"Yes, I am." Three words. Three words was all Penelope could mutter. Her eyes were frozen on his face, her mind was flooded by memories, by long burried barely thought about her life before living with the Matthews. Mostly because, most of the memories were sad. Only one thing was forever burned on her mind. Lucas Friar, a little boy that taught her how to hope. He hoped until the day she left with the Matthews that their history was not over. Somehow he was right,
"Maya, you don't know how happy am to see you." She was happy too, happy and confused and shaken and invaded with other memories that snuck in her brain.
"Daddy, your home again! Had you brought me something." Kermit briefly looked at her daughter small hopeful face and started to go to his room.
"Daddy?" Kermit turned to her anger flashing in his eyes and pulled her closer roughly.
"Mayasha, your dad had a bad day." He shook her little body brutally. "Don't you dare to bother your father, when he has a bad day. Not ever again."When he let go of her tiny body, Maya fall to the ground helpless. She sat there in silence in shook, to afraid to cry. Her daddy never hurt her before.
"Don't call me Maya, I am not Maya anymore. I am Penelope Matthews." Said the blond harshly, her voice coming out as a croak.
"I am sorry, Ma..Penelope." He watched her empty gaze in confusion. "Are you fine?" Penelope shook her head and faked a smile.
"Yes, I am fine." She looked at him, taking in all the changes that occured and all the things that are still the same. Her smile, soon, turned into a real one.
"Lucas..." The bell ring interrupted them. Penelope pulled out a paper and scribbled down an address. "Here." She gave it to her childhood friend and turned around to go to her next class. "Meet me there after school, Sundance." Teased the young girl with his old nickname.
Penelope hated the weakness ,that danced in her body, as she entered Topanga's cafe. She went to a waitress to place her order before going to meet Lucas.
"As always, Eliza." Said the blonde leaning on the counter. She felt someone stopping behind her and recognize his musky scent. The scent that snuck on her clothes from the moment she hit his chest in school hallaway.
"A black coffee." Said Lucas casually from behind her. "Hi,ummm... Is okay if I call you Pen?"
"Very okay, my sister calls me Pen too. But don't you ever call me Pennny, cause I am certainly not a Penny." Lucas laughed and pushed Penelope by her arm, playfully. "Good to know, because my other option was Penny." Penelope pushed him back, a little stronger, but still couldn't move him an inch.
"Call me, Penny and I'll make you regret."
"You are five foot tall, how are you planning making me regret anything?" Laughed Lucas at her angry expression. She hated to be called short, because being short made her feel helpless and she promised herself not to be helpless ever.
"I might be short, but I am very resourceful." Lucas pet her on the head and laughed.
"I am already scared." Penelope felt a strong need to demonstrate that she grew from that scared little girl that one day climbed through his window. Fast as snake she clutched his arme and brought it to his back. Lucas yelped in pain and looked at the tiny blonde with admiration.
"Never, ever again underestimate me Friar!" She let go of his hand and flashed him with one of her famous death glares. Someone cleared her throat behind her. Eliza looked at Lucas with anger . "Did he bother you anyway?" Asked the waitress with her eyes still on Lucas, who started to become scarlet from embarasment.
"Not at all,Eliza, he's a friend." Smiled the blonde naturally as nothing happened. Lucas saw the girl in a new light. For years he thought that one day he'll found her and could fufill the promise he once made to her. She didn't look like someone who needs protection. She is not a helpless maiden who needs his knight in shinning armour. When he saw how helpless she looked at school, he thought that she was still traumatized by the past, he couldn't be more wrong.
"Let's go sit, Sundane." She grabbed her coffee and went to table in a corner. "Are you coming." Yelled the girl when she saw that Lucas hadn't moved at hurried and sat on the chair in front of her.
"I don't even know what to say or what to ask." Said Lucas looking at her still in disbelief.
"No need to question me, I'll fill you up." Said Penelope putting her hand over his to calm him down.
