The Long Game

She stood completely still, staring at the big, gray stone arch. It was appropriate, the gateway leading to the next phase in her life. There were swarms of people walking around her, some as lost as she was, and some who already knew their way. There were people reuniting with friends after a long summer and there were new friends being made. Maya saw a pair of girls run up and hug each other like they had been apart for decades. She smiled to hold back the pain, I wish Riley was here.

But Riley wasn't here. For the first time in a long time, Riley wasn't here standing next to her. She has decided to go to Boston University (no coincidence because Lucas was going to Tufts). She wasn't angry at Riley for leaving, just a little lonely. But Maya's a big girl now, eighteen; and she understood that things don't always go as planned anymore. Even though they had planned to stay together through college, to room together and to endure together, sometimes life will ruin your plans. But life always seems to have its reasons for doing so, so Maya has learned to give life the benefit of the doubt. Besides, she knew Riley would still always be there for her and vice versa. But adults can have each other's backs in spirit rather than in person.

Maya averted her eyes back to the arch. She finally did it. After endless hours of extra studying, tutoring, she finally got her grades up high enough to be accepted. And then even more hours honing her art skills so that her portfolio was accepted by the art program. It was a hard three years, but she held on because she really wanted to make it here. Ever since the day at the ski lodge, she knew this was where she needed to be. She inhaled the open city air, a mix of ocean, pollution, freshly opened backpacks and BO. She loved it.

Granted she didn't just go to NYU for Josh. She did actually consider the fact that the heart of New York City was the best place to study art and that NYU had an amazing art program. But Josh was certainly the cherry on top on the sundae…And the sprinkles, whip cream and chocolate syrup…and the waffle cookie. Mmm… she thought, waffle cookie.

But NYU was a big school. And they're completely different majors. Not to mention he's a senior now and she's just a freshman. The chances of them bumping into each other are slim to none. At least if she let things proceed naturally. If she hunted him down, obviously it would be different story. But they agreed three years ago to just let things happen, to play the long game. Maya had to respect that choice.

The long game… Every time she thought about it she cursed herself. The long game, she scoffed, should've taken the six weeks when she had the chance. At least that way she might have gotten a bit more conversation out of him. For the last three years, even though they saw each other pretty often, it was always the same four sentences.

"Hey, how are you?"

"I'm alright, how 'bout you?"

"Still kicking, long game?"

"Yep, long game."

And then an extra long awkward stare and a lingering hand shake that she never wanted to let go of. Yeah well she was officially sick of the long game; like lying in a hospital bed on life support sick of it. Sometimes, if she got lucky, they'd have an actual conversation. Mostly just about life and how it was changing. He was easy to talk to, and through him, she was always able to work through her problems. Like he always said, he's pretty good at watching people. And he was pretty good and deducing what Maya was thinking before she even managed to figure it out. Made for a good therapist at times. But the one thing they never talked about was love. No stories about dating or relationships, either about them or about other people. It was like the topic was taboo. Maya always considered asking but, then she realized it would probably hurt less if she didn't know.

Of course, it's not like she didn't go out with anyone over the last three years. She was playing the long game but she wasn't a nun. But eight dates with five different guys and a senior prom with Zay later, she still couldn't get Uncle Boing out of her head or out of her heart. She laughed at herself. If that's what happened to her over the last three years, then she couldn't even begin to happen what happened to Josh over the last three years. He's probably half-forgotten she even existed. (Yes, she understood fractions now).

Maya took one more deep breath before walking underneath the arch, passing into a new world. She came to campus extra early so she had an hour to walk around and figure out where her classes were because she actually had to be in one. As she walked past one building to the next, hunting for the building names, she continued to remind herself her real reason but coming to NYU. I'm not here for Josh. She lied to herself for the ten thousandth time. I'm here for art. She walked around aimlessly for awhile until she found the building where her first class was going to be held. Checking her phone, she still had 20 minutes before class started. So she propped herself on a bench next to the door and pulled out a sketchbook. For a freshman, Maya lucked out. She actually got to select a couple of art major classes along with the core curriculum she's required to take. And her first class of the day was Intro to Drawing: Perspective and Light. For once, she wanted to be a good student, so she started to sketch.

