pluto chpt. 6

Disclaimer: Cue hilarious disclaimer that shows I don't own GMW. What? They can't all be winners. Damn, cut an author a break.

Summery: Pluto isn't a planet anymore and all it took for Riley to realize is a late night encounter.

GMW

"People will walk in and out of your life, but the one whose footstep made a long lasting impression is the one you should never allow to walk out." Michael Bassey Johnson

GMW

Riley felt her heart clinch.

The hand that was holding her cheek faltered. Maya blinked once, twice, then again. Her head shook as if denying it but her mouth couldn't quite form the words.

Riley recognized somewhere on a much less important note that she had stunned the famous Cory Matthews home room into silence. This was the class that had made three separate teachers retire before the age of thirty. They were stunned that Riley Matthews resident goody goody had just admitted to kissing (and liking) Maya Hart.

The class was far too quiet. It was almost eerie, a strong sense of foreboding.

Riley had never been much of an outgoing person. It scared her to try new things and the constant threat of upsetting others was always on her mind. It was hard for her to get out of her shell, Maya more often than not guiding her. It wasn't this time though, the two of them were standing at a cross roads and Riley didn't know what to do.

Her initial reaction had been to ignore it. Sweeping aside their shared kiss that fateful night, Riley had desperately tried to forget. Yet, she couldn't forget. A certain blonde wouldn't let her.

It hadn't even been anything important really, just little things. Maya's mere presence sending the confused girl into a tirade of emotions she was ill prepared to handle.

The way she talked, how she moved, and especially the gentle touches the two shared on a daily occurrence. Riley was beginning to feel something. While inexperienced she wasn't ignorant nor was she stupid. She knew what a crush was, she also knew when something stopped becoming a crush, transforming into . . . well, she wasn't sure what came after that. She only knew it was there.

Against her will brown eyes darted to a certain boy. Lucas.

As expected he was stunned and rightfully so. Though the barest hints of something else could be seen, hurt. It was so very hard to see. Riley's confession had just effectively destroyed whatever it was they had between them.

Distinctly she wandered the difference between Maya and Lucas. Her brain was a wonderfully strange thing. Even in such a terrible moment Riley Matthews could barely remain focused.

On the one hand there was Lucas. He was a kind, sweet hearted boy that was admittedly very VERY attractive. He had captured her attention since the two had met. Lucas was a friend and a protector.

The other, well, the other was Maya. That single sentence was enough. She was Maya. Riley had always known that this girl, this wonderful bad ass trouble maker, the girl that always brought craziness into her life was her world. It had always been THEIR world.

In that moment Riley saw what was a crush and what was something else.

Following Riley's gaze Maya looked over frowning as she saw Lucas. A flash of anger crossed in those deep blue eyes. Then, she backed away.

"Maya!" Riley cried. She hated this. Hated seeing that look in her friend eyes, like she didn't know who Riley was anymore.

The blonde shook her head again, this time harder. "You're lying." She breathed. Taking another step away it felt like a physical blow, though only separated by inches, the distance felt like miles.

"Miss Hart." Cory warned.

It was rare for Riley's father to turn away from his mentor role in favor of teacher Matthews. He only ever did when he knew something bad was about to happen.

The voice unlike usual didn't jolt Maya out of her stunned state. Like a frightened animal, Maya turned to Cory with wide eyes. Cory sensing the vulnerable state treaded carefully, his voice soft. "Don't do anything you'll regret Maya."

Taking a chance Riley slid out from her desk. With seemingly impossible grace for the naturally clumsy girl sidestepped her chair and stood before the blonde in one fluid motion.

With a gentle touch, so not to startle, Riley turned Maya to look at her. Frazzled blue eyes bore into her own. It reminded her of all the times big strong confident Maya Hart looked to her for support.

Riley had always known Maya didn't have the most stable of home lives. Her father, (a man Riley secretly hated) had left her when she was just a child in favor of another family. She had a theater upsesed mother that spent most if not all of her time at the dinner she worked as a waitress. Years of being neglected and abandoned had left a deep emotional scare on the girl.

It hardened her. Gave her a bleak outlook on life that shaped nearly ever decision she made. Like in this moment, deep guarded eyes looked to Riley like a threat. The walls Riley had spent years tearing down where up in full force.

"I didn't know how to tell you." She started. "It was wrong to lie to you and I'm sorry. I was just scared. I tried to push you away but I'm here now."

She thought for a second that she might have gotten through to her. Then that thought vanished, Maya puling her arm away.

"You were scared?" Maya repeated. It was something the girl had a tendency to do. Often an endearing habit when flustered was painful now as the anger seeped through gritted teeth. "You left me Riley."

The brunette felt herself gasp at the accusation. She knew what those words meant coming from Maya. "I-I'm sorry!" She quickly apologized but Maya wasn't done.

Just like Riley, the emotional stress of their heated exchange was quickly becoming too much. Tears were stating to fall down her best friends face and it hurt to squash the immediate need to comfort.

"You just said you left me Riley. You knew what it would do to me and did it anyways. Your the one person I thought I could trust! You were my world!"

"I still am your world and your mine!"

"No." She spoke, this time harder. "You've changed it. The world is backwards now. Your not Riley, your an impostor!" She spat. "I can't even look at you!"

"Maya that's enough!" Cory yelled.

Shaken slightly Maya back peddled. Eyes darting to and from Cory to Riley to Lucas as she mumbled something. Then she spoke just loud enough to be heard, "I have to get out of here."

Cory stepped out infront of her. "Maya, don't walk away from this. Don't do this."

Unable to meet her fathers gaze the blonde ducked under and slipped out of the room. With a barely heard, "I'm sorry," slammed the door behind her.

Head turned down Cory sighed. He'd seen the blonde at her worst far more times than most. The man was practically a father figure to her and never handled it well when Maya ran away.

Approaching his desk, almost afraid Riley was more hesitant then normal. It was one thing to disrupt his work it was another thing completely to shake what he thought about his daughter.

"Daddy?"

With a simple nod he told her the three words Riley always heard when Cory knew he could no longer help Maya, when he wasn't enough anymore, "Go after her."

She nodded taking a step before stopping. There was still one thing left unsaid. Turning to her father Riley was shocked by him quickly rising and giving her a hug.

"Your my daughter Riley." He whispered into her ear. "Nothing you do or say will every change that. Don't you forget it."

Gratitude the likes she had never experienced flooded the girl. Blinking away tears she returned the hug before launching out of the room to find her friend.

Running as fast as her clumsy legs would carry her Riley frantically searched the school for Maya. Up and down the empty halls ways of Quincy Adams she ran. Looking for anything, a sign, a hint of that short blonde girl.

She tried calling, texting, even going to her mom's dinner but nothing. She was nowhere to be found.

It didn't deter her though. When something captured her attention Riley Matthews never let go. She would fight, scratch through the sheer painful awkwardness and strive for more.

So she thought, frantically scouring over her scatter brain for where Maya could be. If not school, her home, or Riley's own house where would she go? Then it clicked.

And like a person possessed Riley raced to the one place Maya would go in such a horrible day.

AN/ Read review and follow! Do it! Do it now! Do it!

-RRR