Northern Constellations
Summary: Explore a year in the life of Joshua Matthews and Maya Hart as they discover the wonders and woes of young parenthood. Joshaya. Post-S3.
Prologue
If you were to ask Maya Hart about what happened on the night of January seventh, she wouldn't even know where to begin. In between failed attempts at submitting an overdue assignment for world history and procrastinating beneath the stars, her sanity was put to the test. At the time, Maya had been absolutely certain that a life without her best friend wouldn't be a life worth living. It was sad, tragic even, to think about how the world that they had built together could come crashing down at any moment.
When she first found out about the promotion, her first instinct had been to console her best friend, but she soon came to realize that Riley was not the only one seeking comfort. Her second instinct had been to reach out to Josh. He truly understood how she felt and did so much more than sympathize. At first, it had all been so innocent. They talked until the sun fell, laughed until they cried, and it almost felt too good to be true.
As their night progressed, seconds became minutes, and minutes turned into hours. They lost track of time as they lost themselves in conversation. Josh couldn't help but remark that it was an awful coincidence. By the time they decided to part ways, it was already well past midnight. The constellations were out but barely visible in the city that never sleeps.
Maya decided to offer her room for the night under one condition: her parents couldn't know. Shawn and Katy respected her freedom, but allowing an overnight guest of the opposite sex without permission would be crossing the line. Although her offer had been tempting, Josh politely declined. At eighteen, he considered himself to be a respectable young adult, so staying the night wouldn't reflect very well on his character. Maya was, after all, barely sixteen.
Their feelings were mutual, but nearly three years stood between them, occupying the space devoid of their affection. It was a tempestuous reminder of what they couldn't have, at least for the time being. Both parties were stuck in different stages of life, maturing on their own time. The last thing Josh wanted the guilt of taking away her innocence. It was bad enough that their chemistry was as startling and fizzy as a sprinkle of pop rocks dancing across his tongue.
Unfortunately for Josh, Maya felt it too. She wanted him, she wanted whatever he had to offer, whether it be a shoulder to cry on or a lengthy discussion about the birth of grunge. She didn't care. She just didn't want the night to end. It was perfectly imperfect, an oxymoron affair, if she could even refer to it as such.
Slowly but surely, everything seemed to fall into place as their lips met for the first time. It wasn't the best kiss, but the fervor between them seemed to ignite wildfires.
He made the decision to stay, and after the family meeting the following evening, their moment and all of its impending consequences had been left untouched by reality.
Chapter One
Maya had been in the middle of a lecture when she felt her stomach churn. She shot up, completely disregarding yet another socratic seminar and fled the room in fear of blowing chunks in front of her peers. She was sick, and it wasn't much of a secret, but she tried her very best to keep all of the details hidden behind closed bathroom stalls. Over the past few weeks, she had grown accustomed to her bouts of nausea. She emptied her stomach like clockwork, and it was truly a sight to behold.
Without hesitation, the blonde beauty made a mad dash for the door, and in a matter of moments, she found herself hunched over a porcelain seat. She had spent the past four weeks in the same position...face first into a toilet or waste bin, mindlessly emptying her stomach of excess bile, leftover meals or nothing at all. When her nausea finally passed, she backed away from the toilet, bare knees rubbing against the filthy tiling below. She wanted to leave, but she couldn't quite bring herself to stand up. Not yet anyways.
She reached for her cellphone, but before she could retrieve it from her back pocket, the restroom door opened and closed with an echoing thud. Maya sighed, hoping that whoever it was could endure the putrid scent of vomit and ammonia that overwhelmed the lavatory. Maya was nose-blind to her own stench, but she was certain that it wasn't pleasant.
"Peaches?" Riley called, her soft voice radiating off of the walls. Maya thanked the heavens that their teacher understood that they were a package deal. "Peaches, I know you're in here. Where'd you go?"
"Fourth stall on the left," Maya answered hesitantly, sounding much weaker than she had intended. Her throat felt dry and she was in dire need of something to quench her thirst, and even though she hadn't been able to keep down any real food in days, she suddenly felt a bit famished.
As soon as her best friend turned the corner, Maya reached an arm across the seat to flush the toilet of its rancid contents. She let herself rest there for a moment, her body draped over the seat as if it were a pillow. Riley entered the small cubicle shortly after, her mouth gaping at the sight of the sickly blonde. It was so gross, but she knew that it couldn't be helped.
Impulsively, the brunette dropped to her knees to assist her honorary sister. With both of her hands, Riley gathered her best friend's unruly hair to secure at the back of her head in a simple knot, her heart nearly breaking in the process. Maya was typically so headstrong, stubborn and independent. Seeing her so helpless felt like a punch to the gut. They had been through so much this year, and it was only March.
"I've come bearing gifts," Riley chirped, attempting to lighten the mood. She placed a comforting hand on her best friend's back and reached into her purse with the other. "I bought you a bottle of water from the vending machine on the way here. I know you'd rather have juice, sorry, but I only had seventy-five cents."
Maya sat up straight, taking a mental note to bring extra change in the morning. She looked at Riley as if she were an angel sent from above and forced her mouth to curve upward into a smile. Consequently, Riley didn't stop there. "And because you have the best best friends in the whole entire world, I also brought Lucas' jacket, a protein bar from Zay, Smackle's emergency midol and an unwrapped stick of gum."
"Thank you," Maya mouthed, her eyes lighting up as she heard the word gum slip from her best friend's lips. Without warning, she snatched the little stick of cinnamon glory from Riley's hand, earning a faint laugh from the quirky brunette. She popped it in her mouth and began to chew. "I love you. I love you so much, Riles."
"I love you more," Riley replied, momentarily flashing a smile, both toothy and adorable. Riley was Maya's personal ray of sunshine. She could brighten anyone's day in record time. "Now lets get you all cleaned up before the girls start piling in."
