Chapter 2

Love You as A Friend

Farkle and Maya got off at the same bus stop, which was about a block away from their apartment building. Maya stared down at the ground and fingered the hair tie around her wrist. Farkle tried to break the silence between them as they walked, "So, am I wrong in assuming that you running away means… yes?"

Maya glared up at him. She made her body as small as it could be, like she was closing in from the outside. She crossed her arms and walked with her legs pressed shut. "What do you want Farkle?" She asked like she had so many times before, but this time there was less sassy behind it and more sadness.

"Maya," Farkle spoke her name lightly, "It is okay if the answer is yes."

"So what if it is?!" She questioned with frustration flooding her body. "Are you going to laugh at me? Are you going to tell her? Are you going to tell everyone?"

Farkle stopped walking, but Maya kept going in her angry state, "I would never do that Maya. It hurts that you think I would."

"Well why wouldn't you?"

"…Because you are my friend, and I love you no matter what."

"Don't you get it Farkle, you cannot love me anymore!" She stormed up the apartment steps. He chased after her.

"What are you talking about?! That doesn't even make sense!" On her way up Maya glanced at Riley's apartment room. She shook her head violently and stomped louder. "Maya! Wait!" He called and called and called. She stopped at her door and looked back to him.

"Just don't tell anyone…" She mumbles in her heavy breaths.

Farkle shrugs, "Maya, I can still love you for who you are. I love you, because you are my friend."

Maya takes big deep breath, "I will see you tomorrow, Farkle."

"Mom?" Riley called rushing around in the early morning. She was just slipping on her jean jacket over her new t-shirt. "Have you seen Maya?"

"No she has not come down yet. Do you think you should go check on her sweetie?" Topanga worried about Maya like she would worry about her own daughter.

"I'll go call her," Riley went over to the side of the apartment. She leaned out the window and looked up, "Maya!" She yelled.

"Riles?" Maya stated to herself when she heard Riley's voice. She bit her lip and decided to danger herself towards the window. "Hey," She waved down.

"Are you coming?" Riley asked her.

"Yeah, yeah, I'll be down in a minute. Do not leave without me."

"I would never," Riley gave Maya a big smile and went back into her house. Maya sighed and changed into her clothes for school.

They got the subway towards their school. Riley came to a shocking realization, "Why do you always come on the subway with me if you could just take the bus?"

"We do you always come on the subway with me if you could have Mr. Matthews drive you?" They both laughed. "Also, the bus has Farkle." Riley nodded understandingly, but she did not fully understand. Maya wanted to avoid Farkle as much as she could now.

That was proving to be really challenging, because once the two girls got into school, he was waiting at her locker. "Riles, you can go to class. I'll caught up with you, okay?"

"Alright…" She listened even though she was confused.

"Maya, just so you know I didn't tell anyone," He stated first.

"And just how many people did you talk to this morning? Only Ranger Rick," Maya smirked and pushed him aside to get into her locker.

"I don't see why you are hiding it. You should embrace it Maya. If you like her, then you like her."

"And how is pronouncing your love to her everyday working? I think I am good here, nice and safe." Maya grabbed her sketching notebook.

"And trapped!"

"Leave me alone, Farkle." She spat, "I can handle my own problems, and I don't need your help or anybody's." She slammed her locker and walked away. Maya made her way to her desk and sat down. She found herself lost in her thoughts. She knew Farkle was not going to stop, so what was she going to do?

"Maya? Are you okay? You look kind of sad," Riley leaned over and tapped her on the shoulder.

"Yeah, I am fine," Maya lied.

Riley frowned with the discontent that her friend was upset. "I love you, okay?" Riley tried to boost her best friend back up into her cool ways. Maya's eyes opened wider. She glanced back at Farkle for a second.

"I love you too."

Riley smiled, but then changed her emotions quickly, "Did you just pause?" Maya crossed her legs and laughed. She adore when Riley did things like that.

"See? Better already," Riley went back to facing forward. Maya turned her head back to Farkle's desk. He was noticing things that he never really noticed before, and Maya did not like it. At least Riley and Lucas, and the rest of the world was still clueless.

A/N: Thank you to the person who wrote me a ton of reviews! :) I just had to update right away didn't I? I hope you guys are liking this and don't be afraid to tell me how you feel about it. This chapter was kind of a continuation of the first. The next one will have a bit more action and things we are used to on the show. Props for Topanga being in this chapter for about 3 seconds. Thanks for reading!