A/N: Hey Englandgal! I'm actually Belgian :3 But that's a funny coincidence! I guess I say 'bum' because that's actually the first word for butt I learned, so it feels more natural to me xD And Hi Guest! 'Enceinte' is 'pregnant' in French :)
So we've just about reached the halfway mark of this story now! And now we're at Part II of Maya's pregnancy! *flings confetti* There won't be any more flashbacks. And things are really going to be picking up speed now x3 Also, I cut this chapter in half for reasons because I'm trying to diminish the whole long af chapters thing... It makes this story so much harder to write. I mean shit, the last chapter was almost 10K and took me two days to write -_-;
And finally, just for easier visuals, Maya has a bump, but it's not that big yet, though it's easily visible. In other words, she looks like she's pregnant, but she's not big enough that it impedes her day to day activities and wears her out. Big, baggy sweaters can still completely cover up her bump.
And apologies for the last chapter everyone :) I know the up and downness of the mood was a bit much, but eheheh if it felt like it was up and down and all over, then I accomplished what I set out to do! Thanks for the reviews and lovely lovely comments on the story! I appreciate it! :)
Disclaimer: I do not own GMW, but Lucaya is bae.
"Welcome back from break everyone. I hope you had a good winter holiday." Mr. Weatherly announced, setting his briefcase on the desk in the front. "I have your winter exams…"
Maya sat stiffly in her seat, twiddling her thumbs nervously and checking the door every few seconds for Lucas to come in the class. She'd been rounding corners carefully all day, watching out for the tall Texan and making sure she couldn't get caught off guard. This was the only class she had with him, but she couldn't skip today because she needed to get her exam back.
But class had already started and the seat next to her still wasn't occupied.
It wasn't like Lucas to be absent though. Maybe he'd caught a late flight. Sometimes he came back from Texas late and missed a bit of school and would show up later in the day. But Bio was the last class of the day in the class period rotation schedule that day and he hadn't yet made an appearance.
Mr. Weatherly dropped an exam in front of Maya, and she was jolted out of her reverie.
"Miss Hart. Incredible work." He drawled in his standard monotone. Then he placed an exam in front of Riley with a snide look. "Perhaps you would do well to study a bit more next time, Miss Matthews."
He walked on and Maya turned around with a frown.
"I thought you said you got an A?" Maya said.
"I did!" Riley whispered back, pointing to the A- beside the 91 on her exam. "I don't understand."
"Miss Matthews." Mr. Weatherly scolded from somewhere in the back of the class. "Let's not have this chatting thing continue the rest of the semester."
Riley pouted and ducked her head down dejectedly, and Maya made a mental note to buy Riley ice cream this whole week for getting her in trouble. Maya knew Mr. Weatherly didn't like Riley because she had accidentally run into him at lunch one day and smashed her spaghetti on his shirt, but damn. He didn't even try to hide his dislike.
Class went by without any disruptions, and Maya tried to focus on what was happening, but her head just wasn't in it. She had to go to work today (she'd ended up accepting Missy's offer and had started over break), and despite the fact that she had checked off 'get a job' on her Jellybean preparation list, she knew that she wasn't anywhere near done yet. There was still the issue of figuring out what to do once she was born.
Which she had to discuss with Lucas.
Which meant she would have to talk to him face to face.
Which meant he was going to kiss her.
Which she was trying to avoid by hiding from him.
Which was a problem because she had to discuss the Jellybean issue with him!
Maya sighed and ran her hand through her hair tiredly. This kind of stress could not be good for her.
She turned around in her seat.
"Any of you seen Lucas today?"
"He wasn't in Calc." Riley said robotically, eyes staring straight ahead.
"He wasn't in Physics." Farkle said, looking down at his exam, though he shifted nervously in his seat.
"Okay…" Maya's eyes narrowed and she turned back to the front, knowing her friends were both acting undeniably weird. A simple no would have sufficed.
