"Does Andrew have a roommate?" Maya asked as they walked up the stairs towards their friend's room.
"No, he chose a single when I couldn't room with him." Josh answered as he dug the key out of his pocket. He led her to the door and let go of her hand just long enough to open the door and turn on the light. Maya noticed that the room was slightly smaller than his, but otherwise they were identical. She dropped her bag next to the desk and plopped down onto the futon across from the bed.
"Go ahead and make yourself at home." Josh laughed as he kicked his shoes off by the door.
"Speak for yourself." She smirked and patted the spot next to her; he gladly walked over and took a seat. "So, are you excited to move in with Andrew?"
"Oh, yeah! Charlotte is moving in with us as well. Jasmine's going abroad for a year and Char didn't want to do random select."
"I don't blame her!"
Josh smiled, "that's what I said! I already told Andrew that you're allowed to come over as much as you want."
"Ah, and why did you tell them that?" She asked, raising an eyebrow.
"I just have a feeling that you might be there a lot." His smile turned into his signature smirk.
"I see." She nodded her head. She lifted her hand up to a stray hair that had fallen and gotten tangled in her eyelashes. She gently pushed it away. She noticed that Josh wasn't looking into her eyes anymore but was staring at her hand. "What are you staring at?"
He didn't answer. Instead, he slowly lifted his hand towards hers and softly stroked it. She shivered and began to play with his fingers. He laced his fingers with hers and brought their hands down to his lap.
"I can't do the long game anymore." He said quietly.
"Oh." Her voice shook as she looked at his hand in hers. Just a minute ago he had told her she could come to his apartment as much as she wanted and now he was saying he couldn't do this anymore. She didn't understand. Why was he doing this? She asked herself.
"It's too hard."
"I understand…." She mumbled, trying her best not to cry; everything she'd wanted for the past four years was falling apart.
"I don't think you do. Maya, I am so attracted to you; in every way imaginable. You are this beautiful and intelligent girl that I'm so grateful to know. It's killing me that I can't be with you because of what people might say about our age difference." He took a deep breath and noticed the tears struggling to stay put in her eyes. "When I saw you at Christmas four years ago, you blew my mind; you looked so gorgeous. You weren't the little girl that I used to play with when I came to visit Riley. Then I got to talk to you and I'm not going to lie, you scared me. Then you and Riley crashed that NYU party and I realized that you really did know me and I saw that you really were growing up—I mean you risked getting Riley and yourself into huge trouble by telling Cory and Topanga that you went but you did it anyway because you thought it was the right thing to do." He looked down at their hands and smiled; an act that confused Maya even more. "When I'm around you, I have to constantly fight the urge to touch you or kiss you. It almost kills me sometimes. You're seventeen and you're about to go into your senior year. I'm twenty and I'd like to think that I've matured in the past two years and I sure as hell know you have. So I'm not going to waste anymore time fighting with myself, I can't. Can today please be someday?" He asked after pausing for a moment to wipe away her tears.
Maya's heart was racing as her tears of sorrow turned to happy tears. "I thought—" She stopped to control her breathing.
Josh pulled her into his arms, realizing that he had taken his plan too far. "Oh, Maya! Do you really think I'd give up on us?"
She mumbled something inaudible.
"I'm sorry, what?"
She pulled herself away from his chest and look him in the eye. "I don't know. I'd hope not." She used the back of her hand to wipe tears off her cheek.
"I am never giving up on us." He said, looking deep into her eyes as he moved both of his hands up to hold her face in between them. "I'm so sorry. I was trying to do that 'act like it's not working and then surprise them' type thing."
"You're really good at it." She snarled.
"I want to be with you, Ferret." She stared at him silently. "I think we're both ready." Maya remained silent. Josh, the guy she was hopelessly in love with, the one she could never seem to get, was sitting here, telling her he wanted to be with her.
Say something, you idiot! She thought.
"I want to be with you, too." She said, a large smile on her face. "Yes, someday can be today!"
