A/N: Aaaaaand we continue :) Literally should be studying, but you know me. I don't study. I just write ahahaha xD (until two hours before the exam and then I cram my stupid butt off. SOMEONE MOTIVATE ME TO STUDY)

I hope you all are having as much fun reading this story as I am writing it! I thank you for the reviews and being so awesome in general and just making me smile like a doofy idiot! You guys are the reason why I can come back from work and not want to break stuff! I luuuuuurvs you! :)

Disclaimer: I don't own GMW, but Cynical!Maya is my heart and soul ❀(*´◡`*)❀

UPDATE 09.26.15: Thank you Annette for pointing out that information about 6th Street! I've changed the circumstances in this chapter to better match the information you relayed to me! Let me know if I have any other discrepancies in any information about Austin :) I don't want to write accidental falsities!

Maya marched into the karaoke place with a look of determination on her face, Missy in tow, staring at the festive but tasteful décor of the place. The lights had been dimmed and it was relatively empty, save for an old man singing some folk song in another language that neither Maya nor Missy recognized.

Maya would have preferred to go to a less classy place to get wasted—a seedy joint or what have you—and the valet she'd asked recommended going to 6th Street. But it wasn't particularly close to where they were, and she and Missy hadn't wanted to drive far so he'd recommended this place instead. The karaoke bar was only two blocks away from the Italian restaurant, so they had driven here to get drunk.

When they approached the bar, Maya slapped her hand on the table, looking the bartender in the eye and demanding his attention before he could even get out a greeting or a word.

"I want to open a tab. And I want a tall glass of rum, whatever kind is your highest proof. No, not rum and coke. Straight rum. Yes, you heard me right. A tall glass of straight rum. Yes, I am aware how much alcohol that is. Yes, I am aware how small I am. And no, I don't care. Yes, I am trying to get drunk off my ass. Yes, I am of drinking age and don't you dare card me because I will jump over this counter and kick your ass to kingdom come. Yes, I am in a very bad mood. And yes, I will tip you well if you do what I say. So just give me the damn drink and all will be well."

The bartender, a sinewy man with a charming smile, was grinning widely.

"A beautiful woman who drinks her own weight in hard liquor?" He slid coasters in front of them. "I think I'm in love."

Missy grimaced. "Don't say the L word. She'll go off on a long rant you don't want to hear about love not existing and your ears will get chewed out. And sorry about her attitude. This guy she had a little thing with is getting married. To her best friend."

"Ouch. That's brutal. I understand the rum thing now." He turned and grabbed a clean glass from the wall. "And for you?"

"Whisky on the rocks?" Missy sighed, slumping in the stool next to the stewing Maya. "I kind of need to get drunk too."

"What happened to you, sugar?"

"Ex cheated on me."

"It's been a rough night for you both, huh?"

"Rough is an understatement…" Maya grumbled under her breath.

"You know what?" the bartender said, a sympathetic smile on his face, "Don't worry about paying for anything tonight. It's on me. Drinks on the house for…"

"Missy. And Miss Kick Your Ass over here is Maya."

"I'm Zay." He did an extravagant bow, grinning up at them both when they cracked a small smile. "Pleasure to make your acquaintance Missy and Maya."

"The pleasure is ours." Missy responded, "But won't the manager get mad if he finds out you're giving away free drinks?"

Zay chuckled, filling up the tall glass with the rum before setting it on the coaster in front of Maya. "Why would he? He's the one who decided to give them away."

It took them a second to figure out what he meant.

"Wait, you're the manager?"

"Yeah." He laughed out loud, setting Missy's drink in front of her as well. "This place is called Zay's, you know?"

They hadn't paid attention at all when they walked in. Maya suspected it was because both of them had been dead set on only one thing: getting a drink in their system as fast as possible.

"Wow…" Maya frowned slightly, but took a sip of her drink. "Well. Thanks."

"Hey, it's no skin off my back." He leaned against the counter, an intrigued twinkle in his warm brown eyes, "So tell me more about this love doesn't exist thing. I like it."

"What's there to tell you about? It's a contrived notion. A false state of assumption and when the deception is discovered, the image shatters away like weak glass. And people leave each other. Love my ass. They make these ridiculous claims and vows of love to each other and then next thing you know, they've divorced and given up. There was never any love between them because it doesn't exist." Maya rose a brow. "You don't believe in love either?"

"Don't believe in it? I invented the damn book on love not existing." Zay snorted. "The root of love is lust. If two people have more sexual chemistry with each other than another two people, then they will end up together, regardless of whether someone is in a relationship and "loves" someone else. I don't believe in love because it's ridiculous. Everyone is just looking for their next quick screw. Some people want a long term screw with the same person. Some people want multiple screws with multiple people. But then human beings delude themselves into thinking that they are in love just because they lust after a certain person. If one doesn't lust in another, then there is no way that they will ever be compatible. But I do agree. There's no such thing as love."

"Oh no." Missy groaned, sipping her whisky. "I'm surrounded by love conspiracy theorists…"

"I like you already, Zay." Maya said, drinking some more of her rum and loving the burn in her chest. It was hitting the spot just right. "I think we can be good friends."

"You sure you're not just saying that because you want to use me for more free drinks in the future, sugar?"

"You caught me." she drawled.

"Oddly, I'm okay with that." Zay laughed. "Hey, for the record, you seem pretty cool. This guy is missing out on one badass cynical chick who drinks more than her weight and curses at you and threatens to kick your ass."

Maya snorted, rolling her eyes. "So why are you against relationships? Assuming you are."

"There are too many women in this world to be tied down to just one."

"You sound like my friend Farkle."

"Farkle? Who would do that to him?"

"I don't even know…"

"Yeah, anyway. I don't need to be tied down right now. I'm at my prime. I should be enjoying life. I just don't understand people who want to get married so young so quickly when they've barely tried out life. My best friend is also getting married, and he's throwing his life away when he could have so much more fun."

"Exactly!" Maya exclaimed, "See, Missy? Zay gets it."

Missy rolled her eyes, shaking her head in exasperation.

"I thought one person ranting about love and being against relationships was bad… Now there are two of you." she muttered under her breath.

"This calls for a shot in celebration!" Zay said, yanking out three shot glasses, "Vodka! Like the Russians do it!"

"Here, here!" Maya cheered.

"I'll take a bit of that action."

Zay filled the shots and handed the other two to Maya and Missy before lifting his own high above his head.

"To my new friends Missy and Maya!" Zay proclaimed, "That they may never end up in a relationship with anyone."

"No." Missy said, "Try again. I don't accept that toast."

"Fine." Zay laughed. "To my new friends Missy and Maya! That these men who fucked with them will feel the pain of a thousand of Maya's ass kickings!"

They clinked their glasses together before knocking back their shots.

Maya slammed her shot glass on the table with a hearty sigh, already feeling a little better.

This evening was starting to pick up quite nicely.