Maya quietly opened and shut the door to her apartment. She threw the keys on the side table and flopped on the couch. She didn't even bother to extend the bed. It was only a few hours from when she'd have to wake up anyways. She didn't get much sleep. How could she? There were so many thoughts, memories, and questions swimming in her mind. Before she knew it, her phone was playing music: her alarm. She groaned and turned it off. She let herself roll off the couch onto the ground. She had no intention to get up. She could have stayed there asleep if a certain yell hadn't startled her.
"MAYA!"
Why was she yelling so early in the morning? Then Maya remembered what had happened just a few hours ago. Shit! Did Riley already know Lucas was back?
"Yeah?" She called back as Riley came rushing into the living room.
"Where are my drafts? I can't find them anywhere. What if I lost them? I'm doomed. I knew I should have typed it up before going to sleep. I'm never going to find them again. What am I going to do? I could get fired"
Maya who was still on the ground looked up as Riley paced back in forth. That was weird. She remembered Riley working on those yesterday. She had left them on the coffee table, but the table was empty. Maya titled her head and noticed a pile of papers under the couch.
"Found them! What would you do without me, Riles?" She said jokingly.
Riley came over and gave her a tight hug. "Thank you. I love you. Thank you. Thank you." She shuffled through the pages and smiled. "My life would have become completely crazy without these."
May laughed at the irony. If only she knew.
"What's so funny?" Riley asked.
"Oh nothing." Maya shrugged. "I just realized you planned to head to the office early today and I'm here on the floor and not dressed yet." She jumped up and pointed her index finger at Riley. "And I refuse to take the bus so don't leave without me!"
With that Maya rushed off and avoided accidentally bringing up Lucas.
Maya hadn't even walked in her office when she was already being shoved papers.
"Boss wants you to do the cover art for next month's cultural section." One of her colleagues handed here a folder and walked away.
"Hey Maya, can you finish this design. I started it, but it doesn't look right. I know you'll find a way to fix it. Thanks." Maya was given a few sheets of paper.
"Maya. Check your email. I need your approval on these digital designs. ASAP." Another voice called out.
"Got it!" She replied to all of them. Of course the New York Revolution magazine had other people working in the design and art department, but whenever they needed something big and important done,Maya was the one they turned to. This usually meant that she had a little bit of more extra work to do than everybody else... not that she cared. She loved her job.
She stepped into her office, closed the door and sighed. Clearly, it was going to be an extremely busy day. She placed her bag in one of the chairs and hung up her coat next to one of her paintings. Her office's walls were covered with her paintings, paintings by artists she admired, as well as many frames of the pages and covers she had designed for the magazine. A couple of awards she had won over the years hung right behind her desk. On her desk laid a pile of folders, pending designs, and a couple of personal photographs. Her favorite: A picture of her with Riley and Farkle taken the summer after college graduation.
She sat down on her desk and turned on the computer. Time to get designing.
A couple of hours later she managed to finish approving a few designs made by her colleagues, finish sketching a couple of pages, and almost completed some of the graphic designs that were due next week. She was ready for a lunch break, but her cellphone began to ring.
Huckleberry is calling.
Maya laughed. She had forgotten she wrote that in last night.
"Hello?"
"Maya! I need your help. And Farkle too! Can we meet in 20 minutes?"
"Are you insane? I'm working. Do you know how much I have to do?"
"This is important. It's for Riley!"
Maya was silent for a moment. "Fine! But what am I going to tell her? We have lunch together everyday."
"I know you'll think of something. Where does Farkle work? Should I meet you...where should I meet you?"
"Just go to the coffee shop from last night. Be there in a few." She hung up as soon as there was a knock on the door.
"Ready for lunch?" Riley chimed.
Maya shook her head. "I'm actually going home. I'm not feeling so well."
"Oh no. Peaches? What's wrong?"
"Headache and stomachache. I don't think I can work anymore so I'm just gonna go home."
"I'll take you." Riley said without thinking
"No no no. I'll just take a cab. You have so much to do."
"I can take you home, Maya."
"No. Come on. I'm going to feel like I'm keeping you from work. I'll be fine taking a cab."
"You sure?"
"Positive."
"Okay." Riley walked over and hugged her. "I hope you feel better. I'll tell everyone you went home early."
Maya nodded. She waited for Riley to exit the office and Maya quickly stuffed her work in her bag. She'd have to work on it at night now. Thanks to Ranger Rick and his big ideas. Seriously. He was messing with her whole life and he'd only been in New York a couple of hours.
Lucas was standing on the side of the coffee shop. Overhead hoodie, one leg propped up against the wall, one hand in the pocket of his jeans, and the other on his phone. He had headphones in his ears and he was nodding his head to the music.
Maya pulled the earphones from his ears and Lucas looked up startled. When he saw that it was Maya he pressed his lips together. "You haven't changed one bit."
