Chapter 13 of It's Still Rock and Roll to Me
Sorry that this chapter has taken almost a month to post! I really wanted to do it justice and this is what came out. Sorry that it's 7000+ words, but i hope that you enjoy reading it! I promise the next update shouldn't take as long as this one did! Thanks for reading! :)
Some dialogue is taken from the wedding episode, but it ties in well to the story! :)
Love it? Hate it? Leave me a review letting me know what you think! :)
It was a couple of days before the wedding, and Maya and Lucas had finally learned the dance from the movie Dirty Dancing.
"Alright guys, that was great! One more time from the top!"
Maya turned around and glared at Zay. "Seriously? We've been dancing for like 3 hours! You already said that it was great, and besides we have a bunch of other stuff that we have to finish learning and getting ready before the wedding in a couple days! Huckleberry? You agree with me right? Say something!"
Lucas looked between his oldest friend and his girlfriend. "I think that the dance looks pretty good, but then again, I could practice dancing with you all day, especially when I get to hold you close." Lucas winked as Maya's face started to turn red.
"Fine I'll let you leave the studio, but you have to promise that you will run through the dance a few more times before tomorrow."
Lucas tried not to laugh at Maya's sigh of relief at being able to leave the dance studio that Zay had them practicing in. "Whatever you say coach." Lucas said to Zay as Maya went to grab her bag.
"Don't forget, you need to run through the dance in your outfits a day before the wedding, just to make sure that there will be no wardrobe malfunctions, because nothing ruins a performance faster than a wardrobe malfunction."
Maya walked over and hugged Zay. "I know that I've been kind of cranky the last few days while we were working on this, but I just want you to know how much I appreciate you taking the time and getting special permission from your dance teacher to let us use the space here to practice. You really are a great friend."
Zay smiled at Maya and Lucas. "You're welcome. And when you guys perform this dance effortlessly I'll get credit as the choreographer. It's a win-win for all of us. Now go on, get out of here you crazy kids."
Lucas clapped Zay on the back. "I promise we'll run through the dance in our wedding clothes before we head to the rehearsal tomorrow night."
Maya grabbed Lucas's hand and waved goodbye to Zay as they walked out of the door of the dance studio.
"I can't believe that we learned the whole dance in 3 days. I know that Zay keeps wanting us to practice and make it perfect, but honestly I can probably do the entire dance in my sleep with how many times he had us running the dance. I think it'll be a good performance though. Only 2 more days until the wedding."
Lucas pulled their joined hands towards his mouth, placing a kiss on the back of Maya's hand. "There's no reason to be worried or nervous, Shortstack." Maya looked at Lucas with a slight look of disbelief on her face. "I know you, Maya, and I know what you're thinking. Shawn and Katy love each other, and they're going to be really happy together. I know that you're scared that something will happen that will cause the wedding to be canceled and that Shawn might leave or something, but I promise you, he loves you and your mom so much that he's never gonna leave."
"How do you know that Huckleberry? She was married to my dad and they seemed like they were happy and then all of a sudden he up and left."
"I just know, Maya. I love you, and I never want to see you upset. I know that Shawn loves you guys very much, and that he will always be there for you and your mom."
"I love you too Lucas. I really want to let myself embrace the happiness and joy that's coming with the upcoming wedding, but there's a small part of me that wants to stay cautious so I don't get hurt if something bad happens. I can't help it, it's just how I've been since I was little."
"I know Maya, and I don't want you to change who you are, I love everything about you. I'm always gonna be here for you too, just remember that. So go ahead and let yourself fall into happiness, and I'll always be here to catch you. Now, enough sappy serious talk, let's go grab some tacos, because I'm hungry and I know that you're hungry."
"You're right Lucas. I'm gonna just fall and let everything happen as it should. You really are too good to me Huckleberry." Maya said, hugging Lucas from behind before she jumped on Lucas's back. "To the tacos!"
The day of the wedding rehearsal was bright and sunny, not a rain cloud in sight. Maya stood on the roof of the Matthews' apartment, looking out at the buildings and skyscrapers around her, waiting for the rehearsal to start.
"Peaches, where's Lucas? Isn't he supposed to be playing the piano for the wedding? How can we practice without any music?"
"Relax Riles, my mom and Shawn aren't even here yet. It's kinda hard to practice for a wedding if the bride and groom aren't here."
As if on cue, Katy, Shawn, and Lucas walked through the door that lead to the rooftop. Katy hugged Lucas and Shawn patted him on the back.
