Summary: Maya is absent for days. Lucas doesn't know why it affects him but it does. Lucaya one shot!
A/N: Yo my peeps! Lucaya one shot! I think I'm going to focus on Toxic Bubble but sprinkle one shots here and there. I don't know. :D If you guys have any ideas for one shots, tell me in the reviews. I love writing random one shots! Yeah, okay I'm done talking. I do not own GMW (though I wish I did). ๐·°(৹˃̵﹏˂̵৹)°·๐
She's absent for school today. Everything feels so out of place. The space that used to occupy a small petite blonde bothers him. His view of Mr. Matthews is too clear. The usual mess of blonde hair isn't there to cover the front of his desk. Her elbow isn't resting on the surface. The situation feels abnormal to him.
He looks at the boy to his right, slumping in his chair with his face forward. "Farkle," he whispers. The gaunt brunet doesn't respond. "Farkle!" he hisses a little louder.
Farkle looks at him startled. "What do you want Freak?"
"Where's Maya?" he whispers, nodding at the vacant seat. "She's never absent."
His usual smirk appears on his face and he shrugs. "How am I supposed to know? I'm not her secretary." Lucas rolls his eyes and smiles a bit but a seed of worry is planted in his mind. If Farkle doesn't know where she is, something is definitely wrong. He tries to concentrate on the lesson but his eyes keep drifting at the desolate desk. His heart begins racing with fear. What if she's in trouble?
Lucas frowns at himself. Why does he care? It's not like she means anything to him. All she ever does is call him nettlesome nicknames and antagonize him. He should be glad she isn't here. Maybe the day would proceed to be less hectic. He might actually be able to take proper notes without her ravishing mane of blonde hair taunting him.
He nods to himself. Today is a miracle. He pulls out a plain piece of paper and concentrates on Mr. Matthew's words, taking thorough notes. His writing is neat and organized, something he isn't able to attain with her around. She messes with his head, his mind. But she isn't here. He can relax now.
It works at first.
But then he begins to grow restless. The silence is deafening and slowly, he began to tune out Mr. Matthews. He wants some kind of disruption. Something chaotic. Maybe a riot against homework that ends with the sprinklers drenching Farkle? He grins at the memory. He could remember the ambitious blonde glaring at the sprinklers. She still looked beautiful.
His smile drops.
Why can't he stop thinking about her? When she's here, she's all that's on his mind. When she isn't here, she's still all that's on his mind. What is it about her that consumes his mind? He can't figure it out.
Irritated with himself, he turns to her best friend.
"Riley, why isn't Maya here today?" he asks the pretty brunette who sits quietly in her seat, organizing her gel pens.
"She didn't feel well," she answers without taking her eyes off the pens. "She'll be here tomorrow." It's as if Maya's absence doesn't bother Riley. Or perhaps it bothers her so much she tries to conceal it. It definitely bothers Lucas and he doesn't bother to try and conceal it. A concern filled frown takes residence on his face the for the rest of the day.
Every seat in the room is occupied except for one. Lucas furrows his brow. She's absent again. Though still confused, he takes off his messenger bag and sits in his seat. He looks at Riley who continues to seem unaffected. She twirls her hair without much interest. Farkle slumps in his chair as usual but his eyes are concentrated on Riley. A half smile occupies his face, a longing look obvious in his eyes and Lucas smiles knowingly. The scene looks very familiar. Too familiar.
He waits for Mr. Matthews to arrive. When he notices Maya being absent for two days in a row, he'll definitely be concerned. He'll probably call home and find out what's wrong. Lucas would do it himself, he does know where Maya lives. But were they close enough for that? Last time he showed up at her window, he had Farkle with him. Farkle, her closest friend from childhood to this day. What is Lucas to Maya? He's only known her for how long, a year and a half? Showing up at her window would definitely be inappropriate. But then again, he has been through Riley's window many times. He wonders if it's the same.
"Maya Hart?" Mr. Matthews calls. He patiently looks at the open door. Lucas holds his breath and watches the door as well, hoping Maya would burst in with a late pass. Hoping she would see his worried face. Hoping she'd say, Aw, Ranger Rick was worried for me? I'm flattered. He hopes she bites her lip like she usually does. Like she usually does around him.
