Pluto chpt. 7
Disclaimer: I said I owned GMW once, then I got an arrow to the knee.
Summery: Pluto isn't a planet anymore and all it took for Riley to realize is a late night encounter.
GMW
"I realized I'm in love. It's always been right in front of me." - Richelle Mead, The Indigo Spell
GMW
She hadn't been here in a long time.
Swinging her legs the gentle sway was causing Maya's seat to squeak slightly kicking just hard enough to keep the swing moving, the blonde watching the ground beneath shift lightly.
There wasn't much light, the sun having set hours ago but an overhead lamp kept the area lite just enough to see. She kept her chin down, eyes only looking up when the force of the swing allowed.
This park had always been special to her. Not in a happy meaning, no; this place was somewhere that opened her eyes. Where others saw happiness and children playing Maya saw only pain.
This was the place where a family died. It was the last place she ever saw her father before he left.
It was in that moment Maya had given up hope. A derivative snort left the blonde. Could she really say that? Hadn't she fooled herself enough already? Because despite herself, knowing the harsh realities of this world Maya had found hope again. She had Riley.
Just mentioning the name caused a turmoil of emotion.
There was a pang of guilt. Why had she gotten so angry at Riley's confession? Could she have really done such a thing? Distracted Maya didn't notice the hand moving up to her lips.
But this wasn't what she was really angry over was it? She had felt betrayed. So hurt and lost at the knowledge that Riley had nearly left her the blonde had lashed out. Ignoring anything and everything she had punished her friend for merely being confused by something Maya had done.
She realized now that perhaps she'd put Riley on a pedestal. How could she not? With the girls insatiable need to fix things she made it far too easy. Whenever Maya had a problem Riley would jut fix it. No questions, hell, Maya wouldn't even need to say anything half the time, the brunette just knowing somehow.
She was the one person that Maya could rely on. The one constant willing to put up with her bullshit and the problems she brought. How had she repaid that kindness? Maya had left Riley. In a moment that her best friend needed her most, the blonde had shoved her apology in her face calling her a liar.
"Ughhhhh!"
With a loud groan frustrated hands tugged at her blonde hair earning a sting of pain. When that became too much, her agitation still burning hot Maya rubbed fiercely at her skull leaving her hair a mess.
How could she have done that?
She knew Riley well enough to know the girl wouldn't lie about this even if she desperately wanted it to be false. Practically a saint the kid had a hard time lying even by omission. She would never say something that could potentially ruin their friendship.
God, what had she done?
You kissed her, obviously. Even now, having her irrational side faded Maya could barely comprehend such a strange act. Sure, she remembered kissing Riley before but those were friendship orientated. The way the youngest female Matthews talked had suggested something far more . . . passionate.
Gawd! Why couldn't she just remember? It would make things so much simpler. She had been out of it when she made her way to the Matthews house and admittedly less than completely sober. . .
Was that it? Could this all be counted up in a moments of weak constitution? Or was it more than that? Was the blondes weakened state really pointing her to what she truly desired? People did tend to be brutally honest while sleep deprived and tipsy.
Did that mean she was attracted to Riley? Was Riley attracted to her? Well, she had said she liked it . . . Maya suddenly felt her cheeks redden. The image of her slowly closing in to a flushed Riley, their lips a breath away, eyes sliding shut.
She shook her head. What the hell was that? Were had it even come from? Riley and her were just friends weren't they?
Suddenly everything was starting to be shed into a new light. Touches between friends becoming more, stares turning intimate. Even the adorable banter looking almost, flirtatious. What were they?
She didn't know.
How could she possible know such a thing? Riley was, still is her best friend. For as long as the blonde could remember the girl had been everything to her. It wasn't as if she could suddenly rewrite their history and edge in a new chapter, it just didn't work that way... Doing so would question everything.
Even if she could answer these questions she had no idea who or what she was anymore Maya Hart knew one thing, she had to talk to Riley.
"Maya!"
The blonde nearly fell from her swing at the sound. Riley?
Frantically looking back and forth across the abandoned park blue eyes finally settled in on a familiar sight. Doubled over, one hand on her side, the other on her knee was Riley Matthews breathing out in a deep huff.
The blonde blinked in surprise. "R-Riley?" She found herself ask despite knowing she couldn't hear. She was still far away just walking (limping really) through the park entrance.
