HIH CH 4
Previously, on How it Happened...
"Who's the girl you like from Texas? What's her name? Is she even real?" The blonde questioned frantically. The boy broke out into a sweat,
"Maya I told you, you don't know her."
"Oh really Lucas, are you sure you don't like someone that's in our class?"
Lucas felt trapped, like he was in a box with no way out. Well, maybe one way. He thought to himself. He looked up at Maya with total love and adoration for the beautiful girl in front of him. Then, he told her. He said the words that every girl, except her, at John Quincy Adams wanted to hear.
"Maya Penelope Hart, you're the girl." Lucas continued,
"You're the girl that makes me laugh and smile like no one else can. You're the girl that, no matter what kind of mood I'm in, makes me feel like I could do anything and overcome anything. You're the girl that is very, very special to me, because believe it or not, people care about you Maya. You're the girl that rattled this cowboy. You're the girl that I fell in love with." As Lucas concluded his profession of love to Maya, he got this goofy grin on his face that only she could put there.
Maya sat there, dazed, as if someone had just told her that time travel was possible. She didn't know what to say. Her head was spinning and nothing was making sense. Did Lucas just admit that he liked me? Maya questioned herself in her head. Well I think it's more than like, honey. She told herself. With that she got up from where she was sitting and walked out of the room. Now, Lucas was the one confused. Maya probably just needs time to process things, he thought, trying to ease his uneasy mind.
Maya walked into her living room where Shawn and her mom were still talking. "Maya, sweetie, what's wrong?" Katy asked concerned for her daughter.
"Uh mom, could we talk alone for a minute? I really need to talk to you." Katy and Shawn looked at each other and Shawn stood up knowing that this was a mother-daughter thing.
"Well, I guess I'll go hang out with Mr. Friar in your room while you guys talk this out." Maya was going to tell Shawn not to do that, but she stopped knowing that he would find out everything from her mom anyways.
Back in Maya's room, the shaken cowboy was sitting on her bed.
"Why did I do that?" He scolded himself.
"How could I just blurt that out?" He didn't know what had gotten into him. He never planned on telling anyone about him liking the feisty little blonde.
"Hey kid, wanna tell me what just happened in here?" The older man asked the struggling teen boy.
"I'm sorry sir, I didn't mean to hurt Maya. Is she okay? Does she need help, cause if she needs help I can-" Lucas was cut off by Shawn.
"Maya's just confused I think. She's talking to her mom right now so why don't you tell me what happened?"
"What do I do mom?" The troubled blonde looked up at her mother.
"Honey, it's okay to like this boy. Everyone has feelings, he was just a little more open about them." Her mother tried to soothe her.
"That's the thing mom, I don't know if I like him like that. Besides, even if I did it wouldn't be right to start anything with him, it would hurt Riley too much." Katy looked at her daughter with sympathy.
"Ok well let's try something to see if you like Lucas. If, by the end of it, you find out that you don't, then you have nothing to worry about."
"What if I do like him?" The blonde asked, scared of what the older woman might say.
"Well then, you might need to have a talk with a certain brunette." Maya looked at her mother reluctantly.
"Okay, let's get this over with. Hit me with your best shot."
"What do you like about Lucas Friar?"
A twinkle appeared in her eyes and a smile on her face.
"I like the little games we play and how he puts thought into it. I like that he will always stick up for his friends, no matter what the cost. I like that he's Mr. Perfect, but at the same time, he's still got flaws. I like that he makes me smile when I'm feeling miserable. I like that I feel wanted and safe whenever he's around. I like that I can be me and he doesn't judge me. I like..." Maya looked up and had a sudden look in her eyes that was, for once, not something bad or broken.
"Him." She finished with a whisper.
Lucas had just finished telling Shawn what had happened and the scruffy man fell completely silent.
"You gonna say something sir?" Lucas was desperate for any help he could get, but right now, all he was getting, was tired. Tired of just sitting around and waiting for something to happen. Tired of bottling up feelings that he had for Maya. Tired of-. His thoughts were suddenly interrupted by the girl of the hour stomping through the door.
"Hey Shawn, could I talk to Huckleberry for a minute alone please?" The man, still uncharacteristically quiet, walked out, leaving the room awkwardly silent.
"Maya, I-"
"No Lucas, now it's my turn to talk. That was really something cowboy. Didn't know you had that in you."
"Maya, I-" Lucas was again cut off by Maya, who herself, was struggling to get the words out. "Lucas, I thought about what you said and, well at first I have to admit I was frazzled."
Lucas chuckled, "Did Maya Hart just say frazzled?" Maya grabbed a pillow off her bed and started hitting the Texan with it.
"Oh shut up Bucky McBoing Boing"
Lucas sat up, "About that, don't you called Riley's uncle, Uncle Boing?"
"Yea, what's it to you?" Maya asked, not realizing she walked herself right into a trap.
"Oh it's nothing. Just answer one more thing for me, you think he's attractive right?"
"What are you talking about Friar?"
"Well, you see, if he's Uncle Boing, with one boing, and I'm Bucky McBoing Boing, with two boings and you think he's attractive, what does that mean you think I am Miss Hart?" The boy asked with a goofy look on his face. Maya looked taken aback. She had never really noticed that before. She had just made the names up on the spot with no thought. When Lucas saw that she was tripped up at what he had just said, he thought of how he was tired of waiting. So he looked at the blonde beauty that was right in front of him, and went for it.
He grabbed her waist and pulled her close to him. He made eye contact with her and then looked down at her lips. Before Maya knew what he was doing, their lips were touching and they could both feel the butterflies in their stomach. As, they kissed Lucas' hands went to Maya's cheