Disclaimer: I do not own GMW.
Summary: What if they all made a "time capsule" before they entered high school with the promise to open it before college?
"Hey Peaches!" Riley called out as she walked into Maya's room. It was cluttered with boxes and Riley looked in them to find her best friend. She did find stuffed animals and other items that Maya had collected over the years. It looked like she was moving out, but Riley knew this was Maya's version of redoing the bay window.
"Riley?" Shaun walked in the room and noticed the tall brunette standing in the middle of the carpet looking a little confused.
"I'm looking for Maya, uncle Shaun. Do you know where she is? I thought we were going to go out together to shop for school."
"Ah." He said, nodding, "She's at the Art store up the street. Said something about needing a new sketchbook or the sky would fall."
Riley grinned as she remembered the time her father took their phones and Maya discovered her passion for art. Good memories. Then she gasped as she remembered something else. Something important.
"Uncle Shaun, where are the shovels?"
Shaun groaned, he too was remembering something that happened years ago. "We live in New York City, Riley, I don't own any shovels."
"But I need a shovel!" She exclaimed.
"For what, Honey?" Maya asked, walking through the bedroom door and putting a plastic bag down on her otherwise empty desk. Then it occurred to her what they would possibly need shovels for. "Oh! The box!"
"I don't want to know." Shaun declared as he walked out of the room shaking his head.
Riley looked at Maya and smiled, taking out her phone and typing furiously. "Okay…fifteen minutes?"
"That should be okay." Maya replied, grabbing her new sketchbook and sticking it into her messenger bag. The two left arm-in-arm and headed for central park.
"Riley, why did you tell me it was an emergency? I was out to dinner with my entire family." Lucas asked his girlfriend. She smiled sweetly, "I knew you wouldn't come otherwise."
"Well, yeah," Farkle inserted, "why would he leave food to come dig in the park?"
"Is this where we buried it?" Smackle asked, "We should have drawn a detailed map."
"I got it." Maya declared, walking around a tree. She stopped and turned, taking 4 steps from the tree and pausing, motioning to the ground beneath her.
"I'll dig." Lucas offered.
"Why can't we all dig?" Riley asked, hands on her hips.
"Because he has the upper body strength to do this quickly." Farkle interjected, and Riley looked around to see everyone nodding in agreement.
"Fine." She pouted, "Go ahead."
Lucas began to dig where Maya had indicated, and within a few minutes, a red box could be seen. The group dropped to their knees around the hole, and Farkle was the first to speak.
"Do you all remember what we put in here?"
Each person shook their head except Maya. She looked down at the ground and took a deep breath. She knew what she had put in the box, and was nervous about opening it now. She knew that opening the box and revealing their items would open a new box of worms.
"Let's do this!" Smackle says, and reaches over to lift the lid.
Inside were a number of items, and Riley was the first to pull out a subway ticket. She smiled softly, "This is the first time I rode the subway with Maya, and she pushed me onto Lucas' lap. It was when I was discovering my world. When I started making my own decisions and growing up."
Lucas went next, pulling out his transfer paperwork. "I wanted to remember when I moved here and met all of y'all. It was the start of a whole new life…one that was filled with the promise of a future."
Riley smiled at him as he wrapped an arm around her shoulders and pulled her close, kissing the top of her head. The couple leaned against the tree and watched as Farkle was next to reach in. He pulled out a headband.
"A turtleneck." Farkle stated.
"Why?" Smackle asked, looking at her boyfriend and pulling her knees to her chest.
"To remind me that all I need to be strong is my friends. That their opinion means more to me than any other person on the street." He smiled as her remembered the whole situation, and how it had made him feel.
"Me next!" Zay said, reaching in the box and pulling out his own item. It was a bracelet with initials on a silver plate. "Ah, Vanessa."
The group looked at him and he rocked back on his heels to sit, staring at the bracelet.
"We love you, Zay." Riley said, reaching out a hand and patting his knee. Maya mirrored her friends motions before watching Smackle take her turn.
"My letter from high school." She said, shaking her head. Smackle paused before continuing, "This is when my life really started. I started a new school and wanted to remember how you guys made me feel doing it."