If Lucas really wasn't in school then she supposed that meant that she could let her guard down.
She was kind of disappointed. Sure, she wanted to hide from him, but she also wanted to see him, especially since he'd been gone all break. He'd called her once more on New Year's and they hadn't really talked about anything in particular, but it had made her wish he was there in person. Especially when his voice took on that low, even tone that always made goosebumps rise on her neck.
She squirmed uncomfortably in her seat, feeling a sudden flash of heat run through her body and pool between her legs when she thought of Lucas. It'd been happening more frequently recently, and it annoyed her because she wasn't really sure what to do to get rid of it.
Well, she knew. It just wasn't ever enough.
Maya sighed and spent the rest of class trying not to think about her crazy body and how it wouldn't listen to her anymore. At least the morning sickness had, for the most part, subsided, and she was feeling much more energetic after that taxing first trimester of fatigue, vomit, and terrible bloating. But her needing to run to the bathroom to urinate frequently hadn't changed and it was starting to bug her.
The bell rang, and Maya stood up with her friends, a smile on her face because she was happy that the last class of the day was finally over. She slipped her notebook into her bookbag and made her way out of the classroom, filing out behind other students in the class.
"Riley, you want to hang out a bit before I have to head to work?" she asked as she walked with Farkle and Riley towards the door, "Like get ice cream or something?"
"I wish I could, but I have to run an errand for my dad."
Farkle yanked out his notepad, scribbling in it quickly. "So the cold weather still doesn't deter your craving for ice cream."
Maya walked out of the classroom ahead of the two of them, rolling her eyes in annoyance.
"Farkle, enough with being the pregnant girl creeper." He had quite literally shown up multiple times at the Matthews' apartment throughout the break asking her random—and some pretty inappropriate—questions about the state of her pregnancy.
"Can't help it. Someone has to keep tabs on you."
"Look I'm… fine…"
She subsequently froze, her brows rising in surprise.
Because there, leaning on the lockers across from the classroom door was Lucas, arms crossed in front of his chest and a brow raised in amusement.
"I'm surprised you didn't try to run after school." Lucas said, a playful smile tugging on his lips, "I thought you'd make the chase a bit harder, Maya."
Shit. She had completely forgotten how easily he tended to corner her if he so chose. A spark of fear ran down her back—fear and something else that made her tingle in excitement—and she took a giant step back, only to bump into Riley and Farkle who were flanking her on both sides, clearly keeping her from escaping. They had planned this.
"What the hell!" she said in surprise, when she realized she was actually trapped, "You traitors."
"Maya, just let it happen." Riley said, "Stop being so scared."
And her cheeks erupted in a blush when Lucas pushed off the lockers and approached her. She felt her pulse race impossibly fast.
"Riley this isn't funny." She stammered, eyes wide as she spun around to face the two of them.
"It's just a kiss Maya." Farkle rolled his eyes. "I mean sheesh. You're acting like you're about to lose a limb."
There was a small crowd gathering around the area now, wondering what the spectacle with the pregnant girl and Lucas was. Not only that, since everyone was done with classes for the day, the students walking by had begun to grow larger.
"Maya." Lucas said behind her.
And Maya closed her eyes, feeling her flush start crawling up her neck. Why was she so scared of a simple kiss? She liked him and he liked her. And it wasn't like it was her first kiss with him (though it was the first she would remember well). But damn, she was scared.
"Can't you just reschedule Huckleberry?" she said somewhat playfully, staring at Riley's necklace to give her something to keep her mind off of the fact that she couldn't run.
"So you can leave the country?" he snorted, gently taking hold of her wrist. Goosebumps erupted up her arm at the feather light touch. "I don't think so."
"It's just a kiss Maya." Riley said, an encouraging smile on her face. "And you've been fantasizing about this for two weeks now."
"I have not!"
"Yeah you have." Farkle drawled, "You can see it in your face. Not to mention all the things you told me about your—"
She snapped her gaze to his, shooting him a ferocious glare that had him shutting his mouth quickly with a yelp.