The only thing that comes through the door is a light breeze from the vent in the hall. Mr. Matthews purses his lips but doesn't look concerned. Lucas frowns. Why does it seem like he's the only one disturbed by her lack of presence?
A thought goes through his head. What if he really is the only one disturbed by her lack of presence? What if he's overreacting? He doesn't know Maya. Maybe this is a normal thing that he just hasn't witnessed before? He has only known her since last year. Maybe he didn't know her as well as he thinks he does.
Still, he taps Riley on the shoulder. She turns around, smiling at him brightly. "Yes Lucas?"
He, almost out of habit, smiles at her bubbly nature. "Is Maya that sick? She's not here again."
His smile drops when she looks at the ground.
"She's fine," she replies hesitantly. "You know, post cold symptoms." It's obvious she's lying. Riley's voice always raises to a higher pitch when she lies.
Lucas glowers but doesn't call Riley out on her lie. If she's lying, she must have a reason. But if Maya isn't sick, why's she not here?
Lucas suddenly misses her shit eating grin. Badly. But he pulls himself together and locks his fingers together. She'll be here tomorrow, he convinces himself. The thought helps ease his tense muscles and he begins to relax. But that doesn't stop him from thinking about her constantly throughout the day.
He covers his eyes as he enters the room. He mumbles under his breath, "Please be here," over and over again under his breath. Once he's next to the teacher's desk, he slowly unveils his eyes. Riley smiles at him and waves but he doesn't wave back. His eyes flit to the desk next to hers. He's met by silence. He grits his teeth. She's absent. Again. For the third time.
He goes up to Riley, a scowl plastered on his face. "Where is she?" he asks calmly. His voice is steady but make no mistake, he is nothing close to calm. He isn't worried anymore. Now, he's upset. And angry. He wants his friends to stop keeping him in the dark. It isn't fair and they have no right to do so.
"I-I told you," Riley stutters fearfully. The anger is evident in Lucas's flaring green orbs. His jaw is locked and his ears are red. "She's sick-"
"Riley!" he exclaims. "I don't want to hear this bullshit!" Farkle stands up immediately and lightly pushes Lucas back. He gives Lucas a knowing look and Lucas closes his eyes, taking a deep breath. After a moment, he looks at Riley less menacingly. "Don't lie to me Riley. Just tell me where she is. I can control myself."
Riley hesitates, averting her eyes constantly. "I don't know if it's my place to tell you Lucas." She bites her lip nervously.
He scoffs, throwing his hands in the air. "Of course!" he says bitterly. "It's because I don't know her as long as you do," he says. "Or as long as Farkle does," he nods at Farkle who then takes a step closer.
"Lucas, you know it's not that," he replies. "Maybe you just shouldn't touch this topic," he warns. "It's for the best."
Lucas's eyes widen and he glares at Farkle. "You know too?" He looks at Riley who looks away. "This isn't fair guys. If you don't tell me, that means I'm not really your friend. I'm an outsider who was never really your friend. More like a guy who just hangs around you guys." He stares at them patiently but they both avert their eyes.
He scoffs and is about to walk off when Farkle grabs him by the shoulder. "Lucas. You know you're not an outsider." He pulls Lucas back. "You know that's not true."
"Well I sure do feel like one," Lucas replies. "Like I'll never be apart of your little circle." He looks at Riley who looks at him helplessly. "Are you going to tell me or not?" Riley bites her lip and lowers her chin. Looking at the ground, she mumbles something inaudible. "What?" Lucas asks.
"Her father's in town!" Riley repeats as she looks at him straight in the eye. "Her father is in town. She's not here because her father's in town. Whenever her father comes, she skips school and hangs out in her room by herself. She doesn't like anyone around at those times." Riley looks like a huge burden lifts from her shoulders and she relaxes. Farkle sighs and sits back in his seat. "Are you happy now?"
Lucas stares at her quietly for a moment. Curling his fists, he walks out the door bumping into Mr. Matthews in the process. He doesn't bother to apologize. It's not what's important right now. Maya is what's important.
He hears Riley call after him from the classroom. He ignores her and continues walking until he exits the school.
