A/n: Hello, everyone :) It's just me with another RileyxMaya friendship story. Or well, a Maya and the Matthews 's moments story. It is another songfic, inspired by the song Those Nights by Skillet. If anybody is ever going through a hard time, I recommend their music. Some of the lyrics are in this story.
Oh a little warning, it contains a little bad language. Nothing to terrible though.
I don't own Girl Meets World, or the song.
"Remember when we'd stay up late and talked all night. In a dark room lit by the t.v light"
The first time Maya slept at Riley's house, she was ten. It was midnight, and little Riley Matthews was tucked into bed, sound asleep. A knocking on her window, awakened her from her dream. To afraid to see what was causing the noise, she clutched to her blanket, and put her pillow in front of herself as a protective shield. The knocking continued.
"Mommy! Daddy!" She screamed.
Cory and Topanga ran into the room. Cory had a baseball bat in his hand. He scanned the room. Both parents were awake and alert, searching the room for any signs of danger. Topanga put on the lights and ran to Riley's side. "Are you hurt baby? You okay?" Topanga asked, Riley put down her pillow, and went to hug her mother.
"Someone is at the window" She said, her voice shaky.
"Riles" A familiar voice called. "It's me"
"Maya?" Everyone questioned.
Cory opened up the window.
A shivering Maya enters.
He grabbed a blanket on top of Riley's dresser and wrapped it around her.
"Is everything okay?" Riley asked, which she knew wasn't probably the right thing to say.
It was midnight and her best friend wasn't in bed, at home.
Riley got up from her bed, and moved on the window seat near Maya and pulled her into a delicate hug.
"Everything is fine" Maya lied, as her voice cracked. "I'm fine"
Topanga took a seat next to Riley, and patted Maya's knee in a comforting gesture.
"Maya, honey, it's midnight. You should be home, sleeping. What's wrong?" Topanga asked concerned.
"My...my" Her lips trembled, and Riley knew it wasn't because she was cold. Maya was crying, Riley never saw Maya cry before, and Riley never thought she would. Her best friend always seemed so tough. Seeing her this vulnerable shocked little Riley.
"Parents are fighting" she finally said, as she wiped her tears before they could fall.
"It was so scary. I've never seen them this angry at each other" She admitted. " So, I came here"
"I'm so sorry" Riley said, giving her best friend another hug. This one lasted longer, and Maya held on tighter.
"Does your parents know you are here?" Cory asked. Maya nodded, no.
"Maybe I should call, let them know you are okay" Cory suggested.
"No!" Maya exclaimed. "Please, don't" her tone softened. "They are just going to argue more, plus I doubt they noticed I left. I doubt they care"
Riley reached for Maya's hand, her fingers wrapped around hers.
"Oh my Maya" Riley said. "They do care"
" I know they don't show it in obvious ways" Topanga said. "But they do"
Maya looked at the three of the Matthews and realized how tired they are, and the time.
"I'm sorry, I know it's late. I should've just dealt with it"
"No, it's okay" Riley said, moving a piece of Maya's hair and tucking it behind her ear.
" I just want to discuss one thing" Cory said. " If they fight again, call me. So I can pick you up. I don't want you walking on the streets alone, late at night. Or any time, for that matter. I don't want anything to happen to you"
Maya nodded.
Cory and Topanga got up, and walked towards to door.
"We'll go let you guys do your girl talk now. Since today is Friday, you guys go back to sleep at two. You get two hours. But you need rest" Topanga said.
"Wait" Maya called.
Cory and Topanga turned around.
"Thanks for caring" she said softly.
"Anytime" Cory replied with a smile.
They left, leaving the two girls alone.
"Do you want to talk about it?" Riley asked.
"No thank you. Tomorrow?" Maya offered.
"Tomorrow" Riley confirmed.
Riley got up and went into her dresser, searching from some night time clothes to give Maya.
"What do you want to do now then?" Riley asked.
Maya grabbed the clothes Riley passed her, then went to lie down on the bed.
"Anything distracting" Maya said.
Riley smiled "Movie marathon"
Maya smiled back. "Movie marathon"
"Listen to the radio play all night, didn't want to go home to another fight"
Twelve year old Riley and Maya were fast asleep on the couch after watching their favorite show on rerun. it was two in the morning and both girls were lost in a dream.
Riley's dream consisted everything innocent and bright. She dreamed her and Maya were on a beach, somewhere sunny. Playing in the water,building sandcastles, playing mermaid princesses. It was perfect.
Maya on the other hand, was having a nightmare. Yelling haunted her mind, her parents vicious words towards each other replaying.
"Stop it!" She screamed in her sleep.
She felt like she was watching it all over again.
"You bitch!" "You are a backstabbing jackass!" "Get off me!" "Let me go!" "Get out!"
It rushed back to her brain, all she heard was the screaming, the cursing.
"Stop it!"
She felt herself being shaken, and jumped up. "Let go- But stopped herself.
She saw Riley ,Cory and Topanga looking at her, concern in their eyes.
"Maya, you okay?" Riley asked.
"It was just a nightmare" She said, trying to dismiss the subject. Her sleepovers with Riley was a two for one deal. She got to spend time with her best friend, and escape her parents.
