Author's Note: Thanks so much for all the reviews everyone! Who's watching the new episode tonight? (Probably not me, because it's going to end with Riley/Lucas stuff so I'll be living happily in denial).

Disclaimer: I don't own Girl Meets World. However, feel free to come live in denial with me :)

"I believe that the words that he told you are not your grave
I know that we are not the weight of all our memories
I believe in the things that I am afraid to say
Hold on"

-I Believe, Christina Perri

Lucas's relationship with his father was complicated. In fact, he talked about his absentee parent even less than Maya did–and that was saying something.

He didn't exactly hate his father, but he certainly didn't want to spend the whole weekend showing the man around New York City, as his mother had just informed him he would be doing.

"Lucas, sweetie?" his mother's voice chirped through his cell phone concernedly. "Are you still there?"

"I have to go," he said abruptly, hanging up without another word. He looked down at the phone clenched tightly in his hand and tried to focus. His breathing was coming in and out in short gasps, and he felt like he was going to throw up or faint…maybe both.

"Lucas?"

Riley and Farkle came around the corner, looking at their friend worriedly. "Are you okay?" Riley asked.

Lucas opened his mouth to answer, but nothing came out except a strangled wheeze. Just the thought of seeing his father in less than two days had his heart racing wildly as he continued to gasp for air.

He just couldn't deal with it all right then, so instead of responding, he turned and stumbled away from his friends quickly, rushing into the first empty room his panic-filled brain declared far enough away from any prying eyes.

Or, at least, he thought it was empty.

"What are you doing here, Huckleberry?" a familiar voice questioned.

Lucas's eyes darted around the room, taking in the blank canvases and unused paintbrushes surrounding him, and realized he had fled into the art room, where the one-and-only Maya Hart was staring at him in confusion as his chest continued to fall up and down rapidly.

"Baseball practice get a little too intense?" she teased with a playful smirk.

He just looked over at her with panic-filled eyes.

"Lucas!" she said forcefully, gripping his shoulders in her hands tightly. "You need to calm down."

"Can't." He gasped, struggling for air.

"Yes, you can," she insisted, looking at him determinedly. "Just close your eyes and try to breathe like I am–in and out."

He nodded quickly and closed his eyes, focusing all his concentration on Maya and the sound of her breathing.

In and out…

In. Out.

Slowly, he felt his breathing return to normal as the all-consuming panic that had been drowning him disappeared.

Lucas opened his eyes to find Maya's own blue ones staring at him intently. "You okay now?"

He nodded before collapsing down against the nearest wall wearily. "I don't know what happened; I haven't had a panic attack since I was seven."

"Something must have caused it," Maya remarked, sitting down next to him so their knees were touching. "What happened?"

Lucas just shook his head in his hands. "It's nothing."

"Lucas." Maya persisted, voice soft.

"My father is coming up to spend the weekend with me," he explained slowly, lifting his eyes to meet Maya's.

"And you're not happy about seeing Papa Sundance, I'm guessing?" Maya replied knowingly.

Lucas let out a deep breath, keeping his eyes on Maya's. "Remember when Riley had us all write our flaws on our foreheads, and I told you to write 'Mr. Perfect' on mine? Well, that's because of my father. He was the golden boy of his high school with twice the anger problems. And the same thing happened with my great-grandfather; everyone thought he'd be the next big thing until he got drunk one night and ended up in jail. Being perfect isn't a blessing, it's a burden."

Maya just looked at him silently before letting out a heavy sigh. "Look, cowboy, I hate to break it to you, but you aren't perfect."

Lucas blinked in surprised. "Excuse me?"

"The first day we met on the subway, you were sitting in a handicap-only seat," Maya stated, smirking slightly. "Plus, it took you like two months to learn Farkle's last name–who does that?"

Lucas frowned confusedly at her. "Is this supposed to be helping me?"

"People like your dad and great-grandfather," Maya paused and looked away from Lucas's gaze hesitantly, "people like my father–they're all charm and nothing else. Do you honestly think they'd be friends with someone like Farkle? Like me? They think they're untouchable and that's why they leave a mess behind them."

"I guess they need a friend who would jump on their back before they could beat someone up," Lucas smirked teasingly. "See, you do listen to me."

"I just didn't want you to do something you'd regret," she remarked. "Plus, you're really tall, and I didn't want to make Janitor Harley tackle you until you calmed down."

"Thanks, Maya," he said sincerely.

"You're welcome," she smiled back.

"That's it?" he asked teasingly. "No Sundance or Ranger Rick?"

"Oh, no," Maya remarked, facing him with an earnest expression. "I am so moved at you sharing your problems with me, that I promise not to call you any of those old nicknames for the entire weekend."

"Wow," Lucas replied, impressed. "Thank you, Maya."

"No problem, Sheriff Hee-Haw," she said, smirking mischievously as she turned towards the art-room door.

"Yeah, I should've seen that one coming," he remarked, smiling fondly at Maya as he followed her out into the hallway.

"Seriously, though," she began, looking at him amusedly. "What kind of person sits in a handicap-only seat on the subway?"

"It was my first week here," Lucas protested.

Maya smirked and raised her eyebrows dubiously. "Whatever you say, cowboy."

A/N: Please review! And for those of you who watch Girl Meets Friendship, I'd love if you tell me how it is :)