prologue
When Maya was seventeen years old she snuck out of her house to go to a party after a messy break up with Lucas Friar. She was heartbroken and didn't think anyone would ever be able to make her feel better. They had split up after arguing over what to do on that Friday night. Maya had wanted to stay in and paint, while Lucas wanted to go to the football game.
That small argument turned into them questioning if they were even right for each other anymore. They had been dating since they were fourteen, but it felt like they were constantly arguing these days. It was like they were in a totally different headspace, and Maya hated feeling like she was the only one fighting for the relationship.
She was the one to decide that it was time to break up. She tried her hardest to act like it was fine, and that they would still be friends.
But everyone knows that you can't be friends with someone that you once loved (and still did).
The night of the break up Billy Ross was having a party in his massive apartment that he lived in alone (his parents were basically only home once a month to give him money and make sure he hadn't been put in jail). Maya hadn't been to one of Billy's parties in a while and she was pretty sure she didn't even know how to fit in with people anymore.
She had spent all of her time being in the ultimate couple friend group with Riley, Farkle, Zay, Smackle, and Lucas. They did everything together and would usually end up having group dates on Friday nights instead of going to Billy's parties.
The party was everything Maya expected it to be. She ended up sitting in a corner for the first hour of the party under a cloud of weed while she sipped on a stale can of Natty Ice. It wasn't ideal, but she was sad and she just wanted to get out of her head for the night. After an hour had passed she was joined by Charlie Gardner, who complained about how loud the music was and tried to make small talk with her.
He was boring her to death when Lucas walked into the apartment. Maya panicked and in her drunken haze she climbed ontop of Charlie and started to make out with him. Charlie was confused and incredibly drunk, but he didn't mind making out with one of the hottest girls in the eleventh grade.
The make out session turned into them finding a room and sleeping together.
Before Charlie woke up the next morning, Maya threw her clothes on and ran out of Billy's apartment and decided that she was never going to talk about what happened again.
Unfortunately for her, that night followed her and two months later she found out that she was pregnant.
Rumors went around the school and it spread like wildfire. By two o'clock she had gotten a message from Lucas to meet her at the football field under the bleachers.
Reluctantly, Maya made her way to the meeting spot. She had her hair tied up in a messy bun and was wearing a blue dress to cover up the fact that she had been gaining a little bit of weight in her abdominal area.
She got there a little bit before Lucas did and was waiting nervously for him when she heard his voice.
"Maya? Is it true?" Lucas stepped into the area with concern over his face. Maya wanted to throw up, partly because of the baby and partly because this was their first conversation since the break up.
Maya sighed and nodded slowly, watching his reaction.
"Yes."
Lucas sighed, stepping towards her and reaching out to put his hand on her shoulder. "We can handle this, it'll be okay." He started to pull he in to his chest and she tensed up, pulling away slightly.
Maya took a deep breath, her eyes finding his. "Lucas, it isn't yours. At least, I don't think it is.. I slept with someone weeks after I slept with you. And the doctor says I'm about two months along... Which is about when it happened..."
He frowned, stepping back a little bit, "Who was it?"
Maya shook her head, "I don't remember. Just someone that I met at a party.. A one night thing.." She lied.
Maya knew that it was Charlie. She also knew that if Charlie found out that the baby was his, he would put everything he had ever wanted on the back burner to make sure that Maya and the baby were taken care of. Maya didn't want to do that to him. She didn't want her selfishness to get in the way of the future that Charlie wanted for himself. He had just got accepted into Brown University and she knew that he wouldn't go because of her and this baby.
"Maya.. People are going to talk. If they find out it isn't mine they're going to say horrible things about you... I think we should just tell them it's mine." Lucas pulled her in to his arms, holding onto her tightly.
Maya wanted to kick herself. By protecting Charlie she was now ruining Lucas' chance at a life. She shook her head, frowning at him. "No. I'm not going to let you sacrifice your future for my mistake, Lucas."
"I want to be there for you, Maya, I love you."
Those words burned her ears and made her feel like she was going to pass out. She felt like she needed to get out of there quickly before she said something stupid and ruined Lucas' life forever. The burden of her mistake was tucked away nicely inside of her stomach and she felt like no matter what she did, someone was going to end up sacrificing themselves for her.
She pushed out of his arms, shaking her head, "No. Stop. I'm not going to let you do this. If people are going to talk about me then let them talk about me. But you're not the one who made this mistake, Luke. You're not the one who needs to own up and take responsibility for it." Maya reached up and put her hand on his cheek, rubbing it with her thumb. "You're such a good guy, you know that?"
Lucas leaned into her hand, smiling at her, "I'll always protect you, Maya."
She thought she was going to cry. She was immediately cursing the pregnancy hormones for making her feel like this, because it had to be the reason for the tears falling down her cheeks. Maya let out a choked laugh and sniffed a little bit, smiling at him. "This is getting really corny, you know? Maybe we should get out of here. I'm starting to feel like a cliche in a teen romance movie."
