I appreciate reviews so much! :) I have a general idea for where this story is going, but please tell me what you think so far. Here we go:

Chapter 1

It was a clear violation of girl code to go after her best friend's crush. However, as she sat at her roll-top desk writing the boy a letter, she decided it didn't matter. The crush had lasted for almost two years, yet nothing happened. If her best friend was too afraid of making a move for that long, the girl code probably wasn't a big deal anymore. Besides, the two were high school freshmen, in a school with over 200 students per grade. Ranger Rick wasn't the only boy out there.

Maya had grown up a bit. Her figure was fuller, her face looked more like a young woman's than a child's, and she generally didn't make fun of Lucas. Her sarcasm was still present, but it always came across as witty, not cruel. However, in some ways, she had become less loyal to Riley. Lucas made it clear during the summer after eighth grade that he liked Maya, not Riley, and Maya, who had liked Lucas for almost as long as did, went on several friend-dates with him during July and August. It wasn't that they lied to Riley about it; they just agreed it was better for her not to know. Innocent Riley never asked about their relationship and just assumed the three of them were still friends, no drama except for Lucas's little crush on Maya, which would hopefully be short-lived.

Both Lucas and Maya would be lying if they said they didn't have fun with each other, whether they went to the movies, the park, ice skating, or to parties. Both would also be lying if they said their feelings for each other hadn't grown stronger. As much as both cared about Riley, they started to care about each other just as much, maybe even more in Lucas's case.

Over the summer, the two had learned almost every secret about each other. Maya confessed about her suicidal thoughts that had lasted all the way through seventh and eighth grade, until she finally confessed it to Shawn Hunter, her stepdad of six months. Shawn was quick to help out Maya, and the girl had gone to therapy since the end of eighth grade. It helped a lot, and Maya was on the long road to recovery. Maya and her mother even became far closer as a result. However, starting high school didn't exactly help since she and Riley were growing apart more and more. It was like having a chasm between them. The girls hadn't had actual "Riley and Maya Time" in almost two months.

Lucas talked about how he still didn't feel at home in New York City. Today was two-year anniversary of his family moving, October 15th, and he still felt completely lost, partially because of Riley's undying obsession with him and the fact that he didn't have the heart to push her away.

As Maya thought about all this, she continued her letter:

Lucas, basically what I'm trying to say is that this relationship won't be good for either of us. As much as I care about you, I don't think you should be with me, a broken girl, who will just drag you down. And I'm terrified of depending on you to bring me up whenever I feel lost. Maybe it's best if we just end this now because I'm far too broken to give you a full heart.

I honestly think you'd be better off with a girl more like Riley, someone who will be willing and able to give you everything I can't and who will truly love you. It's been getting so hard not to resent her, someone who has everything: parents, popularity, beauty, money, kindness, and intelligence. Yet she complains so much about the minor imperfections in her life, mostly that you don't like her the way she likes you, despite the fact that I know at least three other guys who would treat her right and would be dying to have the chance to be with her.

So while it kills me to write you this letter, I think it's important that you focus on finding a girl who can bring you up, instead of bringing you down. Maybe once I'm more emotionally capable, we can consider being close again.

I love you Lucas.

~Maya