January 14th 2017

Chapter 14
His Life With the New Girl

Monday morning came, and bright and early there he was, sitting on the bus that would take him to school. He knew what was ahead of him, but he was very much on the side of confidence; he had to be. Zay came on the bus a few stops later, dropping in to sit next to him as they had done back before his suspension, and the ensuing rides from his father. This was his life taking the turn toward normal, to what it had been, he felt it. It gave him courage.

They arrived at school, finding the halls still near deserted, and made for the administrative office. The secretary was there, working away, and when they asked to see the principal, she stared at the both of them in silence for a beat before calling in to the office. One short, hushed conversation later, she hung up and pointed to the principal's door without a word. Lucas gave her his thanks, followed by Zay, and they went on to see the principal.

He looked as clueless as the secretary had done, wondering what brought the two of them in that morning. Zay looked at him. He was only there to say his bit when the time would come, and it had not come yet. So they sat across the man's desk, and when prompted to speak, Lucas sat up and went into his request.

"Sir, I know you've asked Zay to help a new student who's coming here today. I want to ask if you would let me do it instead." The principal didn't speak yet, only looked at him, which he took as his cue to keep talking. "After my suspension, I've been thinking about how I got there, and now… I just want a chance to prove myself." The principal looked at him a few seconds more before looking at Zay.

"I already said I'd be okay with it," he nodded. "And thank you. I can get the next one," he promised and sat back. "You don't have another one in there, do you?" Lucas threw him a look, afraid the principal might toss them both out and get the new kid a brand new guide. But then he had told Zay to go on and get to class in time before telling Lucas to sit outside and wait there. He didn't know if this meant a yes, or if he was considering it, but he would just have to wait and see.

Though he had been dismissed, Zay had quickly returned and taken a seat next to Lucas outside the office when he had remembered it was still early and, without him there, he had nothing better to do. Plus, he wanted to see the new kid.

They still had nothing to go on, and it was a few minutes more before he heard something that made him sure the new kid was arriving… There was a woman's voice commenting on the fall display they all mostly ignored when walking past the office. She had that sort of pointed interest in her voice that parents would get when they tried to get their kids interested in something. His mother was a pro at it, but this one had her beat. And then…

"Mom, stop," a girl's voice begged. "You don't have to come with me everywhere."

"I need to meet with the principal, I won't be long and then I'll be out of your hair. Just wait out here a minute, alright?" the woman appeared in the door, and Lucas watched her a moment before his eyes went seeking for the girl he was to be guiding. Stood behind her mother, he couldn't see much of her yet, except for a flash of blond hair and a noted brightness to the colors she wore, not overpowering, just… alive. She looked uncomfortable, standing there with her mother, and he couldn't blame her, felt more sympathy than anything else.

"Wait, is that her?" Zay asked him in a hush that wasn't so hushed in the quiet room. The girl turned her head in their direction, letting them see her face. Lucas didn't know what he expected. All he knew was that he had forgotten what he'd been thinking about, and in the next moment she was sitting in the last chair available, which was next to Zay, who took this as his cue to seek introductions, as the girl's mother moved into the principal's office, leaving them there.

"New kid, hello. Isaiah Babineaux," he gave her a wave. "Zay," he added. "My tall, silent friend here is Lucas Friar. And who might you be?" The girl blinked, looking from Zay to Lucas and back.

"Maya," she told them. "Maya Hart." She didn't look too keen on starting up a conversation, and Lucas didn't know what motivated him more, this feeling like he understood what was on her mind, or the desire to take up the task and the responsibility he'd requested from the principal, but he gave Zay a nudge of the elbow. Zay turned, looked at him for a moment, then, thankfully catching on, turned back to the girl.

"I have to go now. I'll see you in class." He paused, nodded to himself. "Alright." And he got up and left. Now it was just them, with an empty chair in between. Was he supposed to move over, or would that give the wrong impression?

"You just moved here?" he eventually asked. She looked at him. "Where from?"

"New York," she told him. She didn't look any more sure than he did, and again he understood.

"That has to be a big change then. It can't be all that different, I mean… school, home… homework… But I'll help you with that," he nodded, then, off her confused look, "Oh, I'm supposed to be like your guide, so you can just… get to know the place. Whatever you need…"

"Ride back to New York?" she casually asked, and he had to smile.

"Don't exactly have a license yet, but if that's what you need, then I'll just have to think of something. Although it might not be so bad if you stuck around here, give us a chance."

"I'm sure you're a good little cowboy, but I don't see you climbing yourself out of this one," she told him, and someone else might have been deflated by this, but he instead rose to the challenge.

"Well I do have a mean rope trick," he confessed and, to his relief, it produced the first tentative smile to come out of her. Just as he saw it, and matched it with a smile of his own, he spotted Zay out in the hall, waiting, along with the rest of their group. When they caught him looking, they scattered at once. Zay must have told them about the new girl.

When the principal and the new girl's mother came out of the office, Lucas finally received confirmation that he was to act as guide. The girl's mother gave him a look she carried over to her daughter which somehow made both of them – her and Lucas – flush in awkwardness. But by the time her mother had left the new girl seemed to have eased into his presence at her side.

"Lucas, right?" she asked, and he nodded. "Maya," she reintroduced herself. He smiled.

TO BE CONTINUED

See you tomorrow! - mooners