A/N: Once again, sorry for taking so long with updating. As I said before, things are pretty stressful right now. But anyway, here is chapter 12, I really hope you like it. Some dialogue is taken from the episodes "Girl Meets Ski Lodge (Part 1 and 2)". Feel free to leave a review and let me know what you think :)
Disclaimer: I don't own any of the Girl Meets World characters.
Piece by Piece
Piece by piece
"Piece by piece"
Quite some time had passed since the big road trip and the engagement of Shawn Patrick Hunter and Katy Grace Hart. The wedding preparations were in full swing and had everyone stressed out. Topanga had volunteered to help her best friend with the planning and Katy had gladly accepted the offer. The two women almost exclusively talked about flower arrangements, center pieces and color schemes. Nobody, least of all Katy herself, had expected the bride-to-be to be so into the whole process of wedding planning, but the blonde was having the time of her life. Shawn made sure to be included in the important decisions but knew well enough to stay clear off his best friend's wife when she was on one of her power trips. Everybody else had been assigned their roles as well: Topanga and Cory would act as maid-of-honor and best man respectively; Maya and Riley would be bridesmaids; and Jack and Josh would be groomsmen.
But the upcoming wedding wasn't the only major occurrence since the road trip: While Riley, Maya and their friends had started high school, along with Cory as their teacher, Josh had started college, making him an even more regular guest in the Matthews household – especially when he wanted to escape from his annoying roommate. Maya and Josh continued to hang out and had grown even closer over the last few months, still waiting for their someday. This also led to Josh spending more time with Maya and Riley's friends, who had accepted the older boy with open arms. All in all, things were running pretty smoothly for the younger ones … well, almost: the whole Riley/Farkle/Lucas-dilemma was still not resolved, but Maya had a feeling that it would resolve itself very soon. And if it didn't, the blonde was determined to help things along in whatever way possible.
In the midst of all the wedding havoc and adjustment to new schools, however, there was one little light at the end of the tunnel. A chance for our friends to find some relaxation and an escape from their current hectic lives. At least, that was the original plan. But let's not get ahead of ourselves. It all started, one faithful day, in one faithful high school classroom.
"Nature!" Cory pointed to the word on the blackboard, a grim expression on his face. "Makes us sneeze, puts us in the infirmary." He looked sternly at his students before glaring at the board once again. "Nature!"
"What's he got against nature?" Maya asked, clearly amused by their teacher's actions. "Isn't he running the nature club?"
"He's only running the nature club because it was either that or the ski club," Riley explained matter-of-factly.
"So, why didn't he choose the ski club?" Lucas asked.
"He can't run the ski club because of what happened at the Mount Sun Lodge when they were our age," Riley told the class.
"Nature!" Cory interrupted, continuing his rant. "The only place a bear can kill you from. Nature!"
"What happened at the ski lodge?" Zay inquired.
"A mountain girl kissed him," Riley revealed to the shock of all of her classmates.
"I didn't kiss her back," Cory tried to soothe them.
"Nature!" Maya mocked him.
"How about I throw you back in the street where you came from, huh?" Cory glared at the blonde and Maya looked at him with a half-shocked, half-amused expression on her face.
"Those were very bad times for Cory and Topanga," Riley continued her story. "But everything's fine now. Except we can't ski ever or say ski or walk downhill."
"So why is he all upset with nature?" Farkle asked.
"Guess where the hike is." Riley smirked.
"The Mount Sun Lodge," Isadora Smackle – a new addition to their group of friends – concluded, snipping her fingers.
"Nature!" Cory repeated, banging the pointer against the blackboard for the fifth time now, effectively breaking the poor innocent thing in half.
"What are you doing, Dad?" Riley asked, clearly worried about her father's mental health.
"The ski lodge was almost the end of Cory and Topanga," Cory explained. "America's sweethearts. And now I know something's gonna happen there for you. So, I am preparing you … for nature!" Not being able to use the pointer anymore, Cory threw what was left of it against the board. The impact catapulted it back into the classroom, almost hitting Farkle.
"We're just going up to see the leaves change color," Lucas pointed out.
"Nature puts on a great show when it wants to," Zay added.
"Indeed, Zay," Smackle agreed.
"Alright, before we get on the bus, I want to talk to you guys about the other kind of nature," Cory interrupted the chattering. "The human kind."
"Here it comes," Zay groaned.
"Oh, I've been on these kind of trips before," Cory started reminiscing. "We made our plans, we had our blueprints. Well, you know what's gonna happen to all your little teenage plans? Nothing!"
"Why not?" Smackle exclaimed passionately.
"Because." A satisfied grin appeared on Cory's face. "I am gonna be your chaperone. And I will be dogging you every step … like a dog."
"What makes you think we're like that, Matthews?" Maya asked, a sweet smile on her face.
"Get a load of Yogi and Darby over there." The whole class looked over to Darby's seat, where suddenly Yogi had appeared on the blonde's lap.
"Uh, they go by Yoby now," Zay explained. There had even been an ad in the school newspaper on that particular topic.
