A/N: So verdict: went to the doctor and found out I have a mild form of pneumonia. I'm okay though :) I won't let this sickness take control of my life or keep me from enjoying my favourite pasttime! (But of course, I am taking care of myself and drinking plenty of fluids and whatnot lol)

But… the visit birthed this random idea, and I decided to write this midlength Lucaya AU story. An experiment and challenge to myself to limit my vulgarity to bare min ahaha. I don't care how many in progress stories I have anymore lol. I've gotten past the point of caring. These new story ideas won't quit and I'm not going to keep myself from writing them just because I have a ton of other stories to work on. I'm going to take the bull by its horns and challenge myself to finish at least four stories by the end of 2015! (Do you guys think I can do it? Be honest ahahah!)

Is this angst? IDK maybe. Is this drama? Not really. I don't really know. (Fluff? I don't want to accidentally mislead you guys again ahaha so lets just say no?).

Rated Low T/K+ for Kept Secrets

Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own Girl Meets World, but… eh I got nothing…


"Bye Miss Hart!"

"Whoa!" Maya laughed when she was almost bulldozed over by the little boy. She waved goodbye as he ran through the hallway to catch the late bus after school. "Bye Randy. Don't forget to practice those multiplication tables!"

"I will!" he called back over his shoulder before disappearing around the corner.

Maya yawned a bit tiredly and turned around, stretching out the kinks in her neck muscles as she headed to the teacher's lounge. She rucked her bag higher on her shoulder and made her way through the hallways, seriously chastising her decision to wear her nice stilettos that day when she was exhausted.

Maya loved her heels, but on particularly fatigued days, it was never a good idea to indulge in her preference. Not only was she clumsier than usual because she was a little tired, but they also pinched her toes and left her aching by the end of the evening. But it wasn't like she really had a choice. She was going somewhere that kind of required her to dress a little fancier than her typical slacks and comfy heeled boots.

Maya rounded the corner and entered the lounge. She made her general rounds, checking the memo wall and the announcements for teachers on the corkboard to ensure she didn't miss anything important or any information about planning days and meetings. Then she slipped her beige trench coat off of the coat hanger near the door and slipped it on her body.

"Maya…" Riley groaned from behind her.

Maya turned and walked over to her friend lounging on the couch in front of the TV, a sympathetic look on her face. She was lying on her side, her face scrunched in discomfort as she rubbed her large, swollen abdomen.

"Rough day, honey?" Maya asked as she stooped in front of her.

"I'll say." Riley said, looking like she was one hundred percent done with the day, "I love my little kindergarten babies, but taking care of all those hyper kids while trying not to throw up is really taking its toll on me. And it's a cesspool for germs. I got sneezed on twice."

"Aww poor baby…" Maya curled a strand of Riley's hair behind her ear. "Well where's Charlie to take you back home?"

"Said he was busy…"

"Again?"

"…We've been having problems, Maya. He said he didn't mind helping me raise my child, but I can't help but feel like he's putting distance between us because of it." Riley sighed, her voice sounding just a bit nasally. "When I wasn't showing, I think it was easier for him to accept our relationship and the fact that I was pregnant, but now I think it's putting a rift between us. He hasn't asked me to move in with him yet or anything either and when I do sleep over at his place, he always takes the couch."

"Maybe he's just freaked out. Raising a child is a big commitment. I can only imagine what the idea of raising a child that isn't even his is doing to his mind."

Riley nodded, though she sighed dejectedly.

"I was just hoping that this relationship would work out. I really like Charlie. And after everything that happened with…" She tapered off, suddenly staring at the fridge forlornly. "Maya, I need some peanut butter and celery."

Maya stood up with a chuckle at Riley's absentmindedness and took the celery sticks out of the fridge and Riley's customary jar of peanut butter from the cupboards before handing them to her usually chipper best friend. Riley's eyes lit up as she slowly dragged herself to a sitting position, her wide, unassuming smile finally back on her face.

"Ooooh yes! Gimme!" she said, reaching out and looking like Christmas had come early when Maya put the goodies in her hand.

"Are you going to be okay by yourself? I'm going to an art gallery with Missy and this new hipster guy she's apparently decided to try dating, and you know how she gets when any of us are late to meet with her."

"Yeah. I recall precisely how prissy Miss Missy can get." Riley giggled, unzipping the Ziploc bag of celery eagerly. "But don't worry about little old me. Izzy is picking me up. She said she's dropping off something at Farkle's place, but she should be here soon."

"Alright, Riles. Text me if you need anything."

Riley nodded, moaning in appreciation after crunching down on a peanut butter covered celery stick. As Maya left, she waved goodbye to another colleague grading a test at the table before heading out.

Maya hurried on her way towards the front the school. She still had a subway to take to get to the gallery and based off of the time, she wasn't sure she was going to get there with minutes to spare. Plus there was the fact that it was raining cats and dogs and catching a taxi to a station was bound to be difficult.

As she walked out, her eyes drifted to a sole person sitting on one of the benches in front of the school, kicking her little legs back and forth as she stared out at the pouring rain. Maya's brows furrowed as she realized it was Anna, one of the little girls in her second grade class. Maya had assumed when Anna ran out of the classroom that she had left. It was just about four o'clock now. Even the aftercare vans had long left and after school clubs had started a while ago. Why was she still there?

Maya walked over to her, sitting on the bench beside her in concern.

"You're still here, Anna Banana?"

