A/N Ask and you shall receive! Here is what I have lovingly deemed my next "in between" one-shot
Enjoy!
Evasion: noun, the act of avoiding something that you do not want to do or deal with
Friday February 9, 2018
Now…
Seventeen year old Maya Hart stood outside the large archaic looking building on NYU's campus bouncing up and down on her tip toes. She did this partially because it was freezing outside and the kinetic energy produced by the small exercise gave off at least a little warmth, but mostly because she was never good at containing her excitement when she had good news. And Maya definitely had good news. At least she hoped she did.
Maya couldn't help the small pangs of doubt that invaded her mind, as they always seemed to do when she focused on the particular subject that occupied her thoughts. In her defense this was new information, and his reaction couldn't be guaranteed to be positive. But she impatiently waited anyways, anxious to share what weighed on her heart.
Then…
As she pondered the past year, the ups and the downs alike, Maya couldn't help but feel a little selfish. It wasn't as if she was needy and she already was lucky in so many ways, but it had to be a sign, didn't it? This was the Universe paying attention to her. It had to be. And she would be damned if she let any opportunity slip away.
She smiled as she recalled those first awkward encounters after her 16th birthday. So much had been felt and said that going back to reality had them feeling precarious at best. Maya's mother and Shawn took her to get her learners permit within a week of her 16th birthday because, they figured, if Joshua Matthews was going to be her teacher, they would at least get this moment with her. She eagerly texted him when she had passed her test and the horrific picture on the small plastic card had been taken. He congratulated her and they scheduled her first "lesson" for the weekend.
Sunday was Riley's assigned day of the week with Lucas, so of course she insisted that Maya had to adhere to the same rules she did. "Ring power not included, best friends are priority the other six days of the week, and the boy gets Sunday" Riley confirmed, because obviously when "Ring Power" was employed they had no choice and the schedule was void. So, at least for a little while, Sunday was their day too.
Maya didn't even wait for him to come to her door when he arrived that first Sunday, as she had been staring through the window like an excited puppy. She saw him park, grabbed her coat, and raced out the door, shouting good-bye to her mother. Once she spotted him, she pranced over to him and stood proudly before him, holding her license. Her thumb was strategically placed over her picture of course, but she was still proud. Tests had never been Maya's thing, but she was uncommonly motivated in this case.
"Hey, Danica Patrick, you ready? Good job, gorgeous. But let me see it, I'm not going to let you near my car until I see photo identification" Josh said as he reached forward and grabbed the card quickly from Maya before she could protest.
"It's horrible isn't it" Maya said cringing.
Josh could tell she was insecure "Bad DMV photos are a fact of life, Hart. This was a rite of passage. Besides, no camera is ever going to do you justice. Ready to go?"
Maya couldn't help but blush as she nodded and he opened the door for her. He took her an hour outside of the city, which was about how far they had to go to find a suitable place to practice. After all, they lived in Manhattan. Shawn had found it during one of his road trips and deemed it safe enough for his favorite new driver. Sure enough cars were scarce on the outer portions of the giant size lot of a super store. Maya's education had begun.
They didn't mention the four letter elephant in the car with them. They were both too scared to bring it up. But it was there. And they knew it was true. By pretending things were normal they could be friends again. This is what friends do. They teach each other to drive.
Lessons became lessons and a meal by the spring, along with a movie occasionally. Normal friend stuff, they told themselves. By the time summer came they spent the entire day together. As long as a driving lesson was included they were sticking to the rules, right? Friends spent time together. Friends watched movies and drank coffee and went to museums. Friends even held hands sometimes, right? That was perfectly acceptable as long as they stayed "friends."
And yes, sometimes friends… kissed a little bit. Or a lot. Not that they were "those" kinds of friends, despite the temptation. Josh just had too much respect for his friend to do that. She thought of pushing the boundaries, sure, but Maya was all about patience. She would take what she could get without complaint.
They both knew what they were doing. But, of course, it was Maya who put a name to it. They were in history class learning about notorious mobster Al Capone when Mr. Matthews (who still inexplicably managed to be their teacher every single year) noted that for all of his criminal activity during Prohibition, it wasn't the pile of bodies he left in his wake but his tax evasion that landed him in prison. By withholding the truth about his income, by avoiding reporting things openly and properly, the mastermind criminal finally met his downfall.
