A/N: I recommend you listen to the following songs while reading this chapter.
- The Tide Is High by Blondie
- Stay Together For The Kids by blink-182
- A World Alone by Lorde
- Family Portrait by P!nk
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After a good 20 minutes of Maya following Topanga Matthews (while taking extensive notes of everything Topanga said--and she said a lot) around the woman's law firm, the two wound up in Topanga's office, the long-haired woman sitting down in her office chair and smiling up at Maya.
"Think you got everything?" Topanga asked. "If you still have any questions, don't hesitate in asking me. Remember, you're an intern. I don't expect you to know everything. Now, if you were an actual employee in my firm, I would expect you to know everything. But for now, you are still learning." she reassured.
Maya nodded. "No, Mrs. Matthews, I think I got everything I needed to know. I should be fine." she replied.
Topanga smiled softly. "Please, call me Ms. Lawrence. Or Topanga, if you'd like."
Maya raised an eyebrow at the name change but nodded. "Okay." she agreed.
Topanga nodded. "If you'll excuse me, I have some work to do. There's already files and instructions waiting for you at your desk."
Maya nodded as she quickly excused herself and started walking towards her small cubicle when someone stopped her. "You're the new intern, right?" the blonde-haired, blue-eyed man in an impeccable, black suit asked.
Maya smiled proudly and nodded. "Yes I am—"
"Great! So I need you to fetch me and a couple of others some coffee." he said as he handed Maya a slip of paper. "There's a Starbucks down the street."
Maya's smile fell. "I, uh, I have work to get started on, actually and—"
The man chuckled. "Sweetheart, you're an intern. This is basically part of the job. Now get the coffee." he ordered before walking away.
In any other instance, Maya would've told that snobby man off. However, she needed this internship and she couldn't afford to lose it (not to mention her grandmother would murder her if Maya lost the internship her grandmother made sure she would get). So like a hard-working intern, Maya got in the elevator, muttering "come mierda" under her breath (Spanish cursing really helped in calming her nerves, oddly) and headed down to fetch coffee.
And as Maya's elevator descended, another elevator ascended onto the floor of Topanga's law firm.
Riley smiled and greeted the receptionist as she walked to her mother's office, knocking on the door before stepping inside. "Hi, mom." she greeted as she walked over to kissed her mother's cheek.
Topanga smiled at the kiss on her cheek and turned to Riley. "Hi, honey, how was the weekend at your father's?"
Riley hummed. "Good. He took me to the Field Museum." she smiled. "I like to see Sue, the Tyrannosaurus rex skeleton. She seems like she would have been a nice dinosaur." she mused.
Topanga chuckled. "What makes you say that?"
Riley shrugged. "You, me, and dad were always happy to see her when we use to all go to museums together."
Topanga's smile slightly faded. "I see." she mumbled as she pretended to be occupied by the file in front of her, scribbling some notes with the pen on her hand.
Riley bit her lip. "How are the therapy sessions going? Is it getting better?" Riley asked with optimism in her voice.
Topanga looked up at Riley with an upset face. "Honey..."
Riley felt herself getting nervous. When Topanga had bad news, she always began with sweet pet names in an attempt to make the news not seem as upsetting as it actually was.
"What? Dad said the therapy sessions we're going great and that you were both reaching a better understanding about each other's feelings." Riley pointed out.
Topanga sighed. "You have your father's optimism."
"That's not the proper answer to the question."
Topanga was silent, unsure how to go about talking to Riley. Topanga wasn't one to go circles around a conversation. She was always direct and straight to the point. However, Riley was her daughter and she knew how much Riley idolized Cory and hers relationship. Because they were Cory and Topanga, the couple that could jump through any obstacle together no matter what.
Time had a funny way of changing directions.
"Sweetheart—"
Riley rubbed her hands together nervously. "Dad said that things we're going to go back to normal because you were going to couples therapy. It's supposed to work. You found the best one!"
"Your father says a lot of things."
"Dad doesn't lie!" Riley replied, feeling her blood begin to boil.
Topanga stood up and leaned against the desk. "Riley, honey..." she paused before rubbing her temples and then looked Riley in the eye. "It's highly unlikely your father and I are getting back together."
Riley stared at her, feeling tears pool in her eyes but swallowed the cry she so badly wanted to let out. "But couples therapy—"
"Riley...there's just some things that can't be fixed. Your father and I are very different now--"
"Opposites can attract and work just fine!" Riley argued. "You managed to do it for years! That's no excuse!"
"Riley," Topanga said firmly. "Things are different now. I'm different. What I want from your father, he can't give me anymore." she sighed. "It's complicated, but I do not want to get back together with your father."
Riley's jaw clenched. "So it's you who's giving up!" she accused. "You don't want to fix things! Dad is trying! And...and...you're a horrible person for letting him go!"
"Riley, you're being—"
"I don't want two rooms!" Riley exclaimed, feeling a tear fall down her cheek. "I just want one."