At Abigail Adams, Mondays weren't just Mondays. They were break-up Mondays. Riley and Maya had always served as witnesses to the atrocities that took place behind these very walls. They paid close attention to all of the weeping girls as if they were engaged in an episode of The Red Planet Diaries. It was interesting, needless to say, but with so much estrogen running rampant, the blonde wanted out.
"Oh no," Maya groaned, nearly swallowing her gum in the process. The flavor was already beginning to fade and she scolded herself for not coming prepared. "You gotta get me out of here."
As if it were on cue, the two girls stood up and began to straighten themselves out. As soon as they exited the stuffy stall, Maya slipped on Lucas' jacket with ease, zipping it from the base to its collar. Riley watched from a distance, setting the rest of her creature comforts on the vacant counter top by the sinks.
"I feel like a hot mess," Maya complained, turning on one of the faucets to wash her hands and rinse her mouth with warm water, disposing of her gum for good. The tap water from the sink had a faintly metallic aftertaste, but she didn't mind. Something was better than nothing. When she finished, she leaned into her reflection in the mirror, immediately disgusted. "I even look like a hot mess."
"It's not like that matters," Riley advised, gripping onto Maya's shoulders. She looked up at the mirror, taking note of the obvious differences between the two. Maya was her perfect contrast; blonde, bold, blue eyed and beautiful. Even after puking her guts out in a public restroom, she still looked ruggedly gorgeous. "You're still the most beautiful girl I know, puke breath and all."
"You know what?" Maya asked herself, examining her hair. She fidgeted with her bun, and for the very first time in over an hour, she laughed. "I'll take that as a compliment. You have anything to fix this funk?"
"Well," Riley trailed off, digging around for the travel sized bottle of Pretty as a Peach fragrance mist that she kept at the bottom of her bag. "With a little spritz here and a little spritz there, you'll be back to normal in no time, Peaches."
"You're such a dork," Maya shook her head, playfully rolling her eyes at her best friend's theatrics.
"I'm your dork," Riley corrected, uncapping the tiny bottle. After spraying a little too much fragrance mist, she held it as if it were a gun and blew the top. "Hey Maya, I sent Uncle Shawn a text when you ran out of class. He should be on his way to pick you up soon. I hope that's okay."
"It's fine," Maya nodded, wrapping her hands around the water bottle Riley purchased on her way to the restroom. Her hands fumbled with the cap, and as soon as she twisted it off, she took a long awaited swing. "I was going to call home anyways. I mean, look at me."
There had been a time in her life when hearing the word dad brought forth unresolved daddy issues, but times were a-changing. Two years ago, she made a birthday wish and it came true. Shawn Hunter accepted her as if she were his own flesh and blood. That was more than Kermit had ever done in over a decade.
"Oh, he just said that he's on his way," Riley added, looking down at her phone to read her most recent notification. "I know that you're tired of hearing this, but this has gone on for way too long, Maya. I know that you hate going to the doctors, I get it, I really do...but you are sick. That's your reality. I don't think I can pretend that you're okay anymore."
"Especially when I'm not?" Maya whined, her bottom lip protruding into a pout. Riley Matthew loved Maya Hart. Her concern, albeit annoying at times, was greatly appreciated. "If you cry, I cry. That's how our friendship works, remember? I know that I'm sick, but I can promise you that I'm fine. If it makes you feel any better, I'll think about it. Just know that if I go anywhere near a needle, I'm doing it for you."
"Yay!" Riley exclaimed, smiling as if she had won the entire argument with the bat of an eyelash. Her sudden transition from sad to happy seemed a bit questionable, but Maya refused to dwell on it. "Keep that in mind when Uncle Shawn picks you up. There's a pretty good chance I may have persuaded him to make some calls."
"You're so evil," Maya remarked, stifling a laugh. She wanted to be angry, but she couldn't. After all, Riley's intentions were pure. "I wonder where you get that from. You know, you should probably get back to class before your dad thinks you skipped again."
"Alright," Riley said, raising her hands in defense. She liked to consider herself a mighty fine student. Unlike some of her classmates, she looked forward to attending class everyday to learn something new. According to her transcripts, she ranked number six out of her entire graduating class. "I so don't skip. I mean, maybe once or twice but only because of you. You're the wild woman. Not me. I'm not in this."
The transitional period between leaving John Quincy and falling into routine at Abigail Adams had been rough. Within their first two weeks of high school, their friendships, relationships and reputations had been put to the test. Needless to say, it had been one hell of a ride. Discovering their true permanent records, however, had been worth the hassle. They would all do it again in a heartbeat.
"Keep telling yourself that, honey," Maya teased, noticeably pleased that the tension between them had subsided. "I'm serious though. You should really get your little butt back to class. Between the two of us, someone has to take notes. By someone, I mean you."
"My dad is our teacher, Maya," Riley pointed out as if it wasn't the most obvious thing in the world. Going to second period with all of her friends was the highlight of Riley's day, but it surely wasn't the same without her other half. "I have all of the notes copied two days in advance."
"Does it matter?" Maya countered, channeling the maternal instincts she never knew she had. She wanted her best friend by her side, of course, but class was just as important. Not to mention the fact that she didn't want to hear about it from Mr. Matthews later on.
"You look like my best friend," Riley said skeptically, placing a hand to her chest to emphasize her shock. She inhaled deeply. "You definitely smell like my best friend. But you don't sound like her. God, Maya, you sound like you could be my actual aunt."
"Aunt Maya?" Maya smirked, testing the waters. She sought amusement in her best friend's discomfort and often used it to her advantage. She let out a breathy laugh as she watched the brunette cringe. "I really like the sound of that. Don't you?"
"I plead the fifth."
"Riley."
"Alright, fine," Riley sighed in defeat, her tone childlike. "To tell you the truth, I love it. Maya Matthews? I mean, how cool is that?"
"Someday," Maya mused, repeating the very word they adopted as their personal mantra. "We're not quite there yet. I don't know if we everwill be. But give me ten years, we'll see."