"Glad to see you've finally showed up, Huckleberry." Maya said with a smirk as he walked up to her.
"Sorry I'm late, I have a really good reason though. I was with Shawn and Katy, we had to go and pick up a surprise for you." Lucas replied with a smile and a wink.
"What kind of surprise, Huckleberry? You know you can't say something like that and then not tell me!"
"Alright fine, my mama and dad are going to bring your surprise up here in just a few minutes, before we start the actual wedding rehearsal."
"Lynn and Mark are in on this too? What kind of surprise is this? Does Riley know?"
"Know what?" Riley asked, walking up towards Lucas and Maya.
"About this surprise of mine!"
"What?! I'm her best friend and no one told me there was a surprise for her!" Riley shrieked.
"I promise, you'll really like this surprise, Shortstack."
"Hey kids." Shawn announced as he and Katy approached the group.
"Hey Shawn, hey mom." Maya responded.
"Lucas, your dad just messaged me and said that they're bringing the surprise up the stairs now, and then we'll go ahead and get started with the rehearsal in about 20 minutes."
Lucas nodded his head in agreement at Shawn's plan. Shawn grabbed Katy's hand and headed towards Topanga and Cory, who were talking to the minister for the wedding.
"Lucas, you know I don't really like surprises, and now everyone is in on it."
"Maya, I promise, you'll love this surprise. Trust me." Lucas bent down and gave Maya a quick peck on the lips before jogging over towards the rooftop entrance. Lucas opened the door and his parents walked in. Following Lynn and Mark through the door were Lucas's brother John and his girlfriend, Hannah.
"Hannah!" Maya shouted as she quickly ran over and hugged the older girl.
"Maya! It's so good to see you again in person! It was killing me helping with wedding ideas over the phone and not letting you know that I would be here to help you in person!"
"I'm so glad you're here!" Maya released her hold on Hannah and turned towards John. "John! It's good to see you also!"
"Couldn't let my little brother take all the wedding band glory, now could I?" John said with a chuckle.
"John is here to help with the music. He's gonna play the guitar while I play the piano." Lucas whispered in Maya's ear.
"Well I'm glad both of you are here!" Maya stood in between John and Hannah with a big smile on her face. "I'm assuming mom and Shawn have already met you guys?" Maya asked.
"Well of course darlin'. They came with us to pick them up from the airport!" Lynn smiled.
"Now Shortstack, there's one more tiny little thing that we forgot to mention." Lucas whispered in Maya's ear again.
"Oh no. Huckleberry, what else is there?" Maya groaned.
"Well don't sound too happy to see us little darlin'." Maya turned around, hearing the familiar sound of a deep booming voice.
"Pappy Joe! Grammy Jean!" Maya happily cheered, going over to hug the both of them.
"Hey Darlin'." Grammy Jean said with a smile. "We couldn't miss this celebration of love between those two. Of course we said yes as soon as we got the invitation!"
Katy and Shawn walked up to the Friar family with grins on their faces at how happy Maya looked.
"Of course we had to invite them, Maya. We've heard so many stories that we felt like we already knew them and that they should be here!" Katy answered, knowing the question that was on her daughter's mind.
"And we are just thrilled to be here!" Grammy Jean hugged Maya again before releasing her out of the embrace.
Mr. Matthews and Topanga walked over to greet the crowd of people gathering on their rooftop. "Hello, I'm Cory Matthews, History teacher and best man extraordinaire. This is my wife, Topanga."
Hannah shook Cory's hand. "Hannah, long distance wedding planner guru! And now that everyone is here and has been introduced, let's get this wedding rehearsal rolling!"
Maya stepped back from the group and bumped into Lucas's chest. He put his arms around her and pulled her close. Maya leaned back in his arms as Lucas leaned over to whisper in her ear. "So are you surprised, Shortstack?"
Maya shuttered as Lucas's warm breath tickled her ear. She tilted her head to look up and see his grinning face above her. "I'm very surprised and very happy, Lucas." Lucas bent down and kissed Maya's forehead.
The wedding rehearsal went by smoothly, and after a relaxed rehearsal dinner of pizza at the Matthews' apartment, everyone went home to get well rested for the wedding the next day.
Lucas and Maya stood near the front door, saying good bye to each other. His parents and grandparents were already walking out the door and heading towards the car. Maya stood on her tip toes and kissed Lucas on the lips. Riley stood by the couch and watched as the two said goodbye.
