a/n: Hi everyone! Happy Tuesday, I hope everyone is having a great day. I just want to thank everyone for the tremendous support on this story. Everyone has been so kind and leaving the sweetest comments. I appreciate it so much. Thank you for all the favorites and the follows. Shoutout to my reviewers: Ms. Silhouette , TheLifeStruggleIsREAL, WindyRowboat, Stardust16, G, cowgirlangel95, Ghost adventure lover23, NellieJ2011, Guest, oooSilverWolfooo. Hope you enjoy chapter 3.
A knock on her window made her jump up and wipe her tears.
She looked at her window.
"Maya?"
She rushed to her window and opened it. "How'd you know where I lived?" She asked freaked out. "Why are you here?"
"Your file was lying around. Don't worry I only read this so I knew where to come get you. I make it a habit to know everyones address incase they ever need me" Riley was surprised by her answer.
"Come on in" she said going back to her bed and made room for Maya. She felt awkward. She never really had a friend over before. She didn't even know is she considered Maya a friend. They had one group therapy session together. But she knew the group was close-knit. Maybe this was how.
Maya walked around, taking in the surroundings. Looking at everything. Riley's pictures, she use to be a photographer. Her Uncle Shawn gave her a camera for Christmas. She use to love taking pictures. She had them all over her room. On her mirror tucked in the corner were pictures of her and her family.
"Would you like something to eat?" Riley offered, trying to remember what to do when having a guest over. Offering food is the first thing her mom does, so she went with it.
She suddenly remembered she was wearing nothing but a big t-shirt. She went into her closest to change. She put on a sweater over and some sweats. She walked back out and Maya was on her bed, holding her purple cat.
"Cute cat" she commented. "Thanks" Riley replied quickly, not knowing what else to say. She felt embarrassed for having stuffed animals on her bed. It suddenly made her feel really childish.
"So I'll take your offer on food, what do you have?" She asked, kind of embarrassed. Riley wondered why. Was Maya embarrassed because she was hungry?
Riley walked Maya to the kitchen. She figured feeding Maya would distract her from her overwhelming thoughts. But when they walked into the kitchen and it felt like a punch in the stomach. She saw food in the fridge and it reminded her of what a group of girls would say about anything she ever ate. She hated how the smallest things make her depressed all over again, she hated this cycle. Her eyes watered again.
"Hey you okay honey?" Riley looked up, she forgot Maya was here for a split second.
She decided to change the subject. "My mom normally has sandwiches. Sorry I don't have much" she said turning around. Maya looked at her, like she knew it was a distraction but didn't say anything. It made Riley more curious about her then ever before.
"No problem. Lemme see, I'm sure I can create something. You have eggs. Cheese. Spinach. Tomatoes. I can make a veggie omelette" she said taking everything out.
"You...you can cook?" Riley asked distracted once again, wiping her eyes.
" Only breakfast foods" she shrugged. "I'll make two" Maya goes to the stove and gets the pan.
"Have you made an omelette before?" Maya asked Riley, who watched her in awe.
"No. My highest achievement in the kitchen is not burning my toast"
Maya laughed. Riley liked the sound.
"You're funny, newbie. I like you" Riley blushed at looked down.
"I'm going to go freshen up" she says not realizing that she hasn't gotten ready for her day yet. She checked the clock. 10:00 AM. She felt ashamed. Maya was so well put together. Cute bedazzled jacket. Red jeans. Nice boots. She looked down at herself and felt bad.
"Okay I'll try to be done by then" Maya says as she starts cutting up the vegetables. Riley wonders if that was triggering Maya, like to is to her. She didn't want to say anything though.
"Please be careful, Maya" she begged, concerned. Maya laughed again.
"Okay Farkle" she teased.
Riley went to the bathroom and brushed her teeth. She pulled up her sleeves and looked at her bandaged wrist and sighed. She didn't really have a reason to cut. Just seeing the bandage triggered her, as well as seeing the knife in the kitchen. Her parents put a bunch of plastic ones that she and her brother have to use because of her brother's age and her klutziness. She sighed.
Certain movements hurt. Like opening up the fridge and brushing. Her eyes watered and she wiped away her tear. She hated how easily crying became. She brushed her hair, something she hasn't done in weeks. There was plenty of knots. So she was in there longer then expected. She decided to braid it into two braids. It made her feel put together. Almost pretty if she could admit it to herself. She washed her face. Put on moisturizer. She never put this much effort in her appearance before. But if Maya looked so good after all she's been through, Riley decided to put in some effort. But it drained her a little. She walked back into the kitchen.
Maya was still facing the stove, ingredients scattered across the counter. "It smells amazing" Riley complimented.
Maya turned around. "Thanks. Your braids are pretty" Riley smiled, trying to be nonchalant.
"Oh this, this is nothing" just then Riley yawned. Proving her point wrong. It tried her out caring so much.
