Hiya, it's me, back again with another chapter! To give you guys some perspective the story is probably about half way now, maybe a little less than that. I hope you enjoy!

The day after 'the incident,' as Mr Matthews had decided to dub it, he found Maya in her usual janitor's closet. She didn't look up upon his entering, she just shut her sketch book and slid it carefully into her bag.

"Hey, kiddo." Mr Matthews placed her fifteen dollars in her lap. She still didn't look at him, absently fingering the crisp notes.

"Look, about last night," Mr Matthews started, but Maya held up her hand.

"I'll figure out a way to pay for the broken plate, I promise, and I'm sorry if I freaked you or your wife out."To

"Maya, Maya, Maya," he sighed, sinking down onto a paint can. "Neither me or my Wife were worried about the stupid plate. In fact, I think Topanga was quite happy. My mother sent it for christmas last year. She hated it, but couldn't bring herself to thrown it away. You did her a favour." Maya's lips curved into a small smile.

"Your wife's name is Topanga?" Mr Matthews grinned back at her.

"Don't wear it out."

"I don't see how you could." He laughed and she slowly put the money in her pocket.

"I'm still sorry," she said quietly. "I kind of went mental on you."

"Well yeah," he admitted, "Riley got a little scared. I think that was only because she'd used to you being this big, evil bully, though." Maya rubbed the back of her head awkwardly.

"I get it, though," Mr Matthews continued. "We overwhelmed you. We were all talking at once and shoving cake at you and it was just a little too much."

"I guess." Maya tugged on the sleeve of her sweatshirt. "I'm a little people-phobic. Like, claustrophobic but with people, and you were all so close and you were touching me and..." she trailed off and shuddered.

"You don't like people touching you?" Mr Matthews said curiously. Maya shrugged.

"Not really. When your wife, ah, Topanga, hugged me I almost knocked her flat."

"You don't like hugs?" Mr Matthew exclaimed, appalled. "We're going to have to do something about that. Come here." Maya looked at him warily.

"I'm warning you right now, I've punched grown men in the face before and I won't hesitate to do it again." Mr Matthews clucked his tongue impatiently.

"Fine," he huffed, scooting his can closer to her instead. "No hugs, we'll work up to that." He reached out, making sure to keep his movements slow. Maya's pupils visibly dialated as his hands gently curled around her upper arms.

"Is this alright?" Mr Matthews asked.

"No," Maya snapped. He grimaced.

"I'm going to take that as a 'I'm not comfortable with this, but I'm not going to freak out like I did in your apartment, Mr Matthews.'"

"This really feels like grooming," she commented. He rolled his eyes.

"I'm a teacher, Maya, not a pedophile."

"Could have fooled me." Maya pushed his hands off her and stood up.

"I'm getting food," she declared. "See ya round, Matthews."

"We have histroy next period," Mr Matthews reminded her. "Don't you dare cut my class, Hart."

"Wouldn't dream of it." She flashed him a quick smile, then left him alone in the closet.

Maya didn't end up cutting the class, though thinking back she really wished she had. Mr Matthews droned on about the Celts and the Romans for awhile, then sprung a project on them that, true to form, didn't have a whole lot to do with Celts and Romans. He paired them off before explaining what it was. Since Maya was sitting next to Riley, she got stuck with her. Riley kept shooting her worried glances, as if she was going to freak out and run out of the classroom at any minute.

"This should be fun," Maya said under her breath. Riley gave her a strained smile.

"Okie dokie." Mr Matthews rubbed his hands together, a huge grin plastered on his face. "The Celts and the Romans were enemies, and they both lived very different lives. The Romans lived in great palaces and had slaves to wait on them, where as the Celts lived in huts made largely of sticks and animal dung." A couple of the more immature kids sniggered and Mr Matthews smiled. "Your assignment is to present a report on how your partner lives. Comment on their bedroom, their house in general and their daily routine." Farkle immediately put up his hand.

"Yes?"

"Well Sir, I was just thinking this project is a bit of a stretch. How exactly will snooping into our classmate's private lives teach us anything about Celts and Romans?" Mr Matthews scratched the back of his head.

"Well, Farkle, that's ah, that's a very good question. You see, if the Celts and Romans had explored their differences snd similarities more, then perhaps they would have come to a peaceful resolution." He snapped his fingers, "in fact, add that to your reports. Comment on your own similarities and differences with your partner, and how you can learn from them." Conveniently, the bell chose that exact moment to ring. Maya gathered her books and stood, exiting the room ad wuickly as possibly. Riley was sure to ask to do the project tonight, since she was obsessed with staying on top of homework. Maya had to come up with a game plan. Maybe she could go to the Matthew's tonight, and Riley to come to hers tomorrow night. That would give her plenty of time to clean her room from top to bottom and try to make it look at least somewhat presentable. She could explain the lack of furnature by saying it was out being cleaned or something, and she could explain her lack of a bed spread by saying that-

"Maya," Riley said from behind her, sounding somewhat nervous. Maya jumped a little and spun on her heel.

"Oh, it's you."

"Can I come over to yours tonight?" The brunette asked, tapping her foot anxiously. "Only, I have a ton of homework to do over the weekend, so I want to get this out of the way fast."

"My apartment is being fumigated tonight," Maya improvised. "So, no." Riley's face fell.

"Seriously? My apartment is being fumigated tonight, too! We have to stay in a hotel and everything. It sucks so much." Maya cursed herself mentally as the cogs began noticably working inside Riley's head.

"Maybe we could do it over the weekend!" she exclaimed. "We could have a whole day in each other's lives! You can come over to mine on Saturday and we can do the Maths homework together and help eachother, then I can go over to yours on Sunday. It'll be perfect." Maya shifted her weight from one foot to the other nervously. The weekend definitely wasn't a good time to have Riley in her apartment. No day was a good day, but the weekend was particularly bad.

"Actually, that might-"

"It's settled," Riley said , cutting Maya off. "Come to my house at around ten on Saturday morning, you already know where it is." With that she skipped off to her friends, who had been watching the conversation worriedly, like Maya was going to suddenly lash out and hit Riley.

"Not work for me," Maya finished lamely, watching as the trio walked down the corridor together with their arms wrapped around each other's shoulders.

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