Family Bonds

By: Crayzee Bubbles

Category: Girl Meets World

Pairing: Maya & Riley (FRIENDSHIP)

WARNINGS: This fic will contain drugs and foul langauges. READ AT YOUR OWN DISCRETION...YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!

DISCLAIMER: I, Crayzee Bubbles, DO NOT own the characters of Girl Meets World. I have never owned them and I'm guessing it's safe to say I never will. I am not receiving any money for writing this...no matter how much I wish to the contrary. So, no one can sue me!

Ages:

-Maya: 18

-Riley: 18

-Keith: 23

Author's Note: Well, all the necessary information is above, so the only thing for me to say here is I hope you enjoy! I will see you guys at the end. :)

*Maya's POV*

I sighed as I wiped the tears from my cheek. I stood and looked around the empty apartment. It had to happen sometime. There was no use in feeling sorry or crying. No one escaped it. Sooner or later, it came for you. It was the one thing in life that was guaranteed: death. Yupp, everyone died at some point. No one lived forever...not even her. We had just gotten really close. I was just beginning to understand the things she did for me...how much she truly cared. Now, it had all been ripped away. There I was...truly alone. I took a deep breath, knowing I needed to get away. I thought about getting rid of the apartment, but I knew I wouldn't. I half-smiled when I got to Riley's window. I t was unlocked, as always. I crawled in and noticed Riley sitting on her bed, looking at me with the same stupid sympathetic look she'd had for the last week.

"Hey, Maya. How are you?"

"I'd be a lot better if everybody would stop asking me that. And stop looking at me like that."

She frowned, then smiled.

"Fine! Wanna go watch a movie downstairs? My parents and Auggie are all gone, so we can actually watch it!"

I smiled. Riley always made me feel better. She always knew exactly how to cheer me up.

"Sounds great!"

We ran down stairs and jumped on the couch.

"So, what do you wanna watch? I'm voting for either Twilight or Titanic!"

I groaned.

"Riles! I can't sit through Titanic again. We've watched it a thousand times! And you know I am not watching Twilight ever!"

She pouted.

"Fine. What do you suggest?"

"Pirates of the Caribbean?"

"Yay!"

I rolled my eyes and started the movie. She ran to the kitchen and returned with a big bowl of popcorn and two sodas.

"Can't watch a movie without these!"

I laughed and nodded.

*After The Movie*

As the credits rolled, I turned the tv off.

"Everyone should be home soon. They'll probably bring dinner. You staying?"

"Sure."

As if on cue, in walked Mr. and Mrs. Matthews, with Auggie right behind them. Mr. Matthews and Auggie ran to the kitchen. Mrs. Matthews smiled and shook her head.

"Hey girls. What are you doing?"

"Hey, Mom. We were just watching a movie."

"Ok. Riley, come help me set up the table."

Riley jumped up and bounced into the kitchen. I watched her with her family. There she was, setting the table with her dad. Mrs. Matthews was fixing everyone a plate and Auggie was at the table with that goofy childhood smile on his face. It was like an old movie had just swallowed me up. I have spent majority of my time with the Matthews and they have always tried to make me feel like a part of their family. Most of the time, I did. If I closed my eyes, I could usually pretend that Riley and I were sisters and that her family was my family. Maya Matthews...yupp, that was me. However, eventually reality would break through and it would be time to return to my life...time to be Maya Hart again. I had always loved seeing a functional family together. It gave me hope that I could have a normal family someday. Hope is for suckers. Always has been and always will be. As I watched the Matthews family, it became too much. I knew they had their problems, but overall they truly were the picture-perfect, cookie-cutter family...and no matter how hard I tried, I knew I would always be Maya Hart. I stood and started walking toward the door.

"Maya, where are you going?"

"I'm gonna head out."

"I thought you were staying for dinner?"

"Maya, aren't you hungry?"

"No thank you, Mrs. Matthews. Riles, I'm sorry. I totally forgot I was supposed to have dinner with Keith tonight. I'll see you tomorrow, OK?"

She sighed, but nodded.

"OK."

I walked out of their apartment and onto the street. It was winter in New York...obviously, it was cold. Oddly enough, I loved it. It matched the icy feeling in my heart. I sighed as I looked up at my building. I didn't wanna go back in. I pulled out my phone and called Keith, my sometimes boyfriend.

"Maya. Hey baby girl."

"Hey. Can I come over?"

"Anytime."

"I'm on my way."

I hung up and started walking the block to Keith's place. Keith and I were hard to explain. Riley would call him my friend with benefits/drug dealer, and I guess that was the most accurate description. I thought about Riley...about how much she disapproved of Keith and my habits over the years. Fuck it. What did Riley know? I walked up the stairs and knocked on Keith's door. He pulled it open and the smell of booze and pot hit my nose. He looked me over and smirked.

"Hey."

I smiled back at him.

"Hey, yourself."

He stepped aside and let me in.

"So, what's up?"

"Just needed a place to hang. Didn't wanna go home."

"What about your stuck up brunette shadow?"