"Well." Cory chuckled at that. "It's not Yoby I'm worried about anyway. Yoby's forever." Yogi and Darby smiled sweetly at their teacher. "It's this three-headed creeping triangle that won't die that concerns me. Mostly because, for some reason, it involves my little girl. Who, now that I think of it, really shouldn't be dating anyway until she's thirty!"
"What do you have to …" Riley started.
"… bring that up …" Farkle added.
" … for?" Lucas finished.
"Hey, Matthews," Maya whispered and Cory approached. "I'm working on it. I'm really trying here, but those three are too damn stubborn for their own good!"
"Well, work faster." Cory patted the blonde's head. "Because the triangle is going to the great outdoors. So, we are gonna need some great chaperons."
"I promise, I got it completely under control, Matthews," Maya told him firmly. "I'll keep an eye on them and make them figure this whole thing out. After all, at least my human nature is completely under control and there's nothing or nobody who could ever change that.
And who have thought, nothing or nobody walked through the door right this second. "Hey, kiddies!"
Proving her previous statement completely wrong, Maya immediately started giggling nervously. The blonde looked down at her table. "I'm wrong."
"Here we go," Riley sighed.
"You're my chaperone." Maya looked up shyly and Josh nodded with a smirk on his face.
"Oh, no way!" Cory exclaimed immediately, placing himself between his little brother and the blonde. "He's not your chaperone. Just you wait for it."
Their next chaperone walked through the door right then. "I invited him," Topanga told them.
"I love you!" Maya exclaimed.
"I'm coming, too," the woman explained.
"I invited her. I'm smart," Cory told them and put an arm around his wife.
"We'll be watching over you," Topanga elaborated.
"Yeah, yeah, but that's not the most important thing," Cory said. "Kids, I'd like you to meet my favorite person in the whole world. And here he comes now. Topanga honey, please step over a little bit and make room for Shawn. Yes kids, you heard right. Shawn's coming! I invited him, too."
"My whole life." Topanga rolled her eyes but took a step closer to her brother-in-law. Josh put an arm around the older woman in a comforting manner and received a grateful smile in return.
"And I invited her," Shawn said as he entered the room with Katy in tow.
"So, this is going to be more of a big family vacation?" Riley asked incredulously.
"Along with our whole class?" Lucas added, confused.
"Yes!" the adults chorused.
"Isn't that a bit … weird?" Farkle asked slowly.
"Oh, hush you," Cory shrugged him off. "This is gonna be fun. Besides, look at you? A room full of high school students with a whole lot of unresolved feelings – yes, I am looking at you, daughter. Or in the case of Yoby over there, too many resolved feelings. I'm gonna need all the help I can get. And that's where they come in."
"Okay, now I get you and Mom," Riley said. "And even Uncle Shawn and Miss Katy make sense … but what about Uncle Josh? Aren't there some unresolved feelings between him and …"
Maya jumped up out of her chair and bolted over to her best friend. She now had her hand firmly clasped over the brunette's mouth. "Riley, Honey! Now why would you question your father's good judgement? He is our teacher and we should respect him. He knows what's best for us and if he thinks we need all those chaperones, now who are we to disagree with him?"
"Exactly! Thank you, Maya," Cory said smugly, apparently completely missing the real reason Maya was so happy about Josh coming, too.
"Of course, Matthews. Always at your service." Maya grinned. The girl quickly looked towards Josh, only to find him sporting an equally large smile on his face. She didn't dare look at Shawn or her mother, for fear of their reaction. Instead, she just let go of Riley and sat back down on her chair, looking all prim and proper, like a well-mannered schoolgirl.
"Oh please, like anyone's buying that," Farkle hissed from behind her, a smug look on his face. Maya just quickly turned around and stuck her tongue out at him. Cory had apparently bought her act and that was all that mattered. Or so she thought.
"But like I said, Maya," Cory addressed the blonde once more. "Josh is not gonna be your chaperone, Maya. That's exactly why Shawn – your overprotective almost-father – is here." Maya looked at her teacher with a disbelieving expression on her face. "Oh yeah. Told you I'm smart," Cory said smugly.
"Riley, how did you fall off the bus?" Maya inquired.
"Who does that?" Lucas chimed in and Farkle nodded in agreement.
"Nobody," Cory added and Topanga shot her husband a disbelieving glance.
"Better go get a bible now, Cor," Shawn whispered to his best friend. "We don't want a repeat of what happened last time now, do we?"
"Shawnie!" Cory exclaimed. Shawn just chuckled, wrapped his arm around his fiancé and headed towards the check-in.
Riley looked around the room and immediately found something. "Oh," the girl gushed. "Bay window! Bay window right now!"
"Hey, did anyone else feel like Mr. Matthews' nature lecture was completely pointed at us?" Lucas asked.
"Duh." Farkle rolled his eyes. "Isn't everything?"
"Hey, I thought we agreed not to rush anything," Riley pointed out.
"Riles, that was ages ago," Maya said firmly. "Maybe, it's time. I mean, we're here out in … Nature! … what else are we to do than figure out your little triangle?"
"Well, there is one other thing." Lucas grinned and gestured towards the door, where Josh, Smackle and Zay were currently entering the ski lodge.
"Hey, Boing has nothing to do with this, okay!" Maya exclaimed, grabbing the front of Lucas' sweater. "He's a someday. And apparently someday hasn't occurred just yet. What's the matter with you!"
"Yeah, I'm real messed up," Lucas said, sarcasm dripping off his voice. Maya rolled her eyes and watched the scene in front of her.
"When's the first nature hike, dreamboat?" Smackle tried to flirt with Josh.
"Smackle, do you even know who this is?" Zay asked, clearly amused.
"He's Maya's Boing," Smackle said matter-of-factly and Maya had to bite her tongue to keep herself from bursting out laughing.
"Then why would you call him dreamboat?" Zay inquired, a smirk on his face.
"Look at him!" Smackle exclaimed. Josh grinned awkwardly at that and the rest of them couldn't keep in their laughter any longer.
"That little chipmunk really was a great addition to our group," Maya said affectionately.
"Yeah, she was," Riley agreed and the boys nodded.
"Okay," Josh summoned everyone's attention. "While Cory and Topanga are checking us in, let me welcome you all to Mount Sun Lodge, where we are here to turn our thoughts away from our indoor relationships and towards our relationships with the outdoors." Josh paused and looked over to his brother. "Did I get that right, Cor?" The teacher gave him a thumbs up.
"Yeah, I don't think so, Cub Scout," Zay disagreed. They took a look around the room and could find nothing except happily-in-love-looking couples, a few even with children, there.
"You brought them here on Couples Weekend?" Shawn asked incredulously.
"Of course, I did," Cory groaned. Next up was the agenda, displayed on a white board with black writing on it.
"Nature Sez: Tree's A Crowd," Zay read out loud.
"Huh," Riley said.
"Moonlight Walk: Triangle Trail," Smackle read the second point.
"Huh," Farkle said.
"Riley, Farkle, Lucas: Enough Already," Maya read the last point, which had been added by herself in black permanent marker. The blonde grinned smugly. "Huh!"
While the rest of her class was out on their … Nature! … hike, Riley had made herself comfortable at the bay window. Her injured foot was resting on the seat while the brunette leaned back. Katy had stayed at the lodge to keep an eye on her, even though Riley had assured the older woman that she would have been fine on her own. Sensing that the girl needed some alone time, Katy had supplied her with snacks and some tea and had taken a seat on one of the couches with a book in hand. Riley was thankful for that and the time alone really had done her a lot of good. She had thought about what Maya had said earlier and had realized that her best friend was right. It really was time to figure out her feelings once and for all. The triangle was coming to an end … finally. And, indeed, after calmly thinking about what both her head and her heart wanted her to do, the girl was one step closer to figuring out her emotional rollercoaster.
And that proved to be pretty good timing because just at that moment, Topanga and Cory walked through the door. "Sorry you had to miss the first hike, Riley," the girl's mother said.
"Oh, it's actually been a very productive few hours," Riley assured her parents. "I've managed to do some thinking and I'm pretty sure Katy has finished her book there."
"I did," the blonde chimed in. "We had a nice time, didn't we, Riley?" Katy winked at the brunette.
"We really did." Riley winked back before turning to her parents with a warm smile. Topanga patted her daughter's head affectionately before heading over to her best friend. Cory quickly followed suit.
The next part of the group returned right then. Josh and Shawn were shoving Darby and Yogi respectively through the door. "You two stay away from each other," Shawn scolded and the kids furiously shook their heads. Riley chuckled and a big smile appeared on her face when her friends came in next.
"How was it?" the brunette asked immediately.
"Oh, just like you'd think. Farkle wandered off the trail and Maya broke the rules and went after him," Lucas explained while rolling his eyes.
"Hey, in my defense," Maya started. "It was either breaking the rules or watching Farkle get lost. Shawn and Josh were too busy keeping Yoby away from each other and your father seems to have made it his mission to spend every waking moment of this trip with your mother."
"Maya, you could have been killed," Zay chimed in.
"Farkle," Maya said.
"She saved my life!" the boy exclaimed.
"Wait, what happened?" Riley wanted to know. Farkle started recollecting his adventurous chase of the rare Achemon Sphinx Moth. Riley's eyes went wide, but her other friends just rolled their eyes.
"Farkle," Smackle beckoned.
"He tricked me," Farkle blurted out. "He flew over there, and I went after him and slipped off the edge of the trail. I was hanging on by a tree branch. I was hanging by my fingertips."
Riley's heart skipped a beat at that. She was just about to ask further questions when Zay took over. "Maya tears off, jumps up and saves him."
Riley turned to Lucas. "What were you doing?"
"I was saving Smackle," the boy explained.
"What happened to you?" Riley asked the girl.
"I was all: 'Help, Lucas! Help!'" Smackle grinned.
"All while Farkle was hanging from a tree?" Riley shot the girl an incredulous look.
"No, every chance I get," Smackle said.
"Oh boy." Maya shook her head. "Anyway, I'm fine. Farkle's fine. Everybody's fine."
"Yeah, I guess," both Lucas and Zay said.
"We should go up and get changed. Dinner will be ready soon," Smarkle pointed out. The rest of the group nodded and everyone started heading upstairs. Except for Maya.
"You okay there, honey?" the blonde asked her best friend.
