Hello, beautiful, beautiful people.
So, it's been about five or six months, roughly. I haven't forgotten about updating. As a matter of fact, I still have been writing quite a bit of Josh and Maya just not for this particular story line I'm working on. Which, by the way is ridiculous because I can visually see where I'm meant to take this one, but it's been difficult putting it on paper. Sigh, anyways. I re read your guys' reviews and I forced myself to sit down and hash out this chapter because you all deserve it darn it!
That being said I hope you enjoy this chapter. Juicy stuff coming up in the following chapters I tell you! I'm purposely not telling you what happens in those study sessions, yet. To all the new people to my drabbles, welcome! I'm glad you don't have to wait that long for this one, lol. So, like always I don't own GMW or the characters, I don't own the lyrics used, or the movie this is based on! Leave me your thoughts on this because I love your guys' opinions. They make me happy!
"Ms. Hart." I swallowed the nerves the crept up my throat and nodded toward Mrs. Darcy. Her expression was unreadable as she stood by my desk calculatingly. While still looking at me, she grabbed the next piece of paper from her stack and placed it on my desk.
"B+." Her hand squeezed my shoulder as she smiled softly at me.
"Well done."
I let out a breath of relief. My hands hesitated in grabbing the test. She obviously must have given me someone else's test. I stared in disbelief. Fingers curled around the edges of the test with the name Maya Hart written clearly on the top right hand side I allowed myself to smile.
Joshua Matthews worked wonders.
Before the thought could finish forming in my head my cellphone vibrated twice indicating a message. I looked around and decided it was safe to pull out the device.
So?
I grinned happily as I read the message.
So.
The reply was almost instantaneous and I couldn't stifle the overwhelming joy that pitted in a pool in my stomach.
Maya.
I don't think my cheeks could take anymore grinning, but I couldn't stop it.
Josh.
I chuckled silently to myself, while I rolled my bottom right lip between my teeth. These past few weeks have been perfect, Josh has been perfect and maybe he doesn't like me and will never fall in love with me, but I am a sucker for wanting what I can't have. As of right now though just having Josh around was all I wanted. I've felt lighter these past few weeks with him around like the weight of the world isn't all resting on my shoulders. I've felt happier.
I know you got the test back already Hart.
He knows my schedule. He remembered my schedule. I sighed in content at how attentive he was even when he wasn't near me. My inner 14 year old threatened to seep her way through.
We were having a one-worded conversation Matthews.
I wasn't even able to put down my phone.
Your grade, Maya.
"Ms. Hart."
I dropped my phone on my desk in response to hearing Mrs. Darcy addressing me. A grimace spread across my face while guilty eyes connected with Mrs. Darcy's. A mere calculative glare from her was enough to get me to stuff my phone into my backpack without a second thought. Long gone was the Maya who broke rules, apparently. The rest of the class went on without another evil stare thrown my way. I found myself zoning out and just looking out the window the rest of the period. I pretty much did that with every class until lunch actually. By the time lunch rolled around relief flooded through me. Classes weren't exactly the apple of my eye.
I began to roam the halls in search of my friends. I did a quick once over of the hall I was in before moving on to the next one. I walked for about ten minutes before spotting Farkle.
"Hey, Minkus!" I yelled gripping my backpack closer to my shoulder. His head turned at the sound of his name and his goofy smile spread happily across his face.
"Hey, Riley or Maya." A laugh escaped my lips while I rolled my eyes.
"Speaking of, where is miss-soon-to-be-Farkle-Minkus?" I asked quickly surveilling the area for our favorite brunette. A small smile ghosted over Farkle's lips as his eyes retreated from reality for a few seconds. He cleared his throat and shrugged.
"She was with Zay looking for you actually," my left eyebrow rose in response, "apparently you told Zay you'd help him prep for his Julliard audition."
As the words left his mouth, I bounced into action.
"Where are you going?!"
"Maya!"
I ran down the hall and yelled a response out to Farkle, "I have to help Zay! I'll see you!"
I ran through almost every hall, scanning each one and each face with vigilance without any luck finding Riley or Zay. I paused for a breath as my mind started accumulating different places they'd be.
Zay needed help for his Julliard audition.