Lucas tugged on her wrist, turning her around so she was facing him and she immediately dropped her gaze to the floor, resolutely staring at a crack in the tiles. Lucas chuckled, stepping closer to her and he took her hand, intertwining their fingers together.
"Does it really bother you that much?" he asked softly, lifting her chin up so her gaze was on him.
Maya's pulse immediately skyrocketed, and she let out a long breath, trying to find it in herself to calm down.
"…No. But—"
And Lucas leaned down, pressing his lips to hers softly before she could say another word. Maya took in a sharp breath, caught off guard by the action. He moved his mouth slowly against hers, gently coaxing her out of her stupor and with a soft sigh, she pushed up to her tip toes, wrapping her other arm around his neck and returning it. He smiled a bit against her lips before dragging her closer and kissing her more firmly.
It was magic, the way his mouth melded with hers. It felt perfect and amidst the catcalling students and whoops and hollers, she grew dizzy from his scent, the taste of his mouth, and his arm around her waist, holding her gingerly against him. And somewhere among the butterflies fluttering in her stomach and electricity dancing through her body, something in her shifted. The kiss stirred something deep within her that had been absent for quite a while and she involuntarily pressed herself closer to him, her knees a little weak and her heart battering wildly in her chest.
When Lucas pulled away, Maya gazed up at him, blinking in surprise at how easily she'd been affected by the simple kiss. She felt prickly and tingly and entirely too warm.
"I knew you would try to run." Lucas said, laughing under his breath, his other arm wrapping around her. "I was right to skip class."
"You skipped class just so you could catch me?"
"I told you I was going to kiss you when I saw you. And I wasn't going to let anything stop me."
"You're such a Huckleberry." She said, a light blush springing to her cheeks. "Why?"
"I already told you. Because I like you, Maya."
And then he kissed her chastely one more time, before pulling away and resting his forehead against hers, his eyes soft and caring. She bit her lower lip to keep the giddy laugh building in her chest from escaping.
"Yeesh. Get a room you two." Riley said with a goofy grin, though she pulled out her phone and snapped a quick picture. Farkle rose a brow in question. "For the baby album."
"Isn't a baby album supposed to be photos of the baby?"
"Pictures of the baby including from the pregnancy stage."
"Maya, you're shivering." Lucas said softly, cupping her cheek and kissing her again.
"Hormones…" she said. It wasn't exactly a lie. Every time she inhaled more of Lucas's scent, she felt a ripple of heat travel through her body.
Farkle shook his head in amusement, "Well, my work here is done. I'm heading to robotics. See you guys tomorrow."
"And I'm going home." Riley said, giving Maya a quick pat on the shoulder, "Call me when you're heading home."
Riley and Farkle walked away, waving at their friends goodbye. The crowd had also pretty much dispersed by that point. When Maya brought her gaze back to Lucas, he had his eyes focused solely on her, lips quirked up in a content smile. Maya felt her cheeks redden.
"You know…" she said, pushing against his chest to get out of his tight embrace, a little embarrassed by the attention he was giving her, "I have work today. You're going to have to let me go eventually."
"I know." But he didn't move.
She rolled her eyes in exasperation. "Well if you're not going to let me go, than can we at least walk to my locker so I can get my stuff?"
"I think that's manageable." He had a shit-eating grin on his face that annoyed Maya, but also made her feel some kind of bliss.
He unlatched his arms from around her, but took her hand, walking with her towards her locker.
"You're such a coddler!" she said in annoyance, "If this is what you're like now, I definitely don't want to know what you'll be like when I'm in my last few weeks."
"You're never leaving my sight." Lucas replied seriously, his hand squeezing hers a little more tightly. "I'll be in your face twenty-four seven."
Maya groaned, knowing he wasn't lying about that. He really wouldn't leave her alone, and she vaguely wondered if she should find somewhere to hide out during her last trimester.