"Are you sure you don't want to come over tonight or want me to walk you home, Shortstack?" Lucas asked as he pulled away from their kiss for air.
"No, it's okay. I'm gonna stay here for a while and then ride home with my mom, since she's still doing some last minute stuff with Topanga."
"Ok. I'll see you tomorrow morning so we can practice one more time before the wedding?"
"Of course, Huckleberry. I'll text you later. Now go, your family is waiting for you."
Lucas leaned down to kiss Maya one more time. "Good night Maya, I love you."
Maya smiled. "Good night Lucas, I love you too."
Maya shut the front door as Lucas walked out, and then followed Riley as Riley walked towards her bedroom, a smile on Maya's face.
Maya and Riley sat in the bay window for the first time in a couple of weeks, and Riley turned towards Maya with a serious look on her face.
"Its bad luck to see each other before the wedding, so Peaches, we need to have a sleepover here, and you can't see Lucas until the wedding."
"Riles, I'm not the one getting married. And besides, Shawn's going to stay the night here and I'm going to spend one last night with mom at our apartment, just the two of us."
"Ok fine, but still, no Lucas, because it's bad luck."
Maya rolled her eyes. "Riles, can you stop worrying? Everything is gonna be fine."
"Maya, how can you be so calm about this? You're you! You worry about everything and don't have hope for things and you're always scared things are gonna turn out bad for you! So why are you so calm about all of this?"
Maya looked at her best friend Riley, and took a deep breath. "Riley, I know that it might seem strange to you that I'm embracing hope and actually wanting things for myself, but I'm actually happy now. Lucas and I talked about it. My mom has found someone that makes her happy and loves her. Shawn is an amazing guy who cares about me and her, and I guess I'm just happy because I never had that before, you know? And I know that you think that it's just a phase, me and Lucas dating, but it's real. I love him, and he loves me." Maya's breathing quickened as she tried to catch her breath from talking loudly to Riley.
"Maya, I know that you think you love him, but you're young, and you guys just started dating a few months ago. I just don't want to see you get hurt."
"Why can't you just be happy for me, Riley? If you told me that you loved Farkle then I would support you and be happy for you and I wouldn't try to question everything going on in your life!"
"I am happy for you Maya, I just don't want to see you get hurt! And it's not about me and Farkle! It's about us, Maya. I'm jealous of you and Lucas because you're always spending time with him and I feel like I'm losing you to him! And every time I try to see if you want to hang out, you're always busy with him, and I just feel like I'm not your best friend anymore, and it scares me."
Maya turned and put her arms around her best friend. "I'm sorry Riles, I guess I just got so caught up in this wedding planning with mom and Shawn. And then Lucas was helping me to pick the music and he's been helping out so much and it just seemed to take some of the stress I was feeling off of my plate. You're still my best friend Riley, but you have to understand that Lucas has become a big part of my life now. You'll always be my best friend, but I really love him and he's one of my best friends too. I'm not trying to replace you, but we're getting older and things change. I promise you we'll always be friends."
Riley hugged Maya. "I'm sorry Peaches, I know that we're still best friends, it's just, I've always been the one who's given you hope and helped you to see the good side of things, and I guess that I got a little jealous that you don't need me anymore now that you have Lucas and your mom and uncle Shawn are together. I really am happy for you, Maya. You deserve to be happy."
The two girls sat in the bay window for a few more minutes, not saying anything, only hugging each other.
"Baby girl, are you about ready to go?" Katy asked, walking into Riley's bedroom.
"Yeah mom. Our last night officially just the two of us." Maya stood up and walked over towards her mother. "I'll see you tomorrow, Riles."
"Bye Peaches, have fun with your mom!"
Maya and her mother Katy headed towards the living room of the Matthews' house.
"Maya are you sure you want to come home with me? It looked like you and Riley were having a serious talk in there."
"Of course I do, mom. Riley and I are fine. Besides, I'm really excited to spend the night with just us before you get married tomorrow!"
Katy leaned over and hugged Maya as they walked out the front door. "I love you, baby girl. I can't believe all of this is happening to me! To us! What did we ever do to deserve happiness like this?"
Maya woke up when she heard the song Piano Man coming from her cell phone. Lucas was calling her.
"Hello?" She answered, still half asleep.
"Well good morning Sleeping Beauty! How was the final night of both of you being Harts?"