"You see evasion of the truth will never make you truly happy. You're just postponing the inevitable. The Universe is paying attention, and if I've learned anything, it's that the truth always has a way of coming out" Cory said with a knowing look at Maya, who tried to look unaffected as she slumped in her seat.
She processed the sudden knowledge. They were evading the truth by lying to each other and themselves about what they were. By not acknowledging it, by not calling it what it was, and by misrepresenting themselves as mere friends, they were avoiding the consequences of an actual relationship.
But why was that a bad thing? If evasion bought her a 'semi-relationship' with him, she'd take it. Screw honesty and the Universe which had already been cruel enough to them. They were already denied their loophole next year and the three year gap continued to be an issue. True, sixteen and nineteen was more acceptable to outsiders and the gap was narrowing in significance, and in actuality they were both freshmen. Unfortunately he was in college and she was in high school. And he continued to insist he wanted her to live a "normal" high school life.
So the spring was a season of evasion. They were in love with each other, for one day of the week, called themselves "friends," and hid their relationship. Riley continued to be a steadfast supporter of her "Romeo and Juliet" (Maya was often corrected by her best friend that she had the wrong epic pairing, but Maya refused to call herself "Penelope" even in her internal monologue).
Josh left to go back to Philadelphia and work at his father's outdoor supply store that summer, and Maya spent the break helping Katy at Topanga's. And of course, they remained friends. Friends texted each other daily. Friends spoke on the phone at night, sometimes every night, right? And, on occasion, friends would send flirty selfies to each other with suggestive lingo. That was completely acceptable.
Maya was invited along as usual by Riley's family, along with her mother and Shawn, to join Riley's grandparents in Philadelphia for the 4th of July. Maya insisted outwardly that her visibly giddy excitement was about spending Independence Day in such a patriotic city, but it was a flimsy excuse at best. And once reunited it was completely acceptable for friends to celebrate.
Unfortunately it was a moment of "celebration" that led to everything they had been evading. It was around 4 in the morning and Josh and Maya sat in the Matthews backyard, as they spent most early hours of the morning while the rest of the family slept. This was their time. The cover of darkness and the silence was always their friend. In a particularly "friendly" moment that may have involved a quite intense kiss, a booming voice interrupted them.
"Mr. Matthews" said the elderly neighbor directing the glare of a flashlight on the couple as they jumped apart "what on Earth do you think you are doing?"
"M-Mr. Feeny. You remember Maya? We were just…catching up" Josh stammered.
"Oh I am sure, Joshua. Hello, Ms. Hart. I could see exactly how you were catching up. Now how exactly is that appropriate to do at 4 in the morning while everyone is asleep?"
"Maya maybe you should go back to bed" Josh said quietly, as he prepared himself for a classic lecture from his family's beloved mentor. She nodded and reluctantly let his hand go before going inside.
"Mr. Feeny it's not what it looks like. We're friends-"Josh said before being interrupted.
"Mr. Matthews, you take me for a fool. I may be old but I have eyes, young man. And I know you have much more sense than this."
"We just…we love each other. But we can't be together right now because of the age difference and the high school/college issue" Josh said as he launched into the tale of the loophole, the fallout, and the loophole redux.
"You are more like you're brother than you realize, Mr. Matthews. Cory did plenty of foolish things in the name of love too, you know. But if you truly love her, you need to see what you are doing to her, Joshua. Sneaking around, lying to your family and yourselves, sharing 'intimacies' in the dark-"
"Whoa, Mr. Feeny, the only 'intimacy' we've shared is kissing" Josh reasoned.
"If kissing the person you love isn't an 'intimate' experience, young man, then I feel you must be doing it wrong."
Josh blushed "Mr. Feeny-"
"You love her, Joshua. You said it yourself. Is that how you want to treat the woman who holds your heart? Making her a shameful secret?"
"I'm not ashamed of her! I just- but- ugh I see what you mean. For the record I fully intend to eventually date and marry that girl."
