Author's Note: Please don't forget to REVIEW! And thanks to everyone who has already followed, favorited, and reviewed! (Edited by Chereche!)
I have an idea of where this story is going to go, but to be honest I am a little nervous about it. So, I really hope you like it! You'll start to see that in this chapter, so let me know what you think about it so far!
UPDATED: 11-28-16
Disclaimer: I don't own Girl Meets World, just the story!
Chapter Seven: The Project
"The blue hair is definitely an interesting statement."
"Yah, whatever," Maya scowled.
Mr. Douglas ignored her attitude, and continued to walk her down the hallway. They reached the front doors, and pushing them open, she saw a group of about 10-15 students waiting with supplies in hand. Spotting Lucas, she groaned, and ran a hand through her hair. She had forgotten that, as a community service volunteer, he would be a part of this.
"Good afternoon! I'm pleased to see you are already to go, and now you have one more volunteer to help you with the cleaning." Mr. Douglas smiled warmly at all the students. "Good luck."
As he left, the teenagers eyed Maya with suspicion, causing her to glare at them in return. She had been getting a lot of glaring lately from her fellow students, but it wasn't something she wasn't used to. After all, she was well known for her pranks, and while most students would relish the added delays, it sometimes affected them negatively in some way. Besides, the people who usually applauded her boldness, were the kind of kids that hung out in the back of the room, not these goody-two shoes community service kids.
Lucas waved for the group to start, and walked over to her, a can of paint thinner in his hand.
"Ever done this before, Shortstack?" he asked.
She shook her head, dreading the moment where she would have to look at the walls, and face in broad daylight the damage she had done. Once she saw the graffiti, it was going to make the pretending just that much harder.
"Okay, well there are 2 different ways to do this." Lucas headed to one of the walls. "One way is using paint thinner, which we'll be using. Another way is to use a pressure washer, which is way easier, but we only have one of those."
"So, how do you determine who gets what?" Maya asked.
"Oh, we usually just take turns."
"Seriously?" She raised an eyebrow.
"Not everyone solves things by fighting," Lucas replied.
"Jeez, low blow, Cowboy."
"We do eventually have to use a hose or the pressure washer. Once we apply the paint thinner, we let it sit, and then we'll need to wipe it off with water," He added.
"Okay, let's get this over and done with," Maya sighed, and accepted the wire brush he was holding out to her.
"You know this is your own fault, right?" Lucas reminded, starting on a scribble that neither of them could decipher.
"Well, maybe I was just a little bored. There's nothing wrong with that." She dipped her brush into the can.
"Maybe not being bored, but really? Rats?"
"Hey, it could have been snakes."
"Now, those we have plenty of down in Texas. And this time, our snakes beat your measly ones," Lucas said triumphantly.
"Whatever makes you happy, Huckleberry."
"So, I know I'm going to regret asking, but what's up with the blue hair?"
Maya looked for the next thing to take off, and spotting the red "Hope is for suckers", quickly turned her attention to getting it off immediately.
"Like I said, something different."
"Yah, but this is a little out there even for you, don't you think?" Lucas asked, working at the creature Coco had painted.
She couldn't help but watch as he did, and couldn't believe that she had been there last week. And now here was Ranger Rick, standing 2 feet away from her crime, and much to her dismay, it filled her with an inkling of guilt. Why should she care what he thought?
"Um, Maya?" Lucas waved a hand in front of her face.
"Mm?"
"You kinda zoned out for a minute there," he smiled.
"Oh," she said as she looked back at the wall blankly.
He squinted at her. "What's up with you?"
"Nothing."
"Oh, come on. There's obviously something going on." Lucas sighed in exasperation.
"No, there's not. Leave me alone," Maya snapped and slapped some paint thinner onto the wall.
"Will you just stop?"
"Stop what?"
"Hiding! You push your friends away, and won't even tell them what's bothering you!" he replied in annoyance. "We just want to know what's going on."
"Fine, you know what? You want to know about me?" Maya dropped her brush into the can, and glared up at Lucas. "You got it."
"Okay, hang on." He put his own brush down, and leaned against a clean spot on the brick wall. "I'm not saying you need to tell me everything about you. How about we just exchange stories?"
"And why would I want to know your Huckleberry stories?" she mocked.
He sighed. "More stuff?"
Smiling evilly, she rested against the wall too, and gestured for him to start.
"Why do I have to go first?" he complained.
"Because it was your idea, hop a' long. Now let's hear it."
Lucas complied reluctantly. "Okay, so there was this one time where I had a cow basically follow me around all day. I went out to the barn one morning, and Bella literally knocked down her pen door, and trotted over to me. So, I ignored it, but then, I was on my porch doing my homework, and she stuck her snout in my face. She had actually climbed up the stairs, and walked over to find me. At this point, I was done with our apparently needy cow, so I went inside where I knew I would be safe...I have never been so wrong; she took our salad that time."