"I love that we're friends." Riley said, looking at each of them.
"Maya hasn't gone." Lucas pointed out, making the girl in question groan.
Reaching in the box, Maya pulled out her own item – a small bag. Everyone looked at her as she opened it and started to pull out what was inside. The first item was a white piece of paper, and she smiled. "Josh's acceptance letter to NYU."
"Uncle Boing?" Smackle asked, "Why did you put that in?"
"It was the weekend I made my first step towards growing up." Maya said, looking at Riley.
"You told the truth about what we did. Josh decided he had to stop looking at you like a kid." She explained, as Maya reached in the bag for the next item.
Riley squealed as she recognized the next thing. "Texas!"
The cowboy hat charm twinkled in the sunlight, and Maya was the one to explain, "This was from when I wanted to know if Lucas was going to be good to my best friend. I wanted to remember how quickly my world had turned on it's head because a boy grabbed my face."
She grinned at Lucas, who tipped his imaginary hat at her before motioning towards the bag. "What else is in there?"
Maya pulled out a faded picture. "My mom and Shaun, on my birthday. I wished for a family, I wished for Shaun to be my family."
"And it happened." Farkle said, smiling at his friend and tugging Smackle closer to his side. She wrapped an arm around his back and also smiled.
"Yeah. It happened." Maya said, putting the picture down and reaching in for the last item. She pulled out a tiny game piece. This time it was Zay who chimed in, despite not being there for it.
"The long game!" He said, and Lucas looked over at him.
"We really do talk a lot, don't we?" Riley said for him, as the group nodded. Zay continued after agreeing with her, "That was from family game night, right? I remember Lucas telling me about that night. You told Riley's uncle that you were in it for the long game."
The group fell silent for a few minutes before Smackle asked, "Where is Uncle Boing now?"
It was Riley who answered, after having untangled herself from her boyfriend to go sit next to Maya. "He's going to be a senior this year. Working an internship at an architects office. He still comes over every once in awhile."
Farkle was the one to ask, "And the long game?"
Maya smiled sadly, "I don't think he's playing anymore. He stopped really coming over after Sophmore year. At least when I was there."
"He calls." Riley blurted out. Maya looked at her, surprised at the outburst.
"What?" Farkle asked.
"He calls." Riley repeated, sighing, "He calls my dad to make sure you aren't there before he comes over."
Maya stood up, taking a step backwards and staring at her best friend. Her best friend who apparently has been lying to her for two years.
Riley stood up too, her face contorted into a grimace. "I only know because I overheard their conversation one day when I was getting snacks."
"And?"
"And my dad checks with me to see if I'm expecting you."
"And?"
"And sometimes I've offered to meet you somewhere else so that you wouldn't be at the house." Riley looked pained and the rest of the group was staring at the two girls. Maya made the first move when she spun on her heel and walked away.
"Maya!" Riley called out, and Lucas stood up to grab her.
"Let her go, Riley. She needs some time." He said, wrapping his arms around his girlfriend and letting her drop her head into his chest.
Josh walked into the Matthews living room and spotted his brother in the kitchen.
"My brotha!" He said, crossing the room quickly.
"My brotha!" Cory responded, slapping the younger man on his back before looking around. "What's going on, family?"
Auggie barely looked up from his video game as he monotoned, "Good."
Josh chuckled and turned as Topanga walked in the kitchen. "Where's Riley at? I was hoping to see her. Maybe give her some advice for getting through the next few years."
Cory and Topanga looked at each other and were about to respond when the subject walked through the front door and stopped in front of her uncle. "You are horrible!"
"What did I do?" Josh asked in alarm, seeing her red face and tousled hair. "Are you okay?"
"No. Because my best friend isn't okay." Riley stated, watching her uncle as he frowned at her mention of Maya. "What did she do to you? You are the one who continued to shoot her down! You are the one who promised to play the long game and then you avoid her for two years?"
She was breathing heavily by the end of what she was saying, and Josh sat down at the table.
"Riley, you-" Cory was cut off by his daughter as she growled at him. "That is your uncle and you don't get to accuse him of anything. He gets to live his life however he wants."
