Maya and Leila had become quite the friends with each other. If Maya was somewhere Leila wasn't to far behind. It was surprising because Leila really didn't befriend girls because of them usually falling for Lucas and getting hurt.
Well this was different, or so Leila hoped. Maya assured Leila she didn't feel for Lucas when Leila accused her one day of making googly eyes at him. Leila gave Maya the low down of if Maya ever chose Lucas over her their friendship would be over in an instant and when Maya got hurt by him to never come running back to her.
Maya made a great group of friends. Leila, Vanessa, Zay, and Lucas. They were always hanging out. You rarely ever saw any of them apart from each other. It didn't matter if they were doing homework or just going to the movies, the group was always together.
Lucas and Zay were some of the many athletes at the school. It didn't matter what season it was, they were on a team. Since it was fall it was football. Leila and Vanessa had never missed a game. Mainly because they were JV cheerleaders and required to be in attendance in case a varsity girl got hurt or something, but because they wanted to support their school and friends. Maya was now included in this and Leila and Vanessa forced her to go to every game with them.
It's been 2 months since Maya moved to Texas. She didn't want to admit it to her mom but she actually did like it there. She liked the school and her friends and her classes. Maya liked living in Texas.
It was Friday and game day. One of the varsity girls got hurt and Leila was asked to fill in. This rarely happened but Leila jumped at the offer to fill in. This left Maya and Vanessa in the stands by themselves. Not everyone would notice, but some did… Vanessa was the first to ask Maya about it.
It was about 3 weeks ago when Vanessa started noticing little things:
When May and Lucas would sit next to each other he'd always be a little nicer than normal, or if they'd look at each other their stares would linger just a little too long. Vanessa really noticed when Lucas had broken up with his latest entanglement and there was no one to wear his away game jersey to school that Friday (it was tradition for girls, didn't matter who, to wear a players jersey during school for good luck) and Lucas had asked Maya if she wanted to wear his. Maya's eyes subtly lit up trying not to send off any vibes of liking him. She thought it'd be weird to say no so she said yes, especially since he asked during art when Leila wasn't around. Maybe he crush wasn't so once sided she thought to herself. She showed up to school that next morning with booty shorts, high tops, a beanie, and his jersey tied off around her waist showing a little mid drift. Girls were staring and whispering all day. That's when Vanessa knew something was up. From that day on Maya wore his Jersey every Friday to school.
Well now it's game time and Maya wasn't fighting going to games anymore. She didn't mind going to support her friends… really she didn't mind supporting Lucas or seeing him in his uniform.
It was about halfway through the game and Vanessa thought she better ask now while Leila wasn't around.
"You like him don't you?" she asked randomly.
"What?" Maya replied.
"Lucas. You like him."
"I- what- no." Maya denied.
"Maya I can see it."
Oh no. She couldn't hide it anymore.
"The way you to stare at each other, your so close, and you wear his jersey every week."
"So because I wear his jersey I like him?"
"It's not the jersey that gives it away. I can see it on your face."
Maya's crush was crashing right now.
"I tried not to. I really did." Maya finally admitted.
"Leila is gonna kill you. She loses so many friends because they fall for him."
"How'd you not?"
"I don't see him that way… I've known them both too long."
Maya sighed in defeat.
"What do I do?"
"I'll tell you what you do. You forget about it."
Maya looked confused. Vanessa was the biggest shipper for love…
"Leila really loves having you as a friend."
"Me too."
"Then you have to ditch this crush right now. Leila is gonna be crushed if she loses another friend due to Lucas."
"You're right." Maya sighed. "I don't think he likes me back anyways."
Vanessa didn't say anything.
"It's just a crush right? I can get over this…"
"Yea, we just need to find you another guy!"
"Alright… Who?" Maya said attaining to the idea.
"Hmm… What about Tyler? Number 73."
"I mean it can't hurt to try." Maya said.
"Great! I'll set it up!" Vanessa said getting up running down the stadium stairs as the crowd stood up and started cheering.
