Their first tragedy happened in second year. Riley Matthews had a crush on a boy for the first time in her life (Maya told her it was about damn time considering she was almost thirteen). His name was Dave Bleaker and Riley thought she was in love. After pining for weeks she decided to ask him to the special Hogsmeade trip—all students were allowed to attend because of the annual Fall Festival.
Riley asked him on a Friday—the trip was that Saturday—and he said no. Her little heart was broken. Maya stole ice cream from the kitchens and spent the night in Riley's room, her roommates flocking to help comfort her (such typical Hufflepuffs). The next day Maya and Riley went to Hogsmeade together (Farkle said he would be spending the day taking advantage of the empty Potions classroom).
"I'm humiliated Maya," Riley whined halfheartedly. "I could barely say three words to him, and then he said no. You're good at talking to people and boys. It's not fair!"
Maya opened and shut her mouth, resisting the urge to correct Riley. She shrugged and looked around at the students spread throughout the street.
"So let me teach you," she offered. Riley glared at her shoes.
"I can't practice on the boys at school, that's weird. They already think I'm weird." Maya sighed.
"C'mon, let's go to Honeydukes and stock up on sweets." Maya dragged Riley down the sidewalk, and when they passed Dave Bleaker outside of Zonko's Maya jinxed his shoelaces together. When he fell on his face she grabbed Riley's hand and they ran off in glee.
They stopped to catch their breath by Dervish and Banges.
"That was mean!" Riley cried. "But also exhilarating."
"Well, the adventure continues," Maya said. "You said you wouldn't practice talking to boys we know." She motioned to an unfamiliar boy on a bench.
Riley's mouth dropped. "I can't talk to him! He's way cuter than-than, um"
"Dave."
"Right, Dave."
"Just watch me, okay?" Riley nodded eagerly. Maya squared her shoulders and approached the boy. He looked up when he heard her coming.
"Hi! You're cute, I'm cute, we should be cute together." Maya sat next to him, crossed her legs, and continued, "Tell me more about yourself. Why is it always about you? You don't listen to me!" She stood up and crossed her arms. "This isn't working, I'm ending it. See you never!"
Maya sauntered back to Riley with a smirk. "How was that?"
"Amazing," Riley gushed. "You're amazing Maya. I wanna be just like you."
"You don't want to be me Riles, trust me. Now go talk to that boy and be you." Maya gave her a little shove and Riley yelped as she stumbled closer to the boy.
"H-hi," she said.
"Riley!"
"Daddy?"
"Matthews."
"I've been looking all over for you Riley," Professor Matthews said, eyeing the boy on the bench. "Your mum came for a visit, she wants to see you."
"Matthews, you really have the worst timing of anyone who ever lived."
"C'mon Maya, Topanga wants to see you too." Maya fought a smile and turned on her heel, grabbing Riley's hand. Topanga was worth cutting Riley's lesson short. Riley turned and sent a sheepish wave to the boy as she left.
"I barely even said hi," Riley pouted at her father. "You ruined it. I'm telling mum!"
"You're too young for boys Riley," Professor Matthews said with a scowl. Maya rolled her eyes.
"Matthews, didn't you and Topanga kiss when you were eleven?" Maya raised an eyebrow. Professor Matthews sputtered and stuttered and finally just glared at her.
"No one asked you, you jerk." Maya laughed and Riley furrowed her brow.
"You're such a hippocampus!" She cried.
"Do you mean hypocrite?"
"That too!"
Riley Matthews had finally lost her mind. She had "persuaded" (read: forced) Maya and Farkle to accompany her to the Gryffindor quidditch tryouts. Gryffindor. None of them were even in Gryffindor. They barely even knew anyone in Gryffindor. And yet there they were, sitting in the cold on the windiest day they'd had all year.
Maya had agreed to come, convincing herself she could just draw the whole time. She had no interest in quidditch. And her plan had worked quite well for the first hour. She finished a sketch she'd started ages ago and Farkle worked his way through the stack of books he had brought to read (for fun. Who reads for fun?) Then the wind picked up, and Maya hadn't brought her gloves, and it isn't exactly easy to draw when you can't feel your fingers.
"Riley," Maya warned. She sat on her hands, trying to bring back feeling to them. Riley waved her off, entranced by the "fit quidditch boys".
"C'mon Maya, it's almost over. That guy just did a bludger backbeat! He's definitely making the team. Oh but that one keeps cobbing, he's not gonna make it."
Maya sighed and stretched out on the bench, deciding that at least she could get a decent nap out of all of this. She settled back, arms behind her head, eyes closed, when she felt a fat raindrop fall on her cheek.
"How is Farkle supposed to read about the art of war if it's raining on his book?" Farkle demanded.
"You're reading a muggle book?" Maya asked, sitting up and turning to him.
"Uh, duh. Muggles have had more wars than any species on the planet."
Maya raised an eyebrow. She stood and stretched.
"Sorry Riles, but I draw the line at rain."
"But Peaches," Riley pouted. Maya sighed and grabbed her hand. The rain came faster and harder.
"How about we go inside, get dry, and go to the kitchens so you can have ice cream and talk to the house elves?" Riley's pout grew into a grin.
"I do love ice cream and house elves."
"I know you do Honey." Maya wiped rain from her face uselessly and went to grab her sketchbook from where she had stowed it under a bench a few rows up. She bent to pull it out, tucked it under her robes for protection, and stood back up.
