A/N Hello again! Here is the promised conflict

5 Points To: ChocoholicMonkeyfish, LyraBlack22, and Brown Eyes Parker for spotting the "Sixteen Candles" reference…I couldn't pass up the opportunity to use the scene for Maya's 16th (even though "Pretty in Pink" is my favorite of those films)

Enjoy!

Part II

Their second journey into 'the loophole' began with a kiss and a cupcake. It wasn't as long as their last escape from reality because her birthday was on a Monday, but being a holiday she did at least have the day off of school. Josh had class on Tuesday so they couldn't use past precedent to justify anything more than the day, which was disappointing to both. Their time together when they could actually be together was further limited by a family dinner and an early curfew at her own apartment because school was the next day. Again, disappointing, but she would take five minutes with him if that's all she could get.

Josh left the apartment after agreeing to meet Maya the next morning. Maya practically floated up the stairs remembering and reliving every millisecond of their interaction, and savoring the tingling feel on her lips left by his soft peck good-bye. Any hopes she had that Riley had slept since she crept away earlier were dashed when she heard her best friend's voice intrude clearly into the dark and quiet room.

"Maya, please don't." Riley said in a cautious tone, snapping her out of her reverie. The brunette sat at the bay window.

"Whatever could you mean, Honey?" Maya said, unable to contain her besotted grin as she joined her.

Riley let out a sigh and pleaded "Don't you remember your downward spiral last time? This is a bad idea. It had the potential to be a bad idea last time but now you KNOW it's a bad idea. I can't let you do this. Please don't."

"Riley we went over this. It's my decision. Besides I'm 16 now and 'the loophole' applies for today. It's…precedent."

"Precedent? Are you KIDDING me? You both need to stop watching courtroom shows for messed up ways to justify what you're doing. You got HURT Maya. How can I be okay with this knowing you will be hurt again?"

"Because it's MY choice. Because in the end you KNOW I am going to do it, and it will make my birthday crappy if you're all pouty and mad at me. Besides, I've grown up a lot this year. I'm prepared for the aftermath this time" Maya reasoned, growing impatient with her friend.

"Prepared? Maya, I had to sit back and watch you make stupid and impulsive choices for months. This isn't just your life you are playing with here. It affects all of us who care about you" Riley said as tears filled her eyes "I just…I can't see you go through that again."

Her annoyance melted away at the memory of Riley's unconditional friendship and unwavering support this year. She certainly had tested it enough but Riley never left her side. She wrapped Riley in a tight hug.

"Honey, I'm sorry. You know the last thing I want is to hurt you. I want you happy. Like 'big goofy grin on your face Rileytown' happy, every day."

"I want you happy too, Maya" Riley responded as she wiped her eyes.

"Then please understand that this is something I have to do. Look, imagine if something was keeping you and Lucas apart. Like, say he had to move back to Texas or something. And you knew it wasn't going to work out but there was this one 'teeny tiny' little window of opportunity for you to be together and be happy. You would take it. I know you would."

Riley let out a resigned sigh "I never thought of it like that. I just hate that it has to be so difficult."

"Believe me, you are preaching to the choir on that one. I've just come to accept that 'it is what it is' and I can't change it. I can just…work around it, at least for a little while."

Riley, defeated, softly asked "There's no stopping you is there?"

"You know there's not" Maya answered.

Riley's demeanor changed and her breath caught as she realized something, and she got that "all knowing" expression that always made Maya a little bit nervous.

"Maya, you really love him don't you?"

"What do you mean?" Maya asked, not quite sure where her best friend was going with this.

"No, I mean it. Maya Hart is in love. Miss 'that'll never happen to me; love is for suckers' is head over heels" Riley challenged, her inner romantic finally coming to the surface after being buried under her fear and doubt for so long.

"Riley…" she responded in somewhat of a warning tone. Maya was happy to see her goofball best friend again, but having this kind of a conversation about a boy with Riley was very "typical teenage girl" and Maya so not that.

"I'm serious!" Riley said with a giggle "You even pulled the 'Lucas card' on me. That's intense, Maya! You do realize this means you are a hopeless romantic like me now, right?"

"Riley, stop. I mean it. You know I hate 'girly girl' talk" Maya pleaded.

"Maya's in love" Riley sing-songed.

Maya covered her ears "I am never telling you anything ever again you know that right?"

Riley continued in a dramatic narrator voice "'Maya Hart, struck by cupid's arrow in her youth, tragic circumstances keeping her and the man she loves apart…' Maya, you guys are totally like Romeo and Juliet."

"First, that's morbid. Second, you do realize you are talking about your uncle right now, don't you?"

Riley quickly covered Maya's mouth with her hand "Nope! Not thinking about that right now. If you want my support he will henceforth be known as…Odysseus."

"Odysseus?" Maya asked skeptically.

"Say it's his name and I will tell you why" Riley smiled conspiratorially.

"Okay fine. From hence forth and forevermore at the bay window Uncle Boing will be known as…Odysseus" Maya said begrudgingly.

Riley let out a fit of giggles "Yay! Okay so here's the story. So, Odysseus is one of the most romantic heroes ever, right? He fought in the Trojan War. Remember the 'Trojan Horse' lesson in middle school? That was his idea! Anyways, they won the war after like a decade and then it took him ten MORE years to get home to his wife because the gods kept knocking him off course and he was stranded all these different places."

"That sounds depressing. Why choose him?" Maya asked.

Riley gave a knowing smile "Because it's too perfect. Even when he was gone his wife waited for him. It took him forever to get home but she never gave up hope. And eventually they are reunited after all this time and it was all worth it. Everything they suffered, all the waiting and the time apart, it was all worth it for their love."

"Okay, that actually is pretty sweet, Riles" Maya conceded.

"And…do you know what the best part is?" Riley asked with smirk. When Maya shot her a curious look she continued "It's her name."

"Do I even need to ask?" Maya said, dreading whatever answer was coming.

"That's right…Penelope!" Riley laughed as she ducked to avoid a pillow Maya threw at her.

The girls settled in to go to sleep. Maya's head was filled with a thousand racing thoughts. A feeling of relief that Riley was now playing the role of a supportive friend calmed her nerves. She knew she wouldn't get much sleep tonight but at least it would be due to excitement for tomorrow and not worry that her friend was angry.

"Peaches?" Riley asked as she lifted her head to look at Maya.

"Yeah, Riles?" Maya responded.

"I love you, you know" she said.

"I know, Honey. I love you too" Maya responded.

Riley's sleepy voice filled the room one more as she drifted off to sleep saying "Happy Sweet 16, Maya."

To be continued…

I identify a lot with Riley (for about a million reasons) so I tried to write this as realistically as I could. I feel like deep down she is a romantic at heart and wants her best friend to be happy. And with a friend like Maya sometimes you have to adopt the "if you can't beat 'em, join 'em" mindset.

Also, I am a huge lover of Greek mythology as you can probably tell