"I'm fine, Peaches." Riley smiled. "I actually had some time to think. And I think I've gotten closer to making my decision. Whatever my father says, … Nature! … isn't all bad; looking out the window was really calming and helped a lot. You were right, this triangle has to come to an end."
"Glad to hear that." Maya grinned. "So, who is in the lead?"
"Not yet," Riley said firmly. "But soon."
"Alright, fair enough." Maya gave her best friend a hug and stood up. "I'm gonna head upstairs, too. See you later, honey."
"Later, Peaches," Riley said and looked out the window again.
Maya chuckled. Finally, the damn triangle would come to an end, the girl thought as she headed up the stairs. "Watcha smiling about? Happy to see me?" a voice coming from right beside her startled the blonde.
"Well, hello there, Boing," Maya said and sat down next to the older boy. "You know, I'm always happy to see you."
"Glad to hear that." Josh smiled. "So, judging from your expression just now, I take it that Riley, Howdy and Dr. Turtleneck are on the right way. How are things?"
"Still confusing," Maya admitted. "But we're getting there. Slowly but surely."
"Piece by piece," Josh added, making Maya smile.
"Exactly," the blonde agreed. "How about you? How's the chaperoning going?"
"Well, those two, Darby and Yogi, are a real piece of work," Josh groaned and Maya giggled. "But other than that, I can't complain. I get an all-expenses paid weekend at a beautiful lodge together with my family and friends."
"Sounds like a dream come true." Maya laughed and rolled her eyes. "Spending a weekend with your niece and all her high school friends."
"Oh come on, you and Riley I've known for years now. And after spending some time with your friends over the last couple of months, I have to admit they're pretty cool, too." Josh paused and a smirk spread across his face. "And you know, we're only about three years apart. Not that big a deal."
Maya raised her eyebrows. The blonde couldn't believe what she was hearing. "Is that so? Well, who knew?"
"Yeah," Josh said and grinned at the girl sitting next to him.
"Well, I'll be damned." Maya giggled. "The times they are a-changing."
"Must be because of nature," Josh joked.
"Uh-uh, Boing." Maya shook her head. "It's … Nature!" the girl exclaimed while punching her fist in the air and Josh chuckled. She scrunched up her nose, not quite pleased with the effect her action had on the boy. "It would be more effective if I had a blackboard and one of those fancy teacher-pointer-thingies."
"Whatever you say, Gorgeous." Josh chuckled and Maya grinned at him.
They sat in silence for a little while and, before they could continue their conversation, the two teenagers were interrupted by a new voice. "Dinner's in half an hour, you should go get changed, kiddos." Shawn approached his best friend's little brother and his daughter-to-be with an unreadable expression on his face.
"I was just about to head up," Maya quickly said and jumped up from her seat.
"Right behind you." Josh tried to follow the blonde but was interrupted by Shawn putting a hand on his arm.
"Actually, Josh," Shawn started. "Would you mind staying here for a little while longer. There's something I wanted to talk to you about."
"Um …" the boy stammered and shot Maya a helpless glance. The blonde shrugged, a slightly worried expression on her face as she looked between Josh and Shawn. "Sure, Shawn." Josh nodded and sat down again.
"I can stay, too," Maya offered but was quickly interrupted by Shawn.
"See you at dinner, Maya," Shawn said calmly but firmly.
"Alright then." Maya nodded and retreated slowly. "See you guys later."
Shawn and Josh sat in an awkward silence for a little while; Josh, because he didn't want to say anything that might incriminate him; and Shawn, because he quite liked keeping the young Matthews in suspense a little longer.
"So, Josh," Shawn finally said, clapping his hands together.
Josh gulped and looked up at the older man uncertainly. "So, Shawn."
"You're a smart boy, aren't you?" Josh shrugged. "So, I'm guessing that you have a good idea about what I want to talk to you about."
"Maya?"
Shawn nodded. "Yes, Maya," he affirmed. "Now, I want you to know that Katy has told me about your talk during that road trip we took in the spring. I have to admit, I quite liked what I heard." Josh let out a relieved breath. "You're family Josh and I care for you very much. I've known you your whole life. You won't remember this, but the two of us had a really nice talk pretty soon after you were born."
Josh was confused. "Huh?"
A small smile appeared on Shawn's face and he got a distant look in his eyes. "Well, as you know, right after your birth you were in pretty bad shape. We didn't know if you'd be able to pull through the night. So, in case the worst happened, we all went in to see you – including me. I told you to stay here because otherwise you would miss out on meeting the greatest family there is. I wasn't in the best place back then myself and you, little Matthews, were my wake-up call. I told you that we wanted you to be with us so we could watch you grow and see you change and make great memories together."
"And we did," Josh said, his voice hoarse.
"We sure did." Shawn grinned. "You were a really cool kid and I'm glad to have you in my life." Shawn paused. "But I also need you to know that Maya is now a big part of my life as well."
"I know," Josh quickly said. "It's pretty obvious that you two share a very special bond."
Shawn nodded. "So, you see that the idea of the two of you possibly starting to date … you know, someday." Shawn winked. "Is putting me in a rather awkward position."
"I get that," Josh told him, a light blush spreading across the boy's face. "And I also know that your opinion means a great deal to Maya. So, I'd really like you to be on board with the idea of us starting to date … you know, someday." The boy blushed.