"Ten years it is," Riley agreed, instantly reminded of one of their iconic bay window moments. In ten years, the girls would be twenty-five and twenty-six, mature and hopefully thriving. Ten years seemed to be a sufficient amount of time for their someday to resurface if it was truly meant to be. "Now that you're somewhat presentable, do you wanna head back to class with me?"
Maya shook her head. If she were to return now, after everything, she would be risking her another awkward confrontation with her teacher. Maya had been around their family long enough to be considered an honorary member. She was even treated as such. So Cory Matthews made it a point to give her as much of a hard time as he would give his own daughter. Maya didn't mind, of course. It meant the world to know that her extended family cared.
"I think I'll just wait outside in the hallway for a little while," Maya answered, taking a moment to choose her words carefully. "You know, just in case my throne calls to me...again."
"Just thinking about you getting sick makes me feel sick," Riley remarked, moving a strand of hair behind her ear. "Maya?"
"Yeah, honey?"
"Do you want me to pull your stuff from class?" Riley asked, watching as the blonde gathered the rest of her supplies from the sink before turning on her heels in the direction of the entrance. "I can do that...or I can just swing by later to drop off work. We can hang out if you're feeling better."
"I think I have everything I need," Maya said, referring to her cellphone and clutch wallet. "But if it isn't too much to ask for, it would be great if you could hand me my bag."
Awaiting a response, Maya unwrapped her protein bar and marveled in its beauty. She didn't particularly like dark chocolate or almonds, but it seemed to satisfy her stomach with the first bite. Before scarfing the entire bar down her throat, she broke it in half and handed the smaller piece to her best friend. Riley readily accepted it and the two girls made their way out the door.
"I'm on it."
"Thank you, Riley. Thank you for everything. I honestly don't think I say that enough, but I mean it. I wouldn't be here without you."
"Oh, you don't have to thank me, Peaches," Riley said in between bites. "I'll be there whenever you need me, wherever that may be. I know that you'd do the same for me."
"Because we're the best best friends the world has ever seen?" Maya teased, nudging the taller girl with her shoulder.
"No, because we're sisters."
Maya spent the next fifteen minutes alone, her eyes glued to the brightened screen of her smartphone as she browsed though an endless archive of Red Planet Diaries fanfiction. In between classes, the decorated halls of Abigail Adams seemed to be quiet and lifeless. For once, Maya felt at peace.
Shawn arrived shortly after. He had been drifting in-and-out of consciousness when he received his niece's message, but as soon as he realized it was an emergency, he shot out of bed. This was becoming a common trend in their household, and he was too mortified to address the issue. Maya left home feeling well and returning looking the complete opposite. It wasn't normal. When his best friend's daughter urged him to pull some strings, he jumped at the opportunity to scheduling an appointment.
"Morning, kid," Shawn greeted, finally coming across his adoptive daughter in the hallway. Maya sat with her knees pressed to her chest in the little bay window by the wall of lockers, intently reading one of her favorite alternate endings for the Red Planet Diaries finale. "Are you feeling any better?"
Once she heard Shawn speak, she locked her phone and slid it into the front pocket of her borrowed coat. It was a quarter past ten and his voice sounded like music to her ears. Every minute she spent waiting felt like an hour as she tried to ignore her internal churning.
"I feel better than I did an hour ago," Maya answered, inhaling a deep breath. She was feeling a lot better, but she knew that she couldn't sugar coat her situation. It was impossible to bend the truth in front of Shawn. He could read Clutterbucket women like an open book. "That doesn't say much though."
"I figured," Shawn shrugged, bending over to pick up her bag. The bag was all black, practical yet stylish. It wasn't very heavy, but carrying it seemed like the gentleman thing to do. "You know, I would've let you stay home this morning. You should've told me you weren't feeling well again."
Maya wasn't quite used to having a parent on standby twenty-four seven, but it made her heart swell. Shawn didn't have to work nine-to-five shifts on weekdays and pull grueling doubles to help make ends meet. Instead, he spent most of his time at home. He worked his own hours for Hit The Road and decided to stay local until his wife returned home from filming. Shawn and Maya had been on their own for weeks. They got along well, but they were still testing the waters.
"Thanks for picking me up," Maya said. Her words were forced, but she meant them with a heavy heart. He had already done so much for her by staying behind. He didn't have to be this kind. "If you were busy, you could've called the office to release me early. I always have my metro card on me."
"Busy?" Shawn chuckled at her ridiculous claim. "I'm a photographer, Maya...and I promised your mother that I would look after you. So guess what? You're stuck with me, kid. You and your pretty little mama are all I've got."
"Oh yeah, very fatherly," Maya complimented, attempting to brighten the atmosphere with a joke. "You're a natural. It's kind of like you were born for the job. So, dad, Riley mentioned something about an appointment. You didn't actually schedule an appointment, right?"
Maya would never admit to it, but she feared hospitals and urgent care centers with every fiber in her being. In her eyes, hospitals were designated areas where people took their first and last breaths. Mortality was a scary thought, but she wasn't afraid of dying. The repercussions of death were what kept her up at night. When Maya was eight, she came down with a terrible case of strep throat. After watching her baby suffer for three whole weeks, Katy decided that enough was enough and made an appointment at their local care center. Unfortunately, that wasn't the end of their misadventures in health care. It was just the beginning. They spent nearly four hours waiting around in a stuffy little lobby, Maya's shot records weren't updated, and when she was finally seen, it was revealed that their health care provider would not cover any of the expenses. The icing on top of the cake, however, had been Maya's brief encounter with death via penicillin allergy.
"Come on," Shawn encouraged, motioning for her to stand up with his free hand. He was wearing layers underneath his leather jacket and the heaters were blasting. He wanted to get out of Abigail Adams as soon as possible. Maya stood up and stretched, the scent of peach still radiating off of her clothes. "I'm pretty sure you'll be fine. I called Jen before I left the apartment, and she booked you an appointment with her personal physician—a woman, I think—that's all I know. She said that you would be more comfortable with a female doctor."