The older man nodded his head "Of course you do. You're a Matthews. Now be a man, Joshua, a good man with a good heart. If it's true love it's worth waiting for, and, most importantly, worth doing the right way."
Josh's encounter with his wise neighbor led to some painful realizations and some painful moments. He calmly told Maya the next day that she was ready for her driver's test and they couldn't keep doing what they were doing. Maya was furious at first and threatened to "knock some sense into the old man" but Josh's mind was made up.
"Maya, I love you. That's not going to change. But when we get together I want it to be the right way. I don't want there to be secrets and hiding. You deserve better than that."
Tears pooled in her eyes "What if I don't care? I'm fine with things the way they are. I don't need fancy dates and titles, Josh. I just want you."
"You have me, Maya. I'm yours. We just have to wait to do it the right way. I want to be the one to give you fancy dates. You deserve them. And you're a knockout in a dress, Gorgeous."
Maya wiped her eyes and looked up at him "You want to date me for real?"
Josh felt a pang in his heart at the vulnerable way her voice caught as insecurity crept in. What had he done? Had he made her think he was ashamed of her? Is this what all these months of hiding and avoiding had done to them?
"Of course I do. You know how I feel. How do you feel?" Josh asked, tilting her chin up so her eyes met his.
"Sad…I feel sad. I don't want to wait. What are we supposed to do now?" she asked.
"We're friends, Maya, real friends. We are friends who behave like they are supposed to. I meant what I said. I love you and I'm not going anywhere, but I care about you too much to treat you like some kind of dirty secret" Josh reassured her.
"So…no more Sundays or lessons?"
"I'll always be here for you, Maya. I promise. I just think if we are going to spend time together in person maybe Riley should be there, or other people, you know? That will help keep us from going backwards."
"What, Josh, you don't trust me to keep my lips to myself?" Maya teased.
He reached up and gently wiped an errant tear from her cheek with his thumb "Maya, I don't trust myself. Don't you know how crazy you make me yet?"
She blushed and a small smile brought lift back to her face "So…friends. Real friends. You know, sometimes I text Lucas and Farkle about stuff, and sometimes I talk to them on the phone…."
"Yeah, Hart. Friends totally do both of those things" Josh smiled. Leave it to Maya to be negotiating terms right now.
"And sometimes we hang out outside of school and go to movies, or Topanga's or at Riley's place" Maya added.
"Well I do spend a lot of time there" Josh agreed.
"So this isn't really good-bye, right? It's more like a…pause? On the couple stuff?" she asked hopefully.
Josh nodded "For now. Until it's right. Until I can be the guy you deserve and everyone will celebrate with us. Well, maybe not everyone because on paper I'm kind of your best friends creepy uncle who's in love with you."
Maya laughed "Josh! Stop. Ok I can agree to those terms for now, as long as you promise to tell me when the time is right. You'll know, won't you?"
"I think we both will. But yeah, you'll be the first to know" Josh said as he enveloped her in a warm embrace and her breathing calmed.
The following months weren't exactly easy for either of them, but apparently that's a good sign. Riley went into a long explanation about the trials of Odysseus and how Penelope was always waiting for him and it was all worth it in the end whenever Maya felt the pain keenly. They saw each other regularly at family game nights, group outings with Farkle and Zay, and frequently at Riley's place. They felt the urge to cross that boundary many times, but Josh insisted Maya was worth more. So Maya trusted that the Universe would see how good she was being and eventually reward her. At least she hoped.
At Riley's Sweet Sixteen party that December, Josh couldn't help but be drawn to Maya, like a moth to a flame. The holiday themed party reminded them both of that moment all those years before when suddenly their relationship became something…more. Maya was stunning in a dress that was demure and glamorous at the same time. He had to dance with her, forget the consequences. As she looked up at him in surprise when he offered her his hand and led her onto the dance floor. Wrapping her in his arms she rested her head on his chest.
"I've missed you. I've missed this" Maya whispered softly.
"Me to, Gorgeous. You have no idea" Josh responded.
"Is it time yet? I hate waiting" Maya said as she lifted her head to meet his gaze.