Shawn was quiet for a moment. "I'm getting there. And I have to admit, Maya could do a lot worse than you." The man chuckled.
"Thank you," Josh said hesitantly, not quite knowing what to think of that.
"Well, you saw how Cory reacted when Riley wanted to go out on her first date." Shawn shook his head. "I don't think I'm gonna be any better. It seems to be how fathers react when they are about to lose their little girls."
Josh shot the older man a confused look. "Lose her? Shawn, nobody is talking about her moving out or marriage."
"I know that." Shawn was quiet for a moment. "But I just got her. I don't want to lose her again."
"What do you mean?" Josh inquired. "You're not gonna lose her."
Shawn looked doubtful. "You sure about that? It's the typical story. Teenage girl meets teenage boy and the father is moved into the back of her mind. I know it's what usually happens, but I guess I just thought I had more time. Most fathers do."
Josh shook his head. "You're not gonna lose her. Maya loves you. She's been waiting to have a real father ever since she was five years old. And that won't change just because of some guy." Josh winked at the older man.
"Well, if you put it like that …" Shawn trailed off. "Thanks Josh. See, you are a good guy."
"Glad to hear it." A grin appeared on Josh's face. "So, I take it that you'll be alright with me asking Maya out … someday?"
Shawn took a deep breath. "Yes, I'm okay with that." A mischievous smirk spread across his face. "But I have a feeling someday isn't too far down the road … is it?"
Josh started to get flustered. "Well, …" the boy trailed off. "You might have a point there."
"I knew it!" Shawn pumped his fist into the air. "So, when are you gonna do it? Tell me!"
"I'm not gonna tell you," Josh said firmly. "But I have a plan. It's not quite finished, but I'm working on it. I want to do this the right way."
"Mind giving me a heads up first?" Shawn asked. "You know, just so I can prepare myself."
"Yeah, I can do that." Josh nodded and the guys smiled nervously at each other.
"Oh boy," Shawn muttered, causing Josh to chuckle.
Maya showered and got changed in record time before heading back down to the lobby. She could see Josh and Shawn still in deep conversation, but there was no shouting or fighting; the blonde took that as a good sign. Riley remained in her seat at the bay window and had been joined by her father. Topanga and Katy were sitting on one of the couches, a few wedding magazines spread out on the table in front of them. Maya's friends were also there: Farkle and Smackle seemed to be involved in a pretty heated discussion about something or other; Zay and Lucas were sat next to Topanga and Katy, playing cards on what little space was left on the table. Maya was just thinking about what group she wanted to join, when she almost stumbled over a little person appearing right in front of her feet.
"Woah," the blonde exclaimed. A little brunette girl, approximately two or three, was standing right in front of her, about to lose her balance. Maya quickly crouched down and steadied her. "Careful there, sweety. You okay?"
The little girl nodded shyly. "Yeah." In her shock, she had dropped her stuffed animal. Maya picked it up and couldn't help the big smile forming on her face. It was a stuffed bear, looking remarkably similar to Barry the Bear-Bear … well, before Auggie had bitten his face off.
"Lynnie!" a female voice called. A brunette woman in her mid-twenties rushed over. "I'm sorry. I just lost track of her for a second there."
"No problem," Maya assured and handed Lynnie the bear back. "Here you go, sweety. You know, my best friend has a teddy that looks just like yours." Well, almost.
"Really?" the girl asked, her eyes wide.
"Oh yeah." Maya nodded. "His name's Barry. Barry the Bear-Bear."
Lynnie's mother chuckled, but the little girl was mesmerized. "Wow!" She held out her bear, so Maya could look at him more closely. She gestured to the little guy. "Harry!"
"His name's Harry?" Maya grinned as Lynnie's mother nodded. "Well, isn't that cool."
A brilliant smile spread across the little brunette's face. She hesitated for a moment before grabbing Maya's hand and dragging her towards the bench in front of the fireplace. A raven-haired man in his mid-twenties sat there and eyed the two of them curiously. "Did you find a new friend there, Lynnie-honey?"
Lynnie looked up at Maya, a questioning look in her eyes. The blonde nodded with a warm smile and the little girl turned back to her father. "Yes, Daddy," she said proudly.
And before Maya knew what was happening, she was being introduced to the rest of little Lynnie's stuffed animals: Pippa, the penguin; Lenny, the lion; Lila, the unicorn; and, Maya's personal favorite, Freddy, the ferret. They played together for a little while before Lynnie turned to her Daddy, telling him she had to go potty.
"That was really sweet of you," Lynnie's mother turned to Maya as father and daughter walked off.
"It was nothing. I really had fun," Maya assured the woman. "And it distracted me a little bit." Maya took a deep breath. "Do you mind if I sit here with you guys a little while longer?"
"Of course not. And I'm sure Lynnie will be delighted. She's usually so shy around strangers." The mother smiled. "I'm Emma, by the way."
"Maya." The two of them shook hands and sat together in a comfortable silence. Maya once again returned to her thoughts.
"So, Maya," Emma started. "I couldn't help but notice that you looked a bit lost in your thoughts. Is everything alright?"