His Julliard audition where he had found he didn't just wanted to dance.
He wanted to act, to sing, and to dance.
My feet began to move quickly, my body slammed into other people who yelled at me in response, while I paid no mind.
I rounded the corner and slowed down to a walk. I paused outside the door and took a few breaths before I decided to pull it open, the door to the auditorium. I groaned in exasperation and flung my backpack on one of the many chairs in the room, this empty room-no Riley, no Zay. I plopped down on a chair next to my backpack and came to a decision that I'd help Zay after school. I stood up again and was about to leave when the sound of multiple piano keys made me jump. Startled, I turned.
Normal people would have glanced back and left, but it wasn't in my nature. My bag rested against the floor of the stage while I walked on to it. I found myself next to the piano, in a crouch to retrieve the item that fell on the piano keys. A chuckle escaped my lips. A candelabra. With the item still in my hand I stood and turned to the piano. A sense of longing prickled at my insides. I gently placed the candelabra back on top of the piano and tugged on the end of my shirt. I swallowed my nerves and slowly ran my fingertips along the surface of the piano keys. My eyes closed on their own accord at the feel of the piano and I sighed in satisfaction. Zay had taught me a few things here and there with music and I hated showing how much I actually enjoyed it. I scanned the old piano once more and noticed a piece of music resting along it.
Beauty and the Beast
A Change in Me
I didn't really realize what I was doing, but that didn't stop me from instinctually doing it. I closed my eyes at the memory that popped into my mind.
"Riley, alls they dos is sings." Five-year old me had her arms crossed in front of her chest, a frown on her babyish face, and a beaming best friend.
"Buts Maya! Her dress is yellows likes yous hairs! She's soooo perty!" Riley bounced from wall to wall singing along to Beauty and the Beast.
I was always interested in the arts, obviously right? Maya the painter.
Singing, singing was different. It was a guilty pleasure I didn't know I had.
So, I stood there and a soft hum soon became me singing to a lone piano with one hand hovering above the lyrics other holding the sheet of paper.
There's been a change in me
A kind of moving on
Though what I used to be
I still depend on
For now I realize
That good can come from bad
That may not make me wise
But oh it makes me glad
And I-I never thought I'd leave behind
My childhood dreams
But I don't mind
For now I love the world I see
No change of heart a change in me.
The last notes I sang hung in the air, speaking to me in their absence. Had I really never liked Beauty and the Beast?
I placed the sheet of music back where it belonged and decided that I should go. I turned around to head off the stage when I stopped abruptly.
"Josh?" I croaked. Embarrassment flooded through me.
He didn't say anything, not for a while. He was just leaning against the doorway in his trademark leather jacket and black beanie. I was paralyzed for a moment unsure of what to do. I couldn't look away from him, and he hasn't looked away from me. I don't even think he's blinked yet. I was burning under his stare and the hair on my arms stood in the most pleasurable way at the intensity of it and yet the softness of it as well.
"I was just fooling around. I didn't know anyone was here-let alone you, I'm sorry you had to hear that." I internally kicked myself at the way he makes me lose my grip. I stormed off the stage and rushed towards my backpack. My mind was in a scramble. All I could hear was the blood rushing between my ears at how Joshua Matthews the Uncle Boing had caught me singing.
"Maya-" I jumped at the touch of his hand on my elbow. He tugged on my arm until I begrudgingly turned his way.
"Why are you sorry?" I have blue eyes. I don't know how I can still be mesmerized by the blue of other people's eyes, or maybe it was just his. The darker undertones of his eyes shone brighter than I could describe, but they excited me, scared me, and calmed me all in one. It definitely had to be just his. I looked down at his hand that still lingered on my arm.
"I'm not very good. It's-"
He began to chuckle. I couldn't stop the glare or the rush of heat on my cheeks.
"You're serious?" He spoke with a smile in response to my glare.
"It's not funny Josh. It's embarrassing." I muttered picking up my backpack.
"Hey. Maya-" He grabbed my backpack from my hand and slung it over his shoulder.
"You really have no idea how amazing you are, you know that?" He spoke softly, still with a smile, but in a more intimate way. His free hand, hesitantly so, lightly grazed my forehead and pushed my hair back behind my ear. The heat in my body increased ten fold. His hand rested on my shoulder on its way down and I had to swallow down the sigh that threatened to escape at the comfort of his touch.
