Author's Note: Hey my lovely readers! Thanks for all of your support. I promise the story will get better (as will the writing) as time goes on-I've just been quite distracted lately by some things in my life. I hope you can understand.

As some of you have asked, the reason I write the name of a character as the chapter title is to say who is narrating the story during the chapter. The first and second chapter are both written in Maya's POV, but chapter 3 is in Riley's POV. Later, I'll probably write as Farkle and Lucas, but we'll see how that goes.

Anyway, enjoy the latest chapter and remember to sign petitions to save GMW! xx


CHAPTER TWO - MAYA

You have 10 new messages from Lucas Friar.

Message 1: Hey Maya. We have to talk about Friday night.

Message 2: Please text me back when you get this.

Message 3: Maya, you're not answering your phone. I'm worried. Please call back.

Message 4: Maya, please. This is important.

Message 5: You're killing me, Maya. Talk to me.

Message 6: You can't ignore me forever, Shortstack.

Message 7: Really? Shortstack didn't work? Fuck. Just say anything, please.

Message 8: MAYA PENELOPE CLUTTERBUCKET HART HUNTER

Message 9: Stop being stubborn and talk to me.

Message 10: This isn't fair. Not to you. Or to me. Or to us.

You have deleted 10 messages.


Maya walked up the steps from the Subway to the bustling New York City streets, letting out a half-hearted sigh. She tossed her phone back in her bag carelessly, not wanting to receive anymore texts from the sea-green eyed Texan. He had been bugging her all weekend after the party at Clarissa Morgan's house, where their teenage hormones and alcohol had gotten the best of them.

As far as Maya was concerned, it didn't happen-she wasn't the kind of girl who went after her best friend's ex-boyfriend.

She wouldn't let that happen. Sunshiny Riley would never be able to handle her best friends betraying her, especially now after Lucas and Riley had only just broken up. Maya was certain that it would break her best friend if she found out how heated their makeout had gotten-how much Maya desired to stay in there just a moment longer...

But it was fine for now. Riley didn't know about their little interaction in the locked dark room-no one knew. All everyone knew was that Maya and Lucas had gone into a closet and played Seven Minutes in Heaven, a stupid game that meant nothing. And if Maya had anything to do with it, it would stay that way forever. It would be a secret that Maya would carry on her shoulders for the rest of her life, if she had to.

Her thoughts were interrupted by someone bumping into her, knocking her off her feet, making papers scatter across the hallway floor in front of her locker. Maya pushed her blonde curls out of her face, and was about to yell at the person, when she looked up and realized who it was.

"Shit, Maya!" Missy, arguably the most popular girl in school, said apologetically. "I'm so sorry that I knocked you down. I was just trying to get to Yearbook because there was this emergency because some motherfuc-"

"Missy," Maya cut her off from babbling, picking up the loose papers. "It's fine. I get it."

Missy narrowed her eyes, her eyes staring at Maya, making Maya shift uncomfortably. "No Riley?"

"No Riley," Maya confirmed, straightening out the wrinkles from her pants.

"Why?"

"Please, if I tell you, then the whole school will find out."

"True," Missy admitted. "But I had to try!"

Maya mockingly rolled her eyes. "Goodbye, Missy."

"Wait," Missy interjected, standing up and straightening her skirt. "I'm having a party the last weekend of the month at my beach house. You and your friends-the clique six-should come."

"I'll have to see," Maya replied, stuffing her books into the small locker with a huff.

"Okay, I'm going to leave," Missy said in a sing-song voice. "Fuckboy Friar is coming your way now."

Maya furrowed her eyebrows in confusion as Missy slipped away, turning around to find Lucas's eyes locked on hers. A sudden rush of heat and dread washed through her.

She knew this wouldn't be good, especially in such a public place.

So, she did the only thing she could do: run.


Miraculously, she managed to go through the rest of the day without seeing Lucas. She figured this had something to do with the fact that she had some Irish blood in her, so perhaps there was a little bit of inherited luck that could save her from this embarrassment and confusion.

But really, it was just a simple art.

She already knew her friends' schedules, and knew where they'd be at all times. She strategically avoided those areas so she wouldn't run into conflict.

Classes that she shared with her friends, she skipped and went to a different class at that time. At lunch, she went to the library, where no one would ever think to go looking for her. During her free periods, she went to tutoring-another place that would never be associated with her name.

She figured that although she might be suffering emotionally, her grades shouldn't suffer along with it-that would be far too depressing for any human being to handle.

It was lonely, but it wasn't unbearable. Yet.

She hoped that things would go back to normal by the end of the month.

Things like this usually died down in her experience.

No one ever stayed with her for that long.


Four days later, Riley stopped at her house, bearing a gift of donuts.

"Peaches, why are you ignoring us?" the doe-eyed brunette asked, taking Maya's hand.

"Sorry, Riles. I'm just preoccupied," she had replied. "Don't worry."

