Summary: "Maya Matlin, in the flesh!" Zig sat up straight. "And here I thought you'd forgotten all about me."

Disclaimer: Don't own Degrassi. 'Nuff said.

Author's Note: So, this kind of popped into my head when watched the promo for the next block. I hope you enjoy.

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Teenage Wasteland
By: Lady Azura

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Her mom was going to kill her.

Okay, so perhaps that was a bit of an exaggeration, but when she went to check on her late that night, only to find her bed empty and the window wide open, Maya honestly wouldn't put it past her mother to ground her for life. She was already on thin ice as it was, and while breaking curfew (again) probably wasn't in her best interest, Maya didn't care quite enough (yet) to make the mad dash home. Although she was sure she'd regret her decision in the morning… but that was for another day. In the meantime, Maya Matlin was a girl on a mission.

Shouldering her backpack, Maya ventured through the backwoods not far from the school – "The Ravine" as they called it. She had never been there before (she liked to think that it wasn't really her style but really it just made her uneasy) but she had heard the rumours; knew what activities went on and what kind of people frequented.

After walking down a dark trail, narrowly avoiding tripping over large roots and being smacked in the face by low hanging branches, Maya finally reached a clearing and was immediately bombarded with the smell of booze, urine and marijuana. It was enough to make her want to gag but the blonde somehow managed to keep her dinner down as she scouted the area, taking in her unfamiliar surroundings. There was a large group huddled around a bonfire and she recognized some faces, like Harry and Talia and some random kids from homeroom, but not the one she was looking for.

As she wandered around, she received a number of catcalls and whistles, making her instantly regret her choice of clothing. Even in the torn leggings under her skirt, the flimsy shirt and combat boots, she felt like a fish out of water. Holding her jacket shut, she did her best to ignore them but she knew that everyone at school would know she had been at the Ravine by the time Monday morning rolled around and she could only imagine what people were going to say about her this time.

Just as she was going to give up, she spotted him. Perched atop the hood of an abandoned truck, Zig Novak sat a good distance away from everyone else, completely lost in his own head – or so it seemed. Relieved that he wasn't surrounded by his new posse, Maya took a deep breath and gathered what courage she had before slowly making her way over, all the while trying to think of something to say. She hadn't really talked to him since the last week of school, before she went to Paris for the summer. She had seen him briefly at the beach bash, but that was about it, and until recently, when they were paired up for a project, they hadn't crossed paths at all that year and with everything that had happened so far from the video fiasco to her tumultuous relationship with Miles, she found herself missing his company and wishing they hadn't drifted apart.

Zig must have heard her approaching because his head snapped up, his brows arching in mild surprise when he spotted her, clearly having not expected her, before the corner of his mouth twitched upward.

"Maya Matlin, in the flesh!" He sat up straight. "And here I thought you'd forgotten all about me."

Maya threw him a look. "Don't be like that."

"Be like what?" Zig feigned ignorance, but Maya knew it was an act.

"Look, I'm sorry for… not responding to your texts all summer. I was… busy." She muttered, trying to keep it as simple as possible. She really didn't feel like going into detail about Paris, especially since certain people had made it nearly unbearable.

"Too busy to shoot me a text? Or call me when you got back?" Zig remarked as she joined him on the hood of the truck. "I was busy too, you know. But I still found time."

"Stop it. I said I was sorry." Maya's voice cracked slightly. Drawing her knees to her chest, she buried her face between them. She hated feeling guilty, even though she knew it was her own fault. Zig was right. She should've at least had the decency to keep in touch, but she had been so caught up in all the drama happening in her life, particularly with Miles and Zoe, that she had completely neglected Zig in the process.

She wondered if Damon had told him about the pictures circulating Facerange, and if Zig believed that they were real. Did he think differently of her now?

