It's been 4 (almost 5) months since Maya and Katy moved to Texas.


"So where are we gonna hang out tonight?" Vanessa asked.

"Well we could go to chubbies." Leila answered.

"We always go there." V said.

"That's because they don't mind that we occupy a booth for hours on end." Day chimed in.

"Fine. Chubbies it is." V said defeated.

"Hey Maya, You alright?" Leila asked.

Maya had been Vigorously looking through her bag.

"No. I can't find my graphing calculator."

"Is it in your locker?"

"I hope so. If I lost it I'm screwed." Maya said making way to her locker quickly.

The others followed behind but in abnormal manner.

"No no no!" Maya whined. "It's not here!"

"It's gotta be somewhere." Lucas said.

"If I lost it I'm screwed because I can afford another one! I'm so stupid!" Maya was shaming herself.

"Your not stupid. Just think to where it might be." Leila said.

"I don't know."

"Well you didn't have calc today so could you have left it at home?"

"I don't think so. I never leave home without it."

"Well it can't hurt to go home and check. Look, I'll take you and then we'll meet y'all at chubbies." Lucas said.

"Alright." Maya said accepting the offer.


The car ride was silent. Maya was praying the calculator was at her house.

"So this calculator is pretty important?" Lucas asked trying to make small talk.

"Try mondo important. I can't show up to calc class without it. And I can't do my homework without it."

"The teacher is really that strict?"

"Mr. Jason is way strict. No homework = No class = failing grade. I can't fail."

"Wow. He sounds like and ass. Glad I didn't take calc."

"He just takes his job seriously. I mean I took calc because I wanna be taken seriously but how can I be taken seriously if I'm so irresponsible by loosing a $200 calculator?!"

"$200! For a calculator?!"

"Yea. That's why I can't afford a new one."

"Well I hope it's at your house then."

"Me too."


It wasn't to shortly after they arrived at Maya's.

"I honestly don't know where it would be so if you wanna come in you can." Maya said.

"Alright."

The two entered Maya's home and Lucas was surprised.

It wasn't nice but it wasn't bad. It was at best decent.

"Mom? Are you here?" Maya yelled.

"Yea hun. In the bathroom."

"Have you seen my graphing calculator?" Maya asked starting to rummage through things.

"Your what?"

"My really expensive calculator."

"No hun."

"Fantastic." Maya said under her breath.

"Hey baby girl, what do you think of this?" Katy asked walking out of the bathroom.

She was wearing a low cut high up black skin tight dress. He hair was completely done up and she was covered in makeup.

"Mom! What are you wearing?!"

"What? You don't like it? I didn't know we had company."

"I mean it's something. What's it for?" Maya asked.

"I have a date tonight."

Maya's heart stopped and she froze from looking through things.

"Well aren't you just a handsome devil." Katy said to Lucas.

"It's nice to meet you Ma'am. I'm Lucas."

"Katy." She said shanking his hands and batting her eyelashes.

"A date?" Maya asked standing up.

"Do you think this is alright?" Katy asked again.

"What kind of date?" Maya reiterated.

The air was hostile. Lucas didn't know what to do but stand there awkwardly while Maya questioned her mother.

"What other kind of date is there baby girl."

"Who." Maya said blatantly.

"Maya-"

"Who?!" She said again.

"Kermit."

Maya's heart stopped. Kermit was the man who continuously used Katy, stole her money or something nice she had, and then threw her away like she was an old sock.

"How could you?" Maya finally said, her voice angry but shaky.

"Maya he's changed."

Maya shook her head no. "He'll never change."

"You should give him a chance baby girl. He's your fath-"

"No he isn't. He left. He came back and then left again and again. He's nothing."

"Maya don't speak about him that way. I love him."

Maya silently gasped. There were tears in her eyes.

"You know what. Go out on your date, have a good time or whatever, but when you come home broke into pieces because he used you and threw you away again I won't pick up the pieces. I'm tired of it."

"That's not gonna happen Maya."

"Wanna bet?" Maya said angrily trying not to cry.