"Why do you call before coming over? Why do you avoid Maya?" Riley asked him, "Why did you give up the long game?"
Josh seemed to search for words before he looked dumbfounded at his brother. Riley dropped something on the table behind him before storming down the hallway to her bedroom.
Turning around, Josh saw a small canvas bag and opened it. As Maya's items fell out, Cory and Topanga joined him. "My letter? How did she get this?"
"I'm pretty sure she stole it the same day you came here to open it." Topanga laughed, remembering the morning her brother-in-law traveled to open it.
"A game piece?" Josh questioned, before realization swept across his face. "Family game night. The long game."
"It looks like they opened their box." Cory said, smiling. He explained further for Josh, "The August before they began high school they buried a box to open before college. It looks like they did it today, and it must have brought up some buried feelings."
Josh looked at his hands before standing. "I have to go talk to her, don't I?"
"I doubt she's left her room. She might be expecting you, too." Topanga told him, watching as the young man walked towards her daughters room.
"Riley?" Josh knocked on her door and heard her tell him to come in.
"So…" He began, sitting on the window seat and looking at his grown-up niece. "I should explain what's going on, huh?"
"And it better be good." Riley demanded.
Josh sighed and fiddled with his jacket zipper, not wanting to say anything.
"I called because I didn't want to see Maya." He started, "I…I'm not sure what to say."
"Why did you stop coming over?" Riley asked.
"I didn't want to see Maya. After Zay asked me about…being okay with him keeping Maya company, I realized that as long as I was around for her to be around, she would avoid branching out to experience things. I wanted her to date and see what life is like when you're growing up. I didn't want to hold her back, and I felt that hanging out would keep her from wanting it." Josh explained, hoping it didn't sound as stupid as it did in his head.
"She didn't date anyway." Riley informed him, "She's always been waiting for you. I mean, yeah, she had a few dates. Dances, or the movies when Lucas and I were going. She's been my best friend and I've tried to get her to date someone, but she isn't interested. She's always had you in the back of her head. Especially because she hasn't seen you in so long, she just wonders about you."
Her uncle seemed to be speechless as he listened to her. Riley took that as a sign to continue and immediately asked her next question, "Did you forget about the long game?"
"I'm still in the long game." He protested, ignoring her look. "What? I am."
"No, you aren't. When is the last time you saw Maya?"
"At her art show. Right after graduation. Topanga's." Josh knew exactly when, and knew each previous time he saw the feisty blonde. "I've been around, Riley. I just don't let her know it."
"Why not?"
"For all the reasons I told you before."
Riley seemed to be thinking before she pulled out her phone to see the time. "Are you done hiding from her?"
"What?"
"Are you done? Are you ready to be with her? I need to know." Riley talked frantically, and he was struck dumb.
"Uh-"
"Either way, Uncle Josh, you need to talk to her. You need to let her know where you stand. Because right now, she's losing hope. You need to talk to her. Now!" Riley stood and began shoving her uncle towards the window insistently. "She's at Topanga's working!"
The window was shut and locked and Josh knew from experience that she was probably doing the same to the other entrances of the house. He sighed. He definitely wasn't ready for this.
Maya swept the table into her rag and groaned as she realized she still had 3 hours of her shift left and was already feeling the day. That stupid box had brought up all sorts of feelings that she didn't want to deal with.
The bell over the door rang to indicate a customer and Maya dropped the crumbs into a bus bucket before turning around. "What can I get yo-"
Josh was standing in the doorway, looking terrified.
"Wow, uncle boing," Maya laughed, trying to ignore her racing heart, "you look scared to be in a coffee shop."
Maya had an idea that this was Riley's doing, and she made a mental note to strangle her best friend later. He looked better than he did two years ago. A dark blue beanie covered his unkempt hair and the trim leather jacket seemed to be tighter around his arms. His eyes were the same deep color, though now they darted about with nervous energy.
"I won't bite, you know." Maya told him, walking behind the counter and beginning to make his drink, a strong light coffee with an extra shot of expresso. She was still in a bit of shook over seeing him after so long. It had been too long. She missed him. Her heart slowed to a steady beat that it only did around him, where his presence alone calmed her.