Maya didn't really have a preference. As long as they got the job done, she didn't care what gender they were. She was surprised by the fact that Jen—whoever she was—would care enough to make a suggestion.
"Jen?" Maya repeated, growing uncomfortable at the thought of her own implications. It wasn't any of her business, but she wondered if her mother had ever heard of a woman named Jen. Katy trusted Shawn enough to leave him with her most prized possession, so she was in no position to question his loyalty.
"Bassett," Shawn assured. "You probably know her as Jennifer, the monster or maybe even Mrs. Minkus."
Maya silently reprimanded herself for jumping to conclusions, but she couldn't help it. When Kermit left, Katy took on the role of both a mother and a father. Maya was constantly reminded of her absentee parent every time she looked into the mirror. She saw a little girl in place of her current self: a little girl who just wasn't good enough for her daddy to stay. Shawn was more of a father to her than Kermit ever was and the thought of him leaving made her want to retreat into a shell of nothingness.
"Mrs. Minkus," Maya sighed, disappointed in herself for letting her insecurities take over. Only a handful of her closest friends and family were considered to be lucky enough to see this side of her. Her emotions were raw and very real. She was a teenage girl, after all. "Of course. I knew that."
"Sure you did," Shawn teased, his voice dripping with sarcasm as he unlocked the doors of his Nissan Xterra with the press of a button. The two piled into the vehicle shortly after. "Do you remember when we all went out to dinner before your mom left? Well, Stuart and Jen offered to help out in any way they can. As much as it pains me to say this...we need their help right about now."
"Oh yeah," Maya huffed, recalling a memory that had long been forgotten. The week following Topanga's big reveal had been a blur. She connected with the object of her affection in more ways than one, her mother scored a first class ticket to fly across the country and she had been pressured into going on a handful of triple dates all in the course of seven days. "Wasn't that the night we went to that greasy sandwich place on Waverly Place?"
"Alright, the Waverly Sub Station isn't greasy. I liked it. It was almost as good as this burger joint I went to as a kid: Chubbie's Famous," Shawn sighed, thinking back on all of the good times he had there as a kid. He missed being young and reckless, but maturing had it's perks. "Nothing beats Chubbie's, but the food at the Sub Station? It's pretty damn good."
"I think the highlight of my night would be the look on Mrs. Minkus' face when our orders came," Maya shook her head, making a tsk sound with her mouth. "I like her and all, but uptown girls are ridiculous."
"Uptown?" Shawn laughed, reversing out of the tight parking space. "Yeah, right. Don't let all of the diamonds and pearls fool you. She's changed, I'll give her that. Just hear me out when I say this: you can take the girl out of Philly, but you can't take Philly out of the girl."
He had been shocked to learn that the Stuart Minkus made a wife out of his former girlfriend. However, he was pleasantly surprised to learn that they were happy. They made a life for themselves—that's all that mattered.
"Wait," Maya said, preventing him from continuing his rant about change. Her curiosity was getting to the best of her, she just had to ask. "You knew both of Farkle's parents when you lived in Philly?"
"Unfortunately," Shawn chuckled to himself, reminiscing a failed romance and a peculiar friendship. "We weren't exactly friends then, but we're friends now. Fun fact, I actually went out with Jen a couple of times as a kid. And, Minkus? He was just a pain in the ass."
"You went out with Mrs. Minkus?" Maya asked in disbelief. Jennifer and Shawn were on entirely different levels of the same food chain. She could see him with someone like Angela. But, Farkle's mom? No way. "That's so... weird."
"Well," Shawn snorted, easing into the main road. The traffic wasn't too bad around this time, but he knew that being on the road during lunchtime would be like taking a dip in Dante's Inferno. "It wasn't a serious relationship, Maya. Maybe you should ask Cory about this one. It was his problem too."
Maya rolled her eyes, imagining her best friend's mother saying what seemed to be her Christmas catchphrase: all my life. She heard the stories. Cory wasn't Cory without Shawn and Shawn wasn't Shawn without Cory.
"Your appointment starts around twelve," Shawn pointed out to interrupt their moment of silence. "That gives you enough time to get showered up at home. We can even stop by that coffee shop you like—well, we like. I know just how much you love your fancy iced coffees. Hey, maybe that's why you stopped growing."
"It's like you can read my mind," Maya groaned, ignoring his remark about her height and petite figure. If it were anyone else, she would've went off. She understood Shawn's jokes; they were practically her own. "What are we waiting for, daddy dearest? There's an iced caramel macchiato calling my name and a double-shot calling yours."
Nearly two hours later, both Maya and Shawn gathered enough courage to set foot into the clinic. The designated waiting area was plain, nonetheless, with white walls and beige couches. Abstract canvases were sprawled out across the room and Maya couldn't help but comment on how tacky they were. Whoever designed the lobby paid more attention to technicality than creativity. As an artist, Maya considered that to be a red flag.
While Shawn filled out the required paperwork made especially for a parent or guardian with a power of attorney, Maya searched through her phone once more. Satisfied with her discovery, she sank back into her seat to begin binge reading. Riley was a sucker for stories about Ashley the Astronaut and Blarg's other head as parents. So Maya decided to check it out for herself. She hoped that it wouldn't be just another cliche.
Sometime later, one of the receptionists called her name from the huge circulation desk, and Maya huffed: "I guess that's me."
Before she left the main lobby, she placed her purse in her adoptive father's open lap and gave her self a much needed pep talk. She knew deep down that there was nothing to worry about, but she couldn't separate Riley's concerns from her conscience. What if, just as Riley feared, she wasn't okay at all? All of the what if's made her feel queasy inside.
As Maya followed one of the physicians assistants into a vacant observation room, she felt breathless. She wanted to go home. She wanted Riley. She wanted her mom. Before she could make a run for it, a knock at the door tore Maya away from her train of thought.
