Friendship, Growth, & Feelings

Disclaimer: I don't own anything pertaining to the GMW franchise; it just gives me a lot of feelings.

Summary: The one where Zay knows stuff, and Riley learns some truths. Farkle is a bit confused, but still supports his friends. Lucas eventually makes his own choice, and fights for what he wants. Maya digs her heels in as much as possible. Or, where they have to clean up the mess that happened at the Ski Lodge and the domino effect that happened after. /Lucaya ending/

Chapter 2

Later that evening, Farkle finds himself climbing up the fire escape to Maya's apartment. He knocked on the closed window.

"Farkle!" Maya shouted through the glass as she crossed the room to open the window. "You nearly gave me a heart attack!"

"Can I come in?" he asked quietly.

"You didn't want to use the door?"

He shrugged. "Can I-?"

Maya rolled her eyes. "Get in here. And try not to break your neck." She sat on the edge of her bed and waited for Farkle to drop through her window and stand up to dust himself off. "What are you doing here, Farkle?"

"I wanted to talk to you."

"Give me the conversation summary", she said with a sigh and a wave of her hand.

"I owe you an apology", Farkle said.

"You may continue", Maya said with a shrug.

"I haven't been a very good friend to you lately."

"Farkle-"

"No, Maya. I'm serious. I was so concerned about Riley that I didn't really even consider your feelings… maybe because I haven't really talked to you about your feelings", he made a face.

"That would be the Riley Effect, my dear Farkle", she said with a sympathetic grin.

He just gave her an unimpressed look saying that he was not going to be dismissed from the conversation by her sarcasm.

Maya sighed. "Farkle, don't you think that I, of all people, understand that you can't have equal types of feelings for two completely different people?"

"Maya… I'm sorry. For New Years Eve… and everything else", he said quietly, finally sitting down next to her.

She shrugged. "You chose Riley. I can't blame you. Wasn't I the one who made you a co-founder in the Riley Protection Committee? We always choose Riley. We can't help it."

He squinted at her suspiciously. "You do know how you feel… don't you?" he asked carefully.

"Maybe", she shrugged. "Maybe not. Maybe it doesn't matter. What happened was what was supposed to happen. It's fine."

He stared incredulously, mouth dropping open and he pointed at her accusingly. "Maya?! Did you really do the same exact same thing I yelled at Riley about?!"

Maya shrugged a did unenthusiastic jazz hands. "Tada. Act Two has begun", she deadpanned.

"Why?" he groaned helplessly, throwing himself onto his back. Having girl best friends didn't used to be so dramatic.

She scoffed. "Riley couldn't handle the triangle. I mean, really, we were all falling apart. She refused to even talk about anything to do with Lucas. I tried, Farkle. I really tried. She covered here ears and made it about me not being me anymore! She was so convinced that I couldn't really be me and actually like Lucas she basically pushed me off a cliff without a parachute. That would have really solved the triangle, huh? Me not being me so much that I only liked Lucas because I became Riley?! Because if I was really me, I wouldn't want Lucas because I couldn't want a nice guy. That was really fun, let me tell ya."

"That's what she said to you?" Farkle sat up quickly, and absorbed her words in shock. He knew Riley went overboard when she wanted something, but he'd never known her to sabotage her best friend.

"She thought she was helping", Maya said tonelessly. "And to be fair to her, I was a little lost."

"You didn't deserve that, Maya", he whispered.

She shrugged. "Thanks."

"I love you, Maya."

"I know you do. I love you too."

"Why won't you be angry at me for what I did?" he complained. "Don't let me off the hook!"

"You did what you thought was right", she sighed. "How can I be mad about that?"

"I hurt you", he said remorsefully. "And maybe if I hadn't dropped Riley's bomb on New Years- Do you want to borrow another diamond ring?" he offered.

She snorted. "No- well, yes." Maya shook her head roughly trying to ignore the pull of shiny things. "No". she finally decided. "It was always going to be Riley, Farkle. How could he not choose Riley? It's what makes sense."

"Maya? When do you get what you want?" He'd heard what she refused to say… that she thought if there was a choice between her and Riley, the easy choice would always be Riley.

"Maybe the next time around?" she suggested. "Maybe I really don't know what I want."

"I don't think that's true", he said quietly.

She scoffed. "I don't know. It's never really happened before… me getting what I want."

"I think we have to do something first ", he suggested quietly.

Maya frowned. "What is it?"

"It's time to disband the Riley Protection Committee."

"What?!"

"Maya, it's time. The way we've protected her isn't helping her anymore. And we're hurting ourselves and other people."

"Farkle-"

"When I had my five minute identity crisis and finally decided I wanted to change a bit to find out who I am, I told Lucas that any living organism has to be allowed to grow if it's going to thrive. Maya, this applies to people too, not just plants. You let me grow, Maya. I experienced life outside of our little bubble. We have to do the same for Riley… and we have to do it for you too."

Maya took a harsh breath and wiped at watery eyes and dropped her head on his shoulder. "I don't want to lose her."

"Did you ever think that she might actually understand you better if she saw more of the world?" he said gently.

"You're not my baby bird anymore", Maya complained half-heartedly.

"Maybe not", he agreed, kissing the top of her head. "But I still love you."

"But seriously", Maya pulled away and narrowed her eyes at him. "Can we talk about your shoulders for a minute?" she said incredulously, sticking a finger out to poke at said shoulder while he tried to slap her hand away.

He blushed. "Maya!"

She laughed and pulled out her 'Sally voice'. "Why you certainly are a sturdy young man-"

Farkle grabbed one of her pillows and bopped her face with it. "You know who else has great shoulders? Lucas!" he said pointedly. "You have to deal with that!"

"No!" she insisted before grabbing another pillow and smacking him with it as well.

"And his ridiculous face", Farkle said exasperatedly.

Maya snorted. "Zay and I were just talking about how Lucas used to have a baby face", she laughed and then scrunched her eyes shut making a pouty face. "And now he's got a jaw that can probably cut glass, and it's totally unfair!" she hissed angrily.

"It is kind of unfair", Farkle nodded. "But you seem to like his ridiculous face, so… good luck with that", he laughed.

Maya started pelting him with pillows and a few stray stuffed animals. The conversation ended in giggles and them both falling off the bed.

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A/N: Chapter 2 is now 2, 3, & 4, so I have the same amount of chapters here and Ao3. A new chapter will be posted soon.