"Can you believe this guy Riley? He's blackmailing me into going on a date with him! How desperate is that?" I said to Riley, my phone on speaker mode while I searched through my closet for an outfit for my 'date'. "And you know what else? He acted all smug about when I agreed. He thinks that he can make me fall for him. Yeah right, like that's gonna happen."
"You never know peaches. Maybe you'll have a good time," Riley said, making me snort.
"Ha, that's funny Riley," I said, my voice dripping with sarcasm, "You seem to be forgetting that I don't do relationships."
"That could always change," Riley said, always the positive one.
"Okay, when pigs fly honey," I said, grabbing some items from my closet. "Okay, what if I wear my grey crop top and my maroon cord button mini skirt?"
"That's cute," Riley replied, "So, you know how I have a small crush on Farkle?"
"It's not just a small crush Riles, but continue," I said, grabbing a pair of ankle booties to go with the outfit.
"Well, I took your advice and tried flirting with him," Riley said, causing a smile to break out onto my face.
"So when's the first date? I want to be there to make sure he knows what's coming for him if he breaks your heart," I said, changing into the outfit I had picked out.
"We aren't going on a date, yet. But we were texting for most of the afternoon and we have a lot of similar interests. Plus, he's really sweet and funny," Riley said, her voice sounding all dreamy. She's so head over heels for this guy. It kind of disgusts me, seeing how fast people can fall for others. Of course, I'm happy for her and she can live her life the way she wants, but I just can't see how you can go all goo goo eyes for a guy.
"Well, I'm very happy for you Riley. Just don't jump into things too fast, alright. I don't want you to get your heart broken," I said, zipping up my boots.
"I won't, don't worry about me. I gotta go, time for dinner, but Maya? One last piece of advice; try to have a good time tonight, please. Enjoy yourself and let yourself be a normal teenage girl who isn't against dating. Not all boys are spawns of Satan," Riley said. I grabbed my phone from it's spot on my dresser and sighed. I know that Riley meant well but I know for a fact that I won't have a good time tonight. I'm not going to become some girl who actually dates guys, not gonna happen.
"Okay Riles, I'll try. Bye," I lied, hanging up the phone. I'm not putting any effort into actually enjoying myself tonight. That'd be a waste of energy. I grabbed my purse from my desk and headed downstairs. I checked the time and saw that I had fifteen minutes till my 'date'. Ugh, kill me.
"Have fun tonight sweetheart. I'm so happy, your finally going on a date! I'm just so proud, would it be bad if I took photos?" my mom rambled, stepping out from the kitchen to meet me in the living room, engulfing me in a hug. I might have left out the part about myself being blackmailed into going on this date, but she was just really happy when the word date came out of my mouth and I didn't want to ruin her happiness.
"Okay mom, let's not overreact. It's just a date, a date which I will be late to if I don't leave now," I said, trying to escape her grip.
"Alright, alright, go and have fun. And wear your coat, it's cold out and it's supposed to snow later," my mom said, releasing me, "Love you sweetheart."
"Got it mom, love you too," I said, grabbing my black peacoat and slipping it on before heading out. Once I stepped outside of my apartment building, I was harshly reminded of how annoying NYC winters are. I walked with more speed than usual, wanting out of this cold. After thirteen minutes of walking, I finally arrived at Topanga's, smiling at the heat that hit me once I walked through the doors. I looked around and spotted Lucas, sitting on one of the two chairs that sit in one of the corner's of the resturant. I didn't want to admit it, but that's one of my favorite spots in the whole resturant. Lucas looked up and spotted me, smiling. He stood up as I walked over to him.
"Hi Maya, you look beautiful," Lucas said, causing me to roll my eyes.
"Yeah, I know. I don't put effort into doing my hair and makeup in the morning to look ugly Friar," I said, unbuttoning my coat and sliding it off.
"Here let me take that," Lucas said, reaching over to take my coat but I just shook my head.
"I can handle my own coat cowboy, I'm not some fragile little princess, okay," I said, placing my coat on the coat rack that sat a few feet next to our table. I looked back at the table to sit down and found Lucas pulling out my chair for me. Oh boy, he's one of those types. Great. I roll my eyes before sitting down, letting Friar be a gentlemen for this once and push my seat in.
"I'm really glad you came Maya," Lucas said, sitting across from me.
