A.N.: Hey all, here's chapter 21! As always, please let me know your thoughts/reviews. Next chapter will be part 3. Here's the summary: Based on his conversation with Zay, Josh makes an important, life-changing decision on his current relationship with Maya. Thanks for reading!
Chapter 21, Six Flags, Part 2
She was avoiding him! Josh could hardly believe that this was actually happening. Maya Hunter was avoiding him - Joshua Matthews. His current reality was officially crazier than his dreams. He was numb, shocked and confused so much so that he could barely pay attention to Auggie and Ava's incessant bickering as the two fought over which ride to go on first.
Josh was in charge of Auggie and Ava once the family arrived at Six Flags Great Adventure. Auggie was so excited that Josh was coming along with them for the trip. As soon as they arrived, he begged Josh to accompany him and Ava to explore the various rides. Topanga was extremely grateful that Josh was willing to spend his day with the kids. Freed from babysitting, she and Katy happily teamed up and headed to the pool. Cory and Shawn were inseparable - as usual- as they happily ran off to embark on their favorite rides. The last group was the "gang" of friends- Riley, Maya, Lucas, Zay, Farkle and Smackle. They also headed off together happily chatting among themselves and eager to explore the park.
Josh began to suspect that Maya might be avoiding him when he arrived at the breakfast table after his run earlier that morning and discovered that she wasn't there. "Where's Maya?" He asked Riley curiously as he sat down next to her and grabbed a slice of bacon.
"She said she had to go back home and change even though she has a ton of clothes in my room. I tried to convince her to stay for breakfast, but no luck. I dunno. It was strange," Riley told him as she reflected over her conversation with Maya. "It was like she was in a hurry to leave. Did she tell you anything?" She asked Josh curiously.
"No," Josh shook his head as he ran his hand through his hair in frustration. He should have pushed her to tell him what was wrong when he had the chance. In his mind, he quickly went over the moment when she started acting strange. It was right after he had told her that he wasn't going to kiss her because he just wanted to look at her. Had he said the wrong thing? Perhaps, he had gone too far with his affections and scared her off? Was she angry because she didn't get a kiss in that moment? Josh was utterly confused. He had said that to her because he wanted to prove to her how charming (and romantic) he could be after her playful criticism that his "game sucked." But he had also genuinely meant those words. In that moment, all he wanted to do was gaze at her. He had been lost in her presence and beauty. It certainly wasn't the first time and it wouldn't be the last. And as far as he could tell, she felt the same way. The attraction between them had been palpable as it usually was whenever they were around each other. So what was the problem? Why exactly did she panic and run off? I will never understand girls - like, ever, Josh thought to himself in amusement as he ate his cereal.
"She's still coming to Six Flags right?" Josh asked Riley.
"Yeah, definitely. She will never miss Six Flags."
"I'm pretty sure Maya loves Six Flags more than all of us combined," Topanga commented. "That girl is fierce. She's been on like every ride, right Riley?"
"Yeah, pretty much," Riley responded. "One time, Uncle Josh, I think it was like three years ago- she tried to get me to go on the Superman. You know that ride?"
"Yeah," Josh nodded with a grin. It was one of the scariest rides at Six Flags.
"I took one look at the ride and I was like, no way! She did everything to convince me to go. Even promised to buy me gummy bears and popcorn everyday that summer- but I wasn't budging."
"Well that's dumb! I would have taken that deal!" Auggie commented.
"I agree with you, Son!" Cory yelled out. "Ya Chicken!" He teased Riley.
Riley rolled her eyes at him. "Anyways, like I was saying Uncle Josh before I was rudely interrupted, I still said no cos it looked scary and I saw like a bunch of kids puking right after they got off the ride!"
Josh chuckled. "That's no good," He commented.
"I know, right?! So I was like, Maya I'll go on any other less scary ride with you. I just don't wanna go on this one! She was disappointed cos I could tell she really wanted to go but she didn't want to go alone. Anyway, before I knew what was happening, she had gotten on the ride! By herself! Just like that! I was shocked and so scared for her the whole time she was on it. But she survived. She came off the ride all excited and I was like- omg, Maya, how was it?! She was like- that was awesome Riles! I kinda wanna go again. But I think I'm gonna barf now. Can you get me a bag or something? I don't feel so good!"