Josh answered sincerely "Not yet, but soon. And it will be worth it, Maya. I really believe that."
"Okay. Then this will be enough. Just…just keep dancing with me, Josh" Maya said sadly.
They danced the night away lost in their own world, and both felt the longing for more when he kissed her on the forehead at the end of the night.
Things returned to normal and 2017 faded into 2018. Maya was INSISTENT that she did NOT want a party for her 17th birthday; in fact, she didn't even want a birthday dinner. No one except Riley really knew why, but Maya was vehemently opposed to any celebration. In Maya's heart, this birthday was an inevitable letdown compared to previous years. It had the audacity to fall during the week, and its unfortunate calendar placement precluded their third loophole.
The Universe dealt her a cruel hand that year, as she had found out it would when she did the Math twelve months prior. The families gave her space, and even forced gifts upon her, but Maya wanted no part of it. Even Josh got her a gift and she insisted he save it for a time she could enjoy it. Perhaps she was being childish, but she was also an "angsty" teenaged girl. The family let the day pass without fanfare.
Now…
So here Maya stood a whirl of excitement after the day's events. What began as a typical Friday became anything but. It started in History class with Mr. Matthews, ironically enough.
"Okay class, I hope everyone has a good holiday weekend" he said with a smile and a pointed look in her direction before he left the classroom.
Maya, who had barely paid attention to the lesson per usual, turned to Riley with confusion "Huh?"
Riley smiled, perhaps a bit too wide "Oh, Maya, don't you look at the school calendar? We don't have school on Monday. So it's a holiday weekend for us."
"But there isn't a national holiday. I don't get it" Maya said, putting pieces together.
"Maya we live in New York. We get Lincoln's Birthday off. It's like another President's Day, you know that. Maybe you're confused because it's being observed earlier this year? Last year and the year before it took place more towards the end of the month, but this year it's being observed on February 12, Monday!" she smiled.
"Um, Riles, I need to go, like, right now. I'll call you later okay?" Maya said as she rushed outside and headed to NYU's campus, telling Josh to meet her ASAP.
His frantic voice snapped her from her thoughts "Maya are you okay? What's wrong?"
"Josh! Nothing's wrong, okay? Sorry, I didn't mean to worry you" Maya said with a beaming smile.
"No…it's fine" he said as he let out a breath in relief "as long as you're okay."
"I'm VERY okay Josh. Want to know why?" Maya asked.
Josh looked at her skeptically "Um, okay?"
"I don't have school on Monday. Do you?" Maya asked.
"Maya I don't have class on Mondays you know that" he said with an eye roll. What was she getting at?
"It's Lincoln's birthday. A HOLIDAY observed in our state but not nationally. So we have a HOLIDAY weekend!" Maya said with extra emphasis on the key word.
"Congratulations?" Josh said, bewildered.
"Josh I swear you are such a blockhead sometimes. Think about it. I'm 17. You're 19. Two years apart, right? BUT we didn't get the weekend in January because THAT holiday weekend was before my birthday. So we still had our stupid student labels. And your birthday isn't until Wednesday, Mr. Valentine" she said with a smile.
"Okay you promised to stop calling me that" Josh said defensively.
"Josh! Come on, do I need to do the math for you?" Maya asked impatiently.
Josh's eyes flashed in recognition and a slow smile grew upon his face "So you're saying from now until Monday we are…"
"In this period of time when we are two years apart and on holiday from our student identities…also known as...?" Maya continued excitingly for him.
"A loophole...Maya, are you sure? This could be a mistake" Josh attempted to reason.
"Josh we have been so good for so many months. This HAS to be the Universe paying us back" Maya pleaded.
Josh smiled at her, as if he ever stood a chance resisting her before "I'm game if you're game, Hart."
To be continued...?
Hope y'all enjoyed it, I looked into a NYC school calendars and they will indeed have a holiday that Monday in 2018, how lucky for our favorite couple. This is NOT a holiday we have in Florida lol
Happy to continue, but you have let me know if you're still into it
Also working on an one-shot that should make you Rucas readers happy...well...happy may be a bit optimistic...