"Good afternoon, Maya," the woman clothed in white greeted, clutching a plastic clipboard to her chest. She walked into the room with so much confidence, Maya swore that she was blinded by her light. "May I come in?"
Maya nodded and the twenty-something bombshell moved closer and closer until she stood about two feet away from the hard observation table. The occasional click of her heels filled the room with every step she took. If this was the infamous Alina Mack, Maya was bewitched. She was a gorgeous woman, simple yet elegant. Her mixture of exotic features seemed questionably familiar, but she couldn't pinpoint their origins.
"It's nice to finally meet you," the young doctor beamed, extending her arm outward for a handshake. Maya reciprocated the gesture and studied the woman's face. "I'm Dr. Mack, but I wouldn't mind if you called me Alina. I've heard so much about you."
"Oh really?" Maya asked, raising an eyebrow at her remark. After a moment of contemplation, she concluded that Mrs. Minkus probably mentioned a thing or two when she scheduled the appointment earlier today. "Well, it's nice to meet you too, Dr. Mack. I didn't expect you to be so young."
"Oh, please," Dr. Mack laughed. "I'm not that young. You're the same age as Isadora, so it's safe to say that I'm at least ten years older than you. I actually miss being sixteen. Don't grow up too fast. You'll regret it later."
"Isadora?" Maya repeated for clarification. It took her a moment, but after analyzing the woman in front of her, everything clicked. Alina was petite. She stood a little over five feet in heels. Her hair was pinned into a simple bun, revealing her ears. They were the same—her eyes, ears and nose. Her skin was a bit darker than her friend's, but the resemblance was there. "As in the Isadora Smackle? You're Ali? Oh man, I didn't see that one coming."
"In the flesh," Dr. Mack sighed, taking a few steps back to rest her behind against the computer desk. Isadora Smackle and Isaiah Babineaux were the final two pieces needed to complete their circle of friends. However, unlike Zay, Smackle wasn't an open book. Her feelings were often difficult to interpret and she shared her personal experiences only sparingly. "I haven't been Ali Smackle in years though. Things change."
The only person in their group who truly knew Smackle was her boyfriend, Farkle Minkus. She rarely mentioned her life at home, so the girls paid extra attention whenever she did. Isadora grew up with both of her parents, but they were especially cold. They hardly acknowledged her Asperger's in hope of it being a childhood phase and her much older sister, Ali, seemed to be too self-absorbed to give a damn about what happened at home.
"I pictured you being a lot different in my head," Maya admitted, reflecting on the Crazy Ali references that Smackle brought into conversation every now and then. "You're so pretty. It kinda makes my eyes hurt."
"What did you expect?" Dr. Mack asked, pausing afterwards to retrace her steps. Maybe she shouldn't have asked. Sometimes knowing nothing was better than knowing it all. "Don't answer that. I'm sure she paints me as some wicked witch from the west side. Smackle women have always had a flair for the dramatic, you know. I love my baby sister. I just wasn't around enough when she was growing up, and I guess you could say that I wasn't much of a role model. Anyways, I am so sorry. I'm rambling. You're here for an appointment, not my life story. So what seems to be the problem?"
The problem? Maya didn't know where to begin. It all started four weeks ago, maybe even before then. Dr. Mack pursed her lips and adverted her attention back to the documents in her hands. Maya was up-to-date on all of her shots. That was a pleasant surprise. She concluded that Maya had been a fairly healthy girl up until now. This was all startling and new.
"I don't get sick," Maya professed, incapable of sitting still. "I mean, everyone gets sick. I know that. I get headaches when I don't drink water and runny noses when it's flu season, but this has never happened to me before. I throw up everything and I'm always tired. It's frustrating, but I know that I'm fine. I'm doing this for my family. They're the ones that wanted me to see a professional."
"Oh, I see," Dr. Mack acknowledged, uncapping her pen to manually jot down a few notes onto her clipboard. "You're a very lucky girl, Maya. You have friends and family that care about you. Not everyone has that as a luxury. Anyways, it would help me, the professional, a great deal if you were to answer the following questions honestly and to the best of your ability. That way, we can get down to business.
"Got it."
"Alright," Dr. Mack said, looking up from her clipboard to begin her questionnaire. "When I was your age, I used to hate these questions. They're important though. Are you aware of any hereditary diseases or abnormalities common in your family?"
"No, ma'am," Maya answered shaking her head. The Harts and Clutterbuckets were fairly healthy. Her mother never told her about any underlying health concerns to look out for later in life. "My mom's side of the family is clean. I can't speak for my biological father, but there shouldn't be anything to worry about."
"Have you taken any medications, supplements or dietary pills in the past twenty-four hours? Prescription and non-prescription OTCs count," Dr. Mack continued down her list, checking off each individual bullet as she went. Maya wasn't taking any particular medication. She just took whatever her friends offered.
"Ibuprofen," Maya answered, somewhat confident in her response. In truth, she hardly paid attention to labels. Light painkillers were, indeed, light. "At least, that's what I think."
"Do you smoke or take any recreational drugs?" Dr. Mack asked. Maya noticed the change in her demeanor as soon as she mentioned the word smoke, but refrained from acknowledging it.
"No," Maya dismissed, swinging her legs back-and-forth. Her feet were far from the ground, so she decided to make the best out of her height. "I don't smoke. The temptation just isn't there anymore."
She tried to incorporate a joke into her response but regretted it as soon as the words escaped from her lips. She was kidding, after all. Drugs never appealed to her, and they weren't a part of her scene.
"Do you drink alcohol? If so, how much and how often?" Dr. Mack inquired, recovering from a failed attempt at suppressing a yawn.
"Nope, I don't drink either," Maya said, coming to a realization that for a wild child, she wasn't all that wild. She knew for a fact that developing bad habits would be a death sentence. Riley would have her head if she showed up to the bay window under any type of influence.