Josh started laughing. "You're kidding," he said as he shook his head in amusement.
"Not kidding!" Riley responded with an amused chuckle. "She was like about to vomit and I had to find something like asap otherwise it was all gonna be on the ground!"
"Terrible story to tell at breakfast, Honey!" Topanga cried out with a horrified look on her face.
"Uh, yeah!" Cory agreed as he made a disgusted face at his daughter with his mouth full with bacon and eggs.
"Oh, right. Sorry," Riley apologized.
"I just wanna know one thing," Josh asked. "Did you get a bag for her in time?"
"Yeah, I did!" Riley grinned excitedly. "I ran off to the ice-cream guy nearby and I was like- pleaase, my friend is sick! She was on the Superman ride and she needs a bag. Please help her! I was like legit about to cry. So he gave me a bag and Maya was saved!"
"Awesome," Josh replied with an amused chuckle. "Great story!"
"Thank you!" Riley replied. "But yeah, she's definitely not missing Six Flags."
Josh nodded with a satisfied smile as he finished the rest of his meal. Maybe he would get a chance soon to find out what the heck was going on with her once they all headed out. Unfortunately for him however, Maya made another unexpected decision by choosing not to travel in the Matthews' car to Six Flags. Shawn and Katy drove with their own car so Maya stayed with her parents instead of joining Riley and Josh in Cory and Topanga's minivan as she normally would have. Lucas took Maya's place in the Matthews' car, whereas Farkle, Smackle and Zay joined Maya in Shawn and Katy's car.
As Josh sat next to a sleeping (and snoring) Auggie and Ava during the two hour long drive to Six Flags, he found himself quietly going insane. His thoughts kept circling back to his encounter with Maya that morning in his room. Everything had seemed fine between them until the last few minutes. She had been teasing him as usual. She had wanted to be around him. So why was she avoiding him now? What exactly had he done wrong? Maybe I'm just misreading things? Maybe, everything's fine? He thought. Should I text her? Ask her what's wrong? Once he saw Riley and Lucas- who were seated in front of him- sneak each other a kiss as they gazed contentedly into each other's eyes, he decided he had had enough. He took out his phone, found Maya's name and started typing.
Josh: Hey, um, is something wrong? I haven't gotten a chance to speak with you since this morning. But I just have a funny feeling that you're maybe avoiding me? Or am I making things up? Lol. Anyway, lemme know if everything's ok? Just checking in :)
He sent the message and waited patiently for a response. He never got one.
Josh was seated on a bench in the kids section of Six Flags as he waited for Auggie and Ava to finish their ride. Thankfully, the two "married" friends finally decided on the rides they wanted to go on after about twenty minutes of bickering. During that time, Josh left them alone to figure things out as his mind remained consumed with a certain blonde and her sudden mysterious change of attitude towards him.
Not only had Maya not responded to his text message, but when they all arrived at Six Flags and were dividing themselves into their various groups, Josh couldn't help but feel that she was completely ignoring him. He tried several times to make eye-contact with her, but she kept her focus on her group of friends. In that moment, he found himself feeling frustrated, annoyed and hurt by her actions. What exactly had he done to deserve being utterly ignored? What kind of game was she playing? Whatever it was, he was done trying to figure it out. If she was going to ignore him, then he could also do the same thing. Ugh, I don't have time for this! He thought in frustration as he watched her walk away with Zay.
He was just about to turn his attention to Auggie and Ava when he noticed Maya stop walking and turn around abruptly. For a moment, Josh felt his heart stop as she made eye-contact with him for a few seconds before turning back around. It was the first time she had acknowledged him that day since she left his room earlier that morning. There was no smile or playful grin. Josh couldn't decipher her stoic, facial expression. But he knew in that moment that in her own mysterious way, she was trying to communicate with him. She wanted him to know that she wasn't totally ignoring him. But this didn't change the frustrating fact that she was still avoiding him and driving him crazy in the process. If something was wrong, why wasn't she approaching him to discuss it? After all, she had never been shy or afraid to tell him how she felt. On the contrary, she had always been extremely confident and comfortable around him. So why the heck was she acting this way now that they had gotten even closer?