Lucas felt so awkward. He had no idea what was going on. He knew Maya never spoke about her home life much, but he knew Kermit wasn't apart of it. It was one of the many things she told him and no one else. Maya was a closed book. She didn't want everyone to know her life.

"Maya have a little faith." Katy said.

There was a knock on the door.

Katy opened it.

"Hi. You look amazing." Kermit said as he handed Katy flowers.

Maya just stood there frozen. She hadn't seen Kermit in years since he left again.

"Maya. It's great to see you." He said noticing her in the background.

Maya didn't say anything. She had her arms crossed and a pained look on her face.

"Look baby girl. I'll be back late tonight." Katy said closing the door behind her.

Maya still hadn't moved.

Lucas just looked at Maya. She looked as if she was about to break.

"I-um-" Maya said, her voice shaky. "I'm gonna check upstairs." She said wiping a single tear and bolting up them.

Lucas had no idea what just happened.


Lucas crept his way up the stairs to check on her.

"Maya?" He said softly knocking on her door before opening it.

She was looking at a picture frame or something in her hands.

He heard her silently crying, and then all of a sudden she had thrown the frame to the ground and it shattered. She took a second before she started grabbing other things from her dresser and throwing them down, breaking them as well. She was having a panic attack.

"Maya!" Lucas said trying to snap her out of it.

She wasn't listening. He didn't know what to do, so he did the first thing that popped into his head.

He grabbed her from behind and wrapped his arms around her tightly trying to contain her from breaking more of her belongings.

She was freaking out.

"No!" She screamed. "Let me go!" She cried.

It must have been sometime that she's been bottled up because she just fought harder and harder but he didn't let go of her. Not once. He may not have known Maya for long but he knew that she had a hard home life and this was not okayy with him.

"I can't. It's for your own good." He said griping her.

Eventually she just broke and fell to her knees, Lucas falling with her.

"It's okayy Maya. It's okayy." He tried to console her.

She just kept shaking her head no.

Eventually she calmed enough but Lucas still didn't let her go. He felt being held was something she didn't get often.


"Im sorry." Maya finally said breaking the silence sniffling.

"Don't be." He whispered. "You don't have to explain."

The two sat there in silence for quite some time until Lucas's phone started to ring.

"You should get that." Maya said to him.

"It's Leila."

On the phone:

"Hey Leila."

"Lucas. Where are you guys? It's been nearly 3 hours!"

"Were fine. Just got caught up in something is all."

"Well we've been waiting to order food. We didn't want to eat without you guys."

"Don't wait. Go ahead and order."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes. Not to sure were gonna be there anytime soon."

"Is everything alright?" Leila asked.

"Yes sis. We're fine. Just eat and I'll text you."

"Alright. Love you."

"Love you too." Lucas said hanging up the phone.

"I made us late..."

"We're fine. They were just wondering what was up."

"You can go if you want. I don't think I'm in the correct mind set to hang out with the group right now."

"I can't just leave you alone... not after that."

"I'll be fine. If you wanna go you can."

Lucas was silent.

"I want to be here."

She looked hopeful.

"I kind of made it a mess in here." She said looking around.

"We can clean it together." He said crouching down to pick up the glass pieces.

The two were picking up the pieces in silence.

"Ahhh." Maya said as she jerked her hand away and dropped the glass again.

She cut her hand open.

"Shit!" She breathed.

"Let me see." Lucas said moving to her.

"It's fine. Just a scrape." Maya tried to play it off.

"Maya this is more than a scrape. It's pretty deep actually."

"I'll be fine." She said pulling her hand away.

"I think you need stitches."

"No." Maya said quickly.

"Maya I wasn't asking." He said getting up.

"I can't. I don't have any health insurance."

"What?! That is so dangerous!" Lucas voiced.

"You don't think I know that!" She exclaimed getting up. "I can't afford it. It's just another part of my crappy life." She started to cry sitting on her bed.

Lucas fell silent.

"He just left one day. I was 6 and he just left. Went to work but never came home. I was so scared that something might have happened when he didn't pick me up from school. The police showed up and took me to the station. My mom was a suspect. They thought she may have killed him or something. I don't remember all the details because I was only 6."