**After the game in the parking lot.
"You did great Leila!" Maya said giving her friend a hug.
"Thanks! It was so much fun!"
"Yea don't rub it in." Vanessa joked.
"Oh come on V. You'll get to be on Varsity soon enough!"
"Yea yea, next year." she sighed.
Leila smiled.
"So I hear someone's got a crush." Leila said changing the subject turning to Maya.
Maya's face went pale.
"Vanessa tells me you like Tyler!"
Relief flashed throughout Maya's whole body.
"Oh, that." Maya played it off.
"Yea, that." Leila mocked. "Maya this is huge! He's one of the hottest guys in school!"
"It's nothing, really." Maya said.
"Well I did you a favor…"
Maya's stood straight up her breath quickened.
"What did you do?" she asked.
"I may have set it up so he asks you out… after he comes out of the locker room."
"What?! Leila! I'm not ready for this!"
"Oh come on Maya, don't be so scared. He's just a guy!" Leila protested.
"I've never even said more than 10 words to the guy!"
"Well he seemed to return the feelings when I talked to him."
Maya let her guard down for a second.
"Really?" a small smile on her face that she tried to hide.
"Yes Maya, he likes you!"
Maya was speechless. Someone liked her? Was she ready for this?
Just then the locker room doors flew open and the team made their way out amongst their peers. Everyone cheering for them after their win.
Lucas and Zay found their way over to the girls.
"You guys did great!" Vanessa congratulated them.
"Yea, we pretty much killed it." Zay cheered.
The group was talking about where to go out for food when they got interrupted.
"Hey guys. Great game!" Tyler said joining the group.
Maya's heart rate sped up.
"Yea not so bad yourself." Zay joked.
"Well if y'all don't mind I was hoping to steal Maya for a minute?" he said looking at her.
A small smile came across her face as fast as she wiped it away and walked off with him.
"What's that all about?" Lucas asked as Vanessa and Leila freaked out.
"He's gonna ask her out." Leila squealed.
Lucas's face got serious. Zay seemed to be the only one who noticed.
"He likes her? She likes him?" Zay asked looking over at the two.
"Yaaaa." Leila said. "Their adorable together."
Lucas balled his fist getting angry.
"OMG look! Their exchanging numbers!" Vanessa squealed.
The two girls were jumping out of their skin while Lucas was trying not to show his anger and Zay not having any clue what to do.
Zay just watched the whole debacle and seemed to be the only one noticing Lucas's emotions here.
"Here she comes!" Leila said snapping back into a normal mood.
"So?" Vanessa asked as Maya joined the group.
"He's gonna text me?" she said as a question.
"OMG!" Leila and Vanessa squealed.
Maya had the biggest smile across her face.
Lucas walked away, but it didn't go unnoticed by Zay or Maya.
"Well if you ladies are through being teenage girls might we go out for some food?" Zay said playing it off.
"Yea. Chubbies it is. We'll meet you there?" Leila said.
"Alright." Zay climbed into Lucas's truck and he drove off.
The girls climbed into Leila's car and started freaking again.
"I didn't know you liked him." Lucas whispered to Maya during art a week later.
"What?" she whispered back.
"Tyler. You've never had a problem voicing about how he's such a meat head, but I didn't know you liked him."
Maya didn't know what to say.
"Well I mean it can't hurt to give the guy a chance…" she whispered.
"But do you like him?" Lucas was now looking at Maya.
Since the two weren't really paying attention to what was going on Mr. Jackson must have given the class free time because the noise soon set in and Lucas didn't have to whisper anymore.
"I don't know… maybe?" Maya finally said avoiding eye contact.
"You've just always said you didn't want a guy like him."
"Yea I said that but then I realized that I don't even know him." she argued back.
"So you'd rather date a stranger over someone you know?"
This caught Maya's attention real quick and she looked over at him.
She was speechless. The two were caught in a deadlock looking deep into each others eyes until the bell rang breaking the moment.
