Maya always assumed the stereotypical family dinners where everyone sits around and talks about their day and joke around and laugh was only seen in tv.

Until she met the matthews family

She loved having dinner at Riley's home. She loved sitting and hearing mr and mrs Matthews discuss their day and watching Auggie and Riley tease eachother and fight over the last piece of desert. Any day she would be happy to be at Riley's home for dinner.

But not tonight

She tried to avoid making eye contact with the older boy sitting across from her. She tried to pretend she didn't notice when the older guy would take quick glances at her.

"So josh how's college treating you?" Cory asks his younger brother

"It's good, a lot more work though" josh jokes

"And med school will just get worse" Topanga adds

"Don't remind me " josh chuckles

"I can't believe my baby is almost a doctor" grandma matthews says proudly

"Mother please " josh whines

Maya finds it kind of funny how josh is embarrassed by his mother she accidentally lets out a small chuckle

Josh looks up and smiles at her but Maya quickly looks down avoiding his eyes.

"What about you girls are you enjoying your senior year?" Grandpa Matthews asks

"Yea but I'm kind of not ready for it to be over, it makes me nervous sometimes" riley tells them

He smiles and turns to his granddaughter's friend

"What about you maya, you nervous too?" He asks

"Uh a little I guess" maya says . Truth was she was terrified. The thought of finishing high school and heading out into the real world is something she felt she wasn't ready for.

"I was too, don't worry it's not as scary as you think" josh assures her

Maya looks at him and the two just stare at each other for a moment

"Who wants pie?" Topanga announces

"Me" almost everyone announces

Later that evening

Everyone had moved to the living room to continue talking. Maya looked at the time and she stood up

"I should get going"

"at this hour, it's not safe to walk these streets at night" grandma Matthews says with concern

Maya smiles "it's fine I do it all the time"

"Maybe someone should go with you" grandpa Matthews suggests

"No it's fi...

"I'll be happy to walk you home" josh interrupts her before she can finish

"No. I'm..."

"That's a great idea josh" grandma Matthews says

"I agree" riley buts in with a bright smile

Maya sends a glare at her best friend who pretends not to notice

"You really don't have to" she tells josh

"I really don't mind, plus there's a lot of psychos out there" he jokes remembering their conversation on the subway

Maya is hesitant but knows she has no choice

"Okay thanks" she goes to grab her coat

"You know you really didn't have to offer to walk me" maya tells him as they make their way off the subway and begin to make their walk to Maya's apartment

"I really don't mind maya plus my moms right it's not safe for you to be walking by yourself at night"

"I do it all the time" maya tells him

"Doesn't mean you should" josh fires back

Maya is not used to people caring about her and worrying about her and her safety. She tried to remind herself that josh was probably only doing this because she was his nieces best friend not because he actually cared about her. Why would he? he just met her.

" so your parents just let you go off on your own late at night?" Josh asks her

" well it's just my mom and no she really doesnt notice, she works late" maya explains

" oh " is all that Josh can think of

Maya tries not to roll her eyes she doesn't need pity from anyone

She simply shrugs "no big deal"

They walk in silence for a bit till josh tries to break the silence

"So uh where's your dad...if I may ask?"

"I'd rather not talk about that" she answers immediately

"Okay, that's fine you don't have to talk about it"

They arrive to Maya's apartment

"This is my stop, thanks for walking me" she begins to make her way to the door

"Maya?" Josh calls out

She turns to look at him

"if you ever wanna talk I'm a pretty good listener"

"Thanks but I'm more of "the suffer in silence type" (a/n twilight lol)

"Well in case you ever change your mind, I'll be around, goodnight maya" he smiles and turns to make his way back to the subway.

"Night josh"

She watches him until he disappears.

Back at the matthews home

Josh walks through the door and sees his niece on the couch watching tv

"Hey where is everyone" he asks looking around for the rest of his family

"They all went to bed"

He just nods and sits down next to riley

" so did you get Maya home safely" she asks her uncle

"Yes I did" josh says not taking his eyes off the tv

"So what did you think of Maya" riley asks

Josh smiled "she seems nice"

Truth was the pretty blonde had been on his mind ever since he saved her on the subway. But he wouldn't let his niece know that.

"Just nice" riley asks with her eyebrows raised

Josh just shrugs

Another truth was he found her very interesting he could tell she was a very reserved person who didn't quite open up to people easily but Josh very much wanted to get to know her.

Riley simply rolls her eyes "okay uncle josh, goodnight" she gets up and heads to her room

Josh heads off to auggie's room where he's staying and tries to get some sleep the whole time thinking about a certain blonde girl with pretty blue eyes.