Lucas sat next to her and put an arm around her.

"All I know is he's been coming and going as he pleases and my mom just fawns all over him until he up and leaves and then I'm left here to pick up the pieces again and again."

She took a deep breath to calm herself.

"I'm sorry Maya. No one should have to go through that. Let alone still be going through it 10 years later."

"Yea, well that's my crappy life for you." She said adjusting the towel she had wrapped around her hand.

"Maya, we may have only just met a few months ago, but if you ever need to talk I am here to listen."

She looked up at him.

"You say that now..."

"And I mean it." He said looking her in the eyes.

"Thank you."

"There's just one thing..." he started.

"What?"

"Your hand. You've already bled through the towel. You need stitches Maya."

"I told you I can't afford them." She said looking away.

"My Mom, she's a nurse. Maybe she can help."

Maya looked at him.

"You think she'd just stitch me up?"

"I think she and I made a deal once that said if I ever needed something she'd do it for me once time, no questions asked. I think this can be that time."

Maya smiled a little.

"Come on. Let's go across the street." He smiled.


"Hey mom, I need a favor."

"Sure sweetie."

"Remember when you said you'd do something one time with no questions asked?"

"Oh no." She mumbled.

"Well Maya here needs stitches..."

Maya walked in the room with the towel clutched and soaked in blood.

"Oh my gosh!" His Mom jumped off the couch and ran over. "You need to go to the hospital, this is bad child!"

"No!" Maya and Lucas both said at the same time.

Leslie looked at them confused.

"Mom can you please just help?"

"Alright. Come over here sweet heart."

The 3 walked into the kitchen.

"I need you to sit on the counter." Leslie said.

Maya looked at it and then looked back at her. Not only was Maya short already but she was also one handed.

"Here." Lucas said picking her up and setting her on it.

"Thanks." Maya said.

Lucas just smiled.

Leslie slowly unwrapped the towel around Maya's hand to reveal a really deep and open cut.

"Oh my gosh..."

Maya was taking deep breaths trying not to cry from the pain.

As Leslie was stitching Maya up Lucas could see how much pain she was in and how scared she was. He moved around the counter to be on Maya's left so she could hold his hand.

He grabbed her hand and she looked over at him.

"You can squeeze the pain into my hand."

She smiled.

Leslie watched the two out of the corner of her eye. She had never seen her son so concerned before...

"Alright." She said standing up. "I stitched your hand but you'll need a brace because if you move your hand the wrong way you could easily rip those stitches. I'll be right back."

"Your mom is nice." Maya said looking down at her hand.

"Yea, she's pretty cool."

The two were still holding hands. Lucas moved the so their fingers were intertwined.

Maya looked down at them after he did that, and then up at him.

The two were in a deadlock state with each other.

"So this should keep you from moving your wrist, but you have to be careful to not ball you hand in a fist or stretch it out. For a while your hand is basically a dead limb."

The two instantly looked away from each other, but their hands stayed connected.

"Did I interrupt something?" She asked looking at them.

"No mom."

She put the brace on Maya's hand.

Lucas let go of Maya's hand to help her off the counter.

"Thank you Mrs. Friar." Maya said to her.

"Anytime darling."

Just then Maya's smile faded and she looked pale.

"Maya, are you alright?" Leslie asked.

"I just- um..." Maya mumbled before she almost fainted.

"Woah." Lucas exclaimed catching her from falling to the floor. "Mom?"

"It could easily be from the amount of blood she lost. She needs juice and cookies." Leslie said making her way to the fridge.

"Here's the juice, but I'll have to make cookies from scratch."

Just then the front door opened.

"Mom, I'm home!" Leila yelled.

"Leila." The two said at the same time.

"If she sees Maya with you she'll freak." Leslie said. "Take her up to your room before Leila comes in here."

Lucas picked Maya up bridal style and made way to his room up the back stairs.

"In here honey." Leslie hollered for Leila while getting the cookie stuff out.