"What's your menstrual cycle like?" Dr. Mack went on to ask. A brief silence filled the room as the physician flipped to a different page. Maya could only describe herself as stumped. She had never been entirely comfortable with discussing her period with anyone simply out of embarrassment. Maya could vividly remember her first encounter with Mother Nature when she was a sixth grader at John Quincy. Mr. Matthews, of all people, had been the one to pull her aside after noticing a small patch of blood on her backside. She had been twelve years old and absolutely mortified. Mr. Matthews, however, was a father. As a father, he knew exactly what to do.
"Oh," Maya huffed, suddenly overwhelmed. She couldn't recall the last time her cycle came full circle, but that wasn't out of the ordinary. "I haven't had my period in a while, but I've always been irregular."
"Irregular periods are common with girls your age," Dr. Mack elaborated on the blonde's statement. "Your cycle will balance itself out, I'm sure. I wouldn't stress over it too much, but if it does become a problem, we can talk to your parents about birth control. I've been there, it's not that bad. But on the topic of birth control, are you or have you been sexually active?"
"Yes."
"Yes?"
"It happened once," Maya clarified, looking down at her platform sneakers. She was almost too ashamed to lock eyes with Alina. Without a doubt, the night she spent with Joshua Matthews had been one of the best nights of her life. It was so much more than a grief fuck, but at the end of the day, they were still at different stages of life. Josh vowed that he wouldn't touch her like that again until their someday came around. "In January...a couple of days after my birthday."
"Duly noted, but specifics aren't necessary," Dr. Mack said, the kindness in her voice exceeding the younger girl's expectations. "Thank you for being honest with me. I don't want to overstep my boundaries, but I think I know what's going on here. If you don't mind, I would like to check your vitals, continue your check-up and hopefully collect some blood samples to analyze."
"You're the doctor. I'm the patient," Maya shrugged, insinuating that she'd go along with anything within reason. "Do what you do best."
Dr. Alina Mack flashed a sympathetic smile at the petite blonde as if to communicate her assumptions through actions rather than words, but Maya couldn't translate the gesture. The physician frowned. It seemed as though the teen was clueless.
"It could be anything," Dr. Mack began, trying to sound as level-minded as possible. Maya was so young and full of potential. The news she was about to receive would be a game changer. "But I've seen this before, Maya. There is a fair chance that you might be pregnant."
Maya instinctively placed a hand to her stomach as if the slightest touch could call her bluff. She felt bloated, but that didn't necessarily mean anything. Maya knew that she wasn't expecting anything any time soon.
"I'm sorry, but that's impossible," Maya firmly denied. She couldn't believe the words that were coming out of Dr. Mack's mouth. She didn't feel pregnant. Weren't mother's supposed to have some sort of intuition? "I think I would know."
When Riley was in the fourth grade, she caught a stomach bug that was going around their school. Maya tried to convince herself that their cases were similar. A stomach virus would be easier to handle than an unexpected teenage pregnancy.
"We won't know for sure until your results come in," Dr. Alina Mack assured, placing a hand on the petite blonde's shoulder. Maya suddenly felt the need to cry."Maybe you're right. Maybe I'm wrong. We can't rule anything out just yet."
"Alright. I understand," Maya breathed out, wiping the excess sweat off of her palms with the front of jeans. "We can, um, carry on if you want."
The rest of her appointment went by without a hitch. Maya stood straight, bent over, walked in straight lines, allowed Dr. Mack to check her vitals, and feel for any swollen lymph nodes. It was all standard protocol, but everything went south when Maya was instructed to lift her shirt a few inches. She did as she was told, incapable of protesting, and swore she was impregnated with trepidation. Dr. Mack pushed down on various regions of her abdomen, asking every so often if she felt any pain or discomfort. Her swelling was quite obvious, but Dr. Mack refrained from making any remarks. Instead, she went straight to preparing samples, breaking the blonde's heart in the process.
Just as Dr. Alina Mack expected, both of the samples came back with conclusive evidence. While running the samples for any potential abnormalities, one of the lab technicians came across an abundance of hGC, a hormone produced during the gestation period of a woman's pregnancy. Maya Hart was, without a doubt, pregnant at sixteen. For the first time in her entire career, Dr. Mack wasn't sure how to deliver the blow. Most women would feel blessed to be with child, but Maya was still a child herself.
"What's the verdict? Maya pressed, jumping to her feet as soon as she caught sight of the tiny brunette entering the observation room. Maya's eyes were bloodshot, brimming with tears, but she refused to cry. Not until she knew for sure. "I'm not pregnant. I know that I'm not. You are going to tell me that this was a huge misunderstanding, right?"
"If I could, I would," Dr. Mack began, finally coming to a conclusion that she would have to treat Maya with the same mannerisms she showed her terminal patients. "On the bright side, you're perfectly healthy. For someone who never goes to the doctors, you seem to take care of yourself pretty well. If you continue to do so in the upcoming months, you and your baby will be just fine."
"My baby?" Maya choked, placing a shaky hand to her chest. She felt for the locket she kept close to her her heart as the room fell into yet another uncomfortable silence. She felt breathless again. This time, however, her physician's words were far from soothing. "Can you check again? I can't be pregnant. I just can't. I'm not."
"I am so sorry," Dr. Mack apologized, glancing at her computer screen one last time before giving her full attention to the young girl. As soon as she made eye contact with Maya, she opened her mouth to continue: "I know this isn't what you wanted to hear, but you are pregnant. We ran your samples twice, and you tested positive both times. I would say that you're about eleven weeks, so you're due to enter the second trimester very soon. With that being said, the window for you to safely terminate is about to close. So if you would like to invest, I'll have to refer you to another office as soon as possible."