"What happened in your nightmare?" Riley asked.
"Riley" Topanga's voice had a slight warning." Let's not push her. She can talk when she is ready"
Riley gave in after thirty seconds.
"So what happened?"
"Riley!"
She looked at her parents. " I gave her time" She defended.
Maya smiled. "It's fine Mr. and Mrs. Matthews. It's unavoidable." Maya said, once she realized that, it made this less hard. She was going to have to talk about it, and pushing it off made it worst.
"It was more of a flashback then a nightmare" She started, all three of the Matthews, took a seat on the couch, as Maya went to sit up.
"I was remembering my parents fighting. I mean, I got use to it for I while. I gave up hoping one day they were both going to be happy. But for the last couple days,it hasn't always been yelling"
Cory and Topanga met Maya's eyes, hoping it wasn't they were thinking.
"It's cursing, screaming, glass shattering. Last night, it was almost violent"
Their fears were confirmed.
"They didn't know I was home. They usually keep it at a pg level when they know I'm around. But they didn't know I was around to hold them back" Maya explained. Her voice was leveled, no trembling as she told the tale. She had gotten use to it.
That might have been the saddest part.
"Violent?" Surprisingly, the question came from Cory and not Riley.
"Not towards me" She defended quickly.
"My dad, pinned my mom to the wall. She was yelling at him to let go of her, but he didn't" This is when her voice started to crack.
"I should've stopped him"
Cory got up, and went to face Maya, by sitting on the ground. He looked her in the eyes.
"It is not your job to protect your mother. You should not have to get involved in your parents arguments. It is always better to not get involved. Don't blame yourself, or think any of this is your fault. Don't put blame and guilt on yourself, okay? You do not deserve it"
"Your mother is a strong woman" Topanga said, Maya shifted her gaze to her.
"Nothing can justify what he did, but he was angry. When people are angry, they lose control of what they say, how they say it, and what they do" Topanga continued.
" I know" Maya said, softly.
"Sorry for waking everyone up...again" Maya said, referring to her first sleepover.
"No need to apologize. We are always here for you" Cory said, as he got up.
"Always" Riley said.
Maya almost forget she was there, her best friend barley said a word.
Topanga got up. "Goodnight girls"
"Sweet dreams" Cory said.
They went to bed.
Maya crawled to Riley, she laid her head on Riley's lap, she was facing the ceiling. Her legs stretched on the couch.
"So, now what?" Riley asked.
"Well, I'm not sleeping for the rest of the night. I don't want the nightmares to come back" Maya said. "Maybe we can listen to music?" She suggested. " Your choice"
"No problem" Riley said, as she got her ipod from the side table. They listen to music, and Riley played with Maya's hair. They joked, laughed and sang all night.
Finally as the sun rised, they slept happily.
"Through all the hard times in my life, those nights kept me alive"
"Maya tell me what's wrong" A thirteen year old Riley insisted.
Maya just stared at the dinner plate, tonight Topanga made macaroni and cheese. Maya smelled the chocolate chip cookies being made in the oven. Auggie was being his usual adorable self, by attempting to eat with a spoon. It was a normal Friday night at the Matthews place.
Except, it wasn't normal. Maya stayed quiet, ignoring Riley's questions. Instead of helping her describe how her day went with her sarcastic comments about every teacher, including her father, Maya said nothing.
"Maya, what happened?" Riley asked.
"It's nothing important" Maya mumbled, and she moved the macaroni in the bowl.
"Maya, you haven't touched your food all day. You've been quiet in class, and you didn't even make fun of Lucas today. You barely made it on time to pick me up. You are never late. There is something wrong, and I want to know. Now" Riley insisted.
"I didn't come on time to pick you up because when I woke up this morning, there was a letter on the kitchen counter. It was from my dad. He said he is leaving" She paused,and tried not to cry. "and not coming back"
It was silent, no one said anything. To afraid to say the wrong thing.
"How ya feeling, sweetie?" Topanga asked.
"A small part of me is happy. I knew my parents weren't happy. Now I don't have to worry about the arguing. My mom will be happy. But another part of me, will miss him. Regardless, he is my dad. The fact he just left, kinda sucks" She admitted.
"Is Maya sleeping over?" Auggie asked, oblivious to the situation, focusing on his food.
" I would like to, if it's not the issue. I already told my mom I might be. I don't want to go back home" Maya said.
"It's never an issue. How about we have a Maya night?" Cory suggested. " We could go out for ice cream, go to the park. Or maybe go somewhere when you can sketch"
"Thanks, but I always feel better here" She says honestly. " It feels like what a home should feel like"
"Then we stay here" Riley declared.
Those nights are the nights that Maya will never forget. The nights when Riley stayed up with her till the sun shined the next morning. When the fears and fights plagued her mind. The nights when the stars shined, and everything was beautifully distracting, and she forgot everything. Those nights she realized Riley was more then a friend, she is her sister. Sleepless nights with her best friend are her favorite.
Those nights are the best nights of her life.
"Those nights belong to us"
A/n: Well, I hope you liked it.
Hope you have a wonderful day
-Xxxx4evaSummerxxxx