So much for a fun trip, Josh thought bitterly as he sat and ate his chocolate ice cream cone with peanut sprinkles hoping it would make him feel a little better. I swear, chocolate can fix anything, he thought with an amused smile. As he waited for Auggie and Ava, who were now on their fourth ride, he started observing the people around him and immediately noticed a couple of teenagers- a boy and a girl. The boy was carrying the girl on his back as they walked around and happily chatted with each other, seemingly lost in their own world.
As Josh quietly watched the pair, he remembered the highly amusing (and memorable) moment when Maya Hart jumped on his back and started reading out loud his NYU acceptance letter. He remembered how he had tried to get her off his back ("Get off me, you lil ferret!" he yelled out) but also secured her by holding on to her legs so that she wouldn't fall (or be able to get off his back). He grinned amusedly as he recalled the memory and the fact that that moment was the perfect metaphor for their push and pull relationship. In the beginning, he was the one constantly pushing her away by his frequent references to their age difference. He wanted her to "get off his back" but in his heart, he was never able to let her go. And now, she was the one pushing him away and yet still pulling him in with every conversation, gaze, and kiss… It suddenly dawned on him that this cycle of push and pull between them needed to end. Emotionally, they were way past that. It was time for their relationship to advance to the next level...to become more mature and stable. He needed to step up, take charge and re-orient the course of their long game. At the end of the day, he couldn't force Maya to do anything she didn't want to do or wasn't ready for. But he could try to fix what he felt was broken. In this moment, he could make one last effort to do so. Grabbing his phone, he boldly pressed her number and called her.
Maya's phone rang a few times before going to voicemail. He listened to her hilarious recorded voice message: "Wassup?! You know the person you've reached by now if you made it this far and called my phone, so I'm not gonna bother saying my name. Like, just send me a text, already! Who calls people nowadays? Anyway, I'm not available. So, text me- duh. Hang up now!...But if you want to be annoying, you can leave a message after the beep. I probz won't listen to it. Have a great day! Bye!"
Josh decided to leave a message. "Um, hey- I think you know who this is," He said, grinning in amusement. "So it's been a while. Long time, no speak. I did send you a text. Still awaiting a response. Perhaps, ya missed it?! Anyway, I decided to try one last time and then I promise, I'm gonna stop bothering you. Call me back? Please? After your ride or whatever you're doing right now? We need to talk - uh- hopefully in person. So yeah, will be waiting for your call. It will certainly be nice to hear your voice again. Hope you're having fun. Bye." He hung up the phone and sighed softly.
"Uncle Josh! Uncle Josh! That ride was so much fun!" Auggie yelled out as he ran towards him excitedly.
"UGH! WAIT FOR ME, AUGGIE!" Ava yelled out as she struggled to keep up with her friend.
"Oh really? Which ride did you go on, buddy?" Josh asked Auggie as he lifted the curly haired boy onto his lap and ruffled his hair playfully.
"The Taz Tornado! It was so fun! I'm feeling a little dizzy though," Auggie admitted.
Josh chuckled. "It spun you around?"
"Yeah," Auggie nodded.
"OH MY GOSH! THAT WAS SO FUN! AUGGIE, LET'S DO THAT RIDE AGAIN!" Ava yelled out once she approached them.
"Not so fast!" Josh responded. "Auggie's feeling a little dizzy right now, Ava. And Ava, try to lower your voice a little, ok? We're right here so we can hear you. Alright?"
Ava nodded. "Ok, Uncle Josh."
"Ok great. Here, you guys take this and go get some ice cream," Josh handed them some money.
"Oh sweet! Thanks, Uncle Josh!" Auggie yelled out excitedly as he and Ava ran over to the ice cream vendor. Josh grinned as he watched them fondly. Right at that moment, he felt his phone vibrating. It was Maya calling him back. His heart beating in anticipation, he quickly answered the call.
"Hey," He greeted her softly.
"Hi," She responded in a wavering tone.
