Maya Hart just walked out of her math class at the same time her best friend Riley walked out of her English class. Maya was walking down the stairs to the second floor of Abigail Adams High School while Riley was simultaneously coming upstairs from the first floor. Their classes were only 90 minutes long but to Riley and Maya it felt like they lasted forever especially since they didn't have their last classes together. They both spotted each other at the same time and ran over to give each other a big hug.
"Oh my god, I hate not having every single class with you." Riley confessed causing Maya to smile. They both released each other from the hug and Maya was ready to admit her struggles with not having every class with Riley.
"You're telling me, I was talking about this dry patch on my elbow and I turned around to show you and realized I was talking to Yogi." Maya said and Riley giggled. Before she could respond Yogi came from the same direction that Maya had come from and stopped to ask Maya if she took his advice.
"Did you try that eucalyptus girl?" Yogi said.
"Yeah, thanks Yogs." Maya said with a smile, Yogi smiled back then continued walking to his next class.
"Excuse me." Said an unfamiliar voice that the girls didn't recognize at first.
The girls turned to see that the voice belonged to a tall handsome boy, wearing a football jersey. He had blue eyes and black hair, he looked sort of like Nick Jonas in a way. The boy turned his attention to Maya and smiled at her.
"Hey, it's Maya right?" The boy asked still smiling at her.
"Yeah, it's Maya." Maya replied, her nerves clearly getting the best of her. After she turned around she recognized that the voice belonged to Chris, a sophomore boy who is in one of her study halls.
"Chris, we have study hall together." He said hoping that she at least had an idea of who he was.
"Yeah I remember." Maya said. Without realizing it she started to bite her lip out of nervousness.
All Maya could think about was saying the wrong thing and looking stupid in front of one of the guys that are on the football team.
"I was just wondering if you wanted to go out this weekend?" Chris asked, deciding that it was best not to beat around the bush. His question had caught Maya off guard and she was at a loss for words.
"Like on a date?" She said, mentally face slapping herself for that terrible response.
"Yeah, I mean if you're not busy."
Now it was Chris's turn to catch the nerves. He didn't really know what to say after Maya asked if it was a date or not, and then he couldn't stop thinking about how this was a bad idea and he started to regret his decision to ever come up to her.
"Uhhh, I don't think …." Maya started before Riley decided to cut her off.
"Hello Chris, I'm Riley, Maya's best friend. And we're going to have to think about it and we'll let you know."
"Oh you're her best friend, so you're basically the bodyguard."
"Yes!"
"It's usually the other way around." Maya interjected before returning to her awkward silence.
"I respect it. Look here's my number best friend and if Maya is interested, tell her to give me a call." Chris said before handing Riley a piece of paper with his number on it.
"She will definitely be calling you." Riley said excitedly causing Chris to smile.
He walked away quietly, passing Lucas and Farkle on his way down the stairs heading towards the gym. Lucas and Farkle walked over to the girls. Lucas had a concerned look on his face because he saw the last part of the girls' conversation with Chris where he gave Riley his number for Maya. Farkle was the first to speak.
"I hate not having every single class with you guys anymore." Farkle said and the girls nodded in agreement.
"Yeah it really sucks. Riley who was the guy that was just talking to you?" Lucas said the jealousy was very obvious in his voice.
"Uhhhh…." Riley hesitated not knowing if Maya wanted the group to know about the guy who asked her out. Riley didn't really know what to say and she started to get fidgety. Maya noticed this and like clockwork she decided to answer for her.
"Don't worry Huckleberry, it was this guy Chris, who wants to go out on a date with me." Maya said, looking over at Riley who sighed in relief.
"Oh. So are you going to go out with him?" Lucas asked casually.
"Probably not."
"Why not?" Lucas and Riley asked at the same time.
"Because I just don't want to okay?" Maya said before walking off. She was not trying to have this conversation in the middle of the hallway but she knew that Riley was not going to leave it alone and that their conversation would be continued later in private.
Maya avoided Riley for most of the day because she did not want to talk about the whole Chris situation. She knew she was going to have to face Riley sooner rather than later because she always goes to Riley's house after school. She made it to the window and of course the window was already open. She climbed through the window and of course Riley was already sitting there waiting for her.
"Riles." Maya said with a smile.
"Peaches. You're late."
"Oh you were expecting me?" Maya asked in a sarcastic tone.
"I'm always expecting you."
"So…" Maya said and Riley jumped up. Just like Maya expected Riley was ready to freak out on her due to the whole situation at school today.
"Maya I know what you're doing." Riley said pacing back and forth out of frustration.
"What am I doing?" Maya said sitting in front of the bay window. This conversation didn't start out as expect and Maya was genuinely confused. She is just going to assume this was one of those moments where Riley found something wrong and tried to fix finally decided to sit down next to Maya and she turned herself so that they were making eye contact.
"You were asked out by one of the hottest guys in the school, who also happens to be on the football team, and you don't want to go out with him. Why?" Riley said already knowing the answer. Riley knew exactly why Maya didn't want to go out with Chris from the football team. She just wanted to see what excuse Maya was going to come up with.
"I'm just not interested." Maya said. It wasn't a complete lie but it wasn't the whole truth either. She did find Chris to be attractive but for whatever reason. She couldn't bring herself to accept his advances.
"I know why. " Riley said in a knowing tone.
"Why?"
"You're saving yourself for Josh." Riley said giving Maya a knowing look. Maya being Maya just shrugged it off.
