The days went on and Maya continued to spiral downwards. She grew distant until the only time she saw her friends was in passing, and Lucas couldn't understand. She had told him to move on, she had told him to pick Riley, so he did. But slowly the nicknames stopped, no more sundance or hop-a-long, or even Huckleberry. Maya stopped looking at him, if she did glance at him it was more as if she were looking through him. What upset him even more than Maya's distance was Riley's ignorance to the whole thing. She didn't notice that Maya wasn't there, she was too busy being in blissful happiness. As far as Lucas knew Maya still texted Riley goodnight, and that was good enough for her. When they hung out as a group without Maya, it seemed as if Riley was overcorrecting by fixing Maya's absence by becoming best friend's with Smackle. They were hanging out alone, and forcing Lucas and Farkle to go on double dates.
Something was wrong with Maya, and Riley knew it. But something was always wrong with Maya these days, it seems. Just for a few days she'd like to dedicate all of her energy to her new relationship. Her and Lucas's relationship hadn't worked out last time, but it had to work this time. That's all she wanted. Her fairytale, her happily ever after. Her parents had known each other since they were two years old, the only person Riley has known that long besides her family, is their german neighbor Helga, who used to watch her when her parents couldn't find anyone else. After all the drama with the triangle, and the identity crisis, Maya probably just needed sometime. As long as she got her goodnight text, she knew everything would be alright. She didn't get seriously scared until the night she didn't get a goodnight.
Maya sat in an old rundown park, under the streetlamp, sketching the park, what it would have looked like back in it's prime. Children running around and laughing loudly. Mom's sitting on benches, with their babies talking about whatever housewives talked about.
" This your happy place too?" Maya turned and saw a tall brunette wearing a pink sweater and black leggings. She had light brown eyes that reflected the light from the streetlamp. Maya smirked,
"Well if isn't the bulldozer in the pink sweater?" Maya taunted. Missy smiled and slid onto the bench next to her.
" Grown up yet Hart?"
Maya laughed, " I'd like to think that I have taken on the world."
Missy looked at her, " What are you doing here?" she asked.
" Parents are gone, don't feel like going home to a empty house. What about you."
" Same answer here, I guess you could say. Parents are home, they just might as well not be."
Missy eyed her long sleeved wool sweater and then at her own long sleeved. " i'll show you mine if you show me yours."
" What are you talking about?" Maya asked confused, show her what?
" Your cuts."
Maya subconsciously pulled at her sleeves, " You're crazy."
Missy arched a brow, Maya kept looking forward. Missy sighed and yanked up her sleeve. " Aren't they beautiful?"
Maya kept looking forward, " You need help."
" Do I? After all," she leaned in close to Maya and whispered in her ear, " You're just as sane as I am." Maya shivered. Missy pulled back and smirked, seeing Maya on edge. Maya, in what you could call a moment of weakness, rolled up her sleeve slowly. Unlike Missy's messy and slashed arm, Maya's cuts all were in swirls or little symbols. " Well aren't you a little artist?"
Maya allowed herself a little smile, " yeah, something like that."
" Why don't you come over to my house?" Missy asked.
" Okay."