"This year sucks. I thought it was gonna be better, but it's not. It just keeps getting worse." She mumbled, staring at the trees ahead. "Tori's gone. Tristan is friends with that witch who ruined my life, and Miles has just been acting weird since we…" she stopped herself before she finished, knowing that that was probably the last thing Zig wanted to hear. She shook her head. "It doesn't matter. I don't know. He doesn't talk to me and when I tried to get him to, we had a big fight and now we're on a break and it's just stupid. He's stupid. I'm stupid. Everything is stupid and I hate it."

With a defeated sigh, Maya glanced over at Zig, trying to gauge his reaction but his face remained passive and unreadable. Biting the inside of her cheek, she reached for his hand but just as her fingers were about to graze his, Zig pulled his hand away. He had become noticeably tense, his demeanor now cold and standoffish.

"I can't do this. Not again." He said firmly, refusing to meet her gaze.

Maya furrowed her brow in confusion. "What?"

"Listen, I know I said I'd wait for you but I am not going to be your rebound." He told her.

"Zig, no, that's not what I was…" Maya trailed off, her mind reeling as she tried to figure out a way to salvage the situation. But what could she possibly say?

This wasn't how it was supposed to go.

As Zig moved to leave, Maya grabbed the sleeve of his jacket and pulled him back. She had to fix this. She had to. She couldn't let someone else shut her out.

"Maya –" Before Zig could finish his sentence, Maya's mouth was on his.

She felt him stiffen at first and fully expected him to shove her away, but after a couple of seconds, he started to return the kiss. In an instant, everything she had been bottling up for months resurfaced and it was like their first kiss all over again, desperate and passionate and God, she couldn't get enough. This was the fire she had longed for; the one that had been missing from her kisses with Miles. Cupping his face, she turned her body toward him just a little, tilting her head to the side and humming in the back of her throat when she felt Zig's tongue dart out and trace her bottom lip until she granted him access. As the kiss deepened, Zig seized control, laying her back so that he was almost hovering over her but not quite. His hands roamed her sides while his tongue explored every inch of her mouth, only fuelling the fire within her.

When they finally separated for much needed air, his cheeks were flushed and his eyes were glazed over with lust. She had seen that look before, on Harry (and, if she deceived her memory just enough, on Miles too) but this time it didn't make her nervous. Maybe it was because she was more "experienced" this time around, or maybe it was because it was Zig and she knew she had nothing to be nervous about.

Biting her lip, Maya gave him the sultriest stare she could muster, trying to convey exactly what she wanted without words. Zig must have understood, because he wasted no time claiming her mouth once more. Maya kissed him back with equal fervor, winding her arms around his neck to draw him closer, her legs instinctively parting as he settled between them. It was kind of awkward, making out on the hood of a truck, but in that moment she couldn't care less. His hands somehow managed to be everywhere at once, groping and kneading, slipping under her shirt and up her sides, caressing her heated skin while his lips soon turned their attention to her neck, leaving open-mouthed kisses in their wake.

Light-headed and weak in the knees, Maya found herself yearning for more. An unbearable heat was beginning to pool between her thighs, making her all the more desperate as she slipped her hands between them and began fumbling with Zig's belt buckle. It became apparent to her then that he was in a similar predicament (which she tried not to feel too smug about) and as he pulled back, presumably to stop her, she was surprised when he reached under her skirt and yanked her leggings and underwear off in one fell swoop. Suddenly she was aware of how embarrassingly wet she was and wanted nothing more than to clamp her legs shut, but given their current position, it was impossible. Fortunately Zig didn't seem to notice, too busy unfastening his pants. Once his arousal was finally free, he let out a relieved sigh before peering down at her.

Seeing the hesitation in his eyes, Maya gave him a reassuring smile. "It's fine."

After all, it wasn't like this was her first time.

There was a brief pause, followed by the sound of foil tearing and then, after what seemed like eternity, he was inside her.