Maya burst out laughing. "So, you had a cow fall in love with you?"
"You had to take it that way?" Lucas groaned.
"Wait, wait. Now I can actually call you Cow Boy!" Maya's jaw dropped.
"I should have known this was a mistake." He said regretfully, picking up his brush, and going back to work.
"Aw, Cowboy missing his cow friends?"
"Ha ha. Your turn now." Lucas glared at the small girl.
"Well, there was this one day that I remember really well. Actually, it's one of the last good memories I have of my dad... We were going to a park, and it was cloudy, but I liked it because it meant no one else was there; it was just me and my dad. And then, I think I was on the swings, and he was sitting nearby watching me, and it started to rain really hard. I started crying and freaking out because I thought our whole day was ruined. My dad calmed me down, and started dancing with me, around and around in a circle." Maya bit her lip. "I still love the rain."
"See, was that so hard?" He smiled genuinely.
"It doesn't matter if I like the rain anymore, though," she said, still caught up in her memories.
"How come?" Lucas asked in confusion.
" 'Cause I'd become a blonde again if I stayed out in it."
"What is that supposed to mean?"
"Obviously, the water would wash out my blue dye!" Maya exclaimed pointing to her hair.
Lucas laughed. "What's so bad with being blonde? I liked it."
Her stomach fluttered a little, much to her dismay and annoyance.
"Yah, well things change. So does my hair."
"Nothing wrong with that either," he agreed.
"What do you think about us, Hart?"
Maya lowered her arm, and, glancing once more at the spray painted words she had just written, looked at Jazz with suspicion.
"What's that supposed to mean?" she asked, pulling a page from Huckleberry's book.
"It means what it means. What do you think about us?" Coco replied impatiently.
Maya narrowed her eyes. She had walked into plenty of traps before, and she wasn't sure if this was a trick question. So, naturally Maya didn't like it, but she never had a choice in anything.
"I think you need to work on your 'Rs'." Maya smirked, gesturing towards the writing Coco had just done.
Jazz laughed. "That's true. Your 'Rs' look a whole lot like 'Vs'."
"Ha ha, I'm serious, Hart," Coco sneered.
"Okay, I guess you guys are pretty cool." Maya conceded, shrugging.
"That's it? That's all you got to say about us?"
Maya grew a little nervous, but stuck out her chin and straightened so she appeared taller. "Yah, I think it sums you up pretty well, don't you?"
Jazz looked at Coco with an amused smile, and turned back to the blue haired girl.
"Calm down. We're just messing with you." She said.
"Oh...okay," Maya said, still a little confused.
"So, you think you'll be hanging out with us, then? Like a permanent sort of thing?" Jazz raised an eyebrow.
"Yah, I might just stick around," she teased.
"Great, cuz if you're going to be here with us, and you're serious about sticking with it, we could really use your help with something."
"Okay...what is it?" Maya asked curiously, setting down her spray paint.
"We're leaving. Permanently. Well, almost the whole group, except for Josh and Destiny," Jazz started, leading the other two to a bench so they could sit.
"Leaving? Where?" Maya asked, her mouth dropping open in surprise.
"Not sure yet, but we'll be gone soon."
"Why?"
The older girl sighed, and crossed her legs. "Lots of reasons, Hart."
Her tone made it clear that she didn't want to talk about it, and that was fine with Maya. She'd been in that same predicament before. "Okay, well how I am supposed to help?"
"Well, we're not leaving just yet," Coco spoke up, a smirk plastered across her face. "We have to leave a little something behind."
"Like...?"
"I don't know. What do you call something you want everyone to know you for, that they remember you by?" she asked out loud.
"A legacy?"
"Yah, kind of like that." Jazz nodded.
"So, what are you going to do?"
Maya couldn't quite explain the look that her cousin got on her face, as she asked that question. It was almost giddy, evil, and satisfied, all in one. And to be honest, it was the scariest version of her that she had seen.
"It's going to go down in parts, getting bigger and bigger, and then leading up to the final blow."
"What are you going to do?" Maya repeated, getting a little anxious at the long response.
"We call it "The Project"," Coco whispered, deadly serious now.
"Our country is known for its outstanding art abilities," Jazz grinned. "We're going to destroy that a little."
"You're going after art?" she exclaimed.
"Yah, we are." Her cousin watched her reaction carefully. "But, we're mostly going after my mom. See, she and I have a little unfinished history, and I'm giving her a piece of my mind."
"How are you going to do that?" Maya asked slowly, not sold on the idea of destroying art.
"We're going to ruin her job a little." Josh walked up to them. "That's the small part of it."
"Hey, Josh. Recover from your beat down last week with Hart? Haven't seen you since then," Jazz taunted, looking up at him.
"Figured it was time to come back now," he said.
Maya had only been half-watching their exchange, instead fixed on the plan she had just heard. No way was she going to let them attack something that important, not just to her, but to everyone else too. But, she didn't even know their full plan yet.