"Well you didn't really give me a choice now did you Friar," I said, giving him a smirk along with my sarcastic tone. Of course, that didn't faze Huckleberry.
"Well, what's good here?" Lucas asked, looking at the menu.
"Everything's good here Friar, trust me. My best friend's mom runs the place and everything on that menu tastes like heaven," I said, meaning what I said. Topanga's was one of the best places in all of NYC in my opinion. Riley and I spent many days here after school, studying and eating our hearts out.
"Hmm, what are you getting?"
"My usual, a hot caramel macchiato and a cinnamon roll. What about you huckleberry?"
"I was thinking of getting a caramel macchiato as well but with a bear claw," Lucas said as the waiter came over. Both of us placed our orders and the waiter left, returning quickly with our orders. While we ate, Lucas tried to get some conversations going, trying to make some connections between us so that I'll come running back for a second date. Yeah, not gonna happen cowboy.
"So, what's it like here in NYC?" Lucas asked, taking a sip of his coffee.
"Cold, busy, but always interesting. This city keeps you on your toes," I said, eating a piece of my cinnamon roll.
"What's your favorite part about the city?"
"My favorite part, the art. There's museums and street art and it's just everywhere," I answered before asking my own question. "What was it like in Texas huckleberry? Full of rodeos and cow tipping and square dancing?" I asked, speaking in a mocking southern accent.
"Yeah, we have all that. And plenty of horses and farms and barbeque. You know, I was even in a rodeo or two," Lucas said, not fazed with my teasing of his roots. Ugh, does anything annoy this guy?
"Aw, what'd you do? Ride sheep?" I said, not being serious at all but when Friar's face got all red, I started laughing. "Oh my god, you actually rode sheep! Ha, that's hilarious!"
"Okay, okay, laugh all you want but I'll have you know that it's not as easy as it looks. Those sheep are monsters," Lucas said.
"I'm sure they are," I responded, still laughing at the thought of him riding a sheep.
This is basically what happens for the next hour, the two of us bantering back and forth with Lucas asking some questions to get to know me, my favorite color and stupid date things like that. Finally, both of us stand to leave, Lucas grabbing my coat because he's such a gentleman. We walked to the door together and he held it open for me. Ugh, gag.
"Well, I guess this is goodbye Friar. See ya in school," I said, turning and walking toward my apartment before I heard Lucas running to catch up with me and slowing down once he reached me.
"It's not goodbye yet, I'm walking you home," Lucas said, a cheeky grin on his face.
"Aw, is that what your mama taught you?"
"In fact, it is. My mama taught me how to be a proper gentlemen and I intent to make her proud and be one," he said, all happy and cheerful. It really sickens me with how positive this guy is. Riley's like this but I can handle hers but huckleberry's? It makes me want to vomit.
The walk home is mostly quiet, Lucas trying to wrap his arm around me once but stopped once I told him that if his arm touched mine it wouldn't be attached to his body anymore. Halfway to my apartment it started to snow and it was really coming down. Lucas got all excited, not really getting snow where he comes from but I'm used to NYC snow storms.
"Well this is my stop," I said, stopping outside my apartment door, because of course Lucas had to walk me to my door.
"I had a nice time tonight Maya," Lucas said.
"Well, I only came so you wouldn't rat me out to the math devil so don't think this will be happening again," I said, about to say more before the door opened and my mom stepped out.
"Oh, you must be Lucas! It's so nice to meet you, Maya's never brought home a boy before and it's so nice to finally meet one of her male classmates," my mom said, shaking Lucas' hand and everything.
"It's a pleasure to meet you Ms. Hart, Maya's a really nice girl," Lucas said, being the polite gentleman he is.
"Well Mom, glad you got to meet him, but he really should be getting home now," I said, grabbing my mom's arm and walking towards the door.
"Oh, he's not leaving yet, not with the snow coming down like that. Lucas, you can wait out the snow at our apartment. It should slow down in an hour or two," my mom said, leading the both of us into our apartment.
"Thank you m'am, I hope I'm not a burden," Lucas said, his politeness really starting to urke me. No guy is this polite, none of them!
"Your not a burden, trust me. I love having Maya's friends over, even though it's usually just Riley," my mom said, "Why don't you two go and hang in Maya's room and I'll bring some hot chocolate up for the two of you."