"Of course I've changed. I'm a responsible adult now. You're just so easy to pick on."
Lucas rolled his eyes and put his phone away. "Nah. No change. You're still short." He walked away towards the other end of the street.
Maya raised her hands in frustration. "Really?"
Lucas looked over his shoulder and laughed. "Short stack of pancakes."
Maya stormed after him. "Seriously? Is that all you got. Back in high school you never called me any other name."
Lucas laughed. "I like it."
"No, you're just bad at name calling." She scoffed.
He was walking way too quickly. She almost had to jog to keep up. Suddenly he stopped in front of an old grey pickup truck.
"What is that?"
Lucas reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a set of car keys. "Our ride."
"You drove here? I thought you took a flight." She looked at the car and back at Lucas.
"I rented it."
"What? Why a pickup truck? Why the hell would anyone drive a pickup truck in New York. This isn't Texas you know?"
"I like that it reminds me of home. Besides it was one of the cheapest at the rental place." Lucas opened the passenger seat for Maya. "Now come on."
"What so you're a gentleman now? One minute you're calling me names the next you're opening your car door for me?"
Lucas couldn't help but smile. "My Mama raised a gentleman. "Hop in. I can't wait to see Farkle."
Maya shrugged. She didn't really have a choice. "Fine. Fine. Let's go."
The car ride was silent at first until Lucas turned on the radio. He fiddled with the stations until he heard something he liked. Maya heard it before.
"I thought you only listened to country music in Texas." She smirked.
"We listen to genres aside from country." Lucas replied defensively.
"Whatever you say, Huckleberry."
"So where exactly is Farkle's lab again?"
"What 10 years and you forget New York already?" She had repeated the directions to him about 3 times already. Luckily they were now closer. "It's just this left turn here and his lab is in that building over there. You can go into the parking lot. I know the security guys."
Lucas pulled up to the building. "Farkle works here?" He asked astonished the huge lavish building.
"Did you expect anything less?"
Lucas grinned. "I guess not."
"This whole floor is /his/ lab?!" Lucas exclaimed as he walked out the elevator doors.
Maya hit Lucas on the back of his head.
"Ow! What was that for?"
"You're loud, moron. People are working!"
He rubbed the back of his head. "You didn't have to hit me."
Maya was nervous. All she had been able to do was send Farkle a quick text letting him know she and Lucas were coming over. She hoped he acted surprised. She didn't want Lucas thinking she had already told Farkle, like it was some big thing. Which of course it wasn't. Lots of people lost contact with their old friends then saw them later in life. Then again, they didn't come ready to propose to your best friend like this one did.
"Maya?" Lucas asked wondering why she hadn't answered him.
"I'm sorry what did you say?"
"I asked if you think he's in his office." Lucas was pointing his thumb at the door.
"Uh. No, he's probably in the computer section."
Just as Maya said they spotted him concentrating on a screen. Maya knocked on the glass. Farkle looked up and smiled. It faded when he saw Lucas. Then his expression changed to a grin of surprise.
Maya made a mental note to herself to never underestimate Farkle's acting skills.
Farkle opened the door for them to walk in. "Lucas? What are you doing here?" He opened his arms and Lucas gave him a tight hug. Bromance never dies does it?
"I've missed you man. There are no Farkles in Texas."
Farkle laughed. "Missed you too." He gave Maya a quick glance as if to say he had everything under control. "So how long are you visiting?"
Lucas smiled. "Actually I have a few things planned to do here. Did you take your lunch yet? I want to sit down and explain things to you and Maya."
Farkle raised an eyebrow. "Really? But what about Riley?" Maya noticed as he swallowed. Oh no he was getting nervous.
"Long story. Buy hey why don't you give Lucas the tour of your lab before we go." Maya quickly interrupted so there would be no further questions.
"Great idea. I'd love to see what you do."
Farkle gestured towards the door, "Alright. Let me show you the exciting stuff."
For the next couple of minutes Farkle showed Lucas around while Maya followed. Constantly touching the stuff Farkle told her she couldn't touch. Farkle asked one of his co-workers to show Lucas what they were recently discovering. Farkle used this time to slip away and stand near Maya.
"So he wants us to help him plan things for the proposal?" Farkle whispered.
"Apparently. He didn't really give me a lot of details."
"So how's it feel having him back here?"
"What? What do you mean?" Maya asked hastily.
"Because of what happened when-" Farkle started to say.
Maya elbowed Farkle on his side hard. "Nothing happened. Now shut up he's coming back."
Lucas clasped his hands together. "You two ready? Lots of things to explain. Lots to do."
"So ready." Farkle said sucking up the pain.
/Hmm so what did happen between Maya and Lucas and why does Farkle keep bringing it up? Haha. Sorry it took so long. I'll try to upload faster. Let me know what you think! I love reading your reactions. /
