Freshman Year, December:

I honestly believed that Maya would stay true to her words. Maya had a lot of problems, but she wasn't a liar. Every day after school she either went home with Riley, came to Topanga's with me to study, or walked home with Farkle. I wasn't catching her behind the school and I saw her trying hard to stay up with her homework. But even strong people like Maya Hart can be attacked by high school.

It was a Monday morning, the last Monday before winter break when I saw Maya walking down the halls toward me and her locker. Except who would even know it was Maya? She was wearing a skirt so short I was surprised she had thought it counted as clothes. Her shirt was skin tight and barely covered her chest, leaving her stomach, hips, and shoulders in plain sight. Her hair was mussed into a beachy look and her high heeled black boots clicked on the floors. She walked with her head held high and whistles and hollers followed her down the hallway. She stopped at her locker, right next to mine, and nonchalantly began to grab her books for her first class. I could feel the stares of everyone in the hall on her and it made my stomach boil with rage.

"Maya, what are do you think you're doing? Is this some sort of sick joke?" I asked with disgust. Maya Hart respected herself too much to dress like this. She never sank to the level of the slutty girls here. She never tried to get guys, loved her comfortable style, and didn't want to turn heads…well she didn't want to turn heads that much.

"What?" she asked innocently, batting her eyelashes at me, then winking at a gawking guy as he stepped by. I almost puked. I snapped my fingers in front of her face to get her attention.

"I mean, why are you wearing those clothes? Or should I even call them clothes? Are you experimenting to see what counts as clothes? Because those definitely don't."

"You don't like them?" she frowned. I couldn't tell if she was being serious or not. "Everyone else seems to."

"Everyone else is stupid, superficial, and perverted." I growled.

"Hart!" someone called. I looked up to see Jackson, a senior, quarterback of the varsity football team running up the hall towards us.

"Jackson." She waved casually. Had they talked before? Did she know him? What had Maya been up to, hanging out with the most popular guy in the high school?

"Nice look." He looked her over as he ran up and I wanted to attack him. "See you in bio?" he licked his lips.

"Like always." She beamed. I curled my fingers into fists. What did he think he was doing? What did she think for that matter? We watched Jackson saunter off down the hall towards his math class, high-fiving adoring classmates as he walked by. Maya sighed. My heart fell. Did she actually like him?! No way. Maya would not sink herself for someone so shallow, perverted, and devious as Jackson. She knew what she deserved….right?

"Maya, I didn't know you knew him." I muttered.

"He's in my bio class." She replied dreamily. "I can't believe he talked to me."

"I can." I growled. "Any guy would talk to a girl dressed like you."

"Thanks." She smiled and shut her locker.

"That wasn't a compliment. I thought you spoke sarcasm?"

"Lucas, what's up with you?" she squinted at me. "What's your problem, huh?"

"My problem?" I scoffed and then gestured to her. "You are! Maya, please tell me why you came to school wearing this outfit. I honestly can't even begin to imagine why you would, or where you would get this stuff."

"Chill. I wanted to try a new look. And I like it." She breathed. "Look at how many people are talking to me! If I had known this makes you popular, I would've dressed like this at the beginning of the year."

"Maya, you used to make fun of people wearing stuff like this! You called them sluts and whores! So what happened to that Maya? Where did she go? Huh?" I crossed my arms and stared her down, disapproval in my eyes. For a second I saw her eyes droop. But she recovered quickly when someone ran by and kissed her on the cheek, then dashed off, guys laughing and hollering. She blushed and looked flustered, brought a hand to her cheek. I saw red. If I had seen who had done that, they'd be so dead.

"You wouldn't understand." She mumbled in a trance and slowly clicked off down the hall, her hips swaying under her tiny skirt, making me freeze for a second, picturing things I shouldn't. How hard could she possibly make this for me?

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I quickly heard that Jackson had asked Maya out in their third block biology class. And she had said yes. I avoided her the rest of the day, scared I might lose my temper and do something we'd both regret. But I could always tell when she was near by the hollers and whoops that followed her all day. Riley stuck with Farkle and I, all of us scared to try to reason with her. Riley was in tears almost all day. She had no idea what to do. Farkle had never experienced this kind of problem, didn't know how to handle unruly girls like Maya, especially in phases like this, so I knew it was basically up to me to snap Maya out of this phase.

Unfortunately I didn't get to her before she was going out on her date with Jackson two nights later. And she had to learn the hard way what clothes like that ended you with. At one in the morning I got a teary phone call.