He didn't wait for her to adjust to him before he pulled out, only to slam back into her so hard she practically saw stars. Not that she needed much adjusting, the blonde mused; she had already been with Miles twice, but the sensations she'd felt then were nothing compared to what she was feeling now. Zig wasn't holding back and every thrust he made pushed Maya further and further to the brink of ecstasy. She could hear their skin slapping as their hips came together, the truck beneath them squeaking obnoxiously and, amidst her hazy mind, she suddenly remembered where they were and realized that they could probably be heard over by the bonfire – but for some reason, that didn't bother her. Everyone already thought she was a slut thanks to Zoe. Besides, there was something deliciously raunchy and exciting about having sex out in the open, where anyone could see.

Bending her knees slightly, Maya let out a loud moan when Zig grabbed her right leg and hooked it around his waist, allowing him to penetrate her more deeply and causing her to toss her head back.

"Oh God, Zig!"

A noticeable smirk spread across Zig's face at the sound of his name on her lips, but Maya was far too gone to care.

"Don't stop… ah! Don't stop, don't stop, don't stop!" She begged, clawing at his leather jacket.

He didn't, and as his thrusts grew more erratic, Maya soon found herself thrashing and bucking her hips frantically, desperate for some kind of release. Her pleasure was mounting and she felt like she was going to lose her mind soon, she was so close.

Then it happened, and as he hit a particular spot inside her, Maya's whole body shook as her orgasm ripped through her, making her cry out his name in delight.

"Zig!"

He didn't stop. Instead, his thrusts became more frantic and it wasn't long before Maya felt a another climax approaching but before she reached her second peak, Zig tensed above her, letting out a guttural moan as he came. Maya gasped lightly, biting back a whimper when he jerked his hips a few more times before he finished and dropped his head to her shoulder. As they basked in the afterglow of what had just happened, Maya couldn't help but smile lazily, her body still tingling even as Zig pull away and carefully slid out of her.

"Jesus Christ…" he mumbled, in awe at what just happened.

As he threw away the condom and zipped up his jeans, Maya sat up and smoothed her skirt down before leaning back against the windshield.

"That was… wow." She breathed, staring wide-eyed at the sky as she waited for her breathing to return to normal.

"Yeah, no kidding." She was surprised when Zig pulled out a pack of cigarettes and lit one.

"Since when do you smoke?" She asked skeptically.

"Since the summer." Zig answered simply.

"It doesn't make you cool, you know." The blonde told him, giving him a disapproving look.

"Sure it does! Chicks dig it!" Zig countered with a playful grin.

"Name one."

"You?"

"As if."

"Come on. You gotta admit I look pretty badass."

"Lose the cancer stick first and then we'll talk, Doofus."

"Fine..." With a pout, Zig tossed the cigarette aside. There was a momentary pause before he spoke again, his tone serious. "So, is this the part where you go running back to your boyfriend?"

Maya shrugged.

"Honestly? I don't think Miles and I are gonna work out." She said, before glancing at the dark-haired teen beside her. "You're not a rebound, by the way. And… I'm sorry for making you wait so long, so I get it if you want to move on but I just want you to know that I am ready if you are." Biting the inside of her cheek nervously, she extended her open palm, waiting for his next move.

Relief washed over her when he didn't pull his hand back this time and instead, laced his fingers with hers. With a small smile, she inched closer and laid her head on his shoulder.

"So… was this all a ploy to get into my pants? Because you know, you could've just said so from the start."

"Shut up, Doofus."

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FIN

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Phew. So this has been in the works since the promo aired (and with it, my fondness for Zaya – I think I just really miss their interactions. And Zig in general, but I digress) and finally it's done, so I hope you guys enjoyed.

I like Matlingsworth, so I didn't want to bash Miles or make him out to be some jerk, but I did want to imply that their relationship wasn't working for various reasons (I left out a paragraph where Maya speculates that he likes someone else, and that someone else might be Tristan because I totally think Miles is Bi, even though I do not want Triles to happen. I couldn't figure out where to add that though, but that is the reason in case anyone was wondering.)

Also, throwback to Zaya's last scene in "Zombie" because it was super adorable.

I don't know why I made Zig a smoker in this but it made for good banter so whatever.

Anyway, I'm rambling now so I'll stop.

Please REVIEW and let me know what you think!