They arrived at her locker, and she reached up to twist her combination, Lucas leaning on the lockers beside her.
"What time do you get off work?"
"I'm not telling you." Maya said, eyeing him in annoyance as she swung open her locker, "I know you're going to show up."
"That's fine." He rose a slightly threatening brow. "I can just show up and stay there the whole time until you're done, you know?"
She gave him a look. Damn, Lucas could be scary sometimes. She was starting to realize that maybe it was impossible to avoid him or escape his clutches.
"But the reason I asked you is because I told my mom about the pregnancy this morning."
Maya stiffened, swallowing and licking her lips nervously. She glanced at Lucas, but his gaze was a little shielded. He was purposely keeping his expression guarded so she couldn't pick up anything from it.
"…Well what did she say?" Maya dug through her locker, pulling out her art supplies and stuffing them into her bag to try to appear indifferent. The reality was that her pulse had skipped in speed, and she was suddenly feeling very apprehensive.
Lucas stared at their conjoined hands, "She wants you to come over for dinner tonight at seven to talk."
Maya rose a brow, glancing at him in confusion as she slammed her locker shut. "What? Tonight?"
Lucas nodded. "She told me to make sure you come over no matter what or she would track you down herself."
She grew nervous. "Why does it have to be tonight?"
"My mom understood why I kept silent for so long, but she's mad that you're eighteen weeks in and she just now found out. So she wants to meet you as soon as possible."
Maya stayed silent, looking at the ground in worry. It was too soon. She hadn't had enough time to prepare. It was one thing to tell people who she knew and who she was well-acquainted with, but it was a whole other to tell someone who could easily forbid Lucas from being involved with her. What would Maya do if Mrs. Friar decided she didn't want her son involved in the pregnancy? She tried to swallow the fear down, but Lucas caught the look and pulled her in front of him, lightly setting his hands on her waist.
"Maya, there's nothing to be afraid of. I'll be right there too."
"I know…" She rested her hands on his chest. "I'm just a little nervous."
He brought his hand up to her face, thumb lightly caressing her cheek. It spread warmth through her entire body. "She'll love you, Maya. I know she will."
She hoped he was right. Because she had a sinking feeling that quite possibly, Lucas being active in Jellybean's life might be contingent on his mother approving of her in the first place. She'd seen movies before where the wife was at odds with the mother-in-law and the husband, more often than not, sided with his mother. She didn't want to be in a situation like that.
"And later, we can talk about all the stuff that we need to plan for Jellybean's arrival."
"Okay."
Lucas leaned down, giving her a soft peck. It was gentle and sweet and their lips barely brushed together, but it still managed to excite her. Lucas pulled back, smiling a little deviously when her eyes fluttered slowly open.
"I'll see you tonight?" He asked.
She nodded, a little dazed and light headed. He let go of her and walked away and she stared after him a little anxiously. Lucas had been trying to reassure her that meeting his mother would be fine. But Maya wasn't so sure.
Simply put: Lucas had impregnated her.
Maya was pretty sure any mother would see the girl as some diabolic seductress or vixen who lured their precious son into fornication.
And she was scared Mrs. Friar would be no exception.
~.~.~
"You're glowing. Like actually. This pregnancy's been good to you." Missy said, smiling as she glanced at Maya, "Something good happen at school?"
Maya rose a brow, casting Missy a look. She didn't believe a word of that hokey bullshit. She felt particularly disgusting. And she was pretty sure she looked hideous. Her skin felt oily, her hair was stringy and weighing down on her head, not to mention the little spell of sickness she'd had right after arriving at work a few hours ago.
"Not particularly." She finally responded.
"Lies." Missy said simply, kicking her feet back and forth as she reclined on the employee break room table. She popped some Cheez-Its into her mouth. "I heard about Lucas wooing you in the middle of the hall today. What was it like?"
"I don't want to talk about this." Maya said, pulling her school bag out of their shared employee locker and fighting her blush as she remembered the way he had kissed her.
