Chapter 1: "So, why did you call me last night?"

I woke up to the sound of my mother's cell phone alarm going off for 5 minutes straight. At first I thought it was a sound I was dreaming until I realized I wouldn't be dreaming such an annoying sound. What time is it? I thought as I sat straight up in bed. I needed time to get ready so I could go to Riley's- wait, Saturday right. I laid back down and tried to go back to sleep, and then my mother's alarm started again. Ugh, I thought, I should probably see if she has to get up for work.

I reluctantly got out of bed running my hand through the mess of blonde on my head that I call my hair. Where is my phone? I spotted it over by the window. I picked up my iPhone 5 ( No, my mom had said, we couldn't afford an iPhone 6) and held the power button down. I left the room to brush my teeth, throwing my phone down on my bed. It would be at least 5 minutes before it was fully functioning after a restart. Why was my phone even off anyway? Oh, that's right, I accidentally called Josh. I walked down the hallway toward the living room, our bathroom was at the very end of the hall before it.

For some reason the pull out couch where my mom usually slept,was still down. Hopefully she would realize her alarm was going off soon.I shrugged walking into the bathroom and did what I had to do. I quickly showered and threw my pajamas back on.

I looked in the mirror, there I am, its me, Maya Penelope Hart. I gave a slight smile into the mirror and decided that today was new day and I am new new Maya, better than old Maya and better than regular new Maya... or at least I would try to be.

As I left the bathroom my mom's cell phone alarm was still going off. "Mom!" I shouted hoping to get her attention so she could stop that incessant noise and actually wake up, she probably had to get to work.

I looked over to see my mom sitting straight up in the bed with a blanket held over her chest. She was naked, "God, shit, Mom!" I shouted again. "Why are you naked!"

"Language, Maya!" she said as if she wasn't the one naked in our living room. "What time is it?"

"Almost 10," I replied.

She wrapped the blanket around herself and shuffled her way into her room which was very small and only consisted of a dresser and a large mirror with a chair in front of it so she could practice her acting. "I have to go to work!" she said rushing around her room looking for her uniform. I walked over to the kitchen counter where it was lying.

"Mom your uniform is in here," I grabbed it and tossed it to her in her room.

"Thank you baby girl," she replied.

Movement and grumbling from the pull out couch again caught my eye. I looked around the back of the couch to see Shawn also lying in bed with the blanket pulled up to his stomach, again I assumed he was naked. He was still sleeping, how could he sleep through all this commotion! "SHAWN!" I shouted. "Really?" I covered my eyes with my hands. "I am going to my room until you people can be decent!"

"Sorry Maya!" he yelled back. I heard a shuffle of clothing and a belt buckle.

I quickly got dressed in my room in a ripped pair of jeans, a white tank top and my jacket paired with my favorite combat boots, (the outfit was very Maya). I applied my eyeliner and gave myself a once over in the mirror deciding that my hair would have to dry into its curly mess on the way to the Matthew's place. Then, I grabbed my phone and rushed toward the front door, averting my eyes from Shawn who was still putting on his shirt.

"I'm going over to Riley's, and next time at least wear some clothes so I am not scarred for life!" I shoved my phone in my pocket and quickly descended down the four flights of stairs out into the city. I took my usual route and then the subway to get to Riley's house. I knew she would want to gush to me about Lucas and tell me how excited she was that he picked her and how perfect they were going to be together. I would listen to it all and encourage her and then I would spend the day with her and her perfect family, maybe we would get some ice cream at Topanga's. I would be normal Maya and tomorrow would be the same thing, and then school. Man, this life is so boring, where did all the fun go? I guess it left when Maya became Riley... maybe it really is time to change that.

Instead of ringing the buzzer to get into the Matthew's building I climbed up the fire escape route and went to Riley's window. Luckily it was unlocked, just like always, I climbed in just as she was reentering her room.

"Peaches!" she smiled her contagious smile and came over to the bay window to hug me.