Just a few minutes later, she felt a pair of hands cover her eyes. They were too large to be female, so she could instantly guess who it was. She couldn't help but smile. Guess I don't have to hunt him down after all. She waited but the pair of hands didn't say anything. So she finally cracked, "Who is it?" She sang teasingly.

"Well who do you want most to be here?" His deep voice melted her. Oh how she missed that voice. Even though they had seen each other just a week ago when they were sending Riley off at the airport, it was never enough. She was so hooked on this drug, there would never be enough.

"Hi Uncle Boing." She smiled her coy smile. He chuckled and moved his hands away. coming around from the back of the bench. Her eyes stared at him with the hopeful, longing gaze that he just couldn't resist. From the first time she said she liked him four years ago, Josh knew it was silly. That it was just a teenage phase, that it would pass. He never had any intention of entertaining her misguided infatuation. But it was always the way she looked at him when she said she liked him, looked him straight in the eye, never wavering, never backing out. She always stared right into his heart just as she was doing now. Against those eyes, Josh couldn't help but feel weak.

But she never shook the habit of that ridiculous nickname. He laughed and he propped himself down next to her on the hard wooden beams of the bench, "Would you stop calling me that?"

"I will," she teased, "as soon as I have another name for you."

He smiled. She was already beginning her flirty teasing; trying to bait him into reacting. But he knew better. He knew it was her defense mechanism, to play off her true feelings. He knew that she believed if she pretended to joke, it might hurt less. He also knew from the teary-eyed twinkle in her eyes that it never hurt any less. "Oh yeah, and what other name did you have in mind?"

"Boyfriend, husband, eternal soulmate forever, I'm really not picky."

She always left him at a loss, "How about just Josh?"

"You know you'll never be just Josh to me." There it was again, that teary, blue-eyed twinkle that always made his heart sink a little, made him feel guilty for stealing a young girl's heart. Against those eyes, suddenly the cool Uncle Josh became a speechless buffoon. Before he knew it, he was gazing at her too long, too silent again.

"So! First day! You excited?" Changing the subject was his only choice.

Damn it, Maya thought. He managed to slip away again. "Yeah, actually I am. Which is weird for me, since it's school."

"You're going to find college is a little different than normal school. Especially when you get more major classes in your schedule."

"What about you? Don't you have class?"

Josh leaned back and pulled his phone out of his jean pocket, "In about… 5 minutes."

"So shouldn't you get going?"

"Well," He grinned, "it happens to be in that building right there. So I think I'll make it." He winked."You here?" gesturing to the building behind them.

"Yeah."

He chuckled again. Only then did Maya noticed how low his voice had gotten. It was deep before but you could still hear the high pitched squeals unique to the Matthews. But now… he's grown up again. Which while entirely pleasing to the ear, made Maya's heart sink a little because once again, he was just a a few steps too far ahead. "Figures you'd be in the art building." He remarked, "Do you know when you get out?"

"Umm," She pulled a crumpled piece of paper out of her pocket. It took her a second to find what she was looking for, turning the messy page left and right. "It says 2 hours, I think."

"Cool, I'll see you when you get out then?" He stood, "We can grab some lunch?"

Did he just offer to have lunch with her? Why did he do that? Why did he just do that? Was he just being nice because Maya was his niece's best friend? What is happening here? Questions flooded into her head in abundance. But the most interesting part, was the same questions were in his head as well. Along with asking himself, what the hell did I just do?

He was always stepping away across the courtyard to his building. Walking backwards and smiling back at her while he was waiting for a response. If she didn't say something soon, he would be too far gone. No, she wasn't going to let him slip away again. "Yeah, I'd like that."

"Cool, see you later." And he turned around and disappeared into the stone building across from her.

Yeah, see you later Josh.


I'll be honest, this has to be the worst writing I've done in... well ever. I wanted to go a quick one shot and call it a day but then realized i couldn't come up with a feasible plot line for these two to get together that quickly. After all, they are playing the long game. So this is just going to have to be a few chapters longer. I did not proofread at all and i apologies but, well i know you'll all deal. I ship Joshaya so hard... so hard . R and R Pls and TY