"Riley is having dinner with her parents. Why do you hate her so much?"

"Because she hates me and she's a bitch."

I shook my head and smiled. I never thought I'd hear anyone call Riley Matthews a bitch, but if there ever was a person...it would be Keith.

"Yeah, well, let's not talk about her."

"Agreed. Wanna hit?"

He held out a lit joint. I smiled and took it.

"Goddamn right I do."

I hit the joint twice and handed it back. He plopped down on the sofa.

"Got a beer?"

"In the fridge. Help yourself, babe."

I smiled and walked to the kitchen. It was tiny and the dishes hadn't been done in weeks. I rolled my eyes, grabbed a beer from the fridge, and returned to the living room. Keith and I hung out for a while, then I decided to leave. I thought about stopping back by Riley's place, but knew it was a bad idea. I walked home and sat the 12 pack and the ounce of weed I'd gotten from Keith on the coffee table. I walked to my room to grab my papers and my lighter. I returned to the living room, rolled a joint, sparked it up, and popped the top on a beer. I leaned back on the couch, determined to numb the feelings.

*Two Weeks Later*

I groaned as the persistent banging continued. I looked around and realized it was coming from the door. I sighed as I stumbled over and pulled it open. I came face to face with a pacing Riley and a slightly concerned Josh.

"Maya! You look like hell, are you OK?"

"Jesus, Riles, it's six in the damn morning! I was OK, until you woke me up."

"I'm sorry, Maya. I've just been worried about you. You suddenly have to leave to have dinner with Keith and then I don't hear from you for two weeks! How is that OK, Maya?"

"Fuck. Riley-"

"Don't say that word."

I sighed.

"I'm sorry, Riles. OK? I am. I meant to call you, but I've been kinda busy."

"Busy? Yeah. With that no good, low-down, dirty rotten,filthy-"

"Riles! I get it. You don't like him. For your information, I only spent a couple hours with him and he hasn't heard from me in two weeks either. No one has. Like I said, I've been busy."

"Maya, are you sure you're OK?"

"Yes."

"OK. Wanna hang out? We could come in."

She started to push past me and, if this were any other morning, I would have invited them in already, but this was not any other morning. I knew Riley would shit if seh seen the inside of my apartment...the evidence o what I'd truly been doing for two weeks.

"No! Riles, I'm tired. Why don't you just head home and I'll call you whenever I wake up?"

"Bullshit. Maya, I know you. Why don't you want me in the house?"

"Riley, just go home."

"Maya."

I looked at Josh, silently pleading with him.

"Josh, take her home."

"Maya!"

Josh looked at me, then at Riley.

"Hey, maybe she's right. Maybe we should just head back, and you two can work it out later. OK, Riley?"

"No! Not OK. Maya, I'm coming in."

"Riley-"

She cut me off and shoved past me, stopping and gasping. As she looked around, she looked as if she wanted to cry. The floor of the kitchen and living room were covered in empty liquor bottles and cigarette butts. The table was covered with marijuana and paraphernalia.

"Maya-"

She stopped and looked at me. I was ashamed. I never wanted her to see this...never wanted her to see me like this. She was the one person that saw the good in me. I never wanted to damage that view. I knew what she must be thinking right now. I looked at Josh, who stood in the doorway. He glanced at me and I could see a look of disappointment in his eyes as he shook his head, but he didn't say a word. I looked back to Riley.

"Riles, I didn't want you to see this. I'm sorry."

"You're sorry?"

"I know I've let you down, but I'm not a bad person. You know that, right?"

She looked at me.

"Maya, I will never think you're a bad person...because you will never be a bad person. You have let me down, though. I thought you were better than this, Maya. I thought I made you better than this."

Had those words come from anyone else, I could have brushed it off and went on about my day...but those words coming from her, shattered me. I hit my knees and let a few tears run down my cheeks.

"I need help, Riley!"

"Shhhhh. Maya, it's OK."

"I'm sorry. I couldn't stay with you. I didn't have anything planned with Keith."

"Maya, I get it. You just lost your mom."

"No. You don't get it. It's not just about my mom. You have both parents, the little brother, the uncles, all the family friends, the grandparents...you have a family. I have no one."

"That is not true! Maya Hart, you know you will always have a family...as long as you have us."

She looked back to Josh.

"Right?"

He stepped forward.

"Of course."

"See? You have a family, too."

I wiped the tear away.

"Now, come on."

"Where?"

"Shower. Then, my house."

"I don't know, Riles."

"Come on, Maya. Come with us."

I looked to Josh and he flashed that award winning smile. I sighed.

"Fine!"

I hugged Riley.

"Thank you, Honey."

"Any time, Peaches."

(A/N: Wellll...what do you guys think? I know it was kinda unorganized...like not a whole lot of thought went into it and that's because it didn't! This was a spur of the moment idea and I even completely changed directions with it about halfway through...but anywayyyys. Leave me a review and let me know what you thought!)

THE END!

Until Next Story,

Crayzee Bubbles3