"Riles!" I said as I hugged her back. This girl could always make me smile, and even if she was annoying at times I still didn't get sick of her. I guess that is just how best friends are.

When she didn't let go after a minute I asked, "Is there something wrong?"

"I was worried about you!" she said.

I looked her, cocking my eyebrow, "Why?"

"Have you looked at your phone this morning?" she asked. I shook my head as I pulled my phone from my pocket.

"Holy shit!" I exclaimed as I read that I had 12 missed calls and at least 10 text messages.

I opened up the missed calls first. Almost all of them were from Josh and two of them from Riley. The text messages were mostly from Riley and then two from Josh, they read: What's up? And Hope everything is fine, your call worried me. Text me back or call to let me know.

"Fuck, Riley! I accidentally called Josh last night as I was looking through my phone! It was an accident I didn't mean to and now I've made this whole mess and I have to call him and tell him I'm fine I'm just stupid and-" Riley cut me off.

"Oh... it was an accident? Well, Maya, it's fine. You don't even have to call him." I looked at her, her smile now a smirk.

I raised my eyebrow, "And why is that?"

"JOSH, MAYA IS HERE!" My eyes widened as I stared at Riley.

"No," I said, refusing to turn my head to the doorway where I knew Joshua Matthews and his godly looks would be standing. "No."

I thought about climbing out the window and running away, unready to face him. But that would be cowardly, that would be something old new Maya would do, not new new Maya. I had to play it cool. New Maya cool.

"Hey," he said as he stood in the doorway.

"Hey," I replied. I tugged my jacket a little closer around me just for comfort, and one hand through my now dry hair so that it looked like I actually tried.

Riley quietly left the room, even though I knew she would be eavesdropping on our whole conversation.

Josh sat next to me on the bay window, I didn't look at him. This whole thing was just so embarrassing.

"So why did you call me last night?" he finally asked.

"Why do you care?" is the reply I came up with, something a confident, mature teenager would say.

"Well, when a girl calls you at 11:30 at night it tends to mean one of three things, and two of those things I say you are too young for so I assumed you were calling because you were in trouble which is why I called you back so many times and why I texted and then called Riley and she hadn't heard from you-" he was rambling so I had to shut him up.

"What are the two things that you think I am too young for?" I finally looked at him. His eyes were piercing and beautiful and his face looked older, yet somehow the same. He was almost 18 now, his birthday was in February, I am sure he had grown up a bit since the last time I saw him.

"Too young, Hart," he said.

"I'm 16," I replied. Well, I was almost 16, my birthday was in March, it was early November.

"I'm still not telling you, maybe when you are older." He said. I knew what he was talking about anyway, I wasn't stupid. He was talking about sex and being drunk. I was aware of those things, although I hadn't partaken in them myself I knew that they existed.

"Whatever, Matthews," I said using his last name as he had used mine.

"So, why did you call me last night?" he asked again.

I couldn't tell him that I had been staring at his name, seeing if I had grown up enough to change him name from Uncle Boing. No, that wouldn't do. I have to seem more nonchalant than that.

"I butt dialed you, I didn't even realize I had called you and then I shut my phone off because I went to bed," only some of that was a lie, but I still didn't think he bought it.

"Whatever you say Maya."

"So why are you here?" I challenged him.

"To visit my family because I heard that Shawn proposed to your mom and I thought there might be a celebration this weekend," he was so obviously lying.

"First, that has nothing to do with your family," I said, calling out his bluff. "And second, you found that out when you got here because it just happened last night. So, I will ask you again: why are you here?"

A/N: Here is the first real chapter! I hope it came out okay! I have so many ideas I want to implement. And I will point out that Josh and Maya are really only 2 years apart with a month in between where they are three years apart. Also Maya got held back in 1st grade because of her home issues, so she is a bit older than Riley. Hope you all enjoy and let you know we will get to the M rated stuff eventually but for now it is just rated for strong language.

And thank you to all who have reviewed so far, I can't believe you guys are actually enjoying it. So thanks! I appreciate it.