Topanga felt her heart break at seeing Riley so heartbroken, feeling tears form in her own eyes. "I know, and I'm sorry it has to be this way." she said empathetically, walking over to Riley to hug her, but Riley pushed her away. Riley did not want any sort of comfort from the person that just gave up on a once-in-a-lifetime love.
Riley shook her head as she pushed Topanga away, glaring at her mother. "If I have to pick one room, I want one with dad."
Topanga swallowed hard at the words and nodded. "If that's how you feel." she said softly.
Riley sniffled as she wiped away tears and stormed out of Topanga's office, unable to see anything but her own pain. Topanga let the tears stream down her face as she sat down and slammed the file in front of her shut.
The elevator door opened, Maya coming out with two cardboard cup holders that held four hot drinks each. Maya let out a relieved sigh when she made it to the Topanga's office and started to walk towards the cubicles to hand out coffee like the intern/delivery girl she was.
Maya liked to think her first day on the job would start off right. But life had a way of literally pushing things (or people) your way.
More specifically, pushing hot coffee on Maya and a heavier body on top of her. The four coffee cups on her right hand flew behind her and spilled coffee all over the floor while the four coffees on her left spilled all over her and the other person that fell on top of her.
Maya groaned as her back suddenly felt the hot coffee and the fall on the floor hit her with an intense pain from the burn and fall. Maya literally crashed and burned. She suddenly preferred the metaphor.
The sudden feeling of cold, salty tears hitting her own cheeks made Maya come back to reality as a familiar face and wide, brown Bambi eyes stared back at her own green ones with shock and horror over the encounter.
Normally, Riley would be a sucker for a chance, romantic encounter like this: spilling coffee and falling on top of someone with each other's faces only a few mere inches apart. How cliche, yet so romantic. Straight out of a movie! However, right now was not a time that Riley felt very romantic. Right now, she still felt heartbroken. And also a little embarrassed.
"I...I'm so sorry." Riley rushed to get up before helping Maya up. "I-I wasn't looking..." Riley stammered out as Maya tried cleaning herself up (which was quickly proving to fail). Riley suddenly recognized Maya and stared at her for a few seconds. "Oh. Hi."
Maya scoffed. "What? So suddenly because you recognize me, Riley, I'm not worth apologizing ramming into? You're lucky I didn't bust my shi—injured myself as badly."
Riley bit her lip. "No, of course not. I mean, I don't like you, still, but you didn't deserve to have this happen to you. Why were you carrying the coffees?" she asked as a coworker came in with a mop and paper towels, handing them to Maya.
Maya suddenly felt a pang in her heart at the fact that she had to clean. Not because of the action of cleaning—that she didn't mind—but the meaning behind it. Here Maya was, attempting to "move up" in society's economic class, but finding herself doing the exact same job her mother did that left them disadvantaged and poor. With a sigh, Maya took the things and Riley shook her head.
"It should be who cleans up, not you." Riley said, taking the paper towels.
Maya rolled her eyes. "I agree, but I work here, therefore it's my job."
Riley raised an eyebrow. "You're part of the cleaning staff?" she asked innocently.
"No!" Maya snapped quickly, glaring at her. "I'm not a cleaner." she took a deep breath. "Not that there's anything wrong with that, but I'm an intern here. I'm working to move up." Maya said, chuckling at the irony of all of it as she started to mop up the spilled coffee.
Riley chewed on her lip as she started to help Maya clean up. She didn't like Maya, but Riley did cause the mess. It was only fair.
Maya looked at her, deciding not to object at the help and continuing to clean.
"Riley Matthews! You don't need to be cleaning up! Your mother would kill me if she caught you cleaning like some maid. Just leave it to the intern." the man who ordered Maya on the coffee run exclaimed before turning to Maya. "And this coffee spill is coming out of your paycheck and you're getting us our coffee again. What's wrong with you? Making the boss's daughter help you clean!" he scoffed.
Maya stared at him, her jaw clenching slightly before looking over at Riley. "You're Topanga's daughter?" she asked.
Riley's own jaw clenched at the mention of her mother and nodded. "But that shouldn't matter. I'm the cause of this mess. And I'm paying for the coffee drinks spilling." she said as she reached for her wallet.
"Riley, don't spend your money! It's not your fault." the blonde man exclaimed as he pushed Riley's wallet back in her bag. "Spend the money on getting a new outfit to change into. Look at you! You're a mess." he said as he looked over at Maya who had more coffee spilled on her. "You as well."
Maya only nodded as she continued to clean and Riley continued to speak with the blonde man before convincing him to go and leave her be, looking back at Maya with the money. "Take it." Riley said softly.
Maya looked over at the money and took it. "Thanks."
Riley nodded as she continued to clean up, looking over at a young man walking by them. The young man flashed his white smile at Riley and Riley blushed and returned the smile, staring at him as he left and feeling the feelings she was so accustomed to feeling.
"You...I'm going to write about you." Riley thought to herself as she stared at him go over to his cubicle and beginning to type.