"That's ridiculous." Maya said knowing in all honesty it wasn't the really all that ridiculous.
"You and Josh stayed up all night talking at the Ski Lodge, he said he'll wait for you, and now all of a sudden you're uninterested in dating other guys? Maya you should give Chris a chance."
"Riley, I don't want to go out with Chris the football guy."
"Don't you want to double date with me and Lucas? It'll be so much fun."
"I would love to double date with you and Huckleberry, when I date any other guy but Chris." Maya said, giving Riley a look that said "drop it".
"Maya!"
"Riles, just drop it okay?"
"Fine." Riley responded knowing that this wasn't going to be the end of this conversation.
The two girls got up at the same time and they walked back out in to the living room. To their surprise, Josh was sitting in the living room with Auggie. Josh heard their footsteps and turned around to see his niece and her best friend.
"Uncle Josh!" Riley exclaimed before walking toward him to give him a hug. The two embraced in a loving hug and then they broke apart.
"I didn't know you were coming here tonight." Riley said, not really to make conversation with Josh but more so to let Maya know that she had no idea that Josh would be here tonight.
"Yeah it was a last minute thing, your parents wanted me to babysit Auggie."
"Why didn't they ask me?" Riley asked confused.
"They asked Auggie and he picked me." Josh said and Riley gasped.
"Auggie!" Riley gasped in offense.
"It's nothing personal." Auggie said with a mouth full of spaghetti.
"What no hug from Maya?" Josh teased with a smirk. Maya smiled back and then she walked over to him to him to give him a hug.
The hug was short and sweet but full of a lot of feeling. When they let go they just stood and smiled at each other. Riley looked at her uncle and best friend with a smile on her face and then she had an idea.
"Bay window! Bay window right now." Riley said interrupting their moment. "You two."
"Me?" Josh asked.
"Yes, you and her."
"For what?" Josh asked.
"Riley." Maya warned but Riley ignored her.
"Go."
The two of them walked up the three steps and in the direction of Riley's room. They walked into the room together and sat in front of the window. A few moments passed before Josh decided to break the silence.
"So you and Riley just sit here." Josh said trying to kill the awkward silence in the room.
"Yup." Maya said while she was playing with her hands.
"And you talk about life."
"Yup."
"Okay that's a little weird." Josh said with a playful smile causing Maya to giggle.
"Hey! The bay window is very powerful."
"Oh I'm sure it is." Josh said with smirk.
"If we sit here long enough, you might end up confessing all of your secrets." Maya said and they both started laughing. Riley finally walked in to see the two laughing. Maya and Josh looked up to see Riley standing there and they immediately stopped laughing.
"Riley what's this all about?" Josh asked still confused as to why his niece forced him to sit in a window with her best friend.
"Maya was asked out by one of the guys on the football team and she refuses to give him a chance." Riley said then walked out of the room before anyone could say anything.
Maya had a glare on her face, all she could think about is how she was going to kill Riley when she got out of this room. Maya actually couldn't figure out why she was so surprised. This was typical Riley, always meddling and trying to fix everyone's lives. Although, Maya was incredibly annoyed with her best friend right now, she knew that there were good intentions behind her actions.
"So you were asked out by a guy on the football team, huh?" Josh said with a smirk. Although he genuinely was happy for her, a part of him felt a little weird about it.
"Yeah, but I turned him down." Maya said looking down at her feet not daring to make eye contact with Josh.
"Why?" Josh asked.
"I just wasn't interested." Maya said, still looking at the ground. Josh looked at her in disbelief. It finally clicked why Riley did all this. He realized that he was the one holding Maya back
"Maya…" Josh started
"I don't want anyone else besides you. I want to wait for you." Maya admitted. She knew Riley was right all along and the reason she said no is because of Josh.
"Three years is a long time." Josh sighed.
"You're worth it." Maya said and Josh blushed and smiled at the same time. He looked down for a few seconds before looking back up at Maya.
"I think you are too but, I don't want to be the reason why you miss out on having an amazing high school experience. That includes dating other guys."
"But..." Maya started. Before she could finish her sentence Josh has cut her off.
"But nothing, we have a deal. You live your life and I live mine remember?" Josh said referencing a conversation that the two had at the ski lodge a few weeks ago.
"What if me or you find someone else? Then what?" Maya said finally looking up at him.
"You have to trust that the universe knows what it's doing. If we're meant to be together it'll happen, someday. But until then go and live your life and be happy." Josh said before standing up to leave. Before he walked out of the room he looked back at her ready to say something else.
"Plus if the date with the football dude is terrible and everything in the world goes wrong, you and I can have a good laugh about it 10 years from now." Josh said with a wink and Maya started laughing.
He walked out of the Riley's room and left Maya sitting alone in the bay window. With Josh giving her his blessing to date whoever she wants she started to consider calling that boy Chris. Not long after Josh left Riley returned to her room and took her original seat next to Maya.
"So...?" Riley inquired, curious as to what Josh had said to her.
"I think I am gonna go out with Chris." Maya said and Riley gleamed with happiness.
"Yay!" Riley exclaimed. She was genuinely happy for her best friend. She knew Maya had strong feelings for Josh and she's just glad that Maya is actually going to give someone else a chance.
"And I'm totally gonna kill you for that." Maya said before jumping up and tackling Riley to the ground. They both laid there for a little while before Riley decided to speak.
"So you wanna sleepover?" Riley asked casually.