Lucas left the class quickly leaving Maya to wonder about what he said.
1 month. That's all that Maya and Tyler spent together. It was a great month at that too. She didn't think she could be any happier than this, that was until he caught her off guard and dumped her without reason.
He showered her with flowers and gifts and made her feel so important. Every girl in school was jealous of her.
Maya actually thought she was over her crush on Lucas.
That next Friday Maya was wearing Tyler's away game jersey and not Lucas's.
"Here." Maya said handing Lucas his jersey back in the hall before class.
"My jersey?"
"Yea."
"Why? I gave it to you to wear…"
"But now I have Tyler's, I mean we are dating."
"So?"
"So it wouldn't look right for me to wear another guys jersey."
"So you and him? It's really a thing?"
"Yes Lucas, now would you please take back your jersey?"
Lucas took the jersey from her hand, but he looked hurt.
"I just didn't think you two felt for each other…" he said.
"Well we do. So thank you for letting me wear your jersey for all this time." she said before walking away.
Maya's phone buzzed as she walked off.
The message read: **It's yours anytime you want it.**
This caused her to smile a little.
"No Maya. Your with Tyler now." she reminded herself.
She never replied to his message.
It was a bright and sunny day when he did it. He pulled her aside in the hall and just ripped the band aid.
"It's me, not you." he said… didn't make it hurt any less.
It wasn't long before word spread across the school.
Lucas found out when Maya didn't show up to art. He over heard a couple class mates talking about it. He immediately got up and walked out of class ignoring Mr. Jacksons protests.
He found her sitting out back at the football stadium. The wind was blowing just right making her hair flow and she looked beautiful whether she had been crying or not.
"Hey." he said coming up behind her.
"Hi." she said softly.
"Can I sit?"
She nodded.
"So you didn't show for art?"
"Not in the mood…" she trailed off.
He didn't know what to say.
The two sat in silence for quite some time.
"Tyler broke up with me." she broke the silence.
"I guess you were right, he didn't return the feelings." she started to cry.
She buried her face in her hands not wanting him to see her cry.
He was heart broken for her. He knew Tyler and he knew this would've happened sooner or later. He just wished it didn't happen to Maya.
Lucas wrapped his arms around Maya pulling her into a much needed hug. She cried into his chest. She was actually hurting really bad. She didn't realize how much she had fallen for him over the last month whether it had been an act in the beginning or not until now.
"I just thought he liked me as much as I liked him." she cried.
Lucas still hadn't let go of her, but instead tightened his grip a little.
"He didn't even give me a reason. It's me not you!" she continued to cry.
Lucas really didn't know what to say. He loved the girl, he knew that, but she was so broken right now.
"Shhh." he tried to calm her. "It's alright, your not alone. I'm here." he whispered holding on tight.
Maya never forgot that.
Lucas and Maya became somewhat closer after that. She would tell him things no one else knew. Her crush was back, but it was more than crush. She had pretty strong feelings for him and it was really hard to hide them. Sometimes she felt like he returned the feelings, but then she remembered that he didn't because she wasn't allowed to have the feelings in the first place… not if she wanted to lose Leila.
Leila wasn't stupid. She noticed the connection between Maya and Lucas. Everyone did, but she denied it. She liked Maya a lot and didn't want to lose another friend. Rather than pushing them together and everyone being happy she tried to drive them apart for her own happiness. She was always sitting in between them every chance she got or she was always butting into their conversations, didn't matter what it was, she was there. Even when the two had to do partnered art assignments Leila would barge in and somehow make herself apart of it.
Lucas was pretty fed up with his sister. Yes he loved her but she was just being too much and he was about tired of it. Maya was too but she and Leila were one in the same and she barely had any friends, just the 4 of them and she was still the new girl so she wasn't risking losing any of them. She knew if she lost Leila the others would follow, so no matter how much she wanted to she never acted on her feelings for Lucas.
A/N: Thought I'd give you a double header tonight...