Maya yawned. "It was good. We ate tuna melts and watched movies until we fell asleep. You sure are chipper this morning."
Lucas chuckled. "Well, it is a pretty exciting day today, and plus, Mama and Grammy Jean have been up and cooking breakfast since like 7. Speaking of, have you eaten anything yet?"
"No, I just woke up when you called." Maya looked over to see her mom still sleeping peacefully.
"I figured. Well, Mama and Grammy Jean made a bunch of food, and since I'm sure you'll be getting ready all day, Mama suggested we go ahead and bring some breakfast by your house. We'll be there in like half an hour."
Maya yawned again. "Sounds good, Huckleberry. See you when you get here. Love you. Bye."
Lucas chuckled. "Love you too, Shortstack. Bye."
Maya smiled as she hung up the phone.
"Well aren't you happy for being woken up early this morning?" Maya looked over and saw her mom sitting beside her with a smirk on her face.
"Morning, mom. That was Lucas. He said that he and Lynn are going to come over and bring by some breakfast since we're going to be getting ready all day." Maya leaned back in the bed. "I can't believe you're getting married today."
Katy looked at her daughter. "I know, it's kinda hard for me to believe also. I keep wanting to pinch myself and wake up, like all this stuff that has happened for us is just a dream, and that one day I'll wake up and none of it will have been real."
Maya hugged her mom. "Mom, it's always been me and you. You've always worked hard to make sure that I've gotten everything I've needed. Now it's time for you to get what you need and deserve. Shawn loves you, and Shawn loves me, and we deserve to be happy and complete. You deserve happiness, mom, and I'm so glad that Shawn has been able to provide that to you."
Katy wiped the tears from her eyes. "When did you get so hopeful and wise?"
Maya smiled. "Dating Lucas tends to do that to you. He's always so hopeful and giving pep talks that it was bound to rub off on me sometime."
"Speaking of Lucas, I guess we should get up and get ready since they will be coming over in just a few minutes."
Maya hugged her mom one more time. "I'm gonna go brush my teeth!"
Twenty minutes later, there was a knock at the door.
"I'm coming, I'm coming, hold your horses there, Huckleberry, you said 30 minutes, you're early."
Maya opened the door and a look of surprise crossed her face. She quickly covered it up with a smile. "Oh, hey Riley! You're here early!"
"Well of course! It's your mother's wedding day! We had to get here early to make sure that everything is perfect. Mom is parking the car, and should be up in the next few minutes. Are you gonna let me in?"
"Yeah, come on in Riles. Mom is in the shower. If you want to head into the kitchen or my room, you can."
"Ok!" Riley started walking towards the kitchen. "What is there to eat in this place anyways? We didn't eat breakfast because we wanted to get a move on the day and get here as soon as we could."
"Well actually..."
"Are they here yet, baby girl?"
Riley looked up to see Katy walking into the kitchen, towel drying her hair.
"Yep! We're here, my mom is parking the car!"
"Hey there Riley, how's Shawn? Was he nervous? Did he seem nervous?"
A knock on the door interrupted the conversation.
"It's probably my mom, I'll get it!" Riley hopped up out of her seat at the table and ran to the front door, opening it. "Oh, it's Lucas." Riley turned and looked at Maya, expectantly.
"Hey Riley, Ms. Katy." Lucas waved at the two. "Shortstack." Lucas said as a big grin grew across his face.
Maya walked over towards the door where her boyfriend and best friend were standing. "Hey Huckleberry." Maya grinned back.
Riley walked back towards the kitchen, but not before whispering the words "it's bad luck," to Maya as she walked by.
Maya rolled her eyes and turned back towards her boyfriend with a grin still on her face.
"Mama and Grammy Jean are coming up the elevator with Topanga, I took the stairs. Can I come in?" He held up the bag he was carrying.
"If that's breakfast, then yes, you can definitely come in."
Lucas chuckled and walked through the front door, the ding of the elevator alerting them that the others would be there in just a minute.
Lucas took to setting out the breakfast items as Katy and Maya greeted his mom, grandmother, and Topanga. He looked over to see Riley sitting at the kitchen table, watching him. He turned to watch Maya as he finished pulling out the muffins, pancakes, and bacon from the bag his grandmother had packed. He looked up when he heard Riley's voice.
"I don't know why you're here."
He turned back towards Riley with a confused look on his face. "I'm sorry?"