"With what?" Riley questioned, channeling her inner-Rileytown. "What could take you away from us for a week? We're your friends, Maya. We're always going to be there. I'm always going to be there."

It was then when Maya asked Riley to leave. The guilt was already eating her up inside. She was a terrible, horrible friend. She shouldn't be feeling this way. It wasn't fair to Riley.

It wasn't fair at all.


Nearly two weeks had passed, and Maya was starting to feel the heavy guilt of ditching her friends on top of the other emotional guilt from the party. It was taking a toll on her. Sometimes, she'd go home and cry without any explanation, leaving Katy and Shawn clueless about their poor child. The two parents would take turns trying to comfort Maya, but would ultimately fail because they'd bring up the subject of Riley, which would trigger another series of sobs.

However, she'd always pull herself together in time for school. She didn't need another rumor flying around about her and Lucas like it did in the eighth grade. Then things would get really complicated.

"Maya? Yoo-hoo? Are you there?" Missy asked, waving her hands in front of Maya's face, waking Maya up from her trance.

"Hm?" Maya answered with a blink, rising from slouch on the lunch table.

Missy laughed and rolled her eyes playfully, taking a bite from her salad. "I asked if you and your friends were going to come to my party. It's in two weeks."

"Uh, I don't know," Maya replied, twiddling her thumbs. "I haven't talked to them in a while, so..."

Missy nodded in understanding. "Well, Hart, I'm going to need you to ask them soon. I need to know how much food I need for the weekend."

"How many people are you expecting?" Maya asked absentmindedly.

"Practically the whole grade-except for the geeks. Maybe a few cool juniors. So, I don't know...maybe 200?"

"200 people?"

"No, 200 cookies...yes 200 people."

"Shit," Maya expressed in disbelief, eyes wide.

"Okay, so since you're obviously not talking to your friends, I will ask them myself," Missy declared, walking away to Maya's old lunch table.

She winced when she saw her same old empty seat next to Riley, as if it was waiting for her.

Stupid chair, Maya thought before getting up and going to her next class.


"Alright class, that will be all," Mr. Jackson dismissed the Art Honors students. "Remember that your projects are due next Friday! And for the love of god, please don't bother me with your annoying emails. I intend to have a nice, peaceful weekend without your idiocy."

The students laughed in response, and began filing out of the classroom. Maya stood at the end of the crowd, the last one to exit the art room.

"I expect great things from you, Miss Hart," Mr. Jackson said suddenly, making Maya smile genuinely for the first time since the party.

"Have a good weekend, Mr. Jackson," Maya waved and went out the door.

Maya sighed, checking the time on her phone. 3:40. Normally, she'd be on her way with Riley and the gang to Topanga's for their we-survived-to-the-end-of-the-week celebration. She missed their stupid traditions. She missed her friends...

She walked down the empty hallways to her locker. There wasn't a soul in sight-on Fridays, Abigail Adams students were eagerly out of class and away from the school grounds by 3:30. Even teachers left immediately after their last class. She could safely say that she was one of the only ones left in the building.

She fumbled with the combination lock before finally forcing it open. She took out her jacket and put away the things she didn't need, her backpack instantly feeling lighter. She looked up into the mirror, jumping at watch she saw in the reflection-Lucas Friar stood behind her, patiently waiting to be noticed.

She slammed her locker door shut and tried to quickly leave, but a strong grasp stopped her from slipping away.

"Maya," Lucas said calmly, his voice echoing through the hallway.

Maya could hear the slightest hint of pain in his voice, recognizing it because she too felt the same way, but she wouldn't let him know it.

"What are you doing here, Lucas?" Maya said, trying to force herself to be annoyed and make him leave.

"We need to talk about us," he replied, taking a step closer to her.

"What is there to talk about? It was only a kiss."

"You and I both know damn well that it wasn't just a kiss," his voice raised ever so slightly, making Maya freeze, unsure of what to say. She couldn't lie to him, because it was true. He was right.

She turned to face him, eyes watering, voice cold. "Well, that's all it can ever be. It was just a kiss, as far as we're concerned. It's not fair to Riley-"

"I don't give a damn about Riley right now," Lucas yelled. "I don't give a shit about anyone else right now. But what I do care about is you and me. We're the ones that matter right now. This is our life. Not theirs."

Maya shook her head, her stare glued to the floor. She couldn't face him.

"Maya," Lucas rasped, broken, begging. "Please tell me that you feel the same way. I can't stop thinking about that juvenile game or our kiss. I'm losing my fucking mind. So spare me the torture and tell me how you feel..."

Maya looked up at him slowly, her heart aching for him. She grabbed the collar of his shirt and pulled him down to her, so she could press her lips to his, engulfing him into a sweet kiss. She parted away from him, slowly opening her eyes to see his stunned expression.

"I feel the same way," she reassured him. "But Riley can never know."

Lucas was about to celebrate, when Maya cut him off.

"That means that no one can know. This is our secret, okay Cowboy?"