Between the crackling fire and the presence of her best friends in the world, Maya should be having an amazing vacation. Instead, all she can think about is the goddamn triangle and the 'identity crisis' that Riley assumes she is having. Nothing in her life makes sense anymore, and it all traces back to one common cause. That stupid goddamn triangle.

Glancing at Riley and Lucas, who are sitting next to each other on one of the sofas, Maya makes a decision. Riley likes Lucas. Therefore, Riley should be with Lucas. What right does Maya have to take that away from her? With a deep breath, she stands up and raises her hands dramatically in the air. "I have an announcement to make," she exclaims loudly.

Her five friends look up from their various conversations, and Maya deliberately ignores that intense stare that Lucas is giving her. He always does that. Whenever she talks, he gazes at her with such intensity that makes her believe that he actually cares about what she has to say. She supposes that is one of the reasons she likes him so much. Shaking her head slightly, she brings herself back to the matter at hand.

"I'm done," she states simply.

"What?" Riley asks in disbelief.

"This stupid triangle," Maya explains. "I'm done. I quit." She averts her eyes from the hurt expression on Lucas's face.

"Come on!" Zay protests. "I thought this was going to be more dramatic!"

"Yes," Smackle replies simply. "Lucas is a gorgeous specimen. Why would you willingly give that up?"

"Exactly! And Lucas made a decision," Riley states.

"A decision he's neglected to share," Maya replies. "The point is, all of us have been too scared to actually do something about this situation so I'm doing it. I'm stepping down. I thought you'd be happy about this."

"I-I am," Riley says. "I just want to make sure you're sure."

"I'm sure," Maya replies firmly. "I'm out. You win."

"While in that case, yay!" Riley exclaims, throwing herself at Maya. "Thank you, thank you, thank you!"

Maya gives a short smile and pats her best friend's back while she rejoices. Lucas is looking at her quizzically, like he is staring into her soul, and Maya averts her gaze.

Riley finally pulls away from Maya and approaches Lucas. "So I guess this means that you pick me."

"I guess it does," Lucas replies softly.

Riley smiles, and intertwines her fingers with his.

Zay stands up and runs into the other room. A few minutes later, he comes back with six steaming mugs of cocoa. "I am proposing a toast," He says as he passes a mug to each person. "In honor of the triangle finally being resolved and congratulations to the happy couple, Riley and Lucas."

"Cheers!" The six friends exclaim and Maya tries to ignore the sinking feeling in her stomach as she raises her mug.

The rest of their group soon forgets about the triangle as they go back to their original conversations. Smackle and Farkle are talking quietly in the corner, and Maya smiles at how cute they are. She can see that Farkle still has some residual feelings for Riley, but like her, he had shoved them to the side in favor of Riley's happiness. Zay had gone up to bed a few hours ago, declaring that he needed his beauty sleep, and Riley and Lucas are sitting on the sofa talking. Riley is ecstatic, but she is so nervous that she keeps stuttering over her words. Lucas isn't saying much, but he keeps shooting an occasional glance at Maya, and she finds them extremely hard to ignore. She isn't stupid. She knows he saw right through her during her withdrawal from the triangle. She only hopes he's decent enough not to mention it. The last thing Riley needs from her is a new year's type revelation from Maya that she still has feelings for Lucas. They'd been through that once before, and Maya is not planning on doing it again.

Still, that doesn't mean that Maya has to sit here by herself and watch her best friend cozy up with her crush. With a sigh, Maya stands up and slips away.

The room next door is empty, luckily, so Maya takes a seat on one of the couches and puts her head in her hands. The next few weeks will be hard, she knows, but she hopes that her feelings will fade over time and whatever feelings Lucas has for her will soon be forgotten. She had had a nice conversation with Josh earlier. Maybe he would finally stop seeing her as his niece's dumb little friend and Maya would be able to move on.

She pretends not to notice when Lucas enters the room and sits down next to her.

"You know, I was going to pick you," He says softly, confirming what she'd already known deep down.

"Yeah, I know," Maya replies.

"So why did you step down?"

"Because that's the only way this triangle could end," Maya explains. "Riley's happiness is the most important thing in the world, and if she's not happy then what's the point?"

"That's very selfless of you," Lucas says. "But what about your happiness? Doesn't that matter too?"

"No, not as much as Riley's," she says. "I'm used to disappointment, and things not working out for me. Riley isn't. I can't let her be exposed to the nasty side of life yet. Not if I can help it."

"That doesn't seem fair," Lucas tells her.

"It's not about fair," Maya insists. "Riley is my best friend, and it's my job to protect her from the awful, cold, unforgiving harshness of reality. If I can do something to make her happy, that's what I'm going to do. It doesn't matter how it makes me feel, because in the end, Riley's happiness is the only thing that matters. You're her boyfriend now, you have to understand this."

"Of course I understand," Lucas replies. "And of course I want Riley to be happy. But I don't think that her happiness should come above your own. You deserve to be happy too, Maya."

"I will be," she assures him. "I just need time, and it will all be fine. You and Riley will be together forever and get married and have lots of mini ranger ricks and huckleberrys, just like her parents did. She'll have the fairytale romance she's always wanted."

"Maya, we're not even halfway done with freshman year, why are you talking about marriage and babies?"

"Because that's what Riley wants!" Maya exclaims. "And I will do whatever is in my power to help her achieve that. And you will too, because you're her prince charming and if you hurt her I will murder you."

Lucas remains silent for a few moments. "Will me dating Riley make you happy?"

"Yes, huckleberry," Maya says softly. "I thought we already established this."

Lucas looks down. "If it will make you happy, then I won't press you anymore."

"Thank you," Maya says.

"But first, let me do this," Lucas interrupts.

"Wha-" Maya starts, and then suddenly Lucas grabs her face and pulls it to his and then he's kissing her. Without thinking about it, Maya inches herself closer to him and then she's kissing back and he tastes so good. She can't help but think about how right this is, how this is how it should be. Her kissing him, his hands tangled in her blonde locks. Why was she willing to give that up?

And then she thinks of Riley. Her perfect, amazing best friend Riley who still looks at the world with a childlike optimism that Maya envys. Her best friend who is in love with the guy that Maya is currently making out with, the one who Maya couldn't stand it if she was unhappy. The one who's happiness means more to Maya than anything else in the world. And the one who would have her heart broken if she were to walk in on Maya and Lucas kissing.

And then, just as suddenly as Lucas had kissed her, Maya is pulling away and she shoots Lucas one final glance before shaking her head and dashing out of the room, leaving Lucas more confused than he was at the beginning of the conversation, yet even more in love with Maya Penelope Hart than he was before.