"Umm.. The Matthews came that day and I protested at first. I screamed and yelled. I was afraid of leaving you, I don't know why , I just was. You know you made me feel safe for the first time in my short life." Penelope took a deep breath to control the shake in her voice. Lucas squeezed a little her hand. She pulled her hand back like she was burnt.
"Well. After I got tired of my hystericals, Topanga, my mom came and kneeled in front of me. She started to make me promises, to make everything seem like an adventures. I was still angry, because they were taking me from you, but then it happened. The mom called her daughter, a little brunette girl with the happiest smile I ever saw. Hope shined in her eyes. I wanted to be that girl, I wanted to protect that girl. My sister she is...she is the same hopeful innocent girl, unainted by the evil of this world. I am grateful for her,Lucas, you will really love her , as much as I love her."
"I will? So we're friends? I was afraid that you'll push me away."
"Why? You are very important in my life. I love having you back." Lucas blinked a few times, before his lips curved in a beautiful, pure smile.
"Well you didn't jump in my arms and you went all karate kid on me." Joked Lucas to break the serious atmosphere. "You are very important to me too. Meeting you made me understand who I am and who I want to be. I know I was just a kid, but I our encounter made me want help and fight for others, The weaker. " Penelope glared at him, in a way that made Lucas understand that she hates to be treated grew up and became a great person.
"Not just you. I see that you are far from being weak." Her expression softened. Penelope averted her gaze and kept it on her lap. She was thinking and Lucas couldn't tell were she drifted so fast.
"Give me your cellphone." Said the blonde suddenly and she extended her hand with her palm up , for Lucas to put his phone on it. "Come on cowboy, we're friends and you need my phone number."
They exchanged numbers and Penelope made it clear that she wants to go home.
"Well, Lucas, it was nice to see you again. See yea around!"
The girl as usually climbed home through her sister's window.
"Honey, I'm home." yelled the blonde as she peaked her head in.
"Penny." Said the brunette angry at her sister. "You worried me to death." continued dramatically.
"What's your problem, Riles?"
"You acted weird in history class. Stayed to speak with Mr. Gorgeous, promised me an explanation and then after school you dissappeared. I was worried." The last words came with tears on the girls face.
"Oh,Riley, you don't have to cry. I am fine. I can explain, I promise. Nothing to be weirded out." Riley wiped the tears of her eyes and smiled sadly to her sister.
"I am sorry, but you seemed so lost during his..."
"He's the boy, Riley." Said Penelope interrupting her sister.
"I don't understand. What boy?" Asked a confused Riley.
"The boy. The boy in whom window I snuck in. Concertrate, Riles. I am sure I spoke about him."
"Your golden hero?"
"That's how I used to speak about Lucas? I was a cheesy child." Riley smiled and pulled her sister in an enthusiastic hug.
"I say it's romantic. Now you cand be together forever!" Penelope made some puking sounds and mimicked with her hand for effect.
"You are cheesier than I was when I was six." Riley shook her by her shoulders.
"Maya look at me and tell me this isn't the most romantic thing that happened to you." Penelope made a faux disgusted face and pushed Riley of the bench.
"What's more romantic than pushing a boys arm between his shoulder blades." Said the blonde bating her eyelashes sweetly. Riley started to laugh so strong that her body shook and she could barely breath.
"You did what? Why? Had he done something disrespectful?" She was laughing so hard that she couldn't stand up from the floor . She was lying down and holding her stomach. "If that's your flirting. then you are like the black widow."
Penelope jumped on Riley and started to tickle her to make her laugh even harder.
"He made the mistake to think that I was weak. Just to be clear I was flirting with my old cow riding friend."
"Get off me. You don't want me to pee on you." Struggled Riley under her sister, who made a disgusted face and jumped up as fast as it was possible for her. Riley sat up and started to breath heavily. "I hate it when you do this. You know how ticklish I am." Penelope sat next to her.
