January 26th 2018

Chapter 26
Her Induction Into Mischief

She'd gotten so caught up in her afternoon classes, she almost forgot the offer she'd made Scott at lunch time, right up until she met with Riley again as they headed into the locker room to change and head into the pool. When she finally remembered, she had half a second to keep it from showing on her face with Riley right next to her. For the first time she had to stop and ask herself whether or not she might need to explain the situation ahead of time, for Riley to understand why Scott would be coming over to hang out and play with them that afternoon.

Now, sure, she couldn't pretend like part of her wasn't foreseeing some possibilities coming out of this particular encounter, but it still wouldn't have felt completely right to just blindside her best friend. She spent the entire period trying to just come right out and say it, but somehow in the echo and the noise of the pool, it never seemed like the thing to do or the place to do it. So she didn't. But then the period was over, they were changing back to go and meet up with Lucas, who would drive them to her house, where they would meet the others.

It dawned on her then that Scott had never actually been to her house, and much as she believed he could find the place just fine, it did present an opportunity. Now she just had to remember, he'd told them about his classes at lunch, what did he say he had at the end of the day?

"I'm ready, you?" Riley came up to her, pulling her bag on to her shoulder.

"Uh, yeah," she abandoned her initial plans for a braid and instead willed her still wet hair into as close to a bun as she could manage in a hurry. "Just need to go pick up something on the way out to the lot," she went on, hooking her arm with her friend's to lead her along.

"You forgot a book?" Riley guessed.

"Not a book, no," Maya spoke as they walked, wanting to time things right. "So you know how at lunch today I ate with the quiz team. Well we got to talking, about school, and the team, and food, and home. Anyway, Scott was looking a bit bummed out about not getting to play basketball at school anymore, so I invited him to come over and play with us at my house today. Hey, there you are!" she spotted him coming from the computer lab.

She hadn't looked back to see Riley's face just yet, but she didn't have to. She could clock it without seeing. She'd have been listening diligently along as they went, and the moment Scott's name was mentioned she would have gone a bit bug-eyed and flighty, only to halt and ram some form of a normal expression back on her face once she realized he was right there. At this point, Maya was much more curious about seeing what his face would look like.

Scott had turned at the call, unsure he was its target at first until he saw the pair of them, and though she couldn't tell herself that it was a confirmation in any way, she did notice the slightest of a shift in his gaze, from her to Riley as they came nearer. It could have been that she drew his eyes for the reason they would sort of hope it did, just as it could simply be that he was acknowledging both of their presence. She couldn't say when she'd made a turn to rooting for the first option over the second, but Maya did sort of hope for it in the back of her mind.

"Lucas is driving us back to my house, you want a ride?" Maya asked.

"Uh, sure…" he agreed, then, "Hey, Riley."

"Hi, Scott," she replied, sounding like she'd just barely stopped herself from following into his surname. Maya felt like they'd just gotten another point in the 'option one' column.

"Good, let's go," she pulled her friend along, while directing the boy to follow them.

As they went through the school doors, Maya could see Lucas in the distance, standing next to his car in the lot… along with Zay and Nadine. She didn't need to wonder, she knew they were waiting for Riley and her, that they were planning to benefit from the car, too. That would put six of them in the car, which frankly was one too many.

She had to think fast, before the three of them made it out there. In this situation, she knew Nadine would be her savior, and she worked to quickly and directly telegraph what she needed to happen without the two at her side noticing.

He needs to ride with her.

That was all she wrote, but seconds after she sent it she watched as Nadine took out her phone, read the message, looked up at the three of them coming, then at once took Zay by the arm and pulled him away, speaking to Lucas what she guessed was something along the lines of "actually, we'll meet you there." Just like that, they were gone, leaving Lucas there alone to receive his three passengers. She knew she'd have to explain to Nadine once they met up again, but she trusted her just fine on that front. She would probably have to tell Zay something, too, the poor confused one.

"Hey," Maya smiled as they reached the car, pausing to kiss her boyfriend. Lucas gave her a look, silently asking what was going on. She replied with a look of her own saying 'later,' and he nodded. They got in the car, Lucas and Maya in the front, Riley and Scott in the back, and they drove off from the school lot.

TO BE CONTINUED

See you tomorrow! - mooners