"Maya?" I answered the phone quickly after rubbing my eyes and checking the caller ID.

"Lucas?" I heard a sniffle.

"What happened? Where are you?" I thought I heard the rush of traffic in the distance of her call.

"I need your help." She whimpered. "I need a ride." I made good time to the bus stop that she had told me she'd be waiting at. At first, I barely recognized her. I saw a dirty midget sitting at the bus stop, then did a double take noticing the curly hair and black boots sitting by her bare feet. I jumped out of the car and ran up to her, headlights of cars flashing over her face.

"Maya!" I cried and she looked up. "What happened?" I cried. She stood up shakily. I saw her eyes welling with tears. And then she collapsed into my arms, sobbing. At first I was completely in shock, but soon I recovered and gently stroked her hair and rocked her back and forth, instinct taking over. After about five minutes, she pulled back. Her body was covered in dripping mud, but I could still make out the outlines of a sheer, see through black top and pencil skirt. But I saw three, long tears in the shirt, running the length of it. Her hair was gray with dirt. And her cheeks were red and puffy from crying. Her shoes were in her hand, her feet bare with little cuts covering them, blisters too. My heart broke for her. I guided her back to the car and put her in the front seat, not even thinking about how dirty my car would be. I ran around to my side and quickly got in and cranked up the heat. She had reached into the backseat and found the blanket I always kept there and was snuggling under it. I pulled away from the curb and began to drive back to my house.

"Where are you taking me?" she croaked.

"Back to my house. You're going to shower, change, and eat something. Then you're going to sleep in our guest room. And tomorrow I'm taking you home. I can get you excused from school." I told her. She didn't reply. I pulled into the driveway and ran around and helped her out of the car.

"Your mom won't be mad?" she asked weakly.

"Not at all." I promised and led her inside. My mom was sitting on the couch, a single lamp on, knitting. I had told her to be ready.

"Maya!" she cried when she saw the poor girl, dirty, hurt, and lifeless.

"Mom," I quieted her, "Maya needs a shower. I'll show her the guest shower. Could you please get some chicken noodle soup for her?"

"Of course." She replied and hurried off to the kitchen, taking the hint that Maya wanted to be alone. I led her up the stairs and to the guest wing of my suburban house. We were both completely silent as I showed her the room. She set her shoes gently on the white carpet, grimacing as she did so.

"Sorry about that carpet." She whispered.

"It's not a problem." I assured her. "Use all the hot water you want. There will be clean clothes on the bed when you're done. Soap and shampoo are in there. Same with towels. When you get out we can clean up your cuts and you can eat." I explained gently. She only nodded and I left her quietly, shutting the door behind me.

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After a quiet dinner, my mom cleaned Maya's cuts and brought out the box of bandaids. By that time it was already three in the morning. I was barely able to keep my eyes open. I noticed the same about Maya. It was weird to see her dressed in one of my flannel shirts, so big on her, the arms hanging by her knees, and a pair of black yoga pants that my mom had bought for one of my cousins that never came for Christmas. She hadn't said a word since she got out of the shower except a quick 'thank you' to my mom. She must have been exhausted. So as soon as I could, I got her up and led her up to bed. As she settled down on the fresh mattress, I cleared my throat.

"Sleep as late as you want. Mom will call the school." She just nodded. I sighed and sat down at the foot of the bed. "Do you want to talk about it?" I whispered. She stared at me for a long time.

"What happened to my self-respect?" she asked, barely audible in her meek voice.

"Maya." I took her hand gently and she flinched. I let go quickly and looked at her more seriously now. "What did he do to you?" the words slipped out before I could stop them. I didn't actually think he had hurt her, but when she didn't reply, my heart sped up. "He didn't do anything….did he?" I threatened.

"Lucas," she started in her confessing voice. I tried not to turn around and punch the wall. Part of me didn't want to hear what she might say, "he just tried a few things. It's not a big deal." But big, wet tears were sliding down her cheeks as she said it so I knew it was indeed a big deal.

"You can tell me, Maya. I won't hurt you." I reminded her.