"I know, that's why I did it." She put her arm over riley's shoulder and rested her head on it. "You know you would love that "golden hero". He's a lot like you." Riley smiled sheepishly and gazed at the ceiling dreamingly. "He's very cute." Penelope pictured his kind smile in front of her eyes. "Yes ,he is." Riley turned to her abruptly and giggled. "You like him." Maya frowned at her sister telling her with her eyes to let go. "You liked him very much." Continued to brunette unaffected by Penelope's glares. The blonde jumped up and hurried out of her sister's room in silence, without any snarky comeback. She laid on her bad and watched for a while the picture she drew on the ceiling. They all had one thing in common. Golden, she used a lot of golden in all of them. Someone knocked on her door and brought the blonde back from her confused thoughts. Cory, her father enetered the room and sat on the edge of her bed.
"Are you fine, Pen?" Asked the concerned man.
"Yeah, today was like and emotional rollercoaster. I gahered myself together." Cory pushed a strand of hair from her eye.
"That's my brave daughter. Topanga always said that you are like a brave amazon warrior. I think she is right. " Penelope sat up and hugged her dad, who meant the world to her. She rested her chin on his shoulder for a while and absorbed all the safety he gave to her.
"The boy, was him?" Penelope left the comfort of her father's hug and laid back on her back. She started to fidget.
"Yes. My father ... do you think..." She started to breath heavily and her tongue tumbled in her mouth. "You know...Do you think her abused me...like beat me...Oh I don't know." The girl covered her face in fustration . "I had this flashback, memory...the hell knows what was that and." Cory put his hand on her shoulder to make her stop.
"Just rest,Pen. Okay? It was a rough day."
"It wasn't...I am just confused." She said with her hands stil on her face. A headache started to sulk in. She admited to herself that she indeed needed sleep. Cory got up to leave his daugther's room.
"Thank you, Cors."
"I love you,Pen."
Knock...Knock...knock-knock-knock-knock...Someone was beating constantly on her door. She tried to ignore the sound and drift back to sleep. Thump. The door opened wide and hit the wall. Riley jumped again suddenly on her bed and tried to tickle her.
"Riles, stop it, You know I am not ticklish!" Riley smiled deviously and pulled her leg from under the cover.
"No-no-no-no-noooo." Screamed Penelope fighting to get her leg out of her hand.
"This is what I call revenge sis." Her finger barely touched her skin and Penelope started to fill the electricity shaking her body. She laughed hard with tears until she felt like she'll lose the capacity to breath.
"Stop it,Riley." She left her leg suddenly and laid next to her, with a contended smile on her face.
"Will you introduce me to your handsome friend today?" Asked Riley shyly after a long moment of silence.
"I don't know. Will you embarass me?" Said the blonde as she watched the ceiling. She couldn't look at Riley, who was obviously smitten by Lucas. Couldn't blame her, because grew up handsome.
"I'll do my best to." Laughed Riley with pure happiness. "But you still love me."
"Yes, I do, goofball. And yes I'll introduce you. He's new and needs friends. You are the best friend someone can have."
"So are you, Penny." Penelope flinched at the hated nickname and tried her best not to correct her. "Pen,do you have feelings for him?"
"Let's go to school,Riles." Ignored the blonde the question.
"We will, after you answer."
"Let it go ,Riley. There is no way to know the answer yet." Penelope jumped up and walked to her closet to dress up. She really hoped that she'll drop the question.
"What do you mean "no way to know the answer yet"?" Asked Riley and came behind her .
"I don't know him." Continued the blonde to browse through her clothes nonchalantly.
"You know him for years."
"I knew him years ago. Where do you wanna go with this? Do you need my blessing to date him?" She finally faced Riley with and unreadable expression painted on her face.
"No...I... No. Don't know Pen. He's cute and I wanted to know if...Leave it. Sorry. I said this is your extraordinary love story. Maybe I am jealous." Maya's lips curved up in an affectionate smile. Riley could be so naive sometimes that made her want to squeeze her in a hug like a puppy. With her romantic hopes and dreams and her everlasting optimism, she was to pure for the world.
"You don't have to be jealous. You see to much into things."
After school the met with their friends and Lucas at Topanga's. They were all sitting a their usual table when Lucas came in. The waitress looked at him with spite, Penelope noticed that look and needed all her willpower not to crack up.