Knock, knock. He stands in the fire escape outside her window. She recently added curtains so he can't see inside. But after a minute, he hears footsteps and suddenly, Maya's confused face pops up. She looks at him, a baffled expression plastered over her face. Huckleberry? she mouths.
He smiles. He missed being called that. He mouths, Open up. She continues to look at him with interest but nonetheless unlocks her window and closes the curtains. Lucas opens the window from the outside and climbs in. He's greeted by an explosion of papers. Drawings, sketches, paintings all covering the floor and Maya's bed like an ocean of art. Reds and greens, yellows and purples blended in perfect harmony. It's as if a unicorn threw up in her room. He looks up at Maya who sits at her bed, concentrating on a charcoal pencil drawing.
A smile tugs at his mouth. He had gotten her those pencils for Christmas. "Hey Short Stack," he grins playfully. She looks up at him and glares and he winks at her. "Why did we miss you at school these past days?"
"I've been busy," she answers without bothering to look up. "School isn't exactly my cup of tea anyway."
"Oh really?" he says sarcastically. "I hadn't noticed." A small smile appears on her face but she doesn't respond. He stands there awkwardly, unsure of what to do now. "Can I sit?" he asks.
"Sure," she replies and gestures to her bed. The entire bed is covered in papers and he isn't sure what to move. So instead, he crawls up on the bed and picks up her pencils. Taking the empty space where they once had been, he places them on his lap. She narrows her eyes at him, surprised by the sudden proximity but doesn't say anything. In fact, she picks up a blue pencil and continues drawing. A comfortable silence sets in.
Lucas stares at her focused face. Her beautiful crystal blue eyes follow every stroke her small hands make. The way she bites her lip and furrows her brow, trying to be careful and gentle. The light rosy tint to her cheeks, a natural trait. He smiles. She's beautiful.
Her eyes catch him staring and she stares back, smiling lightly. "What are you staring at Huckleberry?" she asks playfully.
Lucas doesn't reply, only smiling wider. He eyes her lovingly and she averts her eyes in embarrassment. He enjoys her discomfort. It's as if the tables have been turned.
"Shouldn't you be in school?" she asks in an attempt to change the conversation.
"Shouldn't you?" he challenges. He likes it when her pink lips turn into a smile.
"Touché," she replies. She continues drawing and he continues watching her. It's quiet again and Lucas realizes he's lying on his belly now, staring at her.
"If you must know," Lucas says after a moment. "I missed your pleasant presence at school," she rolls her eyes. "No one to set me straight and remind me where I'm from." She bites her lip to refrain from smiling. "It wasn't the same so I skipped."
She looks up at him, her eyes glittering even in the dimly lit room. "I guess I'll really have to start calling you 'Mad Dog' from now on huh?" They laugh at the silly name.
"I guess so," Lucas says in a flirty tone. They stare at each other a moment too long and they both feel each other leaning in closer. Lucas realizes this and for some reason, his heart begins to flutter. He continues to progress forward but she pauses. She looks scared and hesitant. Before she can pull away, Lucas cups her jaw and leans in, grazing her lips.
The sudden touch causes chills to run down both their spines. Lucas waits patiently, not wanting to force Maya into anything. Maya stares at him with wide eyes but she doesn't move away. Instead, she lets out a shaky breath and Lucas diminishes the gap. He kisses her gently and she, though reluctant at first, reciprocates it quickly. Her hand goes to the back of his neck, pulling him closer. He holds her by the jaw, kissing her slowly. Her hands run through his hair and he runs his tongue across her bottom lip. Almost immediately, Maya parts her lips deepening the kiss.
After a few seconds, they pull away and Maya goes back to her drawing composed. Red faced and slightly unbalanced but composed. Lucas looks at her caressingly and smiles at the pencils in his hand. "Maya?" he calls.
"Mmhm?" she replies, refusing to look at him and continuing to color.
"You know you can tell me anything right?" he asks hesitantly.
She looks at him funny. "Yeah?" she says with a hint of suspicion. "Why?"
He licks his lips and shakes his head, "No reason." She smiles at him and rests her head on his shoulder, her blonde hair ticking his ear.
"No reason at all."