"The wedding is today, shouldn't you be at home practicing the piano and making sure that the music doesn't get messed up?"
Lucas let out a slightly offended chuckle. "To answer your question, the music is going to be great, we've worked on it since Katy and Shawn asked us to choose the music, and second of all, I'm here because she's my girlfriend and I care about her. I know that today is a big day for not only her mom and Shawn, but for her also, and when she starts to focus on other things she tends to forget to eat, which is why we're here with breakfast, so that way I know that she's had a good start to the day."
Whatever Riley was going to say back to him was quieted by the sound of everyone walking into the kitchen.
"Oh wow, this looks great!" Maya looked at all the food on the table. She walked over and hugged Lynn and Grammy Jean.
"This does look amazing! Thank you both for being so thoughtful on my wedding day." Katy said with a smile.
Topanga grabbed a muffin off of the table and took a bite. "Yum! If you ever want to come work at the bakery, you're more than welcome to," she laughed.
"Well actually, this is the recipe that Maya and Lucas made a couple of years ago when they had the project for school, but I'm glad that you like it." Lynn replied.
Lucas winked at Maya and set a cup of chocolate milk in front of her as she started to eat her pancakes.
After another half hour of eating and conversation, Lynn looked up at the clock. "Well, as much as we'd like to stay here and chat, we really should get going. There's a big event today, and we shouldn't keep y'all from getting ready."
"I'm getting married today!" Katy exclaimed as she stood up from the table and followed Lynn and Grammy Jean towards the front door.
Lucas stood up from the table as well, grasping Maya's hand and kissing the back of it. "I've gotta get going too, check on the other half of the wedding party."
Maya stood up and smirked. "I'll walk you out."
Katy passed Maya and Lucas as she walked back into the kitchen and sat down at the table with Riley and Topanga.
"They're so cute together, aren't they?" Katy asked aloud with a smile on her face.
Topanga smiled at her friend. "They really are. From what I've heard, they've definitely been good for each other. According to Cory, she calms him down when he starts to get angry, and he seems to help her see the good in the world."
Katy grinned. "I could have told you that. My daughter seems happy whenever she's around him, and I thank the Lord for putting him in her life. Shawn says the same thing, that boy has definitely helped Maya to be what we've always wanted her to be, happy."
"We could say the same thing about you and Shawn," Topanga stated. "Watching you two is amazing. You both bring out the best in each other, and I know that you'll both be very happy together."
Riley sat silently listening to her mom and Katy talk about Maya and Lucas. It didn't make any sense, they'd only been dating for a few months, and they could already see all of that? Riley didn't understand, Lucas and Maya had only worked on a few projects together, how could they know each other so well? And how could Katy be okay with her daughter loving someone after only a couple of months? "I guess Maya and Lucas are cute together, but I don't see how you can say they've changed each other, they've only been dating for a couple of months. I don't think that's enough time to really change someone and be good for them, and who knows? They might not even be together that long."
Topanga glanced at her friend and then turned towards her daughter. "Riley, honey, I know that Maya is your best friend and that you used to have a crush on Lucas, but don't you think that maybe you're purposefully trying not to see what everyone else sees, because you're jealous that you don't have that?"
"That's crazy mommy, Farkle and I have been dating just as long as they have, we are the exact same as them since we've all have dated the same amount of time."
Topanga looked over at Katy again and then turned back to Riley. "I know that you and Farkle were friends for a long time before you started dating, and even though Maya and Lucas also started out like friends, they've always had a connection that would've drawn them to each other over time." Topanga took a deep breath. "It's kind of like your father and I, we were friends first but there was always something there between us, maybe it's too early to tell, but there's definitely something that could last between those two."
The sound of the front door shutting alerted them that Maya was back. She walked into the kitchen with a smile on her face. "Well, what are we doing still sitting here? Let's go get ready for this wedding before we have to be at your house!"
Maya stood in front of the mirror in Riley's room, looking at her reflection. Her hair was curled and pinned back, and her face was covered in a delicate glow of makeup, the mascara, blush, and light lipstick enhancing her natural beauty. She stood back from the mirror and looked at her dress and heels. The pale pink of the knee length halter dress made her feel like a princess, and the heels made her feel tall. Maya smiled at her reflection. She turned when she heard a knock on the open door.
"Wow, Shortstack, you look amazing." Maya looked up to see Lucas standing in the doorway staring at her in awe. She looked him over and noticed that he was standing there wearing a black suit with a black shirt and a green tie. She smiled at him.