Maya pulled her hand away from Lucas' and kissed him on the cheek. She didn't know what she was going to do, but she did know that whatever it was.. She was going to have a great support system. The situation wasn't ideal, and her mom wasn't exactly pleased that her daughter was going to be having a child so soon.. But she and Shawn both stuck by Maya. They always stuck by her.
"Have you told Riley yet?" Lucas' voice pulled her out of her thoughts as the two of them walked towards the main building, hand in hand.
Maya shook her head, frowning a little. She hadn't exactly figured out how to tell Riley yet. She didn't think Riley would be mad at her, but she knew the girl would panic a little bit and Maya didn't know if she could handle Riley panicking on top of her own head spinning in endless circles.
"No. But I probably should before she finds out from Missy Bradford or someone else... Do you think she's going to be mad at me?" Maya frowned, leaning into Lucas a little as they walked slowly. She knew that this moment with him was a tiny one, and that she couldn't stay in this little bubble with him forever. But she walked slow anyways to make sure that it lasted a while.
"I don't think so.. I think she will protect you fiercely. That's what drew me to the two of you in the first place... How much you two would do to make sure the other is protected. It reminded me of Zay and I." Lucas smiled down at her, nudging her a little bit.
Maya laughed softly and bit her lip as she thought about that day on the Subway when they were kids. She couldn't believe how different things were now compared to then. It was crazy to think about all of the things the group of them had gone through since that day. "Oh yeah ? Who am I in this situation? You or Zay?"
Lucas gave her that Maya grin that he only used for her. The one where his nose scrunched up and he looked like a little puppy. Maya found herself wishing the child that she was carrying was his just so it could have that same little scrunched up nose smile. "Mostly Zay with a little bit of me.. Because you'd do anything to protect Riley."
They walked into the school and she pulled him towards the lockers ignoring the stares from others in the hall. "So is Riley you? I guess that would explain why I love you so much. Because I love her."
"Ahhh It makes so much sense now," Lucas laughed as he leaned against Maya's locker and she cuddled into him. "Speaking of Riley, here she comes." He nodded towards the other girl who was barreling down the hallway with a determined look on her face. For a split second Maya was actually nervous. More nervous than she had been an hour ago when she was talking to Lucas. Because telling Riley finalized things. It meant that this human growing inside of her was a reality and she didn't know if she was ready to face it yet.
Riley looked at the two of them with a confused look on her face, then adverted her eyes to Lucas. "Is it true? Also... What is this? You two are broken up, right?" She had her hands crossed over her chest and her hair was falling infront of her face.
Maya was the first to speak up, "We're just having a moment... I'm not really sure what it all means yet but it's needed." She avoided the first question, but she knew that Riley wasn't going to give it up any time soon.
The brunette girl stepped towards the two of them and Maya stepped away from Lucas, giving him an apologetic look. Lucas was pinned between Riley and the lockers and he had a look on his face that screamed for help. If it had been any other situation Maya would've started laughing and pulled out her phone to take a picture.
"Lucas. Maya. I need to know. Are the rumors true? Are you two having a baby?"
Riley looked at the two of them, trying to figure out which one was going to break first.
It was Maya who spoke before Lucas. "It's true. I was about to tell you... But Riley, it isn't Lucas' baby. I don't know who the father is." She lied. It was easier to lie than to rat out Charlie. Especially when Charlie couldn't even remember sleeping with her to begin with.
Riley turned to Maya and grabbed her in a hug, "Oh Peaches! It's going to be okay! We have this. I'm going to help you raise it and if anyone asks.. It's my baby too!"
The shorter girl laughed as she hugged her best friend tightly. "Riles, it doesn't work that way. You need a guy to have a baby and if you haven't noticed... neither of us are guys."
"I mean like.. We are all going to raise it! I'm obviously not stupid Peaches, I make all A's"
"Except that one time in Spanish" Maya said softly, with another laugh and Riley scrunched her face up in a frown, sticking her tongue out.
Lucas, who had been watching the entire thing with his mouth shut finally decided it was time for him to speak. "So, what are we going to do with the rumors?"
The blonde pondered for a second before walking over to the bench in the middle of the hallway and climbing on top of it. "HEY EVERYONE," She shouted and immediately people starting pulling their phones out. "The rumors are true. I am pregnant. Before you idiots start trying to figure out who the dad is, it isn't Lucas. It's someone that I met over fall break after Lucas and I broke up. It was a one time thing. I don't regret it and if you have anything to say, say it to my face. Not behind my back like a coward... Ok that's all. Now get to class, losers." Maya hopped off of the bench and the crowed erupted into cheers for her. On the other side of the hall Lucas was giving her the biggest smile in the world and Riley had tears in her eyes.
It was that moment that she realized that everything was going to be alright. As long as she had her support system she and her little baby were unstoppable.
