8. Confronting Maya

"You don't just get to disappear for two years and come back expecting everything to be the way it was. So tell me, Maya, where were you?"


Topanga stood against the kitchen sink, just watching the blonde girl that was sat at her table. When they had gotten back from the school, she had made Maya a bowl of soup and then had stepped back to watch her devour the bowl as if she hadn't been fed in a while.

She narrowed her eyes in confusion when Maya almost looked disappointed at the fact that the bowl was empty and decided to speak up, "Is everything okay?"

Maya, who hadn't been paying too much attention to her surroundings, looked up and Topanga with wide eyes, forgetting the older woman was there. As she looked up, Topanga caught a glance of the fear in the younger girl's eyes and noted it. "Oh, yeah, it's just that the soup was so goodI didn't think I would drink it so fast," She replied, hoping her ex-best friend's mother would buy it.

Topanga grabbed the bowl from Maya and turned to wash it, "It's nothing special, just the store's brand version."

"Oh," Maya quickly tried to come up with something. "You'll have to let me know what store that is so I can get some myself," She forced a laugh and was glad that Topanga had her back turned towards her.

"Yeah," Was the reply from the older woman, distant as if she was thinking about something else. "If you want, you can go into Riley's room and take a nap."

"Thank you," Maya offered before she turned and made the familiar journey to the room.

Upon entering, she paused at the door to take in the room. The walls were the same blue that she last remembered and the bed hadn't changed. But the things she had displayed around the room on the walls and shelves had changed.

The pictures had been updated to more modern ones and the trinkets Riley had out were put away in favour of more grown-up items.

But the most important thing caught her eye. Still, in the exact same place as she had always remembered and always would be, was the bay window. She remembered how many times she had crawled through the thing since she became friends with Riley ten years prior.

Slowly Maya crept over to the old window and sat down in the spot that she used to always call hers. For a split second, she wondered if she had brought anyone else to the seat and had a heart to heart conversation with them before forcing the thought out of her mind. This used to be one of her safe spots and she couldn't let that idea be taken away from her now.

And as Maya sat there she could feel the old comfort returning. Yet just as she was beginning to feel safe once more, an old conversation came back to her.

"Are we friends forever?"

"Whatever you want."

Oh how innocent and naive they had been back then, thinking that they would be together forever yet they were seventeen and didn't even talk anymore.

Just as the burning of tears started up in her eyes again, she got up and plopped herself down onto the bed in the centre of the room, before changing her mind, standing and pulling back the sheets to climb in.

Almost as soon as her head hit the pillow, she was out like a light. It was the first time she could sleep without the worry of being woken by a drunken Wyatt coming into the room and attacking her when she was at her weakest.


The world around her was out of focus as she opened her eyes, blinking to try and make out the features of the room.

The first thing she noticed was that it was most defiantly not her room. The walls were brightly coloured and not the usual dull, peeling white and the bed was actually comfortable and not lumpy.

A red flashing alarm clock told her that it was close to four in the afternoon and that Maya had only slept for about two hours yet she felt more awake than anything. But the clock also told her that Riley would be back home soon and Maya could only guess she wouldn't be too happy seeing her asleep in her bed.

Standing, she straightened her gym clothes (no, she hadn't changed out of those yet and she probably wouldn't until she got back to her house) and tried to fix her hair although she had to admit it wasn't as bad as it could have been.

Finally, Maya built up the courage to go out into the main room to see Topanga sat on the couch watching a program.

Upon hearing the noise coming from the doorway, Topanga turned and looked at Maya. Taking a breath, she beckoned the blonde over. When Maya took a seat next to her, she studied the girl, checking for any visible marks.

Seeing none, she hesitantly spoke, "Maya, I need to talk to you. You need to be one hundred percent honest with me here…" Topanga trailed off before starting up again. "Is someone hurting you?"

Tensing at the question, Maya tried to avoid the truth, "No, Mrs Matthews, why would you think that?"

"Maya, don't lie to me," Her tone was as if she was talking to a child but at that moment, Maya did feel like one. She wished she was a child again; life was so much simpler.

"I'm not," Was all she said and the intensity of Topanga's gaze was making her break. She couldn't even look at the older woman and instead chose to stare at her hands in her lap.

Before she could even think about what Topanga was doing, the latter grabbed Maya's arm and pushed up her sleeve a little revealing a dark bruise sitting on her wrist. Within a fraction of a second, the sleeve was yanked back down and covering her wrist, followed by being closely held against her to stop Topanga doing the same thing again.

The two sat in an awkward silence, Maya looking everywhere but Topanga and the latter staring at the blonde, tears building in her eyes.

"Maya," She tried to reach out to the girl but she had jumped out of the way, standing up and grabbing her previously abandoned backpack. "I should go."

With the recently found out news, Topanga stood up with her, "Maya please, I can help you-"

Making her way to the door, she turned, "No one can help me." And with that, she turned and left, brushing past Cory and Auggie as if they weren't there and continuing on without a second thought.

Only when she was in the elevator did she truly realise what was happening. Once the doors were shut, Maya sunk to the floor.

She had just pushed away the only help she was ever going to receive.


Cory entered the apartment with Auggie and saw Topanga standing there, the tears still in her eyes just watching the door.

Quickly, he sent Auggie to his room before walking up to his wife, letting her collapse onto him and begin sobbing. For a moment, he didn't know what to do before hugging her tightly and letting her sob out the events of the last fifteen minutes.

She finally ended her explanation on, "She lied to me, She's not okay."


I like this chapter; this is like a second time thing. You guys went nuts over Nurses Office honestly, 10 reviews compared to normal? Thank you! But you guys were so sweet, especially PinkHippos, Jaleftwich and Guest, thank you for your reviews :) I forgot to say this in the previous chapter but Happy (Late) 4th to my American readers. I'm not American but still, hope you had a good day! I'm just going to throw this out there now, but I am bracing myself for the next few chapters because I have a feeling I'm going to be hunted by a lot of people… What do you think that means? Girl Meets Upstate is out tomorrow, who's ready? Anyway, I'll see you guys whenever I update next (hopefully soon) :)