Tears began to prickle as Riley pitifully walked toward her, breathe labored her hands never leaving her side. The brunette's sad display of physical fitness was an afterthought. She came, she found herself thinking. After all she had said, after everything Riley still refused to give up on her. Briefly she wandered how she had even found her.
Grumbling out expletives that were the pre-school alternatives to curse words Riley slowly, painstakingly made her way closer to the blonde. Wordlessly (or least for Riley) she stepped out of the darkness going through the light of the over head post. Trickles of the light flowing down were reflecting off the beads of sweat on the girls form in an oddly appealing way.
Taking the swing to her left their eyes met. For a tense moment they were both silent. Content to merely stare at one another the only sound between Riley's evening breath or the soft 'Squesssh' of swings.
There was so much to be said, so many emotions or feelings to be conveyed Maya found that she just couldn't. So, she didn't try. With a gesture done so many times it was routine the blonde reached out her hand curling around Riley's. The two molded together in a perfect fit.
The silence stretched on long into the night both girls smiling shyly at one another, neither knowing exactly what to say. Just knowing that their presence was enough. She was Maya and that was Riley. Two pieces of a puzzle, it was their world again.
Like so many times in the past Riley was the first to speak. It was probable the first thing to cross the brunettes mind, Maya thought with a smirk.
"You know," Riley began. "I never gave running much thought. You must be in like crazy good shape. Your not even sweating." Riley grimaced looking down at her long dangly legs in annoyance.
It was no secret that Riley was a bit of a klutz. Having grown tall fairly quickly she had never really gotten her legs under her. Maya always thought she would get used to her height but even deep into high school her girl was as un-athletic as ever.
"Nope." Maya said with a smile. "I'm just coordinated."
Riley laughed, the sound soft and precious. Her lips turned up showing the girls crooked grin. It was something Maya had always loved. Making this girl smile, a top priority in her day.
Falling silent again it was Maya's turn to break the lull. "This was the last place my dad ever took me." She shared. "It was the last time I ever saw him." Maya bit back a sob. For so long she had kept this side of herself down. It had hurt, still hurt so much. She knew that it would always but now, now she refused to let it control her. Just because her dad had left her didn't mean Riley would.
Riley squeezed her hand.
"I didn't mean what I said."
"I know." Riley told her.
"It really hurt when you ignored me."
There was another pressure across her palm, slim fingers tightening. "I'm sorry." She said.
"I know." The blonde smiled. Her brow lifting into an arch she gave Riley a playful look. "So I kissed you huh?" Somehow joking about it made it all the more real. She didn't know what she was doing exactly. It was more on a whim that she was chasing, a frantic thought she needed to know what it all meant to her.
Even in the dark Maya could see the painful reddish blush spreading. With a bashful tooth filled grin that Maya had only seen reserved for Lucas. "Yeahhhh."
"Well," Maya spoke all playfulness gone. "Then I guess you'll forgive this."
Before Riley could react Maya moved. Leaning over the blonde reached out with her unoccupied right cupping the back of her friends head, her fingers loosely tangling inside dark locks.
Gently she pulled the girl forward until their faces were but inches apart. With faint amusement Maya noticed Riley had shifted from wild frantic wide eyes to a more subdued look, even closing shut as they got closer.
They closed the distance.
It was just a peck. A moments brush of her lips on Riley's.
Maya didn't know what they were, she didn't know what would happen between them. None of that mattered. All that mattered was that she had her best friend. The tightness and warmth flooding her mid-section was unexpected. It was definitely pleasant, far more enjoyable then the blonde would have thought. Without her permission, Maya felt her lips curve upwards into a smile against Riley's. That's when the thought truly began to sink in, she was kissing Riley Matthews.
Pulling back Maya pushed back a few strains of Riley's hair, noting in satisfaction the dreamy expression across Riley's face. Her dorky smile back in full force.
"Guess we both remember now huh?"
AN: Alright, yes. I know Maya's father left before she was born. (Pretty sure at least...) but I'm choosing to ignore that bc I've already changed their ages, this is just moved back a bit. Now I'm sure there are some readers out there angrily typing away in hate.
Calm yourselves readers. I know the canon... I'm just choosing to burn it too the ground! (Just bc I can.) Mwahahahaha!
I can feel your hate. It surges through me. Gives me power. Give into the dark side and type out your frustration in a review. ;p. -RRR