"Yeah, I think so." Maya paused a little. "You really wanna know? I don't want to bother you with my problems."
Emma smiled warmly. "I'm told I'm a really great listener."
"Well, it's a few things actually," Maya admitted, not quite knowing where to start.
"You don't have to talk about it," Emma assured. "But, in my experience, sometimes it helps to try and figure out one thing at a time. You know, work your way through it, piece by piece."
Maya nodded slowly. "Well, there's this guy …" she trailed off.
"Isn't there always." Emma chuckled and gave the blonde an encouraging nod.
"We've known each other forever and I've liked him for a few years now," Maya started to explain. "He told me he liked me, too, a few months ago. But we agreed to wait."
"Why?" Emma asked curiously.
"There's a bit of an age difference," Maya admitted. At Emma's questioning look, she added. "Three years."
Emma burst out laughing and Maya shot the woman a confused look. "I'm so sorry." The brunette took a moment to calm herself. "It's just that your story sounds awfully familiar."
"Really?" Maya asked.
"Oh yeah." Emma nodded furiously. "It might not seem like it now, with the two of us being married and having a daughter. But back when I was about your age, I wasn't sure that Nick and I would ever happen."
"Your husband's older than you as well?" Maya inquired.
"Oh, don't get me started. I couldn't count how many times I've heard the phrase 'I'm three years older than you'," Emma groaned.
Maya chuckled. "Sounds familiar."
"What further complicated things was that Nick was my older brother's best friend," Emma explained. "He was around all the time and, of course, I developed a crush on him. He eventually admitted to liking me, too, but there still was the issue of it being a really weird situation between my brother, him and I. Benji, my brother, came around after a while and Nick and I agreed to take things slow. You know, while the age difference was still an issue. We called it … waiting for our one day."
Maya shook her head. "Well, if that isn't a coincidence, I don't know what is" Both of them shared a laugh. "It's a pretty similar story for me and Josh. He is my best friend's uncle. And my step-father-to-be is his older brother's best friend." Maya gestured to where Josh and Shawn were still sitting. "I know it sounds weird at first, but it doesn't feel weird, you know what I mean?"
"Better than you might imagine." A warm smile spread across Emma's face.
"Well, anyway. We agreed to wait for our someday." Emma grinned at the phrasing. "But we also agreed to keep hanging out and spending time together. And everything was fine, but suddenly – this weekend – something seems to have changed. He's behaving differently and I'm not quite sure what that means."
"I get how you're feeling," Emma said. "I felt like that for a long time as well. Not knowing where we stood and how things were going to turn out. But I've learned a valuable lesson during that time of my life … Life has a way of making things turn out right. It might not take the direct or obvious route, but things are going to be alright."
"You think?" Maya asked uncertainly.
"You told him how you feel? He knows where you're at?" Maya nodded. "Then the rest is up to him. You can't spell it out for him. He will come around eventually."
"How do you know?" Maya inquired. "You don't know him. Only what I've told you."
"He's the brunette boy sitting up there at the window with the older man, right?" Emma asked. Maya nodded, she had pointed them out to her a little while ago. "He has kept his eye on you ever since you came back down here. Making sure you're alright. And that look in his eyes …"
"We're back," Lynnie called and sat herself down next to Maya, grabbing Freddy, the ferret. Nick was right behind his daughter and gave his wife a sweet kiss on the forehead. He took a step back and looked at the woman with such a loving expression that Maya had to gulp. The same expression was mirrored back at him in Emma's eyes. Nick's phone rang and he excused himself to take the call.
"It's the exact same look you just saw in mine and Nick's eyes," Emma picked up right from where she had left off. Maya looked up towards Josh and Shawn. She found both of them smiling down at her and smiled back. "And it's in yours, too. Don't give up, Maya. You seem like a great girl and I really hope things will turn out right for you and Josh."
"Thanks, Emma." Maya hesitated for a moment. "Can I give you a hug?"
Instead of saying anything, Emma enveloped the blonde in a big embrace. After separating, the brunette got an idea in her head. "You know what, here's my number. If you ever feel yourself doubting again, give me a call. Sometimes, it helps talking to someone who has gone through something similar."
"Thank you, Emma – really," Maya said earnestly. "I'll do that."
The rest of the evening had gone by rather uneventfully. Maya had been given some food for thought, but the blonde's spirits had definitely been lifted. After dinner, the whole class had gathered at the fireplace to have a movie night. Afterwards, they all had retired to their rooms, except for Riley, who had asked to be allowed to stay up a little while longer. Topanga, realizing that her daughter still had some things to figure out, had given her approval and Maya, after confirming that her best friend really wasn't up for company, had gone with Isadora to the room the three girls shared. Apparently, the girls must have fallen asleep almost as soon as their heads had hit the pillows. So, when she woke up the next morning, Maya was shocked to find that Riley wasn't in the room with them. Furthermore, her bed looked like it hadn't been slept in at all. Maya woke up Isadora, who also didn't know whether Riley had come back last night.
Still in their pajamas, the girls raced over to Lucas, Farkle and Zay's room and started banging on the door. Maybe Riley had figured out her feelings, woken up early, made her bed and gone over here? Oh, who was Maya kidding? The blonde was grasping at straws. The door was opened by a very disheveled looking Zay.