"You clean up nice there, Huckleberry. All you need is a cowboy hat and you'd be Huckleberry Bond."
Lucas chuckled as he entered the room and walked over towards Maya. "You really do look amazing Maya." He leaned over to kiss her, careful not to mess up her makeup.
Maya leaned into the kiss for a few seconds and then pulled back. "What are you doing here anyways, Huckleberry?"
Lucas smiled as he noticed that Maya's head reached his nose because of the heels she was wearing. "I'm here to report that the men are finished getting ready in Auggie's room and that Shawn is up on the roof and ready for the wedding to start whenever you ladies are ready."
"Well it's a good thing that Hannah and Topanga are with my mom in Topanga's room putting on the last minute touches before we head upstairs. Speaking of, have you seen Riley yet? She said that she was going to wait for Farkle to get here and send him upstairs and then come back here."
"She and Farkle were sitting in the living room when we left Auggie's room, I didn't think Mr. Matthews' eyes could get any wider. They were just sitting there holding hands, but I think he suspects that they've kissed." Lucas said with a chuckle.
Maya laughed. "Alright Huckleberry, go ahead and head up to the roof, I'll let everyone know that it's about time to get married." She wrapped her arms around his waist and hugged him.
Lucas bent down and kissed her forehead.
"Thank you for being here with me, Lucas. I don't think I would've accepted all of this so easily if we hadn't talked about it. I probably would've found a way to stop the wedding so things wouldn't change." Maya let out a quiet laugh.
"You're welcome, Maya. Like I said, you deserve happiness, and I know that Shawn will definitely spend his life trying to make sure that you and your mom are happy. I love you, Maya."
"I love you too, Lucas."
"Well I guess I'll head back up to the roof now." Lucas started to leave, but he turned back around again. "Oh, we practiced the music again today. And she's here with Zay."
Maya smiled. "I can't wait to see how that plays out."
Lucas hugged Maya one more time before walking out of the room. Maya waited a few seconds before following him out of Riley's door and headed to Topanga's room where her mom was waiting to get married to Shawn.
"You look so beautiful mom." Maya tearfully said to Katy.
"Aww baby girl, don't cry because then I'll start crying."
"Both of you are going to make me cry! Shawn is so lucky to be marrying you Katy. I've known the guy almost my whole life, and I've never seen him as happy as he is with you. His eyes light up when someone even mentions your name." Topanga hugged Katy who was sitting at the vanity trying not to mess up her makeup with tears.
"You guys do seem really happy together." Riley spoke up from where she was sitting on Topanga and Cory's bed.
Maya smiled at her friend.
"Alright everyone! Let's head on up to the roof so that we can get this wedding started!" Hannah announced as she walked back into the room carrying bouquets of flowers for the bridal party. "Here's everyone's flowers, Ava already has her basket of white rose petals to sprinkle as she heads down the aisle, and Auggie has the rings on a pillow."
Maya grabbed her bouquet and her mother's hand and headed out of the apartment towards the elevator to head up to the roof.
Maya peeked around the corner of the door on the roof and was amazed to see how beautiful the area looked. Hannah did a great job helping her, her mom, and Shawn put together such a wonderful place to get married. Rows of chairs lined the aisle runner that led to the wedding arch covered in pink and white flowers and greenery. Candle stands lined the outside area, creating a secluded, romantic atmosphere around them. To the right of the arch was the area for Lucas and his brother to play the music. She could see his keyboard and a guitar sitting there, along with an extra chair. Maya smiled as she saw Zay sitting in the chairs waiting for the ceremony to start. She noticed Farkle sitting near Zay with a confused look on his face. Riley peeked around the corner over Maya's shoulder.
"Um, Maya, what's she doing here? I didn't know she knew your mom or Uncle Shawn."
Maya chuckled. "Well, mom has met her a few times, but she's actually here because of Zay."
"Farkle doesn't look happy that his arch-nemesis is here."
Maya looked away from her friend and rolled her eyes. "Well it's a good thing that it isn't Farkle's wedding. She and Zay became friends last month when they went to camp for the arts. Zay went for dance and she went for music. She's here to play the violin with Lucas and his brother."
"Maya, are you sure that's a good idea? She doesn't like us, why would she want to do the music for the wedding? What if she purposefully tries to ruin it for some reason? And I bet they haven't even practiced or anything, oh this is gonna be a disaster."
