Nothing but The World Between Us
Life is a strange thing. You never know what's going to happen. It's complicated, too.
Year 8 and Freshman year of High School was complicated. We had that whole 'triangle' thing happening; but then I un-complicated things, by saying that I didn't like Lucas anymore and never had. But nothing had ever been farther from the truth.
I did, I do, I always have; from the moment I saw him on that subway train. But things were getting too complicated and difficult, and we were hurting our friendship. So, I stepped back. For Riley. Always for Riley. She means too much to me, and I don't want to be alone.
They dated for a long time, everyone thought that they would make it through high school together and eventually one day get married. But it didn't last. Things went sour few months before graduation, and things fell apart. Everything fell apart.
Our friendships, our group, Riley, Lucas, me. Nothing was the same, and everything I had known and loved was ripped away, right out from under my feet.
Before that, though, Josh and I started dating. But it didn't take long for us to realize that the spark was gone. We ended the long game and we both lost each other; but we were happier, in a way, and now we're just really great friends.
It was after Josh and I split that I finally realized that I did like Lucas still; that I always had. And this scared me. At the time, Riley and Lucas had a great relationship and they were seemingly happy. And then after they broke up, it wasn't any better, because I couldn't possibly do that to Riley, the only source of light left in my life. But even that light was snubbed out.
After graduation Riley changed. She started doing drugs and became an alcoholic. I got her admitted into rehab somewhere in Chicago, where she could get the best help possible.
So, my best friend was gone, I wasn't allowed to be friends with Lucas, and Farkle had moved away with Smackle and were currently taking a trip around the world.
I tried hard, after that. I tried to be happy, and bright, and forced out all the darkness that crept inside. For a while, it worked. Until it didn't. I was reverting back into old Maya. Before Riley, before Farkle. Before Lucas.
So, I did the only thing left to do. I called Lucas. He was back in Texas, but he talked with me for hours. About how we both missed each other a lot, and how everything had gone to hell. And then I decided to move to Texas.