"Okay mom," I said, grabbing Lucas' arm and dragging him up the stairs before he could sweet talk my mom some more. I don't want her to get attached to him, especially because she'll never see him again.
"So, this is my room. Don't touch anything, alright. I don't want you here but my mom's not gonna let you leave until the snow stops so I guess I'm stuck with you," I said, walking into my room with Lucas behind me. He instantly began to walk around looking at all my things. "I'm going to the bathroom to change so you just stay here and don't touch anything."
I walked down the hall to the bathroom and changed out of my outfit into sweats and a tee-shirt, not even caring that Friar was there and would we see me dressed like some slob. Normally I'd never wear this in front of a guy but I'm exhausted and my clothes are wet from the snow. I threw my hair up into a bun and walked back to my bedroom to find Lucas going through my artwork.
"Hey, what part of no touching didn't you understand?" I said, walking over and snaching my painting of the NYC skyline out of his hands.
"Wow, you look beautiful," Lucas said, looking at me in my sweats and messy hair.
"Yeah, you don't have to lie Friar, okay? I know I look gross but I'm exhausted and don't feel like actually trying to look nice for you, especially in my own home," I said, putting my painting back in it's place.
"I'm not lying, in fact I think you look better without all that makeup and fancy outfits," Lucas says, causing me to roll my eyes. Every guy on the planet says that and none of them mean it. Still, I couldn't help but feel a slight pull on my heartstrings at the thought that someone might think I look good in my natural state. Yeah right, get your head out of the clouds Hart.
"Whatever," I responded, checking to make sure that all my paintings are still okay and not damaged.
"They are really good paintings you know. You have a real gift Maya," Lucas said, walking over to my movie collection. I walked over to join him, making sure he doesn't ruin any of my dvds.
"You have Wizard of Oz?" Lucas asked, holding up my copy of the movie.
"Yeah, it's one of my favorite movies," I answered, "I've always liked the idea of another world that exists over the rainbow, one where anything is possible and where an ordinary person can be something extra ordinary. Plus, the sets are really beautiful." I don't even know why I said why I liked the movie, I've never told anyone that. Ugh, what is happening to me!
"That's exactly how I feel. It's my all time favorite movie," Lucas said, setting the movie down and walking over to the windows in my room. "You have a nice view." I walked over to join him, looking out at the city street below me.
"Yeah, I like the view too. I like looking out and seeing the city and everyone in it. I see people walk by and I don't know anything about them or there lives, but in some weird way I feel like I know them. Like we're all connected in some way. We all walk on the same street and in the same city and we may have nothing in common but at the same time we have so much in common," I said, not even realizing the words that come out of my mouth. It's like Lucas isn't even there and I'm just by the window, completely at peace, just letting my heart speak it's deepest feelings. "We all have our own stories and yet in some way, they're all connected."
"It's like the stars in Texas. I look up at them and it gives me this sense of unity. People on the other side of the world and in different time zones and countries are all looking at the same stars in the sky. They can all see them and even if I never meet that other person, they're looking at the stars too. Everyone sees those stars and it just, it makes me feel like..." Lucas said, looking up at the sky and without meaning to, I look up at the stars that he speaks of.
"Like I'm not alone in the world," both of us say at the same time, our eyes leaving the stars and finding each other. We each gaze into each other's eyes, nether of us looking away. It's like our eyes were locked, as were our hearts and soul and entire body. I can't explain what I felt, but it was like this tingling in my stomach. It was like someone had given my body a pill that made it completely relaxed and giddy. I felt so calm and my bedroom felt more like home then it ever had, standing at my window looking into Lucas Friar's eyes. I felt like I really belonged in the world, more than I ever had. Oh god, is this what it feels like to like someone?
"Well, looks like the snow is finally slowing down," my mom said, entering the room. Lucas and I both look away, our connection breaking. "If you want I can drive you home."
"That's alright m'am. I texted my mom and she's on her way to get me. Thanks again for the hospitality," Lucas said, grabbing his coat.
"I'll walk you out," my mom said, walking out the door with Lucas behind him. Before leaving the room, Lucas looks back at me and I know that he felt the same way I did when our eye's were locked. Once he's gone, I fall back onto my bed, a sense of dread filling me as I realize something.
I'm falling for Lucas Friar
hope you liked the chapter. there's one part left and then this story is complete. sorry for the long wait, the real world's been keeping me really busy lately.
thanks for reading!