Josh's heart soared with happiness. "Really? Even though I did that terrible joke?"
"Even though you did that terrible joke." She smiled and leaned in to kiss him on the cheek. "You do realize you still have to officially ask me to be your girlfriend, right?"
He laughed. "Oh, I know, but uh, that's not happening tonight. Maybe after we have our first date." He smirked and pulled her to him, cuddling into her back.
"Is that so?" She laughed, placing her head on his chest, noticing that her head fit perfectly.
"Mhm. We have to have our first date before that happens."
"Ah!" She slightly nodded.
"How about next week, when you're here? There's a really good Italian restaurant close to campus."
"Sounds perfect." She said, curling into him.
0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o
Lucas decided to take an Uber home; the Texas part of him was not agreeing with the weather tonight. While he was fine with the fifty degree weather, the wind nearly killed him. He left Riley's at a quarter to one, once the brunette had decided to call it a night after fighting to stay awake for the past thirty minutes. He thanked the driver as he pulled up to his apartment and hopped out of the small Mercedes. New York City still amazed him at sometimes. Back home in Texas, you'd see all sorts of cars being driven by Uber drivers, however here in the city, he had never gotten an Uber that was anything less than a BMW. He looked at his red brick apartment and sighed, while he loved it, it was definitely different than Texas. He had enjoyed his time here in the city and had met wonderful people that had changed his life for the better but he missed the ways of Texas.
He walked up the concrete steps and typed in his code to get in. The door buzzed and he pulled it open; sighing in relief as the heat hit his cold cheeks. He walked up to the second floor and unlocked his door. He was greeted by the smell of his mother's famous chocolate cake. Looking over at the counter, he saw that she had left a piece out for him. He loved that about his mother, always thinking of everyone but herself. He snatched up the plate and headed to his room.
Once he was changed for bed, he pulled out his laptop and got down under the covers. He loaded up Netflix and started watching a show while he finished his piece of cake.
Buzz.
He grabbed his phone from bedside him and saw that it was a message from Maya.
Staying the night at Boing's, don't tell Riles. Please.
He put his fork down to type back. Why are you staying at Josh's?
He knew she must have been watching for his reply because she responded immediately.
Too late to walk back, fell asleep watching a movie and just woke up. Don't worry, I'll be a good girl.
He laughed and responded, promising that he wouldn't tell Riley about the impromptu sleepover at the college boy's dorm. He thought they had finished when his phone buzzed again.
Have you told Riley yet?
He sighed. While he knew he had to tell her, it was something that he couldn't get out. He had confided in Maya one night when he walked her home. No. He quickly typed, feeling even more guilty.
You have to tell her soon, Huckleberry. Probably best if you do before you apply!
I know. He texted back. Now go back to sleep…don't want poor Boing to feel left out. And remember, no hanky panky!
She responded with hah-hurrrr.
Lucas smirked and placed his phone back down on the bed. He had six months before he had to make a decision, but he was pretty sure that he had already made up his mind. While Zay never wanted to leave New York, Lucas felt that it was be beneficial to him to go back to Texas for college. He didn't want to leave Riley or any of his other friends, but something was telling him that he needed to go back to Texas for a bit.
You don't have to decide tonight, Friar. He thought and turned off the lights.
When Lucas woke the next morning, his phone showed thirty missed calls—all from Riley. He opened one of her equally as many texts and saw that she was heading over to Maya's as she could not reach her. He looked at the time, eight thirty in the morning. He groaned. Maya never woke up before ten o' clock. What was Riley expecting? Of course she wouldn't answer her phone.
He threw his phone back on the bed and rolled over, slightly annoyed at his girlfriend's antics.
"Shit." He muttered and turned back over to the phone. He dialed Riley's number and waited for her to pick up.
"It's about time, Lucas!" Riley's screechy voice came through the earpiece.
"Riles. It's not even nine in the morning. You know Maya won't be up until at least ten." He said, his voice deep from just waking up.
"I know but she's there by herself!"