"Hey, hey!"
"Maya move!"
She felt something hit her right in the back of her head. She stumbled and blinked, her vision going blurry. The world was spinning too fast. She dropped onto the bench and grabbed her head.
"Peaches!"
"What happened... head..."
"Oh my... so sorry... bludger... wind."
There were too many voices. Maya couldn't focus on any of them for very long. She looked up and the faces merged and spun, looking like and abstract painting. She groaned and stood carefully.
"Mm fine," she mumbled. The blurry faces watched her as she took one step and her knees buckled. She fell back and felt arms catch her before she hit anything.
"I'll take her."
The arms shifted her so they were holding her bridal style. She saw a broom.
"No flying," she moaned. "Too dizzy."
"Ok, no flying." The arms shifted slightly and she was moving. She kept her eyes closed tight so the world could have a chance to slow down.
When she felt the rain stop she opened her eyes. She was inside and her vision wasn't nearly as blurry. She looked up to see who was carrying her and she had to do a double take.
"You-you're-what are you doing here?" she asked. It was the bench boy from Hogsmeade.
"Lucas Friar. Nice to officially meet you too. You know, I didn't get your name last time. Only, if I remember correctly, 'you're cute, I'm cute, we should be cute together'." He smirked.
"Shut up," she groaned, closing her eyes.
"Oh, you're welcome for carrying you, by the way."
"Hey, you hit me. It's your fault I need to be carried." She paused. "Which I don't. Need to be carried I mean. I can walk."
"Yeah, last time you tried you almost split your head open on the bench. I'm not putting you down."
She pouted. Her head hurt and she was still a little dizzy.
"I'm really sorry. For hitting you. It was an accident."
"Yeah yeah," Maya waved a hand dismissively, mind whirring. "So, you're the new American transfer?"
"Nice deductive skills," Lucas said.
"So why'd you come here?" Maya asked.
"Wouldn't you like to know?" Lucas smirked but there was an edge to his tone. Maya lifted her head to really look at him. She studied his face and when he noticed he stared back at her. When she looked into his eyes (they were green—really, really green) she got dizzy again and dropped her head.
Maya spent the walk complaining about being carried, shifting in his arms, and overall being difficult. He wasn't having it ("Look, you're not even heavy, ok? It's really no problem, and I'm not going to be responsible for any further injuries.") Lucas spent the walk trying to get her to tell him her name ("If you didn't hear it when Riley screamed it then that's your fault.")
"Friends should know each other's names," Lucas said after a brief silence. "You know mine."
"Friends?" Maya raised an eyebrow. "Who said we were friends?"
"I did." Maya snorted and rolled her eyes.
"Well if you say so."
"I'm a good friend. You should want to be my friend."
"I have enough friends, thanks for the offer."
"Come on! What's your name?" Maya lifted her head to look at him and smirked.
"Wouldn't you like to know?"
Lucas rolled his eyes and pushed through the doors of the Hospital Wing, emerging from the dim gloom into hospital bright lights. Maya cried at sudden and intense lighting, hiding her face against his chest.
"Bludger to the head," Lucas told Madame McGregor.
"Oh dear. Lay her on a bed, I'll be right back," she said, hurrying to her office and bustling about.
Lucas set Maya down and she opened her eyes slowly, still sensitive to the light. There was an apology ready on Lucas' tongue and he was about to let it out when Maya cut him off.
"Thanks."
Lucas smiled with mirth. "Anything for a friend."
"I don't need anymore friends," Maya insisted. Lucas shook his head.
"We're going to be friends."
"We're not friends," she said forcefully. Then, without warning, she jerked forward and puked her guts out.
It was two and a half weeks until Lucas finally learned her name. They were in History of Magic. Lucas sat behind Maya, and she had had to stop doodling her name in her notebook like she used to so that he couldn't read it over her shoulder. Dave Bleaker was passing out old classwork for the professor (teacher's pet much?)
"Here Maya," he said, handing her the essay from last week.
"Dave," she growled, sending him a glare so intense he tripped over his own feet as he tried to get away. Maya could practically feel Lucas smirking.
"Maya. Maya Hart."
"Shut up Buckeye," she hissed, picking at a loose thread on her robes.
"Bu-what? I'm not from Ohio." Lucas furrowed his brow.
"Texas, Ohio, same thing." Maya waved her hand dismissively.
"It's not, actually," he said. "And neither is Hoosier, which is someone from Indiana, or Okie, which is someone from Oklahoma, or any of the names you call me, actually."
"Fine then, Mr. Nickname Nazi, I'll come up with some new ones." Lucas chuckled.
"Or, radical idea here, but you could just call me Lucas."
Maya shook her head. "The same name every day? I don't think so."
"You do know most people only have one name?"
"False. Riley has at least four."
"It's true," Riley said. "I have Riley, Riles, Honey, Sweetie, and Little Zippy, to name a few."
Lucas shrugged, "Maybe you need a nickname then."
Maya snorted. "I'd like to see you try."
Lucas slowly but surely integrated himself into their group. The trio was now the "Fearsome Foursome" (so dubbed by Farkle), and they were virtually always together. By the end of second year they were a custom. And Maya did come up with more nicknames—lots of them.
a/n: once again more characters coming soon. i know im kinda rushing through but im trying to get to the good stuff (i.e. older years). eventually there might even be multiple chapters per year. hope y'all enjoy. im on tumblr as farkles
