A/N: Okay, I guess I need to update fast before I get killed be angry fangirls, eh? :) Now we get to see how Riley will react to this. I want to thank Bethany Tucker for her help with getting me through my writer's block. I also should have mentioned this last chapter, but I have to thank cowgirlangle95 for helping me with ideas for chapter 5.

Enjoy! Also, SHAWN IS BACK! SHAWN IS BACK! SHAWN IS BACK! I'M FANGIRLING SO HARD RIGHT NOW! SHAWN IS BACK! SHAWN IS BACK! Who else can't wait for Girl Meets Home For the Holidays? I know I'm not the only one, right?

~~~Riley's Point Of View~~~ Chapter Six: Some Tragic News

If I had thought the day before was terrible, then it was nothing compared to what happened next. Now, don't get me wrong; I was over the moon excited about Lucas feeling the same way about me, but watching Maya get into a fight and being sent home from school because of a bloody nose wasn't exactly my idea of the best day ever.

Anyways, as soon as she picked me up from school that day, I could sense something different about Maya. The way she talked, they way she walked, as if she had been spending too much time around me lately, and I had rubbed off on her. (Why couldn't it be the other way around?) And when she confessed to me that she like Farkle, I knew exactly what was going on.

But then the broken look on her face when Farkle was mad at her, how she had forced back the tears. She was crushed.

I wanted to stop her. I knew she didn't have to go to the bathroom. I knew she would leave school. I had even asked her why she was doing it, when we locked eyes through the window. But I didn't do anything further than that. I thought she would come to her senses herself, and I was wrong.

The seconds after she left ticked by. The seconds turned into minutes, until about ten minutes had passed, when my dad stopped class to check the time.

"She's been gone for ten minutes," he said, sounding frustrated. "Will somebody please go check on her?"

I opened my mouth, but Farkle beat me to it. jumping to his feet.

"I'll go check on her, sir!" he blurted out. Dad raised an eyebrow.

"She would be in the girl's bathroom, Farkle," he told him. The class began to giggle. Even I couldn't keep it in.

Farkle sat down, his face turning a bright, cherry red color. "Right... sorry, sir."

"Yeah, okay," Dad shrugged it off, pretending it didn't happen. "Anyone else?"

"I'll go," I said, standing up and walking out without waiting for an answer. I knew what I would find. She wouldn't be there.

She wasn't. I peered into the lady's room and called her name. No answer.

I made it back to class just as the bell rang. After fighting my way back into the classroom- do you know how hard it is to get through a doorway when a whole class of hungry kids are going in the direction you're coming from?- to get Maya's and my bags to find my father sitting at his desk, on his cell phone. It was now his planning period, so it wasn't unusual. What was unusual was the look on his face, and that Lucas and Farkle were standing were standing in front of him.

"What's going on?" I asked, quickly running over to them, just as Dad hung up. He looked up at us, trembling slightly. Almost all of the color had drained from his face, and tears streamed down his face. My heart raced. I knew something was wrong.

"It's Maya... she left school. There w-was some girl texting and driving.. she was..." Dad choked back sobs.

I leaned forward, my heart feeling like it would break. "She was what?" I asked, panic rising in my voice.

Lucas quickly grabbed onto my hand, squeezing it tightly. I pressed up against him, terror bubbling up inside of me.

"She was hit by a car," Dad finally choked out. "I.. I just got the call. They're taking her to the hospital now. She's... she's not doing well."

"What?!" I screeched. My mind raced as I tried to comprehend what I was being told. I stomped my foot, snatching my hand away from Lucas.

"Riley, calm down!" Lucas cried, his voice breaking.

"No! No no no no no!" I cried, my heart shattering into a million pieces. "This isn't happening! It can't be! She has to be okay, she just has to!"

Dad jumped up from his desk, pulling me into a hug. I tried to pull away, but he was too strong for me. I looked up at him, fighting back the tears. "She's going to be okay, isn't she, Daddy?"

He rubbed my back. "I wish I could say yes, sweetie, I really do, but I can't. It's the truth, and it hurts, but we don't know if she'll make it or not. The doctors will do everything they can, but in the end, it's in God's hands."

"I want to see her..." I whispered.

"So do I," Lucas added, worry in his voice.

"This is all my fault!" Farkle wailed, surprising all of us.

"Farkle, that's ridiculous!" Dad cried. How could any of this possibly be your fault?"

"She left because of me..." Farkle whispered, staring at the ground with light glistening off of his wet, tear-streaked cheeks. "I-I was mad at her for how she treated me yesterday, and I avoided her this morning, and she left. Because of me. This wouldn't be happening if it weren't for me!"

"Farkle, look," Lucas said firmly. "None of this is your fault, understand? You can't blame yourself for this. Maya wouldn't want you to blame yourself, would she."