"Maya, Smackle, what are you guys doing here at this ungodly hour?" he asked and immediately stared yawning.
Maya pushed straight past him and rushed into the room. "Huckleberry? Genius? Where is she?"
"Where is who?" Farkle asked, slowly sitting up in his bed.
"Yeah, what's all the hassle about?" Lucas shook his head.
"Riley!" Maya exclaimed and both boys immediately looked much more awake.
"She's not in your room?" Lucas asked, his voice still groggy.
"Well we wouldn't be standing in your room at this ungodly hour if she was, now would we?" Smackle started bickering.
"Point taken," Zay admitted.
"Well, what are we waiting for then?" Farkle chimed in. "Let's go find her!"
"Not so fast." All five of them spun around and found themselves face to face with none other than one of their chaperones – Joshua Matthews. The teenager was standing there, his arms crossed in front of him. "Now here I was, thinking I'd better check Darby and Yogi were still in their respective rooms. But then I come into the boy's floor only to find one of the doors open and not only three boys but two girls as well standing there. Really, leaving the door open, guys I'm disappointed." A small smirk spread across the boy's face. "Mind telling me what's going on here?"
The five high schoolers looked at each other uncertainly. "Well, at least he's not Matthews or Shawn," Maya pointed out and the others agreed.
"Riley's not in her room," Smackle explained. "So, Maya and I came over here to see if the guys knew anything about it."
"We were just going to go looking for her," Farkle added.
Josh nodded slowly. "Well," he started. "What are we waiting for then? Let's go find her!"
It didn't take them long to find her. They left the boy's corridor and headed into the lobby. There they were greeted by the side of Cory and Topanga sitting on the couch and Riley and another boy sitting at the bay window. All of them stopped dead in their tracks.
"It was really great talking to you, Evan," Riley said right then. "But I have to get upstairs right now before …" The brunette trailed off, seeing all of her friends standing right there, looking at her.
"She's wearing the same clothes," Maya pointed out.
"Who's that?" Zay asked, pointing to the boy who was apparently named Evan.
"While we're wearing … well … our pajamas." Maya gestured to all of their rather informal choice of clothing.
"Who's that?" Farkle repeated Zay's words, glaring at the new boy.
"She looks sleepy to me," Smackle chimed in.
"Yeah, that one there, who is that?" Lucas asked, crossing his arms.
"Mom! Dad!" Riley called helplessly.
"You got caught, kid," Cory said, not helping one little bit.
"You know what helps, though," Topanga tried to come to her daughter's aid.
"Nothing," Cory deadpanned.
Topanga shrugged helplessly. "Yeah," she admitted and the two elder Matthews left.
Riley turned to her friends. "Guys, I know this looks bad. But nothing happened," she said. "Evan and I just talked."
"Uh-huh … talked," Smackle said and the others chuckled.
"Yeah, talked," Riley repeated sternly. "He actually helped me figure things out." The brunette took a deep breath. "Guys, I've made a decision." This left her friends actually speechless … well, for a moment.
"You did?"
"The triangle is going to end?"
"Who did you choose?"
"Oh, hush you!" Riley exclaimed and chuckled. "We're not gonna do this here. In the whole group."
"Why?"
"But we want to know!"
"We've been waiting all year for this!"
"Not gonna happen," Riley said firmly. Ignoring her friends' complaints, the brunette turned to look at one of the two boys in question, who had both been very quiet over the last couple of minutes. "Lucas, could I talk to you for a moment."
"Sure." Lucas nodded and headed over to sit down next to the brunette.
The two of them had been talking for a good ten minutes. Maya, Josh, Farkle, Zay and Smackle had meanwhile taken seats at the fireplace, deciding to give the two of them some space while still being near them in case they were needed. Zay and Smackle decided to head to the kitchen to get some snacks and hot chocolate for all of them. Farkle was deep in thought and Maya and Josh were speaking in hushed voices.
"So, Lucas?" Josh asked.
Maya looked over to the window. "Seems like it."
"You don't sound particularly happy," Josh observed.
"Well, what can I say." Maya shrugged. "I like Huckleberry, but I was Team Farkle all the way. But like I said, this is Riley's decision."
"And the important thing is that Riley is happy," Farkle suddenly jumped in.
"We don't know anything official," Maya tried to cheer him – and her – up.
"Oh please," Farkle said. "Look at them, Maya." They looked over to where Riley and Lucas were now standing up and hugging. "They're perfect together. I'm gonna be fine, really."
"Farkle," Riley called, her voice sounding a bit nervous. "Could you come over here?"
"We don't have to do this," Farkle assured the brunette. "It's okay. I'm happy for …"
"Will you just come over here," Riley interrupted and Farkle complied with her wishes. He never could tell the girl no. The brunette grabbed the boy's hand and pulled him out the door. Maya and Josh – as well as the newly returned Zay and Smackle – looked after them, clearly confused. Lucas walked over, a knowing smirk on his face.
Maya approached the blonde boy first. "I'm happy for you guys, Huckleberry," she said before crossing her arms. "Make sure you treat my best friend right, okay? Otherwise you'll have me to answer to."
"And me." Josh took his place beside Maya.