Maya turned back to her friend. "RILEY. Could you stop? This is a happy day and for some reason, you keep trying to ruin it! Don't you think that they all would've practiced so they would know what they were doing together? And I know that you think that you know everything about my life, but you don't. Smackle and I are actually kind of friends, I've hung out with her the last couple of days at Zay's dance studio. Riley, I am asking you nicely, please just let today happen. If you see something and you don't agree with it, please don't get all Riley about it and freak out. Today is about my mom and Shawn, and I really want everything to go great."
Riley tearfully smiled and wiped her eye. "You're right. Today is about them. I promise I will support everything that happens today."
Maya looked around the corner again and could see Mr. and Mrs. Matthews sitting in the chairs on Shawn's side, along with Josh. She smiled when she saw Grammy Jean, Mark and Lynn sitting on her mom's side of the chairs.
"Alright, places everyone. We're ready to start!" Maya took a deep breath as Hannah pointed to Lucas to cue the start of the music. Maya peeked around the corner again to see Lucas sitting at his keyboard, John holding his guitar and Smackle standing up with her violin on her shoulder. The sounds of Ed Sheeran's Thinking Out Loud filled her ears as Lucas began to play the beginning notes of the song. She could hear John coming in on the guitar and keeping the song on time. The sounds of Smackle playing the violin filled the air as she started to play the melody of the lyrics on her violin. She watched as Hannah cued Eric to walk down the aisle to his spot by the arch. Shawn's brother Jack was sent down the aisle next. Maya had only met him a couple of times, but she was really glad that he was able to make it and be here for Shawn's wedding.
Maya couldn't make out the words that Mr. Matthews was saying to Shawn, but they quickly hugged before Mr. Matthews took his turn and walked down the aisle. Maya smiled as she watched Mr. Feeny pat Shawn on the shoulder before Shawn walked down the aisle. She laughed when she heard the loud whisper of "Mr. Feeny!" come from Riley's uncle Eric, as Mr. Feeny walked towards the front of the altar. When he reached the end of the aisle Hannah came over and tapped Riley on the shoulder, signaling her that it was her turn. Maya watched Riley walk down and could see the smile on Mr. Matthews face as he watched his daughter walk down the aisle. Hannah smiled at Maya and Maya knew it was her turn.
She took a deep breath and slowly began the path towards the wedding arch. Maya looked to her left and saw Lucas's parents and grandmother smiling at her as she walked past them. She saw Zay and Farkle sitting beside each other, Farkle staring at Riley and Zay watching his friends that were playing the music. Maya looked at the other side and could see Mr. Matthews' parents watching her with smiles on their faces. She glanced at Josh who was looking at her with a strange look in his eye. Maya looked away and glanced towards Lucas who was playing the keyboard with a smirk like smile on his face watching as her walked down the aisle. Maya could feel the blush rising in her cheeks as she smiled back at Lucas. When Maya made it to the end of the aisle, she took her place standing beside Riley, across from Shawn's brother, Jack. Maya took a deep breath and watched as Topanga began her descent of the aisle. Topanga reached the end of the arch and stood beside Maya, grabbing her hand and giving it a quick squeeze, assuring her that this was really happening, her mom was about to marry Shawn.
Ava and Auggie slowly began their way down the aisle, with Ava scattering the flower petals gently on each side of the aisle runner. Auggie looked adorable in his little suit, carrying the rings on the pillow with a very serious look on his face. Once they reached the end of the aisle, Mr. Matthews smiled at Auggie and took the rings off of the pillow. The look of relief on Auggie's face made Maya quietly laugh. Auggie and Ava walked over and sat beside Auggie's grandparents and uncle, who high-fived him for not dropping the rings.
The song began to shift as her mother appeared at the doorway of the roof, standing beside Pappy Joe who was dressed in a black suit. Maya smiled as tears began to well up in her eyes. The sounds of She's Got A Way by Billy Joel filled the rooftop. She glanced over at Lucas playing the keyboard with his eyes closed. Smackle was again playing the melody of the lyrics and John continued to play the guitar. She looked back at her mom who was walking down the aisle on Pappy Joe's arm. She could see that her mother was also getting teary eyed. Maya glanced over at Shawn and could see his face smiling with unshed tears as well. Maya whispered to Riley, "I'm probably going to cry."
"Baby." Riley replied, but sniffed back a tear so Maya knew that she was kidding and was crying also.