"It's all my fault," Maya frowned, feeling weak at the knees. She moved to take a seat atop the observation table and placed her head in her hands. Without warning, she cried. She let her tears run freely down her face, her mind far from the aftermath of ruining her makeup. "When I was younger, I used to believe that hope was for suckers. But it's not. My best friend taught me how to believe in everything...the world, myself, our futures. Maybe I asked for too much. Now I'm a cliche. I'm not just pregnant. I'm sixteen and pregnant. I'm that girl. I used to make fun of that girl."
"This will definitely take some time to get used to, but I'm sure that you're strong enough to get through this," Dr. Mack affirmed, submitting the updated version of the blonde's documentation into her database. "Now that, that's out of the way, I would like to discuss your options. As your doctor, it would go against my morals to tell you what to do, but as a woman, I can advise you to consult with your friends and family before you make any big decisions on your own. Did you come alone or is someone waiting for you in the lobby?"
Her tears stopped as soon as they began. She had to pull herself together, after all. Maya couldn't decide what she feared the most: actually having a baby or telling her loved ones. Shawn hadn't been in her life for very long, but he was already the type of father she dreamed of. Losing him over something so consequential would break her heart. She also feared her mother's reaction. She would be more than devastated. Shawn fixed their broken home, and Maya felt as if she were putting it all on the line.
"I can't even drive," Maya answered, laughing at the irony. She was hardly old enough to get behind the wheel of a car yet she she could carry a baby full term. "My, um, father brought me in."
"Would you like me to get him? Now, this is entirely up to you, but I can't schedule any more appointments or write any prescriptions without prior approval from a parent or legal guardian. If you don't know what to say, I can help you. My sister looks up to you, you know. You seem like a good kid, Maya, and good things happen to good people. I can promise you that everything will get better. You just have to take things slowly...one step at a time. What happens next is all up to you."
What happens next? Maya didn't want to think about it. She wanted to curl up in bed with her best friend. She wanted to back to that night and put a stop to their illicit encounter. This was a nightmare, but she couldn't change a damn thing. This was her reality.
"I would like that. Thank you."
"Maya!" Shawn exclaimed, rushing to his adoptive daughter's side as soon as her room came into view. When Dr. Mack retrieved him from the waiting area, he couldn't help but worry. In his lifetime, he had learned to accept that doctors were more than often bearers of bad news. He had a feeling deep in the pit of his stomach that something was wrong. "Hey, you. What happened? Are you alright?"
Maya didn't look okay. As much as she would hate to admit it, she was a sight for sore eyes. Her hair was frizzy and her makeup left behind clumpy trails of onyx and grey. If it were any other day, Shawn would have made a comment about her resemblance to a clown, but he knew better. It felt like he was being put to the test.
The blonde opened her mouth to speak, but shut it immediately after. Recognizing Maya's helplessness, Dr. Mack stepped in: "She's healthy, Mr. Hunter. Maya's in great shape. I can attest to that. Her examination was very thorough, so nothing went unnoticed. However, with that being said, I would like to schedule more frequent appointments to keep tabs on her condition."
"That's unnerving," Shawn said, narrowing his eyes at Dr. Mack. She had a familiar face, but he was certain that this was their first encounter. "What condition are you talking about? I thought you said that she was healthy."
"I am," Maya answered for her, brainstorming different ways to lessen the blow. "What I'm feeling now...it's temporary. It'll go away."
Hearing those words, Shawn felt relieved. Everything seemed to be alright, but he could tell that the two were holding back a great deal of information. Neither Maya or Dr. Mack spoke of her mysterious condition.
"But there's more."
"I knew it," Shawn braced himself, tension building in the room. Good and bad news come hand in hand. Life was a perfect mixture of both, after all. "Just tell me fast. Rip it off like a bandage."
"I'm pregnant," Maya said in a single breath. It felt cold. Really cold. She didn't know if it was the A/C unit of if it was all in her head.
"You're what?"
"You heard what I said," Maya frowned, biting down on her lip with enough force to draw blood. As she waited for a response from the man she saw as her father, she could feel her heart beat from outside of her chest. "This is awkward. It's awkward enough for me, but I thought you should know."
Shawn turned to look at Dr. Mack for clarification, confusion etched onto his face. Pregnant? He wasn't quite sure if he heard her correctly. His newly developed sense of selective hearing was to blame. It wasn't until Maya's tears made a surprising comeback that he realized that she was, indeed, with child.
"Oh, Maya," Shawn sighed, impulsively pulling the much smaller girl into an embrace. She began to sob and Shawn was mortified by her sudden outburst. He didn't know what to say or do, so he reached out to comfort her in her time of need. The thirteen years he spent in solitude hadn't prepared him for this moment. He never had to deal with pregnant teenagers or in his case, pregnant teenage daughters. "Your mom hasn't even been gone for two months and you're already pregnant? Guess I lost that bet."
"This isn't funny," Maya sniffled, pulling away from his arms. She knew that he was just trying to make light of the situation, but she couldn't bring herself to laugh. She expected him to be disappointed. She betrayed their trust. Katy and Shawn weren't strict, but there were rules. Shawn's face showed little emotion, maybe a little shock, but there was a tenderness in his eyes that seemed comforting enough.
"You're right," Shawn agreed, letting his arms fall limp at his sides. "This isn't something to joke about. I am disappointed, Maya, but that doesn't change the fact that you're my daughter."
"I've never been this scared in my entire life," Maya confessed, mindlessly staring into the hallway. "I want mom to come home, but that's selfish. She's following her dreams, and I'm on the other side of the country ruining them. This is going to ruin her. What am I supposed to do?"
"Why are you asking me?"
"I don't know. You're the adult."
"This is your life," Shawn said, running a hand through his hair. "Yeah, I am the adult, but I know that you're old enough to make your own decisions. It's your body, your baby, and you're choice. I'm only here to help you along the way. The same goes for your mom."
"I mentioned this before," Dr. Mack added, clearing her throat before their silence became too stark. "You have a wide-variety of options to choose from. If you plan on carrying your baby full term, please keep in mind that adoption is a very popular alternative. If you feel like you can't handle it, I can refer to one of our sister clinics."