Farkle sniffled, shaking his head. "No..."

"Then don't," I added, my voice shaking. I felt numb. It wasn't even lunchtime, and this day was quickly spiraling out of control. It was shaping up to be the worst day of my life.

Every agonizing second ticked by slowly, as if time enjoyed playing with my heart. I shifted uncomfortably in the hard plastic waiting room chair. The last time I had sat in one of these was almost six years ago, when Auggie was born. That had been a happy occasion. I was getting a new baby brother. What seven-year old girl wouldn't have been happy about that?

This was just the opposite. I could have been losing my best friend. No one, no matter what age, would be happy about that. Am I wrong?

I felt like I was going to suffocate, what with my dad on one side of me, squeezing my hand and whispering that it was going to be alright, and Lucas on the other squeezing my hand even tighter. I rested my head on his shoulder, trying to come to terms with the fact that my best friend might have been dying at that very moment.

A nurse came walked into the waiting room. "Maya Hart?" she asked. Dad stood up.

"That would be us," he said. The lady eyed us quizzically.

"Are you her family?"

"Well, no, not exactly." Dad told her. "Not by blood. But she's just as much part of our family as my daughter is."

"Very well then. Miss Hart is not awake, but she is allowed visitors."

We all stood up, expect for Farkle.

"Are you coming, buddy?" Lucas asked. Farkle shook his head solemnly.

"I-I want to be alone with her when I see her, if that's alright, sir,"

The nurse led us to the room Maya was in, opening the door for us. I lingered in the hallway for a moment, taking deep breaths.

"You okay, Riley?" Lucas asked.

"Y-yeah... I'm fine," I lied. He studied me for a second more, then placed his hand on my lover back, guiding me into the room. My breath caught in my throat as I saw her.

From head to toe, she was covered in cuts and scrapes. She was hooked up to more machines then I could count. There were tire marks on all over her. Her eyes were closed. Her face was still. In fact, the only movement she made was the steady rise and fall of her chest.

"Maya," I wailed, running to her side. Tears streamed down my cheeks. I tried to choke back the sobs, but I couldn't. I had to let it out.

Lucas was near me in an instant, wrapping his arms around me in a protective embrace. He stroked my hair, whispering "I know... I know..." I felt his teardrops drip onto my back. He was crying, too.

Honestly, I was half expecting my father to break us up, but he didn't. Instead, he approached the bed, sitting down on the edge and staring at Maya. He took a hold of her hand and whispered something about staying strong and not giving up, and about how she has a family that loves and cares about her. Us.

We stayed there for what felt like ages. When Dad finally stood up and said it was time to go so that Farkle could have some time alone with her, I realized that I didn't want to go just yet.

"Can I have a few minutes alone with her?" I asked, my voice coming out as a pitiful squeak. Dad sighed.

"Fine. I hav-have to call your mother, anyways. C-come out when you're done."

He left the room, as if he couldn't bare to be there any longer. Lucas hesitated before pulling away from me.

"Riley, are you sure you're okay to be here alone?" he asked. "I need to get home to help with supper, but if you aren't, I'm sure my mom wouldn't mind..." he finished awkwardly. I shook my head.

"N-no... Just go. I'll be fine."

He took one last look at Maya, then left. I walked to her side, squeezing her hand. "Alone at last, huh..." I whispered. I thought I saw her eyelids flutter, but it was probably just my imagination.

All I wanted was for her to open her eyes, for her to smirk up at me and tell me that this was just a joke, a prank that everyone knew about except me. But I knew better than to hope like that. Like Maya would say, you hope for things, you get disappointed.

"Maya," I whispered. "You have to stay. I don't know what I would do without you... you're my best friend... you can't leave me, not yet... just don't go."

My tears fell onto her still face. She didn't move, even as much as I wanted her too. Then the realization hit me, and it hit me like a ton of bricks. I might never see Maya awake ever again.

But I couldn't think like that. I just couldn't. I had to stay strong, for Maya's sake.

I stood up, my knees shaking. I staggered towards the door, taking one last, longing look at her. She looked so peaceful, something that almost never happened when she was awake. it only hurt my heart more.

"'Bye, Maya," I told her, not expecting a reply. "You just have to stay strong, okay? We'll get through this together, like we always do."

~~~To Be Continued~~~

A/N: Okie-dokie! So next up, we have Farkle's point of view and his thoughts on all this. Will Maya be okay? What will Riley do if she isn't? You'll just have to stick around to find out! Please drop a review on your way out! I wanna know what you think! Any ideas? Anything I could improve on? Constructive criticism is greatly appreciated!

~Pebblemist~