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"SHAWNIE!" Mr. Matthews screams in a really immature way and jumps up and down.

"Hey Cor!" Shawn dumps his baggage on the ground. "Where do I sleep?"

"On the couch with your new husband," says a female voice.

"Topanga." They hug.

"She's kidding, take Auggie's room."

"Hi, Maya." Mrs. Matthews looks at me with concern.

"Hi, Mrs. Matthews." Shawn, noticing something was wrong, takes his things to Auggie's room and pushes me along. Then he shuts the door and demands, "Talk." And everything comes out.

"There's no way that Riley would do that." He says after I finish.

"That's what I thought."

"Uncle Shawn! You're-" Riley bursts in and stops suddenly. "Oh. You. What are you doing here?" Her eyes narrow. Missy is behind her.

"Hart." she nods.

"Bradford." I say as a reply.

"Get out, we don't want you here." Riley cuts in.

"Riley!" Shawn says in astonishment.

"This is my house. Get. Out."

"You heard her." Missy adds sweetly. I stay quiet.

"Riley. Come on. She's your friend. She's your best friend!" Shawn gestures rather wildly at me. Missy pushes my shoulder and the wheelchair swerves slightly.

"Out." she barks.

"No. Stop. It's too far. Riley, since when did you start hanging out with this kind of people? Why are you doing all of this?" Shawn's angry now. I should probably do something. But I'm half frozen too. Zay appears.

"What's going-" he freezes.

"Great, and who's this?" Shawn asks Riley. I finally open my mouth.

"Two people who used to be my friend. Before this madness." There's silence. "I should go."

"No." Shawn's hand is on my wheelchair, holding me back. "It's my turn. Just who the hell do you think you are; trying to change my best friend's daughter? You have no right. Bradford, is it? I want you to get out of my room. You're not welcome
here. Maya is a guest of mine, and you can't kick her out without kicking me out. And you can't kick me out, because then Cory will probably disown you." Then he turns to me. "Maya, do you know what it's like growing up with Cory? My life
always revolved around him. And then he and Topanga got together. Do you know what it's like to go to High School with Romeo and Juliet? But I was okay with it. I didn't have anything else or anyone else. But you. You have so much more,
and you deserve so much more. You have a wonderful loving mother, and more people that will stand by you than I ever had when I was your age. You don't deserved to be ruined like me by some... second generation Cory Matthews." Riley gave
a offended shout. "I want more for you, Maya." Something in Shawn's eyes and tone made me reach up and fling my arms around his neck. When I looked up, Riley, Zay and Missy had already gone.

"So who's this Lucas guy that helped you?" Shawn asks. We are at Topanga's, having lunch. It's been a week after the night Shawn showed up. Lucas kept his word and virtuously pushed me to and from school every morning, and Shawn had heard many
tales of his loyalty and goodness.

"Lucas Friar. The guy that was with me on the night you arrived? That's Mr. Perfect sheep-riding Ranger Rick Lucas the Good for you." Shawn grins and puts his elbows on the table, leaning on them.

"Mmhmm... And you two were always friends?"

"Ever since he came to our school." I reply instantly.

"And Riley's clean gone on him?"

"Yes."

"Is that what's stopping you?" I don't know how to answer that one. The tuna melt on my plate suddenly became very interesting.

"What do you mean?" I say as coolly as possible, playing with a strand of my hair.

"Maya. Come on. You're good at hiding your emotions, but I'm practically you. You can tell me." he says. I hesitate.

"I don't know." I finally say. "We're Maya and Ranger Rick, but I don't know what that is. A few days back my mom suggested something and it's messing with my mind. I don't know if I'm just dreaming this up or if I really..." I trail off.

"I can't decide anything for you, but if you need anything, just call me, okay?" I nod. "I've got to go. See you, Maya."

Shawn Hunter stepped out of Topanga's as my hand reached for the door. He nodded at me in greeting and I nodded back. When I stepped in, I saw Maya in a corner booth, staring down at her plate. I slipped into the seat opposite her.

"Hey, Maya." She looked up.

"Hey, Ranger Rick."

"How's the ankle holding up?"

"Better. The doctor thinks I'll be on crutches next week."

"That's great, Maya. I'm happy for you." We're silent.

"How are things with Riley?" I asked quietly, after a while. Maya sighed, and I felt internally wretched seeing her that way.

"Still frosty. Shawn lets me into his room and Mr. and Mrs. Matthews still like me there, but nothing can convince Riley."

"Is Missy Bradford still bothering you?" I asked, face darkening. She laughed.

"You're a little scary, you know that, Huckleberry?" I managed a smile. "I'll never forget that time you rammed the school bully into the lockers because he turned on Zay."

"And I'll never forget that time we messed around in the art room." I laughed.

"Most fun we've ever had." she chuckled. We're silent again.

"I'm not going to give up on Riles." she says softly. "But I can't...won't be friends with the new Riley." Her finger traces her friendship ring and pulls it off slowly. She laid it on the table. Thunder and Lightningno more.