"You know, you don't have to prove yourself to me. I know you've been through a lot" Maya tells her while sliding the omelette on the plate. "Plus you look cute no matter what" Riley blushed.
"Thanks Maya"
"No problem"
Riley started setting the table for two and got some apple juice in two glasses. She set out plates and napkins. She also got out some grapes and put them in a bowl trying to remember what else people eat for breakfast. She's only had hospital food and her mom's infamous pancakes. Riley waited patiently and nearly dozed off. She laid her head on her hands.
"Breakfast is ready!" Maya sang.
She put the omelets on the plate put the ingredients in the fridge.
"Bon appetite"
"You speak French too?" Riley asked enticed.
Maya laughed.
"Nope. Only spanish and English I live in a Spanish speaking neighborhood" she says. "Now eat before you pass out"
Riley didn't even realize her tiredness could be lack of food in her system. As if on cue her stomach growled. Riley got up and went to the draw to get knives and forks. The forks were real but the knives were plastic. She embarrassingly passed them to Maya. Maya raised her eyebrows but didn't say anything.
"You know I'm not the amazing person you think I am" Maya says as she cuts her omelet.
"You only knew me for a day and you came to my house to check up on me and made me breakfast. That's pretty amazing" Riley said. She wondered how Maya could not see herself as the amazing person she did.
"Most people would find that weird. Plus all the supplies are in your kitchen" Maya justified.
"Yeah but the fact it's 10 in the morning on a Thursday. Thanks. I would've had a sucky day otherwise" she admitted. Then something hit her.
"Why aren't you at school?"
"I'm homeschooled" she said with a smirk.
"Why did you think I wouldn't be at school?" Riley asked.
"Because newbie, you seemed nervous enough in the small group. I doubt you would want to throw yourself in a school environment. " she justified.
"I guess" Riley ate her omelette. "This is really great Maya. Where did you learn to cook?"
Maya just sipped her apple juice. "When you are home alone a lot you learn some things" she said with a shrug.
"Well you are welcome here anytime" Riley said with a smile. "Especially if you cook like this"
"Thanks Riley" They ate the rest in silence. Once they were done Riley washed the dishes. Trying her very best not to get the bandage wet because she really didn't feel like asking her mom to re-wrap it.
"So what do you do for fun?" Maya asked. Riley tried to remember any movies or t.v shows. She hasn't shown interest in anything in what felt like forever.
"Um I...well" She paused, then she yawned again.
"I'll show you around my parts of new York one day. But you seem like you need a nap" Maya said as she got up.
"Don't leave" Riley said before being aware of it. She liked not being alone. With her thoughts. Plus she liked Mayas company. She doesn't have to pretend what happened, didn't. She could be honest, if she chose to do so. Her family is either one of two extremes. Pretending nothing happened. Or becoming so overly protective.
"I'm not going anywhere newbie" The girls walked into the room. Riley went to go lie down.
"I'll just sit near the window and draw the city" Maya said. "Do you have a notebook?"
Riley got up and opened the draw on school supplies she knows she'll never use. She pulled out a sketchbook and sharpies and colored pencils. She wrote Maya's Art Goes Here on the front. She passed it to Maya.
"You get a really nice view from here" Riley says going to lie back down. "Now we are even, since you made me breakfast" Riley comments snuggling in her bed. The unexpected interaction made her sleepy.
"Riley, honey. We will never be even. We will never have to be" Riley confused just mumbled "hmm?"
"Remember earlier you asked why I was here? You, me, Zay Lucas Farkle and Smackle. We are all we have. We stick together. No matter what" Maya says.
"Like a family" Riley concludes.
"Yeah" Maya agrees, with a sad tone.
Riley wanted to question it but she was to tired.
"Go to sleep honey" Maya says as she sketches outside. "You had an emotionally exhausting couple weeks"
Riley was glad someone understood how just feeling things can be tiring.
"Goodnight newbie"
"Goodnight Maya" Riley says drifting into sleep while Maya hummed a lullaby.
When Riley woke up her clock glowed 3:30 P.M. She rubbed her eyes and looked around. Wondering if this morning was a dream. It seemed so fake. No one would care enough to check up on her. Or make her breakfast.
The only evidence she had that this morning happened was a sticky note on a paper by the bay window.
Hope you get some rest. Thanks for you need me I'll be at Farkle's place. His number in on the back on the drawing. See ya soon. -Maya
The sticky note was posted on a picture Maya drew. Beary the Bear and purple cat eating breakfast together. Riley added Farkles number to her phone.
She hung the picture on her mirror. Liking the fact she had a souvenir of the first good day she had in awhile.
a/n: I hope you liked this chapter. Feel free to share your thoughts. Also I have a list of songs on my profile page that inspired this story. I hope you check it out because music helps me through so much. I'll probably add more songs as I continue writing. Thanks for all your support. Sending you my love xoxo.
Have a wonderful day
-Summer