"Nice to hear from you," Josh stated matter-of-factly. "After you didn't respond to my text, I wasn't sure if I should- uh- keep reaching out. Felt like I was bothering you- you know?" She had really hurt him and he needed her to know that.
There was a brief, awkward silence on her end before she spoke again in a soft, shaky voice.
"Um, I'm sorry, Josh," She apologized. Josh felt his frustration and hurt dissipating as soon as he heard those words. He could sense the sincerity in her voice and that made it possible for him to forgive her.
"It's ok, Maya," He told her softly. "We do need to talk though. Can you talk now? Where are you? I can come find you if you're free."
"Um, sure. I think it will be faster though if I find you," Maya suggested. "I know this park pretty well. Just let me know where you are."
"Oh, ok," Josh stated as he glanced around. "I'm in the kids section, sitting on a bench across from the Oompa, Loompa ride."
Maya giggled. "Having fun there, Boing?" She teased him.
Josh chuckled. "So much fun. You have no idea," He stated sarcastically.
Maya laughed. "Alright, I'll see you soon, Boing."
"Sure, see ya," Josh responded with a wide grin on his face. He hung up the phone, told Auggie and Ava he'd be right back and went to buy a vanilla ice cream cone with rainbow sprinkles for her.
Ha, she didn't mention that she was coming with Zay...Josh thought as he observed Maya and Zay heading towards him. For the second time that day, Maya Hunter's actions and lack of communication had managed to turn his world upside down. Why was Zay coming along? Couldn't she have come by herself? That's what he had understood from their phone conversation. Were they supposed to have a private talk about their relationship with Zay lurking around? What the hell, Maya? Josh thought in frustration as he sat there looking shocked and slightly annoyed. He had nothing against Zay personally, but he had been expecting to meet up with Maya alone.
"Oh Uncle Josh, look! It's Maya and Zay!" Auggie pointed them out as soon as he spotted the pair.
"Yeah, I see them, Augs," Josh responded with a frown as he got up and prepared to greet them.
"Hey," Maya greeted Josh with a timid smile once she got closer to him.
"Hi," Josh replied with a warm smile as he gazed at her.
Zay stood about the distance of a foot behind Maya in an effort to give her some privacy as she spoke to Josh. He greeted Josh by simply nodding his head at him without saying anything. Josh nodded his head back at him in response.
"Hi Maya!" Auggie and Ava both greeted her simultaneously.
Maya laughed. "Hey guys! You having fun today?!" She asked them.
"YEAH!" They both cried out excitedly.
"Maya, Maya! You have to come on a ride with us! We're gonna go again!" Ava yelled out.
"Oh really? Which ride are you going on?" Maya asked them.
"The Taz Tornado!" Auggie responded. "It got me dizzy, but it's awesome! You wanna come with us? Uncle Josh has to watch our stuff," He pointed to a couple of backpacks on the bench.
Maya grinned amusedly. "Sure, I'll join you guys. Is that ok with you, Uncle Josh? Can you trust me with your kids?" She teased him.
Josh chuckled. "You not feeling dizzy anymore, Augs?" He asked him.
"Nah, I'm good. I think the ice cream helped. Can we get another one when we come back?" Auggie asked.
"No," Josh shook his head with an amused chuckle. "But nice try, buddy. Oh, by the way, I got this for you, Maya," He handed Maya the ice cream cone he bought for her. "Sorry. It started to melt all over so I had to lick it a bit. Hope you don't mind."
Maya slowly shook her head at him in disapproval. "What's with you and giving presents and then wanting to take them back?" She teased him. "You did the same thing with my hat. Might as well eat the whole ice cream at this point! I'm surprised there's any left!"
Josh burst out laughing and scratched the back of his hair lightly. "Sorry," He said. "It tasted really good. And it was like melting all over my fingers so I had to do something. I only licked it a couple times."
"It does taste pretty good," Maya agreed as she started licking it. "Thanks for my second ice cream of the day, Boing," She beamed at him.
Josh laughed. "Sure. Who gave you your first?" He asked curiously.
"Zay," Maya replied.
"Oh," Josh responded. He felt a slight, uncomfortable sensation in his gut but he did his best to ignore it. "Um, I really hope you don't take this the wrong way but why's Zay here? I was kinda hoping to talk to you alone…" He told her straightforwardly.