"Sundance, over here." Yelled the small blonde and waved to him. "Friends this is Lucas, Lucas this are Riley, Farkle and Isadora."
An awkward silence fell over the group and none of them knew how to break it.
"Lucas Friar? How comes that you moved to New York and started the same school as your "friend" went? Coincidence much?" Asked Farkle with an eyebrow raised in Lucas direction.
"What the hell,Farkle?" Jumped up Penelope with anger. She leaned closer to Farkle and grabbed his shirt collar. She locked her eyes with Farkle's telling hi mutely to chill down. He lifted his hands in defense. "I was just curios,Pen, sorry if I sounded obnoxious." Penelope let go of his shirt and pushed him back on his seat.
"May..Pen you don't have to stick up for this."Contrary to his words, Lucas smiled as a memory came into his mind. During the short period of living with him , Maya made a habit of grabbing his shirt and bossing him around.
"Sorry,Lucas. I want this to work. You and our group. I need all of my friends close. Sorry for being sappy by the way." Lucas shifted in his seat and broke his eye-contact with Maya. He felt like an outsiders in the middle of this people who might know Maya, the girl she is now. Penelope. Lucas wanted to get their trust and friendship. Maya deserved an effort. He was who he was because of her. He decided to tell the truth, at least a part of it.
"Me and my mother moved in New York to get a fresh start after her second was messy. Messier than the first" Lucas felt his voice weakening. He remembered the last time he was in the same place as his stepdad.
Penelope felt something falling apart inside of Lucas, she heard the sadness in his voice. The blonde was sure that things weren't simple and that a part of truth was left out. Under the table she found hus hand and gave a little encouraging squeeze. As Lucas felt the gentle touch on his hand, pieces fell in place. He needed Maya, he needed her selfless friendship.
"I am sorry ,that I was rude about this." Said Farkle feelimg horrible about the jealousy he was starting to harbour against the golden haired boy. Farkle was still insecure about the way he looked, even though he glowed up over night. He was tall, thin. He had a handsome sculpted jawline and the warmest color of green. He could easily pass as a handsome young teenager, but he still felt like the middle school Farkle, who dressed up all the time with turtlenecks and wore the nerd hairstyle. Farkle felt threatened by Lucas and by the way that he could change the dynamic of the group.
"No problem, dude. What's your name again?" Asked Lucas holding his hand out for a friendly shake.
"Farkle." Said the boy and squeezed his new friend's hand. "Pleasure to meet you."
Thankful to the short bonding between Lucas and Farkle the awkwardness fell apart. Conversation came naturally to them. It was mostly about Lucas, his life in Texas, his moving and then getting to the point were Riley Matthews planned to go, his short history wit Maya Penelope Matthews. They started to recall memories and then they realized how time alter them. Some things they remembered differently and they started to argue. Smackle explained to them how people alter memories every time they are recalling them. After she went on full teacher the group started to laugh.
When the group broke Penelope told Riley to go home without her, because she has to run to buy some new art supplies, because she felt really inspired and didn't had the colors she needed. Time passed fast as Pen walkeg slowly between shelves in searching for the perfect color. When she left the shop it was already dark. She was could have took the subway, but sometimes she liked to walk to clear her mind and organize her thoughts. She never minded walking and nor the darkness. She was searcching for her headphones as she entered an empty street, when she heard someone not so far stumbling upon a bottle. The blonde looked around and saw a tall man to drew back in the shadows. She tried to ignore him, but for safety she pushed her heaadphones back in her pocket. She started to walk again and heard his footseps behind her. When she looked back again the mind tried to hide. She had to walk to more streets. Everytime she stopped he stoppe, she walked he walked. The thought of running was playing on her mind, but risks were big.
A car passed her and stopped to feets in front of her . Lucas left windows down and met her eyes.
"Hey, Penny." Teased the boy, but then he met her panicked eyes. "What's wrong continued in a more seriouse voice."
"Nothing, I felt like someone was following me. It was probably my mind playing games. Can you take me home? I am kind of tired."
"Sure." Said the boy distracted by the man he saw in the mirrors. He turned around and walked away. Fast.