Maya finished mopping up her side of the spill and looked over to check on Riley's progress and noticed Riley had not finished cleaning up because she was too busy staring at some ugly, lanky, and thin-lipped brunette boy who was also an intern. And a shitty one, at that.
Maybe it didn't help that Maya thought all guys were ugly. Or maybe it didn't help that Riley couldn't stop staring at this ugly boy instead of helping her like Riley insisted she would.
Maya already wasn't having a very good day, so having to deal with Riley's stupid little attempt at having a romantic comedy unfold was not something she wanted to deal with.
"He looks like the kind that has a shrimp dick and cums from one stroke. And when he kisses you, he looks like the kind that slobbers all over you." Maya told her as she kept mopping.
Riley looked over at her and scoffed. "I was just looking." she mumbled as she went back to cleaning.
"Looking at different ways to kiss him." Maya retorted. "At least pick someone decent looking to write a stupid letter about."
Riley glared at her. "They're not stupid."
Maya hummed. "You're right, they're just fantasy. Fake. Fiction. Just like your love life."
Riley huffed. "You know, you talk a lot about my love life, but I don't seem to see any action in yours." she retorted.
Maya smiled. "Unlike you, I don't base my life of off romance. There's more depth to me than that."
"Like what? Being pushed around taking coffee orders and doing janitorial work?" Riley questioned.
Maya's smile quickly turned to a scowl, glaring at Riley. Something in her quickly snapped. "Unlike you, Riley, most of us are trying to survive day-by-day! You wouldn't know that because the only emotion you've ever felt is happiness!" she exclaimed. "And this little janitor shit only happened because you don't seem to have a sense of direction! So go fuck yourself." Maya growled, taking the comment to heart.
Riley was surprised by the sudden outburst and scoffed. "You don't know me! You don't know what I feel! You can't just judge me based off of a few things about me!"
"I don't need to know anything else because the only thing you ever focus on is finding someone to love you. Who would ever love a romantic psycho like you? All you do is write love notes to characters you make up in your head!"
"At least I have hope for something! What hope do you have? You live such a boring life! All you do is tell everyone else that the way they're living is all wrong! No wonder you're miserable! Because you secretly hope you had at least an ounce of my hope!"
"I'm realistic. Trust me, if you lived the life I lived, your hope would disappear quickly." Maya scoffed. "Start living in the real world, Matthews."
"I'll do that as soon as you stop pretending like the world is against you." Riley retorted.
Maya chuckled. "I'm not getting into my personal life with you because, quite frankly, you wouldn't get it. Why? Because your life is probably perfect. Perfect house with the white picket fence shit, perfect life, perfect family...probably a mom and a dad. Everything perfect. So you're not one to start talking to me about no longer pretending like the world isn't against me. I have reasons to believe that. But you wouldn't know that because you have the perfect life where everything is handed to you on a silver platter. Your struggle right now is picking out an outfit to change into after this. Nothing else."
Maya expected a reply or for Riley to just walk away.
Not for Riley Matthews to break down to tears.
Maya couldn't help but stand there awkwardly as Riley cried. Was she too mean? Did she bring out a bad memory? Did she do anything wrong? Shit, she made her boss's daughter cry. She'll be fired and banned from this law firm, and probably all law firms imaginable. Shit.
"God damn it." she muttered to herself before looking at Riley. "Um...look, I'm sorry if I crossed the line—"
"You're right." Riley cut off, wiping away tears and sniffling.
Maya raised an eyebrow. "Huh?"
Riley sighed. "My life has always been perfect. I've only ever known happiness and love...and now?" Riley felt tears fill up in her eyes. "Now I feel a lot of anger and sadness because I can't stop what's happening. I can't just make my parents love each other again and get back together. They were my goal—I wanted a relationship just like theirs. Now? Now I wonder how you can spend years loving somebody only to suddenly wake up one day and have your feelings shift and for people to fight and leave." Riley crossed her arms and felt another tear slide down her cheek. "It sucks."
Maya stared at her, biting her lip at the response. She sighed as she ran a hand through her. Maya couldn't believe she actually felt sympathy for Riley. Not even a week or so ago she was annoyed by Riley's stupid little fantasies about love. And now? Now she felt almost compelled to pat Riley's shoulder to comfort her.
Maya looked at Riley in the eyes. "You want to take a walk?"
Riley bit her lip. "You don't have to—"
"I know I don't have to, but I want to. I'm sure your mom would understand. And I don't want to leave you a crying mess. The Riverwalk is only a few blocks away, come on." Maya went to put her jacket over her coffee stained shirt and then headed to the elevator, expecting Riley to follow.
And Riley? Riley wasn't expecting that.
I've been going through a dark, mental-health related place, so it's been hard to find the motivation to write or even get ideas to write. It sucks, but I'm slowly getting better. It is what it is. Given that, take care of yourselves, please. It's hilarious coming from me, basically the villain for self-care if self-care was personified, but do it, please. It's so important.
Twitter: jenniferdontpls
Tumblr: loovelikee-fools
Curious Cat: (I never get questions, and it would be lovely lol)
Take care, wonderful humans,
Jennifer