"Oh yeah, of course," Maya glanced at Zay. Auggie and Ava had ran over to him and he was busy chatting with them.
"Sorry I should have told you he was coming," Maya said. "We had just gotten off a ride when I called you so he wanted to walk me over here. He's gonna be leaving now though. I told him you and I had to chat for a little bit."
"Oh ok, cool," Josh responded in a relieved tone.
"So I'm gonna hang out with the kiddies and then we can talk?" Maya said.
"Sure, sounds good," Josh agreed. "Thanks for going with them, Maya."
"No problem!" Maya responded enthusiastically. "Here's a fun Maya fact for you- I love every single ride at Six Flags- and yes, that includes the kid rides. See ya Boing!" She walked over to where Auggie, Ava and Zay were standing and spoke with Zay for a few seconds before grabbing Auggie and Ava's hands and walking away with them towards the rides.
After Maya, Auggie and Ava left, Josh immediately turned his attention to Zay who was still standing about a foot away from him and observing him quietly.
"Hi Zay," Josh called out to him in an effort to break the awkward silence and eye-contact between them.
"Hey Cub Scout," Zay responded in a dry, wary tone as he approached Josh. "Can I talk to you for a sec?"
Josh hesitated for a moment before saying yes. The last time Zay talked to him, Josh ended up feeling slightly guilty about promising Maya the "long game" and "someday" at the ski lodge. He knew that Zay was simply trying to support Maya and be a good friend, but his words made Josh start to question whether he had done the right thing for Maya. Fortunately, Josh no longer had those doubts or guilt concerning his relationship with Maya, but he also wasn't eager to have another "talk" with Zay. He and Lucas could actually sit down and have a friendly conversation about many topics, but he could never do that with Zay mainly because unlike Lucas, Zay seemed to distance himself from Josh whenever they encountered each other. Josh had observed Zay carefully enough to sense that the 16 year old boy wasn't comfortable around him. Josh wasn't exactly sure why, but he knew it probably had something to do with Zay's uncertainties or concerns about Josh's growing intimacy with Maya.
At first, Josh used to worry about Zay's seemingly distant and cold attitude towards him, but he quickly realized that it wasn't worth fretting about. After all, Zay simply wasn't a factor in his conversations or interactions with Maya. Once in a while, Maya would mention something funny Zay said or did in school, and Josh knew that she and Zay were close friends. But for the most part, Maya rarely ever mentioned Zay and she also didn't seem to care (or notice) the slight tension and distance between the two boys. So, Maya's ignorance of the situation helped Josh to not worry too much. If Zay didn't want to be his friend, then that was his right. Josh certainly wasn't going to force friendship on anyone just because that person was close to Maya. What mattered most to Josh was respect, and so far, he was satisfied with the fact that he and Zay had never disrespected each other in any of their encounters.
They both sat down on the bench and faced each other before Zay started speaking. "Look Josh, I'm gonna start of by saying that I think you're a good guy. And you've really helped Maya a lot- especially with school. So that's really cool that you're doing that. But I also know that you aint perfect, cos after all, who is, right? And I'm kind of the only one who can really see things as they are between you and Maya and tell it as it is, cos I don't have a personal connection with you. Riley does. Lucas can't really say much cos you know, he's Riley's man. The geniuses are in their own world. So it's basically all up to me to speak up. And I don't really care about doing so. If I see something wrong, especially with my friends, I'm gonna say something. That's just who I am. So, now that I've said all of that friendly stuff, here's my question for you. And I really hope you don't take it the wrong way. Like I said, I feel like I'm in a special position to look out for Maya here in a way that no one else in our friend group can really do. What exactly are your intentions with Maya? I mean, are you planning to make her your girl at some point? Cos, to be honest witchu, I'm still confused with this whole long game thing. I mean, ya'll are really close right now, and when you ask her, she just says, 'oh we playing the long game,' but any fool can see how much she likes you. And I don't want her to get hurt at the end of the day if you just so happen to change your mind about her one day. So, you planning to commit to her soon, or you just gonna keep it all vague and confusing? That's what I wanna know."
