A/N: I scraped my old Lucaya story because it was going nowhere plot wise. And then this little baby (with a plot) popped into my head.
And now here we are. :D [No this is not going to be anything like Paper Towns.]
I do not own Girl Meets World.
Enjoy! :)
Chapter 1
October 14, 2019
She looked out her window with her eyes squinted as she tried to find a star in the sky. She had claimed a shabby for-sale apartment at the top of her building as her own. No one had stepped foot in the place for almost two years.
One would think with the high demand to live in New York that it would be snatched right up. Apparently not.
Maya was able to pick the lock on the door one night when she was trying to get away from the arguing between Shawn and her mother. The flat was quiet and empty.
It was perfect.
All that was in the room was a small chair she dragged up and a little art kit she had created to leave up there. The flat had soon become her favorite place to paint and think.
No one knew about it but her.
Sometimes she would sneak up with a pillow and blanket for the night. On those sleepless nights the arguments would echo throughout her small apartment as such high volumes she was afraid the neighbors would call and complain. Maya would lie on the floor with her eyes never leaving the ceiling.
She wouldn't think.
She wouldn't hope.
She wouldn't dream.
She would just stare and escape.
Her phone was off, for she didn't want to see the 12 voicemails from Riley, 10 missed calls from Farkle, and 17 texts from Lucas.
She wanted to act like they didn't exist. Like no one existed. Not even her.
Maya was a city girl at heart; no one could deny that. But for the past year she had craved to get out of New York and to see something different. To have an adventure.
To be free.
She had tried talking about it with Shawn since she'd thought he would understand- being a travel writer and all. But ever since he had settled down with Katy, traveling anywhere other than New York was the last thing on his mind.
For the first time, Shawn seemed not to understand what she wanted and what she was going through. While he may have been like her when he was her age, that seemed to have been forgotten and replaced with the desire to stay near his family.
She closed her eyes. She was thinking.
She wasn't supposed to be thinking.
She needed to be escaping into her mind, for it was the only thing keeping her acting normal these days. Well, that and counting down the days until graduation.
230 days until she was out of high school.
230 days until she was free.
Maya knew that Riley was planning one final grand summer of friendship and happiness before they all went off to college. She knew that is what her best friend wanted, and she could appreciate that. And typically, Maya would go along with what Riley wanted. She would do mostly anything if it made Riley happy.
But for once, she wasn't going to. It might be selfish. She didn't care anymore though.
As soon as May 31st hit, Maya Hart was leaving.
She didn't know where and she didn't know for how long. All she knew is that she had to get out.
With a sigh, Maya sat up. She was utterly failing at the "no thinking" aspect. She stiffened at the sound of the flat's door creaking open. She had memorized the noise that door made.
She didn't turn around, trying to use the failed logic that if she didn't move, whoever opened the door wouldn't see her.
"There you are. We've been looking for you everywhere."
She knew that voice. Maya turned around to find Huckleberry standing near her with his arms crossed. She furrowed her brows, "Lucas, what are you doing here?"
He took a step forward, "To find you. Maya, what are you doing here in the first place?"
She went silent as her gaze fell to the ground. Out of anyone who had to find her in this state, it had to be Lucas.
The Texan had grown to a whopping six feet and one inch since their middle school days, while Maya had stayed around five foot. He would still tease Maya about her height, with the name "Shortstack" sticking from the eighth grade.
Lucas was still the same 'ol Moral Compass she had known since she was thirteen, just bigger and more protective. He and Riley dated for about a year and a half, during the end of eighth grade through freshman year. The breakup was Riley's idea. She said she didn't have the same type of feelings for Lucas anymore. She wanted them to stay friends, though.
He was heartbroken at first, for he had liked Riley in that way. It was awkward around her for a while. He would hang out more with his sports teams, Farkle, and surprisingly, Maya. One would think hanging around his ex's best friend would make him think about her more, but in reality, it did the opposite.
During the middle of Sophomore year, he began to date again. While, none of them became his girlfriend, he wasn't thinking about Riley in a romantic sense anymore. They were able to rekindle their friendship and escape the awkwardness.
The group had all found their knacks during the start of high school: Lucas in athletics, Maya in the arts, and Farkle in academics. With Riley finding herself being very skilled at being the school's Spirit Director and Debate Club Captain.
Things had changed, yet stayed the same.
Lucas was now only inches from Maya's chair. He reached out and tipped her head up, breaking her from her trip down memory lane. Her blue eyes swam with melancholy and exhaust. He looked at her with concern, "Maya? What's going on with you?"
She didn't say anything at first. She wanted to tell him everything, and yet she didn't. Maya knew that Lucas wouldn't give up until he had an answer that satisfied him. She bit the inside of her cheek, "They're always fighting."
His eyes widened in an understanding of what she was talking about. He knew what she would be going through, for he had to do the same with his parents. His parents didn't work out; he hoped that Maya's would. "Couples fight Maya."
"That much?"
"Sometimes."
"It doesn't seem healthy. I don't want them to be unhappy, but I…" Maya stopped and sighed, looking away from Lucas. "He said that he was a stayer, not a leaver. He- he wouldn't leave, right?"
The Texan wasn't sure what to say. He wanted to tell her that everything would be okay. That they would be happy.
He couldn't though. Not with Katy and Shawn. With them, he just couldn't be sure.
"Not if he really cared about you, Maya."
She didn't say anything in reply. Her focus went back to looking out the window though that proved difficult due to Lucas standing right in her line of vision. "Move Huckleberry."
He did as asked, choosing to take a seat on the floor next to Maya. His height allowed him to still look out the window. Soon enough, his eyes diverted from the city outline to the blonde bombshell sitting to his right.
She was strong.
A true city girl.
But every building has a weak spot.
He wanted to make sure that no one ever found that and make her crumble to the ground.
He wanted to protect her, in a way that was different from how his protected Zay, Farkle, or Riley.
Because Maya was different.
She was special.
Maya could see Lucas staring at her out of the corner of her eye. She said nothing about it and kept her gaze locked on her home city.
A city from which she wanted to escape.