"Well, you'd better tell Farkle that once he's back," Lucas said, still smirking.
"Huh?" the other four chorused.
"Riley didn't choose me," he elaborated. "She chose Farkle. And, after having that talk, I can see that she made the right choice. She and I, we tried. But seeing her talk about him just now, we never had that." Lucas gave them a sad smile. "It's gonna take me a little while, but I'm happy for them – at least, I'm getting there." The other four were left speechless.
"So." Josh was the first one to find his voice again. "Riley and Farkle."
"Yep," Farkle's happy voice came from the door. He was helping Riley inside and made sure that she was seated safely back at the bay window before sitting down next to the brunette.
"We're dating," Riley said, a brilliant smile on her face. She grabbed the boy's hand and Maya could see a small blush spreading across the genius' face.
Maya was starting to jump up and down on her spot. Josh shook his head, chuckling at the blonde's actions that would usually be more normal for his niece. "Go ahead," he encouraged.
"Yay!" Maya cheered and rushed over to her two best friends. She threw her arms around both of them simultaneously. "I knew it! Team Farkle!" the blonde clapped her hand together excitedly before turning back towards the others. "No offence, Huckleberry."
"None taken." The blonde boy was too busy laughing at the scene in front of him to be affronted by the blonde's words.
The remainder of their little trip had gone by without a hitch. Farkle had decided not to take part in any more hikes, saying that one near-death experience had been enough for him. However, everybody know that a certain immobile brunette had a little bit to do with his decision as well. Katy had once again offered to stay at the lodge to keep an eye on the teenagers, saying that she herself was feeling a bit queasy. Maya had spent some more time with Emma, Nick and Lynnie and the little girl and her had formed quite an attachment. Everybody was sad to see this trip come to an end.
"Wow, those things are heavy," Maya groaned as she carried both her and Riley's luggage towards the lobby.
"I'll say, I thought it was just a weekend trip. How much luggage did the boy pack?" Josh was following the blonde with both his and Fakle's bags.
They approached their four adult chaperones, standing by Evan at the reception desk, and handed off their additional luggage. "Why didn't you let them get their own bags?" Cory asked.
"Will you look at them!" Maya exclaimed. "They're just so adorable." Shawn and Cory just shook their heads while Katy and Topanga gushed along with the girl.
"They really are," Topanga agreed. She was so happy to see her daughter having finally sorted out her feelings. Farkle was a really great guy and he did remind Topanga of someone; she just couldn't put on finger on who exactly it was.
Maya turned towards her teacher with an expectant look. She crossed her arms and tapped her foot on the floor. "Matthews, I'm waiting."
"Boy, Cor." Shawn looked between his daughter-to-be and his best friend. "What did you do?"
"I don't know," Cory said exasperatedly. "What are you waiting for, Maya?"
"Didn't I say I'd make them figure this whole thing out." Maya grinned cheekily. "So, what do you say? I did good, didn't I?"
"Well, actually," Cory said and turned to the reception desk. "I think Evan here played quite a part in solving this whole mess. So, thank you Evan."
"No problem, Mr. Matthews" Evan said. "My mother said to make sure things run a bit more smoothly this time."
"Your mother?" Topanga inquired with raised eyebrows.
"Yeah. Apparently created a little chaos back when you were here in high school," Evan elaborated.
Maya snapped her fingers. "The mountain girl!" A panicked expression came across Cory's and a stern one across Topanga's face.
"Well," Topanga said. "What a coincidence …" And with that she grabbed their bags and headed towards the bus.
Cory slowly shook his head with a grim expression. "Nature!" And with one last smile towards Evan, he followed his wife out the door.
The remaining four just chuckled at the scene in front of them. "All right then." Katy clapped her hands together. "You guys got everything?" Maya, Josh and Shawn nodded. "Then let's get going."
Maya saw movement from the corner of her eye. "I'll be with you in a second. I just want to say goodbye." The blonde headed over to where Emma, Nick and Lynnie were also getting ready to leave.
"Hey Maya," Nick greeted her with a friendly smile.
"It was really nice meeting you, Maya," Emma said. "And don't hesitate to call."
"Likewise, Emma. And I will," Maya assured. The blonde crouched down so that she was eye-level with Lynnie. "I'm gonna miss you, Lynnie."
"Miss you, too." The girl threw her little arms around Maya's neck.
Maya stood up and Emma was next to hug her. "Everything's gonna work out, remember that."
"I will," Maya assured. She gave Nick a quick hug as well before waving goodbye to the little family. She was really glad that she had met them and was determined to keep in touch. She walked over to where she had left her bags, only to find Josh waiting for her. "You didn't have to wait for me."
"I know," Josh said. "But I wanted to." Maya smiled as the two teenagers made their way towards the bus, where their friends and family were already waiting for them.
Before everyone got in sight, Maya grabbed Josh's hand and made both of them come to a halt. There was one thing she had to make sure of before leaving. "Josh," the blonde started and the boy looked at her curiously. "Someday?"
A warm smile spread across Josh's face. But instead of answering with their usual "Someday", he did something completely different, leaving the blonde completely and utterly speechless. The boy took a deep breath and leaned in to give Maya a soft kiss on the cheek. "Soon."