"I appreciate your concern Zay. And I also think it's great that you're such a good friend to Maya and are looking out for her," Josh responded. "But, I'm not sure how much I can really say when it comes to answering your questions. I mean, the answers to your questions are kinda private info between me and Maya, you know? It's stuff she and I need to discuss or have already discussed. So I can't really answer your questions in a way that will be satisfying to you right now. Obviously, sooner or later, you're gonna find out the answers. But with that being said, what I can tell you is that I'm very committed to Maya. I care a lot about her and I'm definitely not playing around with her. You also don't have to worry about me leading her on and then changing my mind about her one day. The whole point of the long game is for us to take things slow and actually get to know each other. We both know that we like each other, but I also wanted to get to know her as a person and a friend. So that's why I proposed the long game in the first place. Eventually, once she and I are both ready and we've discussed things, the long game will turn into something more substantial and official, but like I said, I can't really discuss that with you. That's between me and her. You know what I'm saying?"
"Yeah, I get it," Zay replied. "But I also know that she's in high school, and you're in college. She got a whole different life and priorities, and so do you. I remember asking you a few months back if you wanted her thinking so much about your 'someday' that she missed out on her life right now, and you said you didn't want that. That you wanted her to live her life. Well, guess what, that's not really what's happening right now- I'mma just be real witchu. Even when she doesn't say anything, I know she's thinking or worrying about you. You can see it all over her face. She barely had any fun today- and she loves Six Flags - and it was because of you."
"Hold on," Josh interrupted him. "Did she say anything to you today about me?"
"Like you said, that's private info between me and her. I can't discuss that with you. Sorry bro," Zay replied with a shrug of his shoulders. Josh sighed in frustration.
"Look man, just know that sometimes she tells me stuff she knows she can't tell you or Riley or anyone close to you cos you know, she don't wanna come between you and your family," Zay stated. "Now with that being said, I'm just looking out for her best interests. And obviously, she don't know that I'm having this convo with you, but I think you should know that she's finding it hard to live her life now cos she's busy worrying about you and her. She worries about whether you're always gonna be around or like her as much as she likes you. She sees most of her friends with official titles of 'boyfriend' and 'girlfriend' and she wonders when she's ever gonna get hers. And yeah, she's waiting patiently for ya both to reach your someday or whatever but sometimes she gets tired of waiting. She wonders why things can't just happen now. She saying no to all these boys at school, and every time she does, I can't help but think- she's putting her life on hold for a dude in college who aint even her official boyfriend yet. Look Josh, like I said, I don't think you're a bad guy- but I do think you're not really seeing the impact that whatever it is you got going on with her now, is having on her mentally and on her life. You know why? Cos you don't see her everyday. And you not sharing the same experiences with her. High school is hard and confusing enough. And then imagine how much harder it gets when you throw in, having some up in the clouds, vague romantic thingie going on with a college dude. I dunno how much of this stuff you're seeing or that you and her have talked about- but I just wanted to point things out to you in case you aint seeing all this stuff. She told me you and her are gonna have a chat soon. So I just wanted to give you a heads-up in case you don't know all this. I know I haven't been the most friendliest to you. But at the end of the day, all I care about is Maya's happiness. I wanna make sure that she is always happy cos homegirl deserves it. I mean, she's awesome. She really is. And since you've become such a big part of her happiness, I wanna make sure I'm keeping my eyes on you. You hurt her in any way, shape or form, after all the lovin' that she been showing you- and after all the boys she been ignoring cos of you- just know man, that I'm personally gonna make sure that she don't get hurt by you ever again. Cos that's my job as her friend. So I hope that at the end of the day, you'll do your job so that things stay cool between us. That's all I wanna say to you. And now, if you don't mind, I'm gonna peace out before she comes back and sees me here talking to you."
Zay got up and glanced at his phone for a few seconds before speaking to Josh one last time. "She's special, man. I hope you do right by her. I really hope you do. I'll see you around." And with those words, Isaiah (Zay) Babineaux turned around and walked away from Josh.
What the hell, Zay, Josh thought in frustration as he watched him disappear into the crowd.