Hey guys! I managed to find some more time to write, so... here you go! Another update! Oh, and this chapter contains a reference from my One-Shot, The Best Thing I Got. I'd really like for you to read it if you haven't already. There's something in it that is going to be very important to this story. Anyways, enjoy!

Maya's Point Of View

I fluttered open my eyes, nit sure what happened or where I was. A plump lady who wore way too much make-up was standing next to the bed I was laying blinked as she noticed I was awake.

"Oh, good, you're awake," she said with a smile that was obviously fake, "Do you know where you are?"

I would have shaken my head, but I felt too weak to do much of anything, "No," I said, painfully aware of how soft and pitiful my voice sounded.

"Do you remember anything about yourself? Name, age, family?"

"What kind of question is that?" I asked. "I'm Maya Hart, I'm twelve, almost thirteen. My family is just... just me and my mom. Don't you dare throw me a pity party. Now can you tell me what happened?" I said, kind of rudely. The nurse glared at me.

"There was a fire,"she said. "In your apartment."

"My apartment?" I furrowed my brow, confused. "But I haven't been in my apartment since this morning..."

The nurse didn't say anything. I was going to say something else, but a sudden realization crashed over me. I knew who's apartment had been on fire.

"Riley," I croaked, feeling my eyes watering up. "I-is she okay?"

"Riley Matthews?" the nurse asked.

"What other Riley could I be talking about?" I cried. "Yes, Riley Matthews!"

"She's in surgery as we speak," the nurse said with little to no emotion on her face of in her voice. I blinked.

"Surgery!" a sudden strength allowed me to sit up. I tried to get out of the bed, failing miserably. The nurse pushed me back down, gently laying my head bck down on the pillow..

"Whoa, kid, take it easy," she told me. "You've been through a lot."

"But, Riley..." I breathed. "Will she... will she be all right? She's my... my best friend... I-I should have protected her..."

Warm tears streamed down my face. Usually, I would have fought them back. Maya Hart doesn't cry. But right then, I didn't feel much like a Hart. Even a Clutterbucket was too high. I was less than a Clutterbucket. I was worthless, a piece of dirt. Riley could have been dying because of me.

"We'll have an update on her soon," the nurse reassured me. "But don't get your hopes up. There's still a chance she might not wake up."

Well, that reassurance went down the drain, didn't it? I thought so, too.

I couldn't control myself. I had always hid my true emotions. Riley was the only one who'd ever even seen me cry, and even during those rare times I never cried as much as I wanted to. I concealed myself with a brick wall of wit and sarcasm. I was a tough, rebellious city girl. I was a Hart.

But not anymore. As I bawled into my hands, I was tearing down that wall, brick by brick. I hated myself, I really did. If Riley didn't live, then I didn't want to.

"This is all my fault!" I wailed.

"Shhh...Shhhhh..." the nurse soothed, stroking my back. "None of this is your fault. You-"

"If this is one of those it's-not-you-fault-you-can't-blame-yourself speeches, save it!" I snarled. "I should have protected her! Then she would be the one with a chance to survive right now, not me! I don't deserve to live, she doesn't deserve to die!"

"Miss Hart, calm yourself," the nurse said sternly.

I tried to obey, closing my eyes and taking deep breaths. About two minutes later, I was calmer than before.

"I'm calm," I said softly, hating how weak I sounded.

"Listen," said the nurse, looking me in the eye. "You friend is fighting for her life. She needs you to stay strong. I can tell just by talking to you that you care for her very much."

I nodded. "She... she's my best friend. She and her family... they're more like my family than my real family." It felt good to get all of this off my chest, even if it was to a complete and total stranger.

"See?" she asked. "Riley has a lot to fight for. You, her family, those two boys in the waiting room. Her life is worth fighting for, and so is yours. We can only do so much to keep her alive, you know. She will have to do the rest."

I let those words sink in for a moment, then looked up, suddenly curious. "Two boys in the waiting room?" I blinked. Could it be... Lucas and Farkle?

"Do you think you're ready for visitors?" the nurses eyes seemed to sparkle. I nodded eagerly. My friends were here!

"I'll go get them for you. sweetie," she said, and left me alone in the room, staring at the blank walls.

"Maya."

I jumped at the sound of a familiar voice. The door had been cracked open, an the face of Farkle Minkus could be seen through the crack.

"Farkle," I said, smiling genuinely for the first time since before the fie. "Come in," I waved him over.

He entered the room, followed by Lucas. They sat down on either side of my bed. Farkle grabbed my hand, squeezing it tightly, and for once, I didn't pull away.

"Maya, are you okay?" he asked, leaning over to wipe a tear from my face. Shit. I hadn't wanted them to see that I had been crying. But one look at their bloodshot eyes and it was obvious that both Lucas and Farkle had been crying, too.

"I'm better, now that you two are here. Where are Mr. and Mrs. Matthews?" I asked. I wanted to see them, too. I subconsciously reached up to touch the locket Riley and her family had given me. "I want to see them."

Lucas looked at me as if I'd grown a second head. I didn't blame him; I'd forgotten to build up my brick wall. He was seeing the other side of me. Not for long, I thought. Consider yourself lucky, cowboy.

"We have good news," Lucas said. he was smiling. "We got an update on Riley!"

"It was two seconds before we were told that you were ready for visitors!" Farkle added.

"What? Tell me!" I cried, getting impatient. The boys looked at each other and grinned. I grit my teeth. they were drawing this out in the longest ay possible. I was mad. "Hey, cowboy, tell me now or I'll climb onto your 'cloud of awesomeness' and break you."

Lucas smiled, and I knew why. My brick wall had been repaired.

"So Riley's out of surgery and in recovery!" he began.

"And it looks like she's going to be alright!" Farkle exclaimed, his grin stretching from ear to ear.

"She is?" I blinked, a smile forming it's way onto my face. "She's going to survive?"

Lucas nodded. "She's still under amnesia, but her parents are with her and the doctors predict that she'll be waking up within the next few hours."

I let out a huge sigh of releif as huge weight was lifted off of my chest. Riley was going to live.