"Listen, Riley-" Josh began to speak, but paused and Maya jumped in.
"Riley tries to fix everything. She doesn't think there's anything out there that won't work out the way she wants it to." Maya rolled her eyes while speaking and making his drink, and he was a little impressed with her ability to do so many things and express so many emotions all at once.
"But I came." He said, "I don't want to leave you in the dark. I didn't know what effect my actions would have on you. After Zay – after Zay asked me about spending time with you, I started to realize that the more I hung around, the more I was in the middle of anything you might get involved with. I didn't want to be the reason you didn't try to make a relationship work."
"Josh, are you serious? You are the guy that I matched every other guy to. You were the first person on my mind with each sunrise I witnessed and it was your face I saw echoed in the stars every night. I drew a million sketches of you because I didn't want to forget." Maya pounded her fist on the counter before angrily wiping down the coffee machine. She was glad she was hiding behind the counter, because it kept her from jumping on him in a way reminiscent of her 14-year-ld self.
It seemed for a few minutes that they were stuck in limbo. Neither was very sure what they wanted from the other. Josh only knew that he didn't want Maya to hate him, and she was just wishing she had called out and stayed home.
"I don't know…I'm sorry, Maya. I made a decision about you without talking about it with you first. I'm really sorry. I can't begin to tell you how much I missed you all this time. I was trying to do right by you, I wanted to be adult and I didn't want to get in your way. I wanted to give you space without being around you. It was hard to be around you."
Maya froze. She heard him and understood what he was really saying. He cared about her – he liked her – he didn't want to be around her because he felt he couldn't be with her. Her anger spiked, he left her waiting for all this time over something so petty and stupid?
She spun around to face him and saw the way his body was tense, the lines of his body intense and slender. In her artists eye, she mentally saved this image so she could try to capture it on paper. One hand was gripping the counter while the other was running through his hair.
"Why – why now, Josh?" Maya finally asked, "Why are you telling me all this now? Why couldn't you have told me before?"
"Well, Riley told me that you were…going through some stuff because of what I've done. I didn't want this to…be this way." Josh said, sitting at the counter stool and looking the blonde in the eyes. She took a step closer and put her palms on the counter opposite of him.
"So…what is this? Where do we go from here?" Maya asked him softly, unsure about the answer. Josh looked for a hint in her eyes, failing to find anything that gave him hope. She was guarded.
"Well." Josh began, "I think I am very overdue for a night out. And I would be honored if you would join me."
Maya felt a shock run through her body. She dreamed about this for years, she had a million talks with Riley about this very man. "Are you asking me out, uncle Boing?"
"I'm not your uncle, Maya." Josh grinned.
"Even better." She said, leaning on the counter and watching him closely as he formed his next thought.
"I'm sorry I took so long to meet you here. Game over?"
Maya grinned, "Game over. So when are you taking me out?"
Riley sat on her bed, reading a novel on the suggested reading list and eating m&ms. When Maya poked her head in the doorway, her only surprise element was coming through the house rather than the window. But then, she was alone when she arrived.
"Honey?"
"Peaches?" Riley brightened as she turned towards the window, frowning when she doesn't see her best friends hair filling the frame. "Where are you?"
"Door, baby." She shut it behind her and flopped on the bed, sighing up at the ceiling.
"So…" Riley began, "Is this a bay window moment?"
"Yes, I do believe so." Maya quipped as she slid off the bed and skipped across the room. Her butt hit the seat as Riley launched herself into Maya and giggled.
"So…" Riley started again, "Did we have a visitor?"
Maya smiled coyly but stayed silent, watching as her best friend was trying to be happy and concerned all at the same time until she discovered exactly which emotion she should be feeling.
"Did the visit go well?" She was determined to see this through.
"Did we finish playing?" Her mind reading is better than usual.
"Did we arrange a date?" And bingo. Maya's smile got only bigger and she started to giggle as Riley began to bounce.
Riley seemed to explode, "Where are you going? What was said? How was his demeanor? Did you kiss? Did he hug you? I want all the details!"
