I had so much fun creating Lucas's background and friends! I practically had a blank slate with the label "Lucas Friar" and I just filled up that slate. Enjoy!

When the bell sounded for the end of school, I hang back in class and wait for Lucas while he gathers his stuff. Shawn's agreed to pick me up at Lucas's after we're done.

"Are you alright to walk a bit? It's quite a distance." He tells me, slinging his bag strap over his shoulder.

"I'm good." We set off for his house, talking about school and happenings.

"Did you see Matthews' face when I stood up on his table again that time?" We laugh. The first day I was off crutches I immediately jumped up in history class, climbing onto Mr. Matthews' table.

"Detention, Miss Hart. But it's nice to see that you're up and about again." he had said.

We turn around the corner and I glimpse his house. It's a cozy looking house, painted with warm and inviting color. It's got a beautiful garden, with a small, smooth walkway cutting through it. The house is on the left side, and the right side is a basketball
/court, it's length stretching to the back of the plot of land. The fence is a warm but bright yellow, and the small metal gate is at waist level. Lucas inserts a key into the keyhole and pushes the gate open. It creaks a little. My mouth is a little
/open in wonder. Lucas notices.

"Oh, Maya... I'm sorry, I didn't mean to make you feel– I completely forgot about your–" he starts to say. I cut in.

"No, no, it's fine, Lucas. Really. I just find this place really charming. It's... overwhelmingly home-like and cozy and welcoming." I try to explain. Lucas smiles and looks like he's observing me. "What?" I ask.

"Nothing. It's... You have this strong artistic side that comes out, and the look of wonder on your face is amazing. Your eyes light up in the most incredible way. It forces people to just stop and watch." I blush and smile a little. He walks down the
/walkway backwards, facing me, with a smile on his face. He looks so relaxed, calm and chill. I want to sketch it down. I do my best to commit it to memory so I can sketch it down later.

"Why do you have a basketball court in your house?" I ask.

"My dad trains me. We had space, so my dad thought it'd be good to just build a basketball court here."

"Oh." Lucas's other friends show up ten minutes later. The gang comprises of three guys and a girl.

"Hey, man." One guy and Lucas do this bro hug thing that I will never understand. "Who's the new chick?"

"Guys, this is Maya Hart. Maya, this is Issac, Jonas, and Jacqueline. You already know Billy." Lucas waves a hand around to indicate the company.

"Jackie. Please, never Jacqueline." The girl says with a glare to Lucas. She's got chin-length black hair and an athletic build. "Nice to meet you." She extends a hand and we shake.

"Sup," Jonas says with a head nod and a half smirk. Jonas has floppy black hair that falls into his eyes. I soon learn that he's is the playful one of the lot.

Issac's got blonde hair that's neatly arranged. He says nothing and only stares at me through his icy blue eyes. Lucas unlatches a ball cage and produces a basketball.

"I call dibs on the new girl!" Jackie shouts, running over and slinging her arm around my shoulder. I smile at her enthusiasm. "I have a feeling we're going to be good friends," she whispers. Jonas comes over to our team as well, doing a very Farkle-like
/wink and hair toss. Jackie punches his arm, and I have to laugh.

I was worried that Maya might not fit in but I seemed to have worried for nothing. Only fifteen minutes have passed, but Jackie, Billy and Jonas were already laughing with her like Maya was their own.

"-and then she says, 'it's a goose, you dummy'." All four of them throw back their heads and laugh.

"Yo, come on!" shouts Issac from the court. We continue the game. I was right when I thought Maya could be good at basketball. She has a natural flair and ball sense.

"So, Lucas," Jonas pants as he dribbled the ball and I block him, arms stretched out wide.

"Yeah?" I ask as I steal the ball and hand it off to Billy.

"Heard you got a date for the semi-formal." Jonas winks while blocking me, forcing Billy to hesitate about passing to me. I mouth "Don't." to Billy, and he spins around to find Issac.

"How'd you hear about it so soon?" Jonas nods his head in Billy's direction. "Dude!" I protest, but Billy shrugs as he passes to Isaac.

"Better he find out from me than the school newspaper, man. Hey!" Billy exclaims in surprise as Maya comes flying in and intercepts the pass. She smirks at him and throws it to Jackie with surprising speed. Jackie catches it and immediately shoots, and
/it sinks neatly into the net. Isaac huffs angrily.

"What's that about the school newspaper?" I ask Billy as I catch the rebound and pass it to him, running the length of the court.

"They're publishing the list of people going with each other. It's full of semi-formal news 'cause it's in two days." Billy huffs out as he dribbles down the length of the court with Jackie in hot pursuit. The school newspaper's publishing a list of dates? I need to get my hands on that. "Dude!"
/Issac's sharp bark pulls me back to the game to find a ball flying to me. Crap! Too late, Jonas intercepts and passes to Maya, who dribbles up the court and sinks it in the net.

"Yeah!" Jackie pumps her fist in the air. "We win! And that means you guys owe our team pizza! Tonight?" My heart sinks. My dad wants to train me tonight.

"Can't tonight." I give her a look and she immediately understands.

"Oh, yeah... I've got something too." she lies. "Tomorrow, after school?" We all agree. We go to our bags, which are strewn all over the sides of the court, to drink water. My bag was near Jonas's.

"Dude," he nudges me and sits down beside me while I drink water. "Why didn't you ask Maya to the semi-formal?" Uhh... How do I answer this one?

"Um, remember Riley and I had a thing? Maya's Riley's best friend and they're kind of going through something so if I'd asked her it would've made things worse." Jonas looks amused and confused.

"Well, she's cool." he says factually.

"Yeah, she is." I say, a little absentmindedly. Jonas grins.

"You have a crush, my friend." I choke.

"I'm taking Jenkins to the semi-formal, Jo." I splutter.

"Yeah, and the semi-formal is in two days. Yet, you're here with Maya instead of getting a tux and a corsage for Jenkins." I am silenced. Do I like Maya that way? Was that how everyone saw us? Was that the impression I gave everyone; that I have a crush on Maya?

"Well," I smirked, "it's two days before semi-formal and I'm playing basketball with you." I fake gasp. "Do I have a crush on you?" He rolls his eyes but drops it.

"Time for me to go. See you guys tomorrow." Jackie says. There are echoes of "bye" as she grabs her bag.

"I should be going to." Jonas adds. Issac and Billy stands with their bags too.

"See you, Maya." Jackie says cheerfully and wraps me in a hug. She whispers in my ear, "I really like you, Maya. Come hang out with us more often. Don't worry about Issac, he just needs some time to warm up." My heart warms at her openness. Jonas winks
/at me. He slings his arm around Lucas, smirking, and whispers something in his ear, watching me the entire time. Then he turns his head to watch Lucas's reaction. Lucas turns a little pink and gives a reply. Billy smiles at me.

"You've got some game." he admits. I smile and curtsey. Over his shoulder, I see Jackie and Lucas whispering to each other with a meaningful look in their eyes. What was that all about? Then it's over and the
four of them leaves with promises

of their meeting the next day.