Before;
"Maya!" Riley screamed, unable to believe she was really having this fight with Maya. "Riley, you can't say to my face that we have been spending time together. I know you have a boyfriend now, but when I told him to choose you, I didn't think I was telling Lucas to take my best friend from me." Maya said quickly, Riley and she hadn't seen each other for awhile now, a few days. Because Riley was always busy with Lucas. Maya had almost no one else, she was always with Riley, they were best friends. "Thunder," Riley said, putting her hand. Maya looked heartbroken, she couldn't say it. Lightning, her stomach made a pit and her heart landed in it. "Thunder," Riley repeated. Maya climbed out the window. Leaving Riley with tears starting to come to her eyes.
Now;
Maya was sitting on the subway, going home from Riley's. She sat leaning over her hands, that was leaning on her legs. "Bad day?" A familiar deep voice said to her. Usually, Joshua Mathews could make her go crazy, but not when she and Riley were fighting. Maya looked up, he was leaning against a pole looking at her, concern etched on his face. Memories flooded back to her, The Ski Lodge, her mind whispered to her. "I like you, too," Josh said.
Maya offered a weak smile, "What are you doing here?" He sat down next to her, his scent making her lean back to make eyes contact. "I'm visiting Cory and Topanga, Family Game Night. What's going on, Maya?" Family Game Night, she forgot, that was why she was there in the first place, but then started the fight. She debated telling Josh, involving him in the mess of their relationships with Lucas. "Just girl stuff," Maya tried to play it off as a joke. Then she realized, how Josh never looked away from her when she was speaking or they were in a conversation. It brought a flutter to her heart to know he always paid attention.
"Riley's always with Lucas, she can't even come to the bay window anymore." Josh raised her brows in disbelief. "Wait, her and Lucas are dating?" Maya nodded her head, making a straight line with her lips. "Then don't you think it's normal for you not to see her a couple hours?" Maya looked at his serious face. "Days. Five days, no bay window, no Rileytown for Mayaville." Josh straightened when he saw how serious Maya was about Rileytown. "I kinda miss it," she faked a smile.
Josh took Maya under his arm into a hug, she just closed her eyes tightly, waiting for all this to be some bad dream. The triangle never happened, Riley was never torn from Maya and all this drama never happened. That would be a miracle. Sadly, life isn't a fairy tale for Maya Hart. The doors opened, this would be Josh's exit to make it to the Mathew's. But he stayed planted next to Maya, only giving the opening doors a glance.
Maya looked confused, "Aren't you going to the Mathew's?" He looked at her with a smile, "I think I'll help out a friend first." A few people walked out, a few in, and Josh stayed with Maya. She smiled at him, thankful one of Mathew's family didn't want to be away from her disordered life. "So, you drawing anything new yet?" He tried to spark the conversation, bringing up art was the sure way to Maya's heart, not that he wasn't already in her Dungeon Of Sadness. Maya smiled, "What are you talking about?"
"What? You can pay attention to me, but I can't pay attention to you?" He smiled at her, and she gave him a toothy grin. Josh noted how Maya's face lit up when she spoke about art, just another thing to like. Maya noted how Josh watched her like he wanted to know, exactly what made her speak with a big smirk. Then, they were at another stop, and Maya decided she needed a drink from a vending machine. She went to go get one, leaving Josh on the seat, waiting for her. Maya got herself some Lay's Original Chips and was walking back to the train when a boy caught her attention.
He kept looking at her with a raised brow, and being Maya Hart, she walked over. "What are you looking at?" He looked up at her, "A train." Maya looked him up and down in inspection, she didn't find him that attractive. But, Josh was waiting for her, so she started walking when the boy said something else. "Who happens to have a beautiful girl on it." He was grinning at her, and she narrowed her eyes at him, after slightly blushing for a second. "Thanks, Cheese-boy, but I think I'll be on my way." After all, he was eating a cheese sandwich, she knew that much. "What's the rush?" He asked, trying to get her to stop. Maya turned around to face him one more time, "You got something interesting for me to see?"