"Because you loved it, right?" she sassed, picking up her phone to respond to a text she had received.
"Okay so maybe I really enjoyed it. We're still not talking about this right now."
Missy started laughing at the slightly flustered expression on Maya's face, and Maya rolled her eyes, tugging out her coat from the locker too. She had about thirty minutes to get to the Friar's residence on time. Thankfully, Lucas lived only a seven or so minute walk from Royals so she wouldn't get too exhausted heading there.
"You know. I've been meaning to tell you for a while now, but you need to go up a bra size." Missy pointed out.
Maya looked down at her chest in confusion, taken aback by Missy's sudden comment. Her bust looked the exact same to her.
"I do not."
"Yeah you do. You're spilling out of your bra. I can tell through the outline of your shirt. They're way too big now for that bra." Missy waggled her eyebrows. "Though I'm sure Lucas probably appreciates it."
Maya couldn't have stopped the blush that painted her cheeks even if she tried. "Missy stop."
"Are you guys together now? You're so cute. Yearbook Club wants to put you two in a couple's superlatives, like 'Mr. and Mrs. John Quincy Adams High' or 'Most Likely To Have Thirty Kids Before Thirty' or something like that."
"We're not together." Maya said.
Quite honestly, she didn't actually know what they were. They liked each other and they'd kissed, but they hadn't actually said anything about the status of their relationship. And Maya was a little scared to ask. Something told her Lucas would want to make her his girlfriend, and to be honest, she had reservations. The word wife briefly popped into her head, and she quickly shut the thought down.
"So when are you going to make it official?" Missy asked curiously, picking up her phone again.
"Aren't you supposed to be working right now?" Maya redirected the question with a raised brow.
"I'm on break." She shrugged.
Maya rolled her eyes as she tugged on her coat. Working at Royals with Missy made Maya realize that she had one of the worst work ethics Maya had ever seen. It was honestly very surprising to see Missy this way. At school, she was very straight-laced, very stiff, and seemed absolutely put together. Even after being co-workers for two weeks, it still surprised Maya how lazy and laid-back Missy could be.
"Alright. I'm going."
"Why are you leaving so early today anyway?" Missy asked, popping another Cheez-It in her mouth as she grinned at a text she received.
"I'm having dinner with Lucas' mom tonight."
Missy paused, her hand halfway to her mouth, and turned to stare at Maya in surprise. She set her phone slowly down on the table.
"Oh my God. He told her about the baby?"
Maya nodded. "She set a dinner for tonight."
"And you're going to go looking like that?" Missy frowned, slightly in disgust.
Maya shot her a glare. "What's wrong with what I'm wearing? It's normal."
And it was. Sure black leggings and a giant sweater weren't anything special, but it wasn't particularly sloppy either. It was chill.
"That's exactly it. Aren't you trying to make his mom think you're good enough for her son? Something normal is so not going to cut it."
Maya rolled her eyes. She disagreed, but she knew Missy wouldn't let it go until she addressed her.
"Then what do you suggest?" she sighed. "And hurry up. I have to leave soon."
"Wear a nice dress. Leggings are cute and all, but you need to make a good first impression otherwise she'll already see you in a bad way. After you're acquainted, then you can be as sloppy as you want." Missy hopped off the table, opening the locker and rummaging through her purse. "Lucas and his mom are close, right? You know she probably dotes on her son. If she thinks you're a hooligan out to snatch her baby boy, you'll be kissing any relationship between the two of you goodbye. And that won't bode well for Missy Jr."
Maya groaned, leaning against the wall and running her hand through her hair in frustration.
"Those are exactly the thoughts I had earlier today too… But I don't have anything else to wear." Maya said, "And Jellybean's name is not going to be Missy Jr."
Missy closed the locker after pulling out her debit card and waving it around.
"You don't have a monthly employee discount yet, so I'm going to do you a favour and use mine for you." Missy shrugged when Maya gave her a questioning look. "They have nice dresses here. Let me go buy you something. Wait here."