The next day at school

Maya and Riley were at their lockers. Riley was trying really hard to be patient with her best friend but she couldn't take it anymore

"ok so what happened last night?" she asks excitidley

"um we had dinner at your house with your parents and grandparents" maya answers trying to avoid answering what riley really meant.

Riley just rolls her eyes

"you know what im talking about maya. What happened when my uncle walked you home?"

maya just shrugs "nothing happened riles all he did was walk me home, which reminds me"

she punches riley on the arm

"ow! What was that for?" she asks as she holds her arm

"that's for last night, why did you make him walk me?" she demands

"HEY! He was the one who offered I just agreed" riley pointed out

maya continues to glare at her

"oh come on you cant deny you liked having him walk you" riley teases

She'd be lying if she said she didn't enjoy his company, josh did seem like a good guy but she knew better than to get too close.

The bell rings

"we should get to class" maya says as she begins to walk to their homeroom

"you cant run away from your feelings" riley yells out

"watch me" maya yells back as she turns the corner

riley rolls her eyes and then realizes if she doesn't hurry she"ll be late. She closes her locker and begins to run towards the direction maya went when she reaches the corner she collides with someone and she winds up on the floor.

"oh my gosh im so sorry" says a male voice

riley looks up and realizes the person she bumped into was non other than Lucas Friar.

"are you okay?" he asks her concerned

riley realizes she was still on the floor staring at him

lucas offers his hand. Riley is still in shock but manages to get herself together and takes the hand he is offering

"oh...im..fine" riley stutters

lucas helps get her books from the ground

"thanks" she takes them

"no problem" he smiles "i'm lucas. your riley right?"

riley nods

"your dads mr Matthews the history teacher right? i" he asks

riley nods "that's me"

"we met before right? on the subway?"

at that moment riley wishes the ground would open up and swallow her and save her from this embarrassment.

"yea" she says blushing at the memory

"well its nice to finally meet you formally, I mean the last time you left in quite a hurry" he jokes

"yea, i'm really sorry about that"

"don't worry about it, well gotta get to class see you around riley" he smiles as he begins to make his way to his class.

Riley turns to watch him leave.

" I cant believe that just happened" she says shocked

Later that day as maya and riley are making their way to rileys apartment

"it was amazing Maya, l swear i can still feel his hand in mine" riley says grabbing the hand lucas had held when he helped her up.

maya laughs at her friend "that's great swettie"

they make their way into the apartment

"and I swear at lunch he smiled at me" riley says excitedly

"does my niece have a crush?"

they turn to the kitchen where they see josh sitting there with his laptop. Maya hopes no one else can hear her heart race speed up.

"hey uncle josh I thought you would be back at your dorm by now" riley tells him as she takes a seat across from him at the kitchen table.

"nope, I have a paper due next week and I focus better without my roommate blasting his stereo" josh explains he turns to the blonde

"hey maya"

"hey" she says as she goes to sit next to riley and tries to avoid josh's stare

"so whats this I hear about a boy? Does riley have a boyfriend?" he teases his niece

riley rolls her eyes "he's not my boyfriend he's just a boy from school" riley explains. Her phone rings "its my mom, ill be right back" she gets up and goes to her room.

Maya panics as she realizes she will be left alone with josh

Josh turns to maya "so who's this guy?" he asks

Maya turns to look at him "uh he's just a guy from our school." She says simply

"what's he like?" he asks. his protective uncle instincts kicking in

"uh not sure never talked to the guy. he transferred here at the beginning of the year" maya explains

Josh simply nods then looks at the blonde sitting across from him

"so what about you? Any guy in your life?" he asks curiously

"nope"

"I find that hard to believe. you're a very pretty girl"

she could swear that he was flirting but she tried to convince herself that he was just being polite but she still blushes.

"so what about you?" she asks

"what about me?" he teases

"any girl in your life?" she asks

"nope, no girl in my life"

"Now i find that hard to believe" she fires back not knowing where this sudden surge of confidence came from.

"why?" he asks

"i bet all those college girls are all over you"

josh gives a small laugh as he looks down as well

"i guess i just I haven't found the right girl yet" he says as he looks up and has his eyes on maya

She finally looks him in the eyes and they stay there looking at each other. Until they hear footsteps coming. Riley appears back in the kitchen.

"hey my mom wants me to go pick up dinner" she explains

"uh ill go with you" she stands up and they make their way to the door

"bye maya"

maya turns around to take one last look

"bye josh"