Maya was broken, more so than she would like to admit. She had been getting better, her life had started to become something she was proud of and then it fell apart. Then Riley suddenly decided that because Maya was finally doing well there had to be something wrong. Maya was angry at her best friend, angry that Riley couldn't see that Maya was still her own person, just a better version of herself. People change people…apparently Maya wasn't allowed to, Maya had to remain the same broken girl who danced on teacher's desks to get the attention she so desperately craved.

Maya wasn't allowed to like the same boy as Riley but the truth was that she didn't. Maya didn't like Mr. Perfect, she liked Huckleberry. She liked the guy who had some anger problems and could be a bit hard headed but would do anything for his friends and was broken just like Maya was.

So Maya sat there completely empty after returning from the Ski Lodge after having given up the only boy she had ever really liked. The only boy who had ever fought for something Maya cared about. She hadn't been trying to protect Riley and sure she would never try take something that was Riley's but firstly Lucas wasn't Riley's, he wasn't some possession, wasn't something to own. Secondly the thing about romantic feelings is that you couldn't really control them. They were completely out of one's control. God she had been a caricature of herself at the Ski Lodge, she didn't even like danger that much. Sure she wanted to go on adventures and see the world but she had no desire to be some sort of secret agent. She would much prefer being in a movie like Monte Carlo than James Bond. Seeing the world, doing crazy things but still being safe…ish. It was easier this way though she had seen him slipping away so she had pushed him further. He had hurt her when he got angry at her for breaking the rules for Farkle, didn't he realise that she wouldn't have done it if she wasn't protecting her friend. He was being such a hypocrite considering he would have done exactly the same for any of them. She was stewing so much she barley heard the knock on her window. She glanced over surprised to see the cowboy there, he looked angry and annoyed and she got up to open it.

"What're you doing here Huckleberry." She asked trying to pretend she wasn't moments away from truly falling apart.

"You didn't let me choose." He said almost growling. Maya was confused that's exactly what she had done, she had let him finally make the decision he wanted to.

"Oh please Hop-a-long I saw the terror on your face when I said that you'd chosen me. I just made it clear that I wouldn't be hurt by your decision." He stalked toward her.

"The terror on my face was there because I knew what you were doing Maya, you were doing exactly what you did in the 7th grade to get me to ask Riley out. You had already stepped back and nothing I would have said or done would have changed that." She looked at him stunned before collecting herself.

"Bullshit! I saw the way you couldn't stand the things I wanted to do. I saw how much you hated the idea of spending that much time with me. I saw the way you freaked out when Riley was with that kid but when I was with Josh you didn't so much as blink. You said you didn't like our relationship Ranger Rick so don't come here and pretend that you were going to choose me!" Her voice was raised now. He looked at her so intently that she couldn't stand it.

" I was terrified Maya." He said softly.

"Do you remember the way you felt when I decided to ride tombstone, well that's how I felt when you broke the rules that day. And do you want to know why I hated the version of life that involved you, it was because I knew it wasn't you! You weren't you! You were some over exaggerated version of the girl you were when I got here 2 years ago and no matter what Riley says, that isn't who you are anymore. You are so much more now Shortstack, you have hope now, you don't try and break the rules just so that someone will notice you and how much you're hurting. Riley was wrong, you were always you and none of what you did at the Ski lodge showed that. I'm sorry for shouting at you for trying to help Farkle that wasn't fair of me, when we both know I would have done the exact same thing. I need you to come back now though Maya, I need you to be you. The girl who cares about how she does in school and believes she can get more than what she has now and deserves it too. The girl, who knows that her emotions aren't because of some warped idea of protecting Riley. The girl who knows that people change people and that it's a good thing." He was breathing heavily now and she was looking at him with those big blue eyes with tears seconds away from falling.

"Why would you do this now, Lucas?" she asked utterly broken.

"You…You're with Riley now and don't come here and say that I forced you into it. You could have walked away from the triangle but you didn't so you know what? You don't get to come here and say all of these wonderful things that that just break me a little more with every word because none of it matters, because you chose Riley. You left me." The words slipped out without her consent and it was as though the floodgates opened because she couldn't stop the tears from looked at her as though he wanted to say more but Shawn entered before he could. His eyes were icy as he regarded the Texan that had annihilated Maya's heart.

"I think you should leave now Lucas, you've done enough." Shawn gestured to the door.

"Sir I…" Lucas tried but Shawn held up a hand.

"Don't kid, now I'd advise you leave before I ruin that pretty face of yours." Lucas glanced back at Maya one more time before sighing and leaving her room.

He passed Katy on his was to the door and she looked at him with sad eyes but said nothing. He left with the horrible knowledge that he had done the thing he told Maya he would never do just hours earlier, he'd hurt her.