"I know what I want to do," Maya answered, dismissing the possibilities of giving up her child for adoption or investing in an abortion. The baby wasn't just hers. "But at the same time, I don't. I know that, as of right now, I'm not ready to be a mom. I'm sixteen, and I don't think I've ever held a baby in my life."
"Well, I see your point," Shawn concurred. When he was sixteen, he wouldn't have been able to take on the role of a parent. Even at twenty-four, he hadn't been ready for that type of commitment. Even though he claimed to support his adoptive daughter's decision, he was a bit skeptical of her raising a child. Her future was so bright.
"But that doesn't mean that I won't be ready for the time comes," Maya continued, insinuating that this was something she wanted to do. "I don't want to regret the things I didn't do. I have a really good life. I want to be able to make mistakes and grow from them. I want to be able to grow from this. I don't want to run away. Shawn, you said it yourself...this baby is mine. Maybe all I need is time."
"Well," Dr. Mack smiled, "It's settled. Your time isn't infinite, but I'm sure seven months is enough to prepare. Unfortunately, I'm not an obstetrician, so when you make another appointment at the reception desk, Renee will pencil you in for an initial consultation with one of my associates, Dr. Liv Patel. I can promise you that she's finest obstetrician we have to offer. She might actually be the best in the Village."
"She sounds expensive," Maya thought aloud. Her concerns were valid. They had money, but they didn't have money like that.
"It's covered," Dr. Mack explained. "We work for Mrs. Minkus, and we owe our practice to the charitable donations from the corporation. Between your health care plan and the generosity of your friends, I am certain that you won't have to pay much out of pocket until you give birth."
Birth. This was actually happening. Maya couldn't wrap her head around it.
When Shawn Hunter came into their lives, Maya knew that her mother had finally met the one. Katy deserved a man who loved her. Shawn was everything she ever wanted and more. When Kermit left, Maya witnessed her mother reach an all-time low. She set aside her own hopes and dreams to raise her daughter alone. Angela moved to New York shortly after, but that didn't change much. Maya didn't want to be the one to bring her mother down from her pedestal of happiness. She would tell Katy sooner or later, but as of now, this was her time to shine. Now, all she needed to do was to convince her adoptive father to keep his mouth shut for the time being.
"You can't tell mom," Maya pleaded, her voice sounding much more frantic than formidable. Those were the first words she dared to speak ever since they left the building. And, quite frankly, the thirty-something year old didn't know how to react. "She can't know, not yet."
"Maya, she's my wife," Shawn attempted to reason, unlocking the doors of his SUV with the key. Every night at eleven, Shawn and Katy took the time to video chat with each other until they were too tired to go on. Their conversations were mainly focused on Katy, but Shawn didn't mind. He was a man in love. "You know you can't keep this from your mother. That'll only make things worse."
Stepping into the vehicle, Maya sighed. She knew that, of course. She knew that her mother was bound to discover the news, but she didn't want to ruin her moment. If she told Katy now, she would be on the first flight back to New York, her acting career fading into oblivion. She couldn't do that to the woman who sacrificed everything to raise her.
"I know," Maya said, pulling the passenger seatbelt across her body. She snapped it into place and reached out to adjust one of the air vents. "I'll tell her when she comes back. It'll break her heart. Give me a few weeks and it's done, I promise."
"You're asking me to walk on eggshells," Shawn shook his head in disapproval, "If she finds out that I knew about your little dilemma and kept it from her, say goodbye to the living room because that's where I'll be sleeping for the next year and a half. I actually like sleeping in my bed, and it's even better when my wife is there. I'm serious though. Your mom loves you, kid."
"Yeah," Maya countered, "And I love her. That's why waiting is the best option. She's made so many sacrifices for me, Shawn. I want her to enjoy what she has while it lasts...and I need some time to think this over. Please?"
"It's your life," Shawn restated, "I could never stress that enough. This is your secret to tell. Not mine. I'm just gonna put it out there and say that it'll be much easier for you to get it out of the way now. In four weeks, you'll be what? Fifteen weeks?"
"Four weeks is enough time," Maya insisted, resting her head against the chilly window. She could hear her heartbeat from outside of her chest. She couldn't believe that she was with child. She never any of this to happen so soon, but she would have to deal with the cards life sent her way.
"Is it going to take you four weeks to tell Josh?" Shawn queried, shifting his gears in reverse to maneuver out of the tight parking space they were in. During the appointment, Maya implied that the father played an active role in her life. Shawn could only assume.
"No," Maya answered, shutting her eyes for a few seconds. "I'd like to think that he's equally responsible. He deserves to know just as much as I do—wait, what? How did you know?"
"I took a wild guess," Shawn chuckled, tightening his grip on the leather steering wheel cover his wife insisted on buying himself for Christmas. "I narrowed it down to Lucas, Farkle, Josh and Zay. Out of the four, Josh was the only one that made sense. Kids don't give adults enough credit nowadays. I know about what goes on in your life, Maya. Your mom and I are a lot older than you are, but we were your age once...and I've seen the way that idiot looks at you. It's the same way Cory looks at Topanga; the way I look at your mom. He adores you. How did you get yourself into his mess? No, don't answer that."
Both Maya and Shawn cringed at the mention of her sex life and retreated into an awkward silence. To alleviate some of the tension, Shawn turned up the radio's volume with one of the shortcut controls on his steering wheel while Maya searched through a variety of FM stations for something worth listening to. After going through the loop a four times, she decided to plug in her spare auxiliary cord and play her own music. Without another word spoken, they drove home listening to The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars, sirens and horn wiling in the distance. For a split second, it felt like any other day.
Additional Author's Note: RR, read silently, maybe binge it all. That's all up to you! Thank you so much for reading. I know that many of you are familiar with this story already, so I hope that this revision doesn't disappoint. Expect another chapter in the next few days!
