was on our plane, possibly stirring up more trouble.
"Nothing at all," I lied under my breath, smoothing Riley's hair. "I just had to clear my throat." Lying to her wasn't easy at all. The last time I lied to her, everything burst into flames. I had to make sure Riley didn't look to her right, or she would be mad at me for lying. Again.
Before I knew, the day was slowly descending into nighttime. It was 8:40 p.m. in New York time, which means we'd land in an hour. We left New York at 3:30 p.m. We'd land at 9:40 p.m., or 6:40 p.m. in California time. The lady over the intercom informed us about everything.
Lucas looked over at Riley and I occasionally. When he did, I gave him a dirty look each time. I still didn't understand why he was going to Los Angeles. He had no reason to. In the duration of our friendship, he told me he planned to go to Texas every summer to see his family members. I guess not this summer.
"Attention passengers. We will be landing in the Los Angeles airport runway in approximately 55 minutes," the lady said. I lazily ate my peanuts, resting my head against the window. The clouds were slowly vanishing into the night sky, stars taking it's place. I gently shook Riley's arm, which made her eyes flutter open.
"Look at the stars," I said, softly, pointing at the window. Riley's lips formed into a smile as she looked at the stars. Riley's smile always made me feel warm inside. My eyes slowly fluttered shut. I was growing tired by the minute. Riley snuggled up even closer to me. Her hair brushed against my cheek. I didn't complain.
~ Later ~
When I done being dormant, I noticed the plane wasn't moving anymore.
"Attention passengers. We have successfully landed in Los Angeles, California. Please gather all of your personal belongings and suitcases before stepping out of the plane. Thank you for choosing Southwest Airlines," the lady over the intercom said.
I stood up from my seat, stretching my arms. "Ok, guys. Let's gather our things and decide what we're going to do first once we reach our hotel," Topanga said to us. I opened up the compartment above our row. Kayla, Riley, and I got our stuff then followed Riley's family out of the plane.
After we walked to the airport parking lot, we got into the car Riley's parents rented for us. I sat in between Kayla and Riley. Auggie sat on Riley's lap. He looked pretty comfortable, but Riley didn't look too happy about the arrangement.
Kayla and I were playing with the dog filter on the Snapchat app when we reached the hotel. It was called the Ritz-Carlton. After we got checked in, we went up to our hotel room, which was huge. There were three beds, a TV, and a hangout area in the main room. There was also a mini patio outside, with a view of Los Angeles.
"Can Maya and I go to the Hollywood sign? Kayla can take us," Riley said excitedly, breaking the brief silence. I was already dragged into her plan, so I couldn't take myself out of it. Mr. and Mrs. Matthews looked over at Kayla. She just shrugged.
"Sure, I'll take them. You three won't need the car, right?" Kayla said, grabbing the car keys from one of the beds. Topanga shook her head. "Go right ahead. Just be safe and stay with Kayla. We'll take Auggie to get something to eat," she said. Kayla, Riley, and I went back outside and into the rental car.
We had to go to Hollywood, which wasn't a very long drive. While Kayla drove the car, I watched as Riley looked for celebrities, her face smashed against the window. I pulled her back a little. Who knows how many people touched that window?
"I need to make a bucket list on everything I want to do while we're here. Number one would be to meet a celebrity. Number two would be to become friends with a celebrity. Number three would probably be...." "Take a selfie with a celebrity?" I interrupted, a grin forming onto my face. Riley nodded excitedly, her eyes brightening.
Kayla laughed from the driver's seat. "You guys are too cute," she said, turning the corner. Riley's cheeks turned a bright red, which I laughed at.
We finally arrived at Lake Hollywood Park, which lead to the Hollywood sign. I soon realized it would be a long hike to get to the actual sign. "This is going to be so much fun!" Riley exclaimed. A smile never left her face. She grabbed my arm and pulled me outside. Good thing I had comfortable sneakers on.
Kayla and I put our hair into buns while Riley ventured off into the grassy land. We ran to catch up with her. She was very excited. I wasn't ready to climb up hills, but I had to do it anyway. It was pretty good exercise. Dogs roamed across the grass, and their owners desperately tried to get them.
Riley was ahead of Kayla and I, swiftly grabbing parts of the hill so she can continue up the hill. I tried my hardest to catch up with her, but it was no use. "Riley...." I said, out of breath. "You've....Done...This before?" Riley just shrugged her shoulders as she continued up.
I felt like I was climbing forever before I reached the Hollywood sign. I was pretty proud of myself since I never hiked up a tall mountain before. Riley was in complete awe, looking at the letters as if they were all that mattered.
"Let's take a photo!" Kayla said, grabbing her phone from her pocket. Riley and I went on either side of Kayla and we took a photo in front of the letter 'O.' We sat down on the grassy rock, beside the 'O.'
"Next, I want to go to In -N -Out burger. I'm super hungry," I announced, biting my lip unnecessarily. Kayla nodded vigorously. "Agreed. I'm going to go in the car. Come back down when you're ready. Don't take too long," she said. Riley and I nodded before she went down the hiker's path back down to the park.
I laid my head against Riley's shoulder, and she put her arm around me. I was super tired from all the climbing we did. "You don't want to be here, do you?" Riley said very quietly, breaking the sudden silence. "It seems like I'm the only one enjoying this trip."
I couldn't stand lying to her anymore. She deserved to know Lucas was here in Los Angeles, too. I had to be honest with Riley since she was so honest with me now.
"Honey....Lucas is here," I finally told her, biting on my lip harshly. Silence followed my statement; a very uncomfortable silence. Suddenly, Riley stood up, about to go down the hiker's path.
"Riley! You can't just run away from me! Lucas isn't our problem anymore. Please don't...." Before I could finish what I was saying, Riley ran back to me and crashed her lips against mine. It was an amazing feeling that I missed greatly.
The kiss felt like forever, and I didn't want it to end. We finally pulled away from each other, desperate for breath. "You're right. I could never leave you, Maya. No matter what. You....You mean everything to me, and I love you so much," Riley told me, putting my hands in hers.
I finally let go of my lip. "You're my everything, Riley. You always have been and you always will be," I replied back. We put our hands up in the air. The friendship rings we wore shined bright in the sun's light.
"Thunder," Riley said.
"Lightning," I said.
We grabbed each other's hands and looked up at the sky, where the stars would soon be.
"You and me. In the stars."
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A/N
Well, here we are guys. The end of the story that I loved writing for the people who read it. The feedback this story got every week made me smile all the time. I thank you all for loving this story so much, because it made me very happy. I don't know if there's going to be a sequel, even though people are asking for it. All I know is that I loved writing In the stars, and it will be one of my biggest accomplishments. 16.1K reads, guys. I never expected to have this much reads on this story. Thank you guys so much. For you, I'll be sure to try to make a sequel. Until then, the story has come to the end. Thank you for all the reads, the votes, and most of the comments that were nice and made me happy. I hope you like this epilogue because I worked hard on this chapter. Until then, another end has come.