"Shouldn't you explain your idea, now?" She asked, ignoring Josh.
"Probably," Coco agreed. "Here's the thing. Jazz's mom founded and now manages this big art museum, and she's totally invested in it. It's like her baby. We're going to start small, like we said, but the ultimate goal is to ruin that museum in the end; it will be our final attack before we leave. So, to spell it out for you; we're going to ruin others people's art."
Her stomach dropped. "Like, with spray paint? Draw over someone else's paintings?"
"That's one method," Coco laughed. "But, there are other ways, too."
"Do you have any idea how long it takes to create something?" Maya suddenly straightened in anger. "How much work is put into each little detail, each little line? Having to consider what exact color is needed, and then using the right technique, to make it perfect? Because it's not just "art", it's like a window into someone else's soul; because whatever they created, was so important to them, that it just came out. They couldn't hold it in anymore."
"I thought you weren't an art person, anymore," Coco challenged.
"I'm not," Maya admitted.
"And we may not know all that, but you obviously do. So, you would know perfectly how to damage all those masterpieces wouldn't you?" Jazz's face was menacing.
"I can't do it, I'm sorry." She shook her head.
"Thought you were going to hang around, Hart. You said you would help...and guess what? You will. Because you know, and I know, that's the smartest decision, isn't it?" She said calmly, already realizing she had Maya in the palm of her hand; right where she wanted her to be.
"Yah, you're right," she said quietly.
"Good."
Josh turned to the blue haired girl. "You don't have to do this, Maya."
"I thought I told you to leave me alone!" She glared at him, her eyes flashing. Maya just wished he'd stop with his irritating concern act, it was unnecessary and infuriating.
"I just don't want you to be forced into anything! This isn't exactly safe or smart!" He cried.
"Not smart, huh? Well, tell you what. If you don't involve yourself with this, I promise not to have anything to do with it either," she bargained, already knowing his answer.
"Good luck with that one." Coco looked up at Josh, amusement written all over her face. "He's not just involved; he's going to help us break into the big museum."
"How's he going to do that?" She raised an eyebrow.
"I work there," he mumbled.
She snorted. "Oh, yah. This is pretty good."
"Hey, your lives depend on me!" he reminded.
"Don't you think that's a little dramatic, Josh?" Jazz said.
"Um, no I don't. You do realize we could easily get thrown in jail for this, right?" He looked pointedly at Maya, who ignored him.
"Yes," she answered nonchalantly. "But, really? We depend on you?"
"Okay, then please. Enlighten me on how you're going to break in without an employee who conveniently knows the whole place by heart, and has a key." Josh crossed his arms.
"I don't know, use Maya as an art tracking device?" Coco joked.
"Admit it; you need me."
"Fine," she groaned.
"Seriously, you guys are all just okay with this?" Maya spoke up suddenly.
"Yah. We are." Jazz looked at the younger girl. "And so will you."
"What makes you so sure?" she demanded.
"Hey, you're already heading down that road. Look what you're doing now, Hart! I know better than anyone, because I've been there before, and now it's your turn." She answered, her voice full of anger and betrayal, as she remembered the events of her past.
"But, I'm not you," Maya stated.
"Oh, I know that, Hart. But you and I are pretty alike," Jazz remarked. "And I like to think I know myself."
"So, are you going to do it or not?" Coco asked impatiently.
Maya looked from her to Jazz to Josh, all whom were watching her with speculation. She knew that if she didn't do it, her cousin would be out to get her anyway, but she tried to think about the plan without that threat. How could she possibly destroy art? Using spray paint on public buildings was one thing, but going from art museum to art museum, and ruining priceless paintings and sculptures was a whole different game. Was it game she was willing to play for the heavy price, though? Maya couldn't help but remember the "Hope is for suckers" box underneath her bed, and she realized that she didn't really believe in art anymore. Coco was right about that. Her whole little speech just had to be the last part of her artist's voice slipping out, and now it was gone forever. It wasn't a part of her anymore.
"Okay." She lifted her chin, and stared into their eyes. "I'll do it. I'm probably the stupidest person on earth, but I'll do it."
"There you go; there's Maya Hart." Jazz nudged her shoulder. "One fierce girl."
"When do we start?" she asked blankly.
"Soon." Josh obviously still didn't approve of Maya being involved, but he couldn't do much to stop her. "We're thinking Halloween."
"Right, when all the creeps and weirdos will be out," she nodded, smiling a little.
Jazz laughed. "Hey, be careful, you're talking about us there!"
"Don't worry. I think I'm officially a creep and weirdo now, too," Maya remarked.
"Speaking of which, really like the hair, Hart."
"You'd be the first," she sighed. "But, then again, it was your idea."
"I have good taste, don't I?" Jazz leaned back, and smirked.
"Not in art, apparently," she teased.
"Oh, I do. I just don't like any of it. That's why it's all going to be gone, very soon."