"Your voice is just as gorgeous as the rest of you."
I could have died and lived contently under Josh's touch, sincerity, and gaze. I wasn't embarrassed by the compliment. On the contrary, my heart was swelling with content and my body was all sorts of aware with his proximity- his hand still on my shoulder, his breath intertwining with mine, his lips mere inches away. I was obvious. When have I never been upfront with my affections for him? My attraction towards him?
I responded by looking in his eyes and then by looking at his lips, while licking my own. I saw his slight intake of breath and felt his fingers grip just a little bit tighter on my shoulder. I watched as his Adam's Apple bobbed up in down, in nerves or anticipation I wouldn't be able to say. So, I looked back up at him still watching me.
"What are you doing here Josh?" I managed to whisper tugging on my lip with my teeth.
He cleared his throat uneasily and dropped his hand from my shoulder.
"You didn't reply." My right eyebrow slowly lifted.
"To my text message. Your test." The smile was a slow one, but it got bigger and bigger as I looked at how embarrassed he was getting at my smiling.
"You came all the way down here to see how I did on my test?"
"Ugh. Can we not make this a big deal?" Josh rubbed his hands over his face in exasperation. I laughed at his expense.
"Ok."
He removed his hands from his face.
"Really?"
I nodded.
"So, how'd you find me?" I asked curiously.
"You told me yesterday that you were going to help Zay today during your lunch. I figured this was the only place he could practice." Josh answered looking around at the auditorium.
"I guess I was wrong?" Josh questioned in amusement.
The initial shock of him actually recalling our conversation that was just casually mentioned died down fairly quickly as I heard him laughing.
I nodded in agreement.
"You and I both." I smiled. I walked around him and opened up my backpack to take out my test. He stood still as he waited for me to finish up with my backpack. I hopped right in front of him with my test behind my back. I beamed up at him.
"You remember our deal?"
He narrowed his eyes at me playfully.
"You mean that one-sided deal you made with yourself in front of me?"
"You know Boing, if you want to see the test…" I let my thoughts hang in the air as he crossed his arms in front of his chest. We stood in a staring match before he sighed with a smile thrown at the end.
"Fine. You win!" He said as he let his arms fall.
I squealed in delight and carefully changed the position of my test from behind me to in front of me and in front of Josh. Josh has always made me feel things differently with him than with anyone else, but this emotion was different. His eyes lit up as did his smile, with pride. Pride for me. My heart soared.
"An 89! Maya, that's great!" He exclaimed opening his arms. Call it for old times sake, but I literally jumped on him. He caught me which he normally does, but we stumbled. We fell back and I chuckled as Josh grimaced.
"Someone needs to hit the gym." I winked at him and poked his bicep.
His smile wasn't as bright at this joke, he didn't actually seem very amused. He seemed caught of guard, maybe even frustrated. And if I wasn't so observant on all things Joshua Matthews, maybe I wouldn't have noticed the lines of worry that lined his forehead.
"I'll take that into account." He said winded as he pulled us both up.
I grinned at the man in front of me in all of his perfectness and gave him an unexpected hug that he soon reciprocated. The bottom of his chin found the top of my head, and his arms found the small of my back and we stood like that for what seemed like an eternity, and yet it still wasn't long enough.
"Thank you, Josh." I spoke just loud enough for him to hear me. He didn't say anything, but I took the way his thumb was slowly caressing me as response enough.
I lifted my head from under his chin, looked up at him, and like always he was already looking at me.
"So, about that date." I whispered looking directly at his mouth, then his eyes and back again.
I could feel his heartbeat as I'm sure he could feel mine. His eyes dropped to my lips and stayed there. He nodded his head slowly.
"Yeah, about that da-" He didn't finish that sentence.
His lips pressed against mine and mine pressed against his.
It was overwhelming and not enough all at once.
It was all I'd had imagined it to be and more.
And if I wasn't already embarrassed with Josh hearing me sing, I'd definitely be embarrassed from the moans that escaped my mouth just from him kissing me, but right now I could care less.
Joshua Matthews was kissing me.