"Well," Maya started, "Sparknotes is that we yelled at each other and then came to a sort of understanding. And he was that he was "overdue for a night out. And would be honored if I would join him. And I didn't answer so he apologized for taking so long and declared game over."
"I feel like we should dig out the game and press the long time timer." Riley laughed, thinking about how it was buried In a closet somewhere, the family having moved on to another game. Then she thought of something else. "You will not be my aunt!"
Maya only grinned as she pulled her phone out and sent a message to Josh that she had told Riley and she was generally happy for them.
"So where are you going?" The brunette asked, before folding her legs underneath her and tugging her shirt out. "Where is he taking you?"
"I don't know." Maya admitted, "He just asked when my next day off was and then brushed me off when I tried to find out."
Riley squealed, "Oh my god. That's so cute. What are you going to wear?"
"Well, my leather jacket, my black spiderweb leggings, and my whitewash jean skirt. My knee-high black leather boots and wear my hair in a half down, half messy bun with pencils. I saw a video online of how to tie up your hair with them and I actually got pretty good at it."
Riley seemed satisfied with the answer and smiled once more, sticking one arm through Maya's and laying her head on the small girls shoulder. "I love us. I love you. I'm happy you and…Josh are going out. I'm glad you may get your very own happy ending."
Maya's lips twitched and she attempted to smile even as she was suddenly plagued with self-doubt. She doesn't get happy endings, and very little works out for her. The last time she had hope, she was Riley and that didn't work out well.
"Um. No, Honey. I don't think that's true." She protested, drawing her knees up to her chin and hugging them tightly.
"Wow you're needy." Riley said, "I'm going to get you coffee. Be right back. Just relax in the bay window."
Maya leaned her head against the window frame and stared out at the city skyline while the lights and stars competed to show. She closed her eyes and thought about how Josh made her feel, how she was so happy to know his quirks and the little things that she loved.
"Hey." A deep voice interrupted her train of thought and she turned her head, not understanding why Riley sounded like Josh. Except it was him and Maya found herself gaping like a fish.
"Are you really in here?" Maya asked Josh, whispering in the sanctity of the bay window at night. She thought they were holding out on telling the family, but how would they explain him seeking her out in Riley's bedroom.
"Yeah." He chuckled, "Riley texted me to say I was going to the bathroom and then ducked in there herself to video chat Lucas."
Maya realized why her friend had been fiddling with her phone and had suspected that she was telling Lucas. "Ah, I see."
"I don't want to do this.;" Josh said, "I can't do this."
Maya knew instantly what he was talking about. If they were going to give this- whatever this was- a shot, they had to let everyone in on it. They family and Maya were too close to keep something like this a secret for long, so they might as well deal with their obsessiveness now rather than their anger later. Maya was sure Josh was sweating buckets in the other room with his brother, who could occasionally be very dramatic and tricky, not to mention suddenly psychic.
"I know." She finally said, "I don't want to hide it, either. I'm really proud and excited because I've wanted this so long, and I'm sure that someone is going to realize how off I am. Pride and excitement are not things that Maya Hart does."
"What about Maya Hunter Matthews Hart?" Josh said seriously. "You have so many people around you who love you and care about what you go through. Feel blessed that you have that, because not many people do."
"Technically, I was a Matthews before I was Hunter. But I know what you're saying. Shaun and Cory are ridiculous, Cory and Topanga are the perfect love story, and Eric is somehow insane and really smart at the same time." Maya said with a grin, "I love this family. I love your parents for giving you all life so you could be a part of mine. I love you for fighting and surviving all that time ago, because I know you're more of a lover than a fighter."
Josh blushed as Maya revealed just how much she pays attention to his family, how closely she knew them. "Okay, I'm going to leave now, so that you and Riley can be girly some more, but I'm going to go out there and tell my brother about this gorgeous specimen I'm taking out tomorrow night."
It was Maya's turn to blush as he slipped from the room, leaving the door open a crack. Riley came bounding through a moment later, slamming the door behind her and flying to the window. Her eyes told Maya that she wanted more details, but she would have to pry them from her. For now, they were still HER moments and she wanted to keep that close just a little longer.