"Riley. She is fine. She texted me when she got home last night." He lied, feeling okay with his decision as it was half true.
"She did? Why didn't you tell me?!"
"Because it was at like two thirty. She told me she forgot to text and knew you'd be asleep. I didn't want to wake you."
"Well at least she's home." He heard her sigh.
"Why don't I get up and I'll meet you at Dudley's for breakfast." He suggested, placing the phone on speaker so he could stretch.
"Alright." She said. "I'll text Maya and tell her I'm not coming over and I'll meet you there in twenty minutes."
"Sounds good."
"Love you!" She said, he could tell she was smiling.
"Love you, too." He laughed and hung up the phone. "What am I going to do with her?" He asked himself and pushed himself out of bed to get ready.
0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0
"Maya." A voice said quietly. "It's time to get up."
"No." She muttered and buried her face further into the pillow. "I don't want to."
"C'mon, Ferret." He laughed, pushing the hair out of her eyes. "You have to." He leaned down and kissed her forehead.
"Mmmm." She sighed and rolled onto her back. "Hi." She said quietly when she opened her eyes.
"Hi." He smiled. He was propped up on one elbow, looking down at her. "What do you want to do today?"
"Anything as long as I get to spend the it with you." She blushed.
"I think that can be arranged." He said, pulling her to him. "You know, you look good in that shirt."
She looked down at his AC/DC shirt and smiled. "Thank you for letting me borrow it. You know, you look pretty good without a shirt."
"Well, thank you." He said, burying his head into her hair.
"Will Andrew care that I stayed here last night?"
"No, he had already told me it was fine as long as we didn't do anything more than make out.
The blonde turned red again. "Well good thing we didn't even do that then." She laughed. "I'm surprised you didn't actually try to kiss me, you know since you were saying last night how much it almost kills you not to be able to."
He smirked and raised his eyebrow. He leaned down slowly, not breaking their eye contact. He stopped once he was barely touching her lips. Her breath caught. "That's because I know I can whenever I want to now."
"Oh." She mutter softly, unable to move.
"Yeah, but that's going to have to wait, too." He said, reaching up and kissing her nose before quickly backing away.
"Okay, that was kind of cruel." She laughed at bit, bitting her bottom lip.
"Oh, don't make that face. I can't resist that face."
Maya continued to bite her lip, slowly rubbing her hand up and down Josh's arm. "Oh, really?"
"Yup." He stuttered as he placed a hand on her cheek and began to lean in.
Buzz. Buzz. Buzz.
"Urgh." Josh groaned.
Maya rolled her eyes and grabbed her phone. "Lucas is facetiming." She swiped to answer. "What do you want Huckleberry? You have horrible timing."
"You better not be doing what I think you're doing. Besides…that's not the shirt you were wearing last night. That's the one Josh was wearing at the park."
"Shh." She smirked. "What do you want?"
"You're lucky. Riley was on her way over to your house because she couldn't reach you. I'm on my way to Dudley's right now…and I think you two should join us." He said, eyeing the shirtless Josh.
"But…"
"You're joining. I'll see you there in twenty." He hung up.
"I'm going to kill Huckleberry." She cried, hiding her face in Josh's chest.
Josh laughed. "He's just looking out for you. Besides, we have all next week to almost kiss and be interrupted."
"Ah!" She groaned, falling back on the bed as Josh got up and got ready to leave. "You both are evil."
He turned around, smirking he tossed her the jeans she had left on the floor that night. "Yup!"
0o0o0o0o
It is with a heavy heart that I post this chapter today. I'm so disappointed that this wonderful show will not be continued. Michael Jacobs has created a show that was so unlike Disney Channel that it was refreshing. They helped many young people learn that it is okay to be yourself and how to stand up for themselves. I am so grateful that the show I grew up watching got to be continued for the past couple of years and this story will continue to live on.
I hope you enjoy this chapter, please review, favorite and follow…also, if there is no Joshaya in the final three episodes, I will be severely disappointed.
Xoxo,
Little Rose Potter
