Title: The Bully, Maya Hart and Her Pumpkin

summary: a oneshot looking at what happens when Maya sticks up to a bully for Riley. Rilaya friendship, third grade - style.

Disclaimer: I don't own GMW and any of it's characters in this story. I only own my story, Brianna Johnson, and my idea. Just cute friendship stuff. No serious things happening here. They're just in third grade, and I can't let certain "stuff" happen yet while our two heroines are still kids. ;)

They're in third grade when Maya realises that she considers Riley Matthews a really special person - maybe even the most special person in the world. Sure, they're best friends, but Maya thought that Riley was someone who she deemed as a girl who might as well have the best impact in her life. Maya's mother was almost never there to have that sort of impact on her, as well as her non-existent father, and since she spent most of her time with Riley and the Matthews, it sort of made sense that one would consider the other one they spent most of their time with as a very significant and/or special person in their world. Maya also blamed Riley for being someone who would influence her so much that she was getting softer - softer than she would like, even if it was just with her and Riley.

"Why did you have to do that?! Now Brianna's gonna have a reason to hate you much, much, much, much more!" Riley chastised her. Brianna Johnson, John Quincy Adams Elementary's notorious third-grade bully and an enemy to mostly everyone especially Maya, had tried to bully Riley for no reason at all, just as Riley was walking past her table earlier during lunch. Luckily Maya was near the crime scene, and she of course got back at Brianna for bullying her best friend. Which resulted in a food fight, (and a cat fight between Maya and Brianna), a black eye, a bloody lip, a few bruises here and there, two weeks' worth of detention for Maya and Brianna and - what Maya considered worst of all, though she didn't dare let anyone in on that that fact - a scolding from Riley. "Not to mention you two are gonna have the injuries from your fight earlier for like a week or two!"

Maya shrugged. "Whatever. She started it first, and since I was trying to hold back on her, she's lucky that's all she got." Ignoring the exasperated look on Riley's face, she blew a few loose strands of hair out of her face, which had some spaghetti sauce, bubblegum and other gunk sticking to it. "Ugh, now I've gotta wash this off before your dad sees me like this."

Riley huffed. "It's all your fault. Not only did you have to get through all this, but you'd have to go through a scolding from my dad."

"It's not my fault Brianna picked on you again, for like the second time this week! I was just sticking up for you. That's what people for to their best friends!" Maya pouted like a toddler.

Riley's eyes softened at the gesture and at the thoughtfulness of Maya as she came closer to her best friend. "You didn't have to do that all for me, you know. I can defend myself."

Maya laughed. "Riley, you can't even handle an excited hamster. Seriously." Seriously, Riley's assumption was just downright hilarious. "I'm just watching out for you. You know I don't want you to get hurt. You're my bestest best friend in the world, and I love you so much."

Maya smiled. She leaned in and hugged Maya. "Thank you," she told her. "For standing up for me there. It was stupid, and careless too, but you were really brave. I love you too."

As surprised as Maya was with the sudden gesture, she smiled as well into the hug, her head on the crook of Riley's neck, breathing in her strawberry-scented shampoo. "Anytime, pumpkin".

"Just promise me, no more fighting and getting yourself in anymore trouble?" Riley asked with her puppy dog eyes.

"Honestly, I don't know." Maya grinned mischievously.

Riley swatted her arm "Maya!"

"Pfft. Fine, I promise. Brianna should know well enough to leave you alone anyway." Yeah, right.

"Good. Now clean yourself up before my dad gets here!"

And later, as the two girls went home in the Matthews' car, Maya couldn't help but grin at at the thought of having some leftover "cafeteria goop" in plastic containers in her bag for later. She planned on doing some things with it that people like Riley would never do to other people, even to a certain Brianna Johnson. She knew what she had to do to protect Riley from the mean people of elementary school. Besides, she needed payback for the black eye, wounded lip and other bruises around her body too.

Nope, Maya Hart wouldn't let Riley Matthews get the best of her. Even if she would risk life and limb to protect her best friend, Maya knew that being soft wasn't alright for things like this. Especially when it comes to the things Maya would do for the sake of Riley's welfare and their friendship. She was Maya Hart, Riley was her precious pumpkin, and those who trying to stand in their way, trying to shake them off the foundation of friendship… Well, they hadn't encountered Maya and her dedication to sticking up for the best friend she thought was the most special person in the world. Yet.

"Get ready, world," Maya thought to herself as she and Riley entered the apartment Riley lived in. "Here comes Maya and Riley, and we're ready to take you on."

A/N: I love both BMW and GMW, especially the Rilaya pairing. This is my first shot at writing a friendship piece for the two of them, and I hope I did alright. Let me know in your reviews. :)

-thedrummerthatwrites