"Hey mom. Making cookies?"

"Yes dear. I figured we could all use a treat since we haven't had them in a while." Leslie smiled putting on an act.

"Awesome. Have you seen Luke? He took Maya home to find her calculator but then never showed to Chubbies..."

"He came home about 30 mins ago. Said he wasn't feeling well or something."

"Oh." Leila said suspiciously.

"Listen. I need to run to the store for some eggs. Please don't bother your brother. He said he wanted to lie down in quiet." Leslie said grabbing her purse and walking out the door.


Lucas had set Maya on his bed and closed his door. He sat in a chair across from her and held her juice for her since she was weak.

"Feeling any better?" He asked in a low voice.

"Yea. Just tired."

"If you wanna lay down you can." He offered.

"I don't wanna impose." Maya said.

"Your not imposing. I insist." He laughed.

Maya smiled a little.

"Okayy, but only for a little bit." She whispered.

That was on Thursday.


It's now Saturday evening.

Maya started to stir in her sleep. She was finally waking up.

She opened her eyes and looked around.

"Hey sleepy head. How you feeling?" Lucas asked walking out of his bathroom.

"How long was I out?"

"2 days."

"What?!" Maya shot up.

"Relax, my mom says you lost a lot of blood which made you tired, but I have the feeling you don't get much sleep at home..."

Maya didn't say anything.

"So I just occupied your bed this whole time. I'm sorry!"

"It's no big deal. I slept on the floor." He said pointing to the pallet of blankets and pillows on the floor.

"Okayy now I really feel bad." She said moving to get up.

Maya getting up wasn't a good idea and she soon realized that when she was being caught by Lucas... again.

"Woah, take it easy. You haven't eaten in like 2 days."

"Right, sorry." She said as he helped her sit back down.

"I'll go get you some food so you can regain strength." He said getting up.

"Thanks." Maya said as he left the room.

Maya looked around his room. It was very boyish. Sports posters, blue walls, different sports equipment around the room, it was very boy.

"You like?" He asked walking back into his room closing the door behind him.

"It's nice. Nicer than what I have."

"You have a nice room too."

"Maybe... but everything is broken now." She said looking down at her hand.

"You should eat." He said setting a tray of food next to her.

Maya ate her food slowly not wanting to over do it.

"So I don't remember changing my clothes..."

"Oh that. I thought you might be comfortable in non jeans and a bigger shirt."

Maya was now wearing one of his baseball tees and a pair of his boxers.

"Well thank you. I am more comfortable."

Before Maya was wearing tight skinny jeans and a peach pink blouse.

"So before I forget. Leila doesn't know you're here."

Maya looked confused.

"Leila can have a tendency to over react when it comes to her friends being around me... she seems to think every friend she has is only friends with her to get to me, so she tries not to make friends with girls."

"That explains a lot... she gave me a low down one day saying if I ever chose you she'd disown me. It was pretty random too."

"Yup that's Leila." He laughed.

The two fell into a comfortable silence.

"Is it alright if I use your bathroom?" Maya broke the silence.

"Yea." He said getting up to help her up.

"Thanks." She said walking to the bathroom.

Maya cleaned herself up the best she could with one hand and then made her way back into his room.

"You said 2 days? That means it's Saturday."

"Yup. Almost 6pm." He said.

"You didn't sit here all weekend did you?"

"Of course. You couldn't be left alone. What if you needed something?"

"But what about your game?"

"I called in sick."

"What?! Football is everything for you this time of year."

"It's fine. It's one time. The coach understood because I never get sick."

Maya didn't say anything.

"I got you something." He said changing the subject.

He went over to his bag and pulled out a graphing calculator.

He handed it to her and her face lit up.

"My calculator? You found it!"

He instantly smiled at how happy she was.

"No I couldn't find yours..."

Her smiled faded.

"I couldn't find yours so I got you a new one."

"What?"

"Well it was so important to you so I-"

"I can't accept this." She blurted out.

"Why not?"

"It's to much. I can't take something that cost you a fortune."

"I had money saved."