The little blue eyed girl looked at her with a shrug.

"Yeah…" she muttered, averting her gaze back to the sidewalk.

Anna was usually always talking loudly or disrupting class for one reason or another, so seeing her that quiet was a bit strange for Maya. She was a little rowdy, and Maya wasn't used to seeing her so demure.

"Who's supposed to be picking you up today?"

She shrugged again. "I thought my daddy was."

"Do you know where he is?"

"No… But he told me this morning that he would pick me up at three."

Maya sighed, realizing that she didn't have her address book with her to contact Anna's emergency contact. The main office was already closed, and Maya couldn't go around searching for the number while tugging around the girl. Besides, Anna was most likely tired if she'd been sitting outside for an hour, and Maya didn't doubt that she wouldn't appreciate being lugged around everywhere to find a phone number when it wasn't even a guarantee.

A car pulled up in the pick-up lane next to the curb and two students ran out of the building towards it, squealing and laughing when the rain pelted them as they left the safety of the roof of the school. They scurried inside it and then the car drove off. Once again, Maya and Anna were left in silence.

"Does this happen a lot, Anna?" Maya asked, wondering how many times this had to have happened for Anna to seem so blasé about the whole thing. So used to it as if it was a regular occurrence. Except for Wednesdays, Maya usually had art club after school each day, so she'd never actually noticed which students went home and when. Today was an exception because she had to leave earlier. How long had this thing been going on for Anna? "Does your father usually forget to pick you up at times he promises?"

She nodded. "He's always working."

Maya stared at the girl, realizing she was suddenly hearing something entirely too familiar. Something bitter. The taste of several broken promises.

"I see." Maya said, "Well from now on, if this happens again and your dad doesn't show up when he's supposed to, I want you to come back to my classroom and wait with me, okay? No more waiting outside."

"Okay…"

Maya could sense the slight dejection from Anna, and she knew she had to redirect the conversation away from late fathers.

"So, I know we've been in school two months, but how is second grade for you? Are you enjoying it?"

Anna grinned, the wide, happy smile an absolute relief to Maya.

"Yeah! I made a new friend today!"

"Oh yeah?" Maya said, "What's her name?"

"Her name is Amber. She's in Mrs. Vernon's classroom down the hall, but we were the only two second graders picked to play kickball with the third graders at recess and since our names both start with A's we decided to be friends!"

"That's great." Maya chuckled. "But how did two second graders manage to convince the third graders to let them play?"

"It was so gross! We had to lick the basketball pole to show we weren't chicken enough to play. Amber and I were the only ones who did it."

The things kids did…

"Well how did it taste? Did it taste like chicken?" Maya asked playfully.

"No! It didn't taste like chicken, Miss Hart!" Anna erupted in giggles. "That's silly."

"Well how about ice cream then?" Maya said, "Did it taste like ice cream?"

"Anastasia!"

When they heard her name, both of them looked up in the distance where a stout old woman was slowly making her way across the street, nearly swallowed whole by her large umbrella. Maya had never seen her before.

"Do you know her, Anna?" Maya asked.

"That's my babysitter, Mrs. Coleman." Anna muttered, looking annoyed, "She's a mean old fart who won't call me Anna and won't leave me alone when I get my clothes dirty and always makes me eat my broccoli. I hate broccoli."

Maya laughed. "You know, I don't really like broccoli either, but we have to eat it to stay healthy."

Anna gasped softly. "But you're a teacher. Teachers like everything."

"Well now you know that's not true." Maya laughed again, gently tapping Anna on the nose. "I'm a teacher. But I don't like broccoli. Wait here for a moment."

As Mrs. Coleman came up under the flat roof of the front of the school, Maya rose to her feet and walked over to meet her, her hand outstretched.

"Hi, Maya Hart. I'm Anna's teacher." She shook her hand with a smile. "You're here to pick her up?"

Mrs. Coleman nodded, looking a little out of breath. "Yes. Her father had something come up at work and forgot he was supposed to pick her up. He called me short notice, and that's why I wasn't able to come on time."

Maya's eyes narrowed. "What kind of father just forgets to pick up his daughter?"

"Mr. Friar is a very busy man."

"Too busy to take care of Anna? What about her mom?"

"I don't know the circumstances with that—I've never been told—but I've never seen a Mrs. Friar at their home."

So Anna had half a dad and an absent mother. It really did sound way too familiar to Maya.

"I see… Alright. Well I'll let you guys go on your way." Maya turned to Anna with a smile. "Anna, you have a good evening, okay? Make sure you eat that broccoli."

"Okay." Anna hopped off the bench and pulled the straps of her backpack on her shoulders. "Bye Miss Hart."

"See you tomorrow, Anna Banana. Don't forget to study your multiplication tables."

Anna walked to Mrs. Coleman and took her hand, her face turning into a pout as the old lady scolded her for having tears in her jeans on her knees. Maya watched them leave, feeling a little odd about the situation. Maya knew how hard it was to live in a single parent household sometimes. Especially when one was young and the parent in question was relatively absent.

She only hoped Anna wasn't already starting to develop beliefs that she didn't deserve good things. Maya knew she'd had those thoughts early on in her life, and it was rather unpleasant.

Lost in thought, she didn't realize her phone was blowing up her bag until she finally paid attention and heard her ringtone. She opened it and realized Missy was calling her.

Maya was late.

By a lot.

"Crap!"

She took off as fast as she could, hoping desperately that Missy would be lenient this time around.