"I know." She whispered and looked down as two tears fell on the blankets and left two wet spots. She took a deep breath. "He took me to dinner. He was being really nice. I thought he actually liked me. I was cold in that stupid outfit. It's December. I don't even know why I wore that junk." She chuckled dryly, but I knew it wasn't funny. "But after dinner he took me back to his house. His parents weren't home. At first it was harmless fun. He was drinking, offered me some, but I was too full to take any. But he kept drinking. I could tell he was tipsy. So when I saw the time I tried to leave but he wouldn't let me. He pulled me around, trying to get my clothes off. I kept pushing him off. But he kept saying that I couldn't tease him by dressing like that and then not share it with him." Her voice broke off and she sobbed, coughing for a few seconds. I tried not to hurl something through the window. "I thought it was such a good idea. I thought that people were talking to me because they liked me. But I'm just a big fake. Who was I kidding? All he wanted was to get inside my pants."

"Maya, did he? Did he hurt you?" I growled, slowly losing my temper by every second.

"I almost gave up." Her breaths were shaking. "I felt that I deserved whatever he did to me. I had teased everyone after all. But I thought of you guys. Of my real friends. And the boy that might really treat me right one day. And I ran. I made it to the front door. He tried to stop me, but I kept going. My shirt caught on the door, it tore. But I couldn't stop. When I reached the stairs I took off my shoes so I could run faster. He was still stumbling after me, cussing and threatening me. But I made it out and I didn't even know what neighborhood I was in. It was raining and cars kept driving by and splashing me. I couldn't call Riley or Farkle. They wouldn't understand." She mumbled.

"And you thought I would?" I asked, forgetting Jackson a moment and just looking into her eyes.

"You were the one that told me the mistake I was making. I thought of you when he was touching me, you know." She added quietly. I looked up at that, shock probably clear on my face. "What you told me and how you would never do that to me. I wore those clothes for three days and not once did you touch me or look at me thinking about what you could do to me. I knew I had to apologize for not listening to you." She was still sobbing. But then I felt guilty. In fact, I had thought of what I could do to her when she wore clothes like that. Did that make me any better than Jackson? I snapped my attention back to Maya.

"So I'm sorry." She sighed and caught her breath again. "I'm so sorry."

"Maya, you're forgiven." I calmed her. "You were pretty stupid, but as long as you see that now, I know you won't do it again."

"I learned my lesson." She sniffled.

"I know you did." I touched her shoulder and noticed her body tensed. I wondered how long it would take for her to trust boys again. Or maybe trust herself around boys again. Could she trust her own judgement anymore? "Just please don't do that to me again, Maya." I begged.

"To you?" she narrowed her eyes. "What did I do to you?"

"I hated watching those guys treat you like that! It made me so angry! Maya you deserve so much better. It was so hard for me to watch you sink yourself like that. I know what you're worth, Maya Penelope Hart." She froze when I said that, looking at the wall behind me, her eyes glassy and distanced. I knew that had hit home. I left her room soon after that, planning what I would do to Jackson tomorrow, regardless of the fact that he was a senior and I was a freshman. But I would make him pay for treating Maya Hart, the world's precious jewel, like garbage, a slut, some girl he could throw around.

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The next morning I went to check on Maya before I left for school. But when I went into her room, the bed was empty, made again, her boots and torn clothes were no longer sitting on the window seat where she had left them. There was a small note on the bed.

'Thank you for your hospitality and care. I appreciated it so much. I'm going home to get some more sleep, so tell Lucas I won't be at school. Someday, I'll pay you back for the clothes and soup and the shower stuff I used. Thanks again. –Maya'

I read it twice before taking it down to my mom. The softness I had gotten out of Maya was gone, the moments we had were over. She was back to her icy, proud self I was sure. She must have gotten up at six to make it out of here before I woke up. But even though I knew Maya would probably never bring that night up again in my presence, the black eye and bloody nose I came home with that day after a brutal beating from Jackson, was worth it. I had even gotten a few good punches in myself. But I knew that he wouldn't be touching Maya again. I had made that clear. Maya Hart was worth way more that where his hands had been.

The day after that she was back at school, dressed normally and getting a lot of crap after the stories circulating about she and Jackson. He had obviously made her out to be the drunken idiot, forcing herself on him, but she paid no attention to the rumors, held her head high, ignored everyone. She was back. I knew she had forgotten about my help by the glare she gave me in second block when I spilled some water on one of her textbooks. But I knew she hadn't forgotten when she came to school the next week wearing the flannel shirt of mine.

"I hope you don't mind that I kept it." She said somewhat bashfully, somewhat snarkily, when she caught me staring at her. "It's really warm."

"I don't mind." I said with a smirk. She just glared daggers at me and continued to work on her math equations. But it was true. I didn't mind one bit.