Under dark clouds in a night sky was the Matthews' apartments. Rain strikes the windows over and over. Wind bullies the curtains. Lightning threatens the electricity. Maya hadn't seen an attack like this since she was four. Nature was out to get her that night, ruin her family, tear her house down. It was a trauma she couldn't forget.

But...perhaps that night she didn't have it so bad. She remembers some time that week she had chicken nuggets for supper (!), her babysitter Jenny put her drawing up on her own fridge (!) and her Nana gifted her a lava lamp. It was a good week. Until the storm came, it was a good week.

Riley Matthews wasn't so lucky. As Maya sat crossed-legged on Riley's bed, awake in the dark, she reflected on the life of her best friend. Riley wasn't doing so hot in school anymore with those AP courses; the gap between her and Farkle was widening. Riley and Lucas, while they were happy, Riley always wondered if he liked an actual cheerleader. And it seemed her suspicions were being confirmed with Instagram pictures of Lucas and a cheerleader named Fey. He never says he likes her, but it's getting obvious. Riley is now in another limbo, waiting to be either dumped or chosen. On top of that, she's grounded, because she can't get her grades up... also because she had made an inappropriate comment about Maya at the dinner table. The specifics of that comment don't really matter, but Maya thinks the main reason this grounding exists to give Riley some time to...sort things out.

It was a bad week to be Riley Matthews. And Maya didn't think that was even possible.

Only the light of the moon lit Riley's face just now as she slept. She held a stuffed animal that Maya and Lucas bought for her with a bunch of stupid carnival tickets and she sighed her snores. Her eyes were still puffy from crying, her lower lip in a pout. She looked so sweet and it killed Maya to see her hurt. It was peaceful but hellish sleep she was witnessing. It made Maya want to break down. How could life be so mean?

"Honey," she called in a whisper. She relaxed when Riley didn't answer. No pressure now. "Honey..."

Now stumped. Stumped on what to say. Where could she even begin?

"Riles... I, uhh, I..." Maya found the lump growing in her throat hard to bare. A tear slipped down her cheek. She unfolded her legs and gingerly crawled behind Riley's body. She laid down with her best friend. What to say?

The rain slashed harder before Maya could get any words out.

"I'm sorry," she cracked. "Don't be sad." All she can feel is guilt because she's thinking of herself-her mother trying to comfort her in that storm all those years ago. She wants to focus on Riley but she can't. She wants Riley to be awake and hold her and tell her it's okay that her daddy left. And it's so selfish! It rocks her core and makes her sob harder. "I love you so much," she says as an apology. She buries her head in Riley's shoulder blade and wets the blanket between them. "I love you so much."

Maya composes herself a little, smelling the apple-scented detergent on the sheets and pillows. "It's okay. It's okay that you're failing and...you're not a cheerleader and you can't please everybody." She sniffed. "It's okay if you like me...or whatever." Maya didn't even know what she was saying anymore. Just spitballing, trying to make the sleeping girl feel better.

Lightning struck. Maya jumps-"Ah!", trauma rattling her insides. "Riley!" She calls out in her lowest voice, a sob tearing through her.

In the sound of the blinds shattering came fabric shifting and Maya felt Riley's warm hand over hers. Holding hers. Totally. "It's okay..." came Riley sleepily. Maya's hand almost blushes and she could feel their pulses thrumming together. "Shhh..."

How...? Maya thinks for a second. And then she drops it. There was no explanation for how or why Riley would comfort her when Riley herself was broken. It just was that way.

Her safe place.