When Katy and Pappy Joe reached the end of the aisle, he kissed the back of her hand before placing it into Shawn's hand. Pappy Joe walked over and sat down with the rest of the family. Maya wiped away a tear from her face as her mom and Shawn turned to face each other and stand in front of Mr. Feeny.
"We are gathered here today to witness the joining of two souls, Shawn Patrick Hunter and Katy Grace Clutterbucket." Mr. Feeny smiled at Shawn and Katy. "I look around me and I see an area filled with love. Love from friends, love from family, and love that is going to last a lifetime." Maya looked over at Lucas who sat behind the keyboard and winked at her. "Love is patient and kind. Love is the most powerful thing in the world. It gives us hope and provides us a path to always find our way home. Love gives us strength and is always there for us whenever we need it. You've been blessed to find a love like that, a love that will last for the ages." Mr. Feeny paused and glanced at Maya. "And now we have a song sung by the bride's daughter."
Maya walked over towards Lucas as he began to play a few notes on the keyboard. Maya began to hum, counting where she would come into the song. "How long will I love you? As long as stars are above you, and longer if I can…" Smackle began to come in with the violin, followed by John on the guitar. "How long will I want you? As long as you want me to, and longer by far…" Lucas continued playing the notes of the song as Maya started to get into the song. "How long will I love you? As long as stars are above and longer if I may…" Maya closed her eyes, listening to the sounds of the music, humming along to the next line. "How long will I love you? As long as stars are above you." Lucas finished the last couple of notes and finished the song. He grabbed Maya's hand and squeezed it before she walked back to her spot between Riley and Topanga. Katy leaned over and hugged Maya before Mr. Feeny started talking again.
"I believe that you two have written your own vows."
Katy pulled a piece of paper from the folds of her dress and smiled up at Shawn. "I was looking for a quote that applied to us, and what I found was: Marrying for love may be a bit risky, but it is so honest God can't help but smile on it. The lives we've led until now have made us both wonder if life knows what it's doing with us at all."
Shawn smiled and reached into his jacket pocket to pull out his vows. "My two best friends get married and have a daughter, who has a best friend, whose mother is you. I believe in life and in the long road that led me here to you, I promise that I'll walk with you as long as you let me."
Katy grabbed Shawn's hand and spoke the next line. "I promise I will walk with you no matter where it leads."
Shawn looked into Katy's eyes and finished reciting the vows. "As long as you're next to me, this is our road."
Surprised by all the sentiment in the words, Mr. Feeny asked, "Who wrote that for you?"
Katy smiled. "We wrote it together."
"Ah, well, it was lovely. I always knew you had great potential, Mr. Hunter. Do we have the rings?" Mr. Feeny turned towards Cory, who passed the rings to Shawn.
"Do you, Katy Grace, take Shawn Patrick to have and to hold until death do you part?"
"Yes, yes I do, no matter what happens." Shawn placed the ring on Katy's finger.
"And do you Shawn Patrick take Katy Grace to have and to hold until death do you part?"
"I do." Shawn looked at Cory and Topanga. "Guys! I do!" Katy placed the ring on Shawn's finger.
"Then I now pronounce you man and wife. You may kiss the bride." Shawn and Katy leaned into each other and sealed their marriage with a kiss. Maya grinned as she watched Shawn and her mom kiss each other. She looked over Shawn's shoulder at Lucas who was clapping with a smile on his face.
Katy and Shawn pulled apart from the kiss and turned towards their wedding guests. The sounds of the piano music began as they started to walk back down the aisle as husband and wife. Smackle joined in on the violin, playing the melody of All You Need Is Love as Lucas and John played along. Topanga and Cory followed Shawn and Katy down the aisle and to the door. Maya walked with Shawn's brother Jack, and then Riley followed her with her uncle Eric.
"I can't believe that my little brother is married! He seems really happy with her."
Maya turned to her left to look at Jack. "Yeah, they're pretty happy. Thank you for coming today, I know that it meant a lot to Shawn to have family here."
"Yeah, well, family is important. And you know, since Shawn's my brother, and he just married your mom, that makes us like family. If you ever need anything, know that you can always call me."
Maya smiled. "Thanks Jack. It's so strange to have all these people now, when for the longest time it was just me and my mom."
"Your mom and Shawn were lucky to have found each other, and Shawn's lucky to have you in his life, Maya. He cares about you very much. You all are going to be a whole happy family. That's all Shawn ever really wanted in life, and now he has it."