Alright, so this is just something I wrote up after watching Ten Things I Hate About You, sigh, love that movie! I own nothing!
"I hate you Josh."
Josh froze at her words. The chill that ran down his body stiffened his posture almost immediately. His eyes hesitantly found hers and he took half a step backwards at the truth he saw in her eyes that were layered with unshed tears.
"You-you don't mean that." His head shook side to side in denial, his voice laced with hesitance.
Maya scoffed at the stupid boy in front of her. She pulled her eyes away from his and bit down on the bottom right corner of her lip nodding her head back to his direction. As soon as she caught his eyes again she spoke with a new found sense of clarity, "I do."
Josh watched in utter despair as Maya turned around and left him alone in the middle of her prom.
"Lucas?"
Lucas spared one last glance at the parting blonde before kissing Riley softly on the forehead. She smiled at the contact breathing him in.
"Go over there Riley. Be with your best friend." His hands slowly ran up and down her arms before holding her an arm's length away.
"But what about Prom?" Her head tilt to the side her brown eyes searching his for any indication that he really didn't want her to go. Lucas looked over Riley's shoulder and nodded a smirk playing at his lips.
"I had a good time," he whispered in her ear giving her one final chaste kiss.
Riley's eyes lit up at his choice of words and let out a chuckle. Time to find the other blonde in her life.
Riley found Maya in a stoic state outside of the venue where Prom was being held. She was on a stone bench facing the gardens, staring into the gardens as if she were lost in its depths.
"Peaches?"
Maya shook her head and let her head fall back letting out a tearful laugh.
"Hope is for suckers."
Riley smiled sadly at her best friend and went to sit next to her on what appeared to be a make shift bay window.
"Maya it's ok to hope for something."
Maya nodded her head violently interrupting Riley's words, "You are right Riley. It is ok to hope for something because I'm wrong it's not hope it's disappointment."
She smiled cynically, "Hope and disappointment. Would you look at that? It's me and you in a nutshell."
Riley's face morphed into one of utter disbelief and nudged Maya roughly with her shoulder, "Maya Penelope! That's not true and you know it!"
The silence enveloped the two friends as Maya finally let nights events consume her. Tears started to shed without permission.
"I hate him." The tone in her voice broke Riley's heart.
"Maya-"
"No, Riley I hate him." She stood up abruptly clutching on to her bare arms.
"I hate all of him!" Her voice picked up and the anger was beginning to present itself.
"I hate the way he wears that stupid jacket and that stupid beanie everywhere. I hate the way he turns everything into a joke and can never take anything seriously. I hate the way he spends so much time getting ready and I hate the way he is always looking at other girls. I hate him Riley!"
"You don't hate me Maya." Joshua Matthews looked over at his niece and smiled curtly at her.
She spared a look between the two before silently excusing herself. Maya begged Riley not to go with her eyes, but Riley refused to look at her. They both watched Riley go in silence. Josh's eyes never left her form and spoke again after Riley was out of ear shot. He tried again stepping closer to her this time.
"You don't hate me Maya."
She hugged herself and nodded her head in disagreement, "yes I do."
"No you don't and let me tell you why." She looked up at his statement and just stared at the boy.
"I only wear this stupid jacket," he started pulling off his jacket, "when I know I'm going to be around you because I need something to give you when you get cold." He wrapped his jacket around her shoulders and rested his hands on her arms.
"I know this is your favorite one. I only turn everything into a joke so I can see that gorgeous smile," he whispered still rubbing his hands up her arms.
"I only spend so much time getting ready so that you can look at me like I'm the only guy you will ever look at. I spend so much time getting ready for you Maya." His arms dropped to his sides as he stepped closer to her completely disregarding any type of space Maya had hoped for.
"You only ever see me looking at other girls Maya because I can't ever let you catch me looking at you because Maya, that's all I ever do." His voice securely wrapped around her and brought her this inner warmth she couldn't deny. Her eyes never left his.
"You want to know what I hate most?" Josh flinched at the word hate. Maya's gaze dropped down to their feet.
"I hate that I am so in love with you." Her eyes hesitated in finding his, but when they found each other a wide grin spread across his face and Maya knew, she knew that this, him, was real.