a lot of people have been reviewing this and asking me to update so i decided to give this story another shot. also, while in the last chapter it was set after the first episode but now we're going to pretend that this takes place as an AU during season two and maya got detention for the week for some random reason. hope you like it.

Maya's POV

Waking up this morning, all I feel is pain. My back is still really sore from last night and my stomach still feels like a hundred pound weight was dropped on it. The bruise on my left arm doesn't look any better and all the cuts on my other sting like crazy. At least I had time to clean them before I fell asleep last night and thank god they weren't super deep and barely bled. I get out of bed and ignore the pain shooting through me. This'll be harder to hide then usual.

I get dressed and make sure to cover up all the cuts and bruises. No one can see them. If they do, I'll have to leave and I can't leave Riley or my friends. I can't leave the only people on this earth who will ever love me.

After getting dressed this morning, I head over to the bathroom that's connected to my room. I open up the drawer and grab all my makeup. I begin to cover up the few bruises on my face, making sure to get it good. If this makeup comes off, I'm screwed. After covering up all my battle wounds, I slowly and carefully make my way downstairs. I stop at the bottom of the stairs and look around, searching for him. Thankfully, he's still out getting drunk so I'm safe for now.

Wandering into the kitchen, I spot a purple sticky note on the table with my mom's handwriting on it. Grabbing it, I scan over the contents:

Hi honey, I had an early shift at the diner but I should be home for dinner tonight. Love you

- Mom

I really hope that she's home for dinner. It's always a little more safer when she's around. While my step father isn't exactly a saint when she's around, he isn't as physical and somewhat behaves himself. I grab an apple from the dish in the center of the table and take a bite as I grab my bag and exit the apartment. I practically race down the steps of my apartment building, not taking any chances.

Once I'm safe on the subway, I relax a bit. I sit down and take my sketch book out of my bag, working on a sketch of family. Not my biological family, but the family I chose, the ones' that are always there for me, no matter what. A few days ago, we were assigned to draw the people close to us for an art project and it's been one of my favorite projects so far. I'd already drawn Mr and Mrs Matthews, Zay, Farkle, and Shawn and I have to finish Lucas and Riley before tomorrow, which shouldn't be a problem.

I look at the faces in my sketchbook and smile. These are the people that mean the most to me. These are the people that keep me going. These people are the reason I deal with the monster that lives a room over. They're the reason I have hope for a better future.

-.-.-.-.-

"So, what did you guys think of the math quiz?" Riley asks as we stand at our lockers, changing out our books for the second half of the day.

"It was easy," Farkle says.

"Eh, I could care less about math," I say, closing my locker before bending down to grab my bag. My back, however, isn't in the mood to be bent this way and a wave of pain ripples through me. I wince, carefully pulling my bag over my shoulders.

"You okay Maya?" Lucas asks, noticing my pain.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I fell asleep in an weird position last night and my back's a little sore due to it," I say, the lie coming easily. Over the year's, the lies have been coming to me easier.

"You sure you're fine?" Riley asks, giving me one of her looks that tells me she doesn't completely believe me.

"Yeah Riley, I'm fine. Don't worry about me, I'd tell you if something was wrong," I lie again. I really hate lying to my friends, but it's the only way I can keep them.

-.-.-.-.-.-

After school, I sit in Mr. Matthew's room in detention. Detention with Mr. Matthew's isn't half bad, especially compared to some of the other teachers in our school. He lets us work on other assignments and homework while we sit for an hour. I was sketching again, since it was technically an assignment. I was almost done with Lucas, I was just having some trouble getting his nose right.

I look up at the clock and notice that time's almost up. Wanting to get out of here as soon as possible, I open my bag and pack up my sketch pencils and sketchbook. However, as I close my bag, my sleeve gets caught on something and as I sit up, it rides up on my arm, exposing my bruises. I notice and pull my sleeve back now within a few seconds of the exposer. However, it's not quick enough as Mr. Matthews just happened to be looking over at the very few seconds my bruises were showing.

"Maya, where did you get that?" He asks, getting up and walking over to my desk. Uh oh. This isn't good. No one can find out about my step monster. If they find out, my mom goes to jail. When my mom goes to jail, I go into the foster care. And when I go into foster care, I go away from my friends. I don't want that to happen.

"What? Oh, those bruises," I say, trying to act like the bruises where nothing, even though Mr. Matthews clearly knew they were something. "I tripped over some of my art supplies when I woke up this morning and my arm got the worst of the fall. It's nothing."

"You sure they're nothing?" Mr. Matthews asks, looking me in the eyes. Ugh, it's so much harder to lie when someone's looking you in the eyes.

"Yes, I'm sure," I say, trying to make my voice as steady as it can be. I want to tell. I should tell. I should just tell him everything about my step dad. I'll tell him about the drinking and the drugs and the late nights and the abuse. I'll tell him everything and then I'll be safe from him. But then I won't be with my friends anymore. And that's not worth it.

"Really? Cause you know if anything's going on, you can tell me, right?" Mr. Matthews says, giving me a look that showed that he didn't believe a single word that I said.

"Yeah, I know," I say before looking at the clock, "Look at the time, detentions over. Well, I'm heading out, see ya in class tomorrow." I quickly leave the classroom before Mr. Matthews can say another word. I can't risk him finding out. I just can't.

-.-.-.-.-.-

Third Person Point of View

As soon as Maya leaves the classroom, Cory pulls out his phone and clicks the first number on his speed dial. He waits a few seconds before the person on the other side picks up.

"Hey, I need your help with something," he says, "It's about Maya."

I hope you enjoyed the chapter. Who do you think Cory called? Also, I was thinking of changing Maya's step father to be her uncle so let me know what you think of that in the reviews.

Thanks for reading.