The next day Riley stormed up to Maya

"How could you do that to me!"

"What are you talking about? If anything, I should be saying that to you"

"You called a bay window meeting and then had the nerve not to show up!"

"You were the one that called the meeting and didn't show up!"

"Farkle called and told me you wanted to talk to me."

"Well Lucas called me and said you wanted to talk to me."

"FARKLE"

"LUCAS"

"Ladies" Farkle said as he and Lucas cautiously moved towards the girls

"What. Did. You. Do?" Maya asked between clenched teeth

"What? What are you talking about? What did we do? We didn't do anything." Farkle replied, talking faster than any of them thought was possible.

"You set us up" Riley said as she glared at them both

"I'm sorry we were just trying to help" Farkle said, lowering his gaze to the floor

"You messed with the power of the bay window"

"Woah, woah, woah, yes, I know it was wrong to set you guys up like that but you haven't said a word to each other in days! We messed up one time and you're flipping out on us! No matter how much you want to blame this whole thing on us; you can't, and you know it. Whatever happened between you, you need to fix it before everything comes crashing down."

"Some things aren't meant to be fixed Lucas" Maya replied as she turned her head and walked away

Riley now understood that Maya's first outburst about finding new friends was purely in the moment. She didn't mean it; she just needed to say something, anything to get Riley's attention. Sure it had made Riley upset but this, this made Riley scared. What was happening that she'd failed to see?

That night after her whole blowout with Riley, Maya had opened her computer to one unread email:

kmhart

Her heart dropped to her stomach as questions flooded her brain: It has to be her dad, didn't it? KM Hart, but what did the M stand for? As much as she hated to admit it she really, really hoped that M was for Maya, that no matter how far he had gone, how harshly he had left her, and how much of her life he had missed, that maybe he held onto her through that M. She hated being so hopeful for someone she knew would only cause her pain but the person who'd given hope to her before was gone. Maya had made a mistake saying what she had said, she knew it, but she was getting replaced. There was always someone better than her, someone always leaves, and she, Maya Penelope Hart, would always end up alone and broken. She couldn't go through that again.

She hovered her mouse over the email until she finally got enough courage to slam her finger onto the clicker to open it.

Dear Maya,

I know we didn't really end on the right foot last time we talked. I'm sorry for that. Seeing you that last time really made me regret all the things I've missed in your life. I'm so sorry. I don't know if you'll ever be able to forgive me and that's ok but I'd really like to get to know you better. If it's ok with your mom, and you of course, I'd love if you'd come spend your spring break with me. I'll completely understand if you don't want to come or even reply to this message but I couldn't rest knowing I didn't try.

Kermit

Maya shut her computer and began to cry, this was way more than she could handle.

When Maya got the call from Lucas about the bay window; Maya had felt more relief than she'd had in a long time. Even though Riley's new friend had triggered something in Maya that she never wanted to face; Riley was the only one who could help Maya through this problem with her dad. Riley was the only person who knew all of Maya's needs and limits. She would know if Maya should go see her dad or not.

When the whole bay window thing came crashing down and Riley never showed; Maya began feeling the thing she'd tried so hard to forget, abandonment. She couldn't let what happened so long ago with her dad happen again. She was closer to Riley than she had ever been with her dad. If Riley put Maya off to the side, like her dad had done, Maya knew she wouldn't be able to live through the pain again.

Instead of going to the rest of her classes, Maya sped straight out the door, onto the subway, and into her apartment. She headed straight for her computer. She'd lost hope for Riley because of her dad. If she found hope in her dad again, she wouldn't be scared of being alone again. She could trust herself to trust Riley again and she wouldn't get hurt.

Dear Dad,

This in no way is a notion of forgiveness. I just need answers. I'll come for spring break.

Maya

-Send-

She knew her mom would never agree to let her go visit her dad but Maya really needed to do this. She'd find a way.