"I got two tickets to a movie," he said, clearly suggesting they go together. "What movie?" Maya asked, nodding to the tickets now in his hands. "Spy On a Date. Adventure, romance, all in one. Wanna go?" Maya raised a brow, feeling an arm go over her shoulder. "We have somewhere to be, but thanks," Josh spoke, and Maya grinned slightly. "Who are you?" The boy asked him, Josh made no reaction, keeping his smirk going and his arm around Maya. For a little while, she forgot about her problems with Riley. "Uncle Boing, you?" Maya's face lit up and she grinned, looking at Josh who looked at her and smiled at her reaction to the name.
"'Uncle Boing'?" Cheese-boy said with a look that said they were stupid. "Yeah, you got a problem with that, huh, Cheese-boy?" Maya snapped, watching the boy go frightened. "Nope, no problem at all, keep going." Maya grinned, putting her arm around Josh to make them stick closer, he rolled his eyes but she ignored it. He was still smiling, watching her reaction- so, her big smile. "So, Uncle Boing, where are we going? The train? Movies?" Maya was excited, mostly because it was with Josh.
"Family Game Night." Her smile faded, she took her arm away from Uncle Boing and walked to the wall. Josh wasn't smiling either, he followed her, putting his shoulder on Maya as she watched her reflection in the vending machine. Watching the frown on her face, the fear of facing Riley in her eyes. The hurt that she'd caused herself by hurting Riley. "It's time," Josh said. His voice soothed her, making her nod quietly. "You'll be there right?"
"Of course, Gorgeous," Josh said, calling her his very occasional nickname. Maya looked down as they walked back to the train, Cheese-boy called out to her. "See ya, Beautiful," he said it with a smile on his face and Maya had to whack it off. She put your hand out to cover his face from her view, "Please, Cheese-boy, I'm with Uncle Boing." Josh smiled at her joke as they walked back onto the train, heading for the Mathew's.
She was surprised to see the game unfolded, unplayed, boxed on the coffee table. And the family sitting in the kitchen, as if waiting for them. Mr. Mathews looked overjoyed at their arrival. "Yay! They're here, we can play!" He ran to the coffee table and started setting the game board out. Maya watched him confusingly, "Huh?"
"Riley wouldn't let us play without you, and Cory wouldn't let us play without Josh," Topanga explained. As if on cue, Cory let the first one out. "My brother!"
"My brother!" Josh still had his arm hooked on her shoulder, the side opposite of him, his hand practically hooking around her entire body. If Riley wasn't walking to stand right in front of her, she might have been giddy like all the other times. Come on, who doesn't Uncle Boing have that effect on? No one. Exactly! "Maya."
"Riley."
"I promised to be with you. I failed. You're my sister, can you forgive me? Thunder?"
"You didn't fail, Riles, maybe I could have spoken up with speaking up. Lightning." Maya held her hand up to high five Riley's. They hugged tightly and were interrupted by Auggie screaming. "Josh is on my team!" Maya ran over to them, grabbing Josh by the hand and pulling him to sit by her. "Mine!" Auggie backed his head, looking shocked. "Gosh, woman, he's already your husband!" Maya smiled, showing the dimples Josh knew he loved, making that sound of a closed-mouth chuckle. "I know," Maya said. She looked at Josh and poked her finger on his forehead. "Boing!" Josh sighed, but he was grinning, "Uncle Boing."
"And my husband, forever."
Then, Topanga being Topanga and awesome at noticing Josh's weird behavior. "Josh, why was your arm around Maya?" Maya's face lit up in enjoyment again, slowly turning to him again. He sat there, wide-eyed and looking at Topanga, his cheeks changing into a light red.
He jumped over a seat, sitting by Auggie. "Yay!" The child screamed. Maya frowned, "Husband!" Josh raised his eyebrows, "Stop embarrassing me!" Maya repeated her yell, "Husband!" Josh looked down at Auggie, "You mind?"
"Ava's my wife, 60 years, so I have to tell you good luck." Maya smiled as Auggie shoved him over by her, "You're the one who called yourself Uncle Boing, and that means mine."
"I never said I was yours!"
"Game time!" Mr. Mathews yelled, setting it out.