"It's too much."

Lucas didn't say anything at first.

"Maya, you need this calculator in order to go to class and do your homework."

Maya was silent.

"Please just take it."

"I've imposed to much." Maya insisted.

"You haven't imposed one bit."

Maya took a deep breath.

"You took me home to help me look for my calculator and got stuck in the middle of an argument between me and my mom to which I broke everything I own and then cut my hand open to where your mom stitched me up without any questions and then I occupied your bed for 2 days. I think I've more than put you through the ringer."

Lucas laughed. "I'm the one who offered to take you home remember. I think I threw myself into this."

"I still can't take the calculator."

"Maya, would you please just let me do this for you?"

"Why? We barely even know each other. How can I accept something that cost so much-"

"Because I care about you." He blurted out.

Maya fell silent, but looked confused.

"You're right. We haven't known each other but just a few months, but I care about you. There's just something different about you. A good different, and I can't get you out of my head." He said moving closer.

Maya was speechless.

"I know my feelings aren't one sided here Maya."

"We can't." She shied away.

"Why not?"

"Leila."

Lucas took a deep breath.

"I'll lose her as a friend."

"She'll get over it and realize she's wrong." Lucas tried to assure her.

"I can't risk it. I only have you guys as friends. I lose her I lose them."

"Who told you that?"

"Doesn't matter. It's true."

"But it's not! They don't follow Leila like she's a leader. She may act like it but she's not. We're all friends by choice!"

Maya didn't say anything. She was now sitting on his bed again.

Lucas moved to sit next to her.

"Maya, Leila can get over herself. I'm pretty sure she knows that there's something here anyways, but she won't acknowledge it."

"Is there something here?" Maya asked lowly.

"I think there is." He said taking her hand causing her to look up at him.

She didn't say anything.

"If you want me to stop just say so." He said leaning in.

Maya didn't stop him. She wanted this so bad. Almost 5 months she wanted this and now it was here.

The kiss was sensational, passionate.

His lips were soft and a sweet. He didn't push either. The kiss was a perfect first kiss, just in a really bad situation.

"I knew it!" Leila burst into the room causing Maya to jump up from his bed breaking the kiss.

"Leila, I can explain." Maya started.

"Don't. You knew the boundaries." She said.

"Leila calm down." Lucas said getting up.

"No! I warned her!" She yelled at him. "I warned you!" She turned to Maya. "And you betrayed me!"

"Leila please!" Maya had tears in her eyes.

"This friendship is over!" Leila said storming off.

"Leila!" Lucas exclaimed.

Maya was crying again.

"I messed everything up." She cried.

"No, no you didn't. This is just Leila being Leila." He tried to console her.

"She'll never forgive me."

"Yes she will. I'll talk to her." He said wiping her tears before leaving the room to go after Leila.


"Leila!" Lucas yelled stopping her from getting into her car.

"What?!"

"You're over reacting."

"Am I? You do this with all my friends!"

"No I don't. I don't understand why you see it that way."

"Because its true!"

"NO it's not! I only dated two of your friends."

"It's a pattern Luke! You'll break her heart just like you did with Lauren and Ciara!"

"No I won't. I like her, I really like her!"

"You say that now-"

"And I mean it Leila! Stop being so selfish!"

Leila's mouth dropped open.

"That's right. I said it, your being selfish!"

"How dare you!"

"Me?! How dare you?! Neither Maya or I acted upon our feelings for months because of you! You knew how she felt about me, how I felt about her! But you tried to drive us apart! Don't think we didn't notice sis, we aren't stupid! Maya's up there balling her eyes out because of the way you're acting. She thinks she ruined everything!"

"Because she did!"

"No she didn't. You did! The way your acting right now, you're the one throwing your friendship with her away, not her."

With that being said Leila slammed her car door shut and drove off.


A/N: How's that for a chapter 3? Long enough? To long? Let me know what you guys are thinking! I am hoping to make this story a little more life relate-able. That's all I have for tonight. I literally wrote so much throughout today that it was enough to make 3 chapters! More to come tomorrow!