"Fine…" Maya grumbled. "You're annoying."
"You love me." Missy teased as she walked out of the break room to go get the outfit.
Maya waited patiently in the break room, quickly sending Lucas a text letting him know she would be on her way soon. She knew she was feeling the trepidation as soon as her phone showed 'message sent' on the screen. It was nervewracking. She hadn't realized just how much though because now it was finally starting to hit her that she was about to meet Lucas' mother.
What if she really didn't like her?
What if she didn't approve of Maya's relationship—whatever it was—with Lucas?
Missy reappeared after a few more minutes with a nice, simple royal blue dress.
"Put it on."
As Maya obliged, slipping out of her own clothes and pulling it on, Missy rummaged through her bag in the locker once again. Maya looked down at herself. It was a near perfect fit. It was long sleeved with a gentle scoop neck that didn't particularly accentuate cleavage. It had a cinched waist, but it was loose and stretchy enough that Maya's belly could breathe. The dress cut off just around her knees. Missy observed her selection with a nod of her head.
"You look great. It really brings out your eyes." Missy smiled, "I should dress you up more often."
Maya rose a sarcastic brow, but stooped to put her boots back on. When she stood up, Missy was holding out a panty liner at Maya.
"And wear this. You don't want accidental piss trailing down your leg while at dinner because of your crazy bladder, do you?"
Maya snatched it out of her hand with a frown. "I swear, you and Farkle are the creepiest people ever. Why do you know so much about my pregnancy?"
"I did research." She shrugged. "Clearly, you don't take care of yourself right. So I'm doing my part."
"Did Ranger Rick put you up to this?"
It sounded right up his alley.
"While he has been asking me about how you're holding up at work, I made this decision on my own, because let's face it Maya. You're a mess. And you really need help."
"Gee thanks."
"Oh no problem." She snarked back, ripping up a scrap sheet of paper and scribbling on it before digging in Maya's school bag and pulling out her wallet. "I'm putting an IOU in your wallet so you remember to pay me back for the dress."
Maya was in the process of stuffing her clothes into her school bag when Missy awww'ed. Maya frowned and turned to face her and saw she was looking at the photo in her wallet. The photobooth picture she had kept of Lucas smiling at her and holding her hands. It was funny that now that she knew he liked her, she understood what that look on his face had been. Come to think of it, now she understood why his face had taken on that look after homecoming and pretty much every time he walked her home. Had she really been that dense that she couldn't notice it?
"This is adorable. You guys need to get married already; you're already like a husband and wife."
Maya sighed and took the wallet and picture out of Missy's hands, putting it in its proper place before sliding it into her school bag.
"Alright, it's about time I headed out." Maya said, tugging on her coat. "There's only so much of you I can take per day."
Missy laughed, "Call me if you need some advice. Like on how to get your husband in the mood. I'm sure if you just flashed him though, it would work."
"I'm pretty sure I'm never going to call you for advice, but thanks anyway."
"Good luck with Mama Friar."
"Thanks." Maya gathered up her bag and left the break room. "See you tomorrow."
She made a quick stop in the employee bathroom to empty her bladder and put on the panty liner, but once she was done with that, she bid farewell to some other workers and made her way out of the store.
She walked down the sidewalk, heading to the Friar's complex. It was a little bit of a walk, but nothing too strenuous so by the time she got there, she wasn't feeling drained. Though she was feeling the pressure. This was it. She was about to officially meet the other grandmother of Jellybean. Her approval was definitely a necessity.
There was an old man leaving the complex when Maya approached, and she thanked him as he held the door open for her to pass through. She made her way up the stairs to Lucas' floor, her palms growing more and more sweaty and clammy the closer she got.
And then she was there.
Maya approached the door, talking a deep breath for a second and mentally wishing that Mrs. Friar deemed her good enough for her son.
She lifted her hand and knocked on the door, holding her breath and hoping this would go well.