AN: Fanfiction inspired by S2 Premiere Week episodes, so obviously spoilers are in the story! Every chapter is named the way it is because I am connecting nature to the conflict that will happen between them in that story. Also, it seems that the lowercase titles works better with lucaya fanfics than doing the traditional capitalizing. I'm leaving every one shot ambiguous until the last chapter (which there will be a last one, not revealing what number though =P). I've been told this story is exactly like an episode of Girl Meets World except with mature undertones. Tell me your thoughts through reviews =) Love you all 3
Third Person POV
Lucas Friar was walking on the crowded streets of New York City with an emotionless expression on his face. He seems to be getting better at that. Lying to his friends' faces about his past and brushing it off like it was no big deal. He even justified the truth to stay true to the "Riley Committee" that his friends and himself became apart of. Keep information away from Riley, especially if it hurts her. It was even terrible when Maya told Riley that Pluto wasn't a planet anymore. Seeing her heartbroken face made him scream in agony on the inside.
He was walking aimlessly with no destination in mind, just how he liked it. It helped him reevaluate his life with deep concentration. It keeps him on the edge of a cliff from falling into insanity. Everyday he has to pretend to be something different in order to keep his facade on like a curtain. The only person he almost broke the perfect boy surface for was Maya. Now that girl reminds him a lot of what he used to be. It hurts to see her be herself yet it is satisfying. The only difference is she never took the disappointments in her life to the extreme by producing bad actions. She is everything he wants to be. It is like she completes him. Maya Hart is his other half. Now that has a ring to it.
Maya is calm, cool and collected with a defensive wall that protects her emotions from spilling out the last second. She never has any anger issues she has to deal with, unlike Lucas. He always had a fiery temper that came out especially when talking to his father. When he is at school or with his friends, he talks kindly to everyone. However, when he needs to talk to his father, he strictly calls him at nighttime to prevent anyone seeing him as the real person he is.
Coming to New York City, made him think that he can change for the better. He believed it too as Maya came up to him in the subway and explained stages of a relationship in five seconds. It felt so natural to listen to her, from the very beginning. For the first day, he thought he could pull this off without ruining his peace. Unfortunately, on the second week, he started going back to Texas not to visit family, but to ride sheeps to be back in his element. He was lying through his teeth when he told Riley, Maya and Farkle that he was happy to be in New York City, at least at the time. Now, everything is slowly coming back in place. The only problem was that he didn't tell the girls the full truth of why he really was expelled and it wasn't because of protecting a friend.
He saw a shop lit with a low dull lighting that drew his eyes straight to the building, being that it is the only area that is brightened at midnight on a Sunday night. He took steps towards the place and it read, "Topanga's" with a heart attached above the letter "p." He smiled to himself. This was the hangout place where he and his friends talk about basically anything. If the facade he's been putting on has benefited in anything, it is getting him the best friends he had ever had.
He peeked towards the window without being spotted and saw a blonde girl with curly hair, wearing a red shirt with black checkers over her black tank top, matching her green pants. As she looked down at the table with a bittersweet smile on her face, she seemed to be drawing a picture. His head cocked on the side in confusion. His heart screamed to help her out and find out what made her feel that way but, his brain was telling him to stay away because his temper may arise, especially this late into the night. Then, he remembered that this was Maya he was talking about. She was the only one who approved of the truth that was partially correct. She accepted him right away and even jokingly said, "I finally like you."
He decided to be polite and knock on the door. She flinched and looked up in fear which melted as quickly as it appeared. She still was determined to keep her tough girl persona at this time of night. When her mind registered that the person staring at her was Lucas, her shoulders fell in relieve from its tension and her fists unclenched. She was terrified that the random man would come to the shop again. There has been a creepy male around his forties who has been frequently showing up and asking her questions that made her uncomfortable: her age, where she gets her beautiful, looks and the one question that made her punch him in the face, you want me to talk you home. She shivers at the thought. She had enough experience with sexual assault as it is and she can tell the distinction between being kind and being too interested.
She smirked at Lucas and puts a country accent on his hometown, "Hey Bucky McBoing Boing, how was the sheep rodeo at Awe-steen Tax-us?"
Lucas raised his eyebrows, "You're never gonna let me live that down are you?"
Maya chuckled, "Not really, no. So, what brings you here? Want something?" Maya stands up from her chair and walks towards the soda dispensers and kitchen area.
Lucas shook his head, "No, but I do want some information."
Maya turned her head in surprise, "Well, okay. On one condition though, I'll tell you what's going on in my life if you explain what's happening in that head of yours."
Lucas smiled, "Okay, you first."
She narrowed her eyes, "Ohhhh no. You are going first Ranger Roy. I do not play our game your way."
"Our game? We have a game going on here?" He challenged.
"Oh yeah. I call it the witty banter. Who comes up with the most creative comebacks in seconds. I usually win," She stated matter of factly as if that was truth.
He smirked, "I would have to disagree with that Miss. Hart. I think I have the best comebacks and know just how to push your buttons."
She came straight toward him and shoved her face inches from his, "Hurr-hurrrr."
Lucas couldn't keep it in him and started laughing so hard that he wanted to grab his stomach from contracting in pain, but held his ground and stared right into her face that was shining in happiness. Not so soon after, Maya joined him in laughing hysterically.
She interrupted the laughing by putting her hands on his shoulders to balance him, "Now can we talk about your issues?"
He pretended to look befuddled, "What issues? Why would you think I would have any?"
Maya put her hands on the counter and lifted herself on the island in order to reach the wine glasses and picked out two really fancy crystal ones. She climbed down flawlessly and went over to the soda machine and typed the soda she wanted. Little did Lucas know that she got the soda he wanted right: Strawberry Fanta.
Maya sat on the pink-peach sofa decorated with white polka dots holding the two red sodas wearing fancy swirly straws with cherries hidden inside. She slid down to the bottom of the seat laying her legs on the wood table and passed Lucas's drink on the coffee table on the other side. She patted the seat, the right of her, indicating Lucas to sit down.
He chuckled a bit and sat on the seat next to her, "You got my favorite soda right."
She half smiled, "Well yeah. Ever since last week, I started thinking that we may be a little alike. Anyway, tell me the truth. You didn't get expelled for protecting Zay did you."
Lucas looked at her in amazement, "How did you know that?"
She studied the floor, "I've been doing a lot of thinking recently since you told me and Riley the truth. It might be enough for her, but not for me. I keep digging until I get an answer. I mean you don't get expelled unless you are a threat to the school or community."
"You should be a Ravenclaw." Lucas said sipping his drink simultaneously with Maya.
She almost did a spit take which would've landed all over Lucas's shirt, "What? Friar are you calling me a know it all because I swear…"
He cut her off, "No not because you're a nerd. Because you're creative, witty and curious. No matter what, you will get the results you need by a persuasive manner. You're a master mind."
She blushed, "Uh, thanks sundance. Hey! You're distracting me! What did you do!"
Lucas took a deep breath, "Promise you won't judge me and this won't change our relationship."
She threw her hands up in exasperation, "No! Now stop acting like we're dating and hurry your boots along the truth already! I've been waiting for a week!"
He held his hands up in surrender, "Alright! I beat kids up real bad for no reason but my selfish impulses."
He looked at her face. She was resting her arm against the side of the sofa, looking relaxed and listening to him as if it is the only thing that mattered in this world was his voice. She nodded encouragingly to him, silently saying to continue.
"That day, my dad told me I had to transfer. I hate change so much. I had my best friend Zay who I would do all my troublemaking schemes with. We would break all the classroom rules, fail all our classes and pull pranks on our least favorite teachers. We would get detention every day."
He took a short pause to breath. He studied her face again, she looked content and seemed like she could relax for hours hearing him talk. He always loved how Maya knew when to be serious and when to joke. Not many eighth grade girls know the difference. In fact, not many girls in general would offer to listen to his story unless something was in it for them. In this case, there really was nothing except that she'll get to know him better.
"Anyway, I never told my father all the troubles I got in school because he would flip out on me. The day he found out all the stupid things I have done, he told me I had to transfer to New York City, the next month to learn discipline. I was so angry that I broke dishes on the floor and all the glass pieces fell all over the house. The next day, a random kid came up to me and asked why I am so eager to do the wrong thing and I snapped at him. This wasn't the first time either. I usually threw my anger out on three kids a week. The reason I wasn't in big trouble was because of who my Dad was. This fight couldn't be ignored because it got extremely bad and left the kid worse than I usually do. I slammed him against the locker and next thing I know, the principal sat me down in his office to tell me that the kid was sent to the hospital due to excessive bleeding and fractured bones. I got expelled."
Maya spoke up intervening for the first time, "Who's your father? Why is he so hung up on you to be the goody two shoes. Other than obvious reasons."
He gave a soft smile towards Maya and took another deep slurp of his drink, "I inherit anger issues from him. My personality is a lot like my father and he made mistakes in his life that he doesn't want me to repeat. He has this whole list of things he wants me to do before I even graduate high school that seems impossible. Maya, I'm a military brat."
She took a long slurp of her drink as well and frowned, "You're a what? Don't put yourself down like that."
He teased, "So now you're sympathetic and sweet? How naive of you. That's just a term all the kids use if your father or mother serves full time in the army or navy. My dad is a colonel in the US Air Force. He's currently stationed in Bagram Airfield in Afghanistan."
"Wait, is that why you called him sir the day of seventh grade elections? I always thought that was you being too polite?" She asked.
He rolled his eyes, "No, I always had to call him that, even when I was going through my rebellious phase which lasted way too long."
She stood up from the sofa and walked toward the bookshelf, "How long did that phase last?"
He looked down ashamed, "Since I was in fifth grade. Four years."
"So, you reinvented yourself when you came to the city? How did you manage to do that?" She asked.
"I did some research on how to be a gentlemen. It also didn't hurt that at the military balls I had to have some manners. Also to add, Texas is big on old fashioned values." He explained.
She snorted, "And there's the Ranger Rick I know."
"Oh sure, let's attack me, Penelope." He smirked in victory.
"Shut up. Anyway, I know how you feel. I felt like I wanted to turn into someone else." Maya admitted.
"What? You're the truest person I know!" Lucas exclaimed.
"Well, thanks but everyone goes through that insecurity phase. Sometimes I feel like I'm still going through that." Her shoulders sagged as she picked a red book and headed over back to the sofa. She threw legs and put it over his legs, getting comfortable. She played with the necklace absentmindedly.
"What happened?" He asked.
She looked at him with a vulnerable expression on her face, "I became friends with Riley when I was five and wanted to be like her. I thought that's how friends are; they were carbon copies of each other. So, I put up a surface image of being a sweet little girl who is intelligent and kind…"
He cut her off, "You are intelligent and kind. You can read people better than anyone."
She turned red again and brushed off the compliment. It made her feel warm inside. Stop it Maya. He's just being the gentlemen he is again. Another impossibility and lost dream.
"I basically became a girly girl. I begged my mom to get me nice clothes and that put us in a tight financial situation for a year. That was when things turned not so rosy anymore for me. I didn't even know that I was pretending to be something I wasn't. This girly girl phase lasted two years. Mr. Matthews caught me and had a talk with me about having your own agency and being your own person. I didn't know what agency meant, but I cracked out of my shell and started acting like myself. Of course like you, I went through my extremist time as well in sixth grade which was not the best time. I got detention every week and pulled things that was not helpful to anyone. Not even me."
She paused for a moment and stole a glance from Lucas to see that he was looking at her in awe, with some weird expression in his eyes.
She decided to continue her monologue, "Today, I'm okay I guess. I assume I'm funny and when you came into my life, I guess it changed me for the better."
Maya gave a small smile to Lucas after she was done. She felt really good to tell Lucas a little of her backstory. Sometimes she couldn't tell Riley everything that's happening in her life, she didn't want her best friend to pity her or to be heartbroken over an event in the past. Worst, she might not understand.
"People change people. Isn't that what Mr. Matthews said?" He said.
"Where do you get your values from? Surely not by yourself. You seem very observant."
"You're right. My mom. She's been lonely without Dad for the past ten years. I've always looked up to her, even when I'm angry at her." Lucas admitted.
"Well, I think that's enough for today. I need to head home." She looked around and saw the clock, "It's quarter to one. I better get going."
"Wait, do you still fail in school? Not to sound mean but…" Lucas said.
"No, I'm average, why?" Maya replied in a suspicious tone as she picked up her black converse shoes.
"I bet you can get straight As, or at least As in all your tests next week." Lucas replied while standing up from the sofa to bring his wine glass to the sink and put the tap on.
"How in the world am I supposed to do that?" Maya asked tying her laces into a bow
"We'll study together in the library every day at 4 pm when Riley is at basketball practice." Lucas said putting all the dishes in the dishwasher.
Maya stopped her actions and bit her lip, "Wouldn't Riley be upset we're doing this? I mean she does like you so…"
"I think she has platonic feelings for me now. Especially since I sort of ruined the perfect boy image last week." Lucas looked around nervously.
Maya smiled knowingly, "You guys are getting less awkward and more comfortable. Okay fine. I'll do it."
"Perfect. I can't wait to get to know you even more." Lucas said.
"Hey, just because I was nice today, Huckleberry, doesn't mean I'm going to stop teasing you. It's nighttime and that's when I'm a tame cat, but in the morning I will be a violent tiger." Maya pointed out.
"Well, I certainly can't wait for the challenge, ma'am." Lucas tipped his invisible hat.
She shook her head, "Oh Friar you don't even know what's going to happen to you tomorrow."
"Thanks for the night Maya. I really needed that."
"No problem, I was bored anyways. Needed some company. Want to help me close up?"
"Yeah, but first," Lucas came straight towards Maya and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close, whispering, "Thank you for listening. It means a lot."
Maya seemed to lose her voice but managed to say, "Your welcome. Wanna help clean up this dump?"
Lucas walked towards her and held out his hand. Maya has never been more confused in her entire life.
"Uh, is that some cowboy gesture expressing that you want to help?" Maya asked.
"No, not exactly. I want to shake your hand to commit about the library thing. Okay?" Lucas said.
"Okay, so you do wanna help right?" Maya reassured.
Lucas laughed wholeheartedly, "Yes, Clutterbucket. I would be delighted."
Maya slapped him on his arm, "Don't call me that! I thought we said we'd never mention that!"
Lucas rolled his eyes, "Yes Penelope."
"I will break you!" She growled.
"Yeah yeah." Lucas dismissed not really taking the threat to heart. Oh yeah, Maya thought. He's as strong as a horse and he doesn't really need to work at it.
They were both snapped from their thoughts back to reality . There were still tasks to be done. So, they put the clean plates back on the shelves and organized the cooking utensils, sharing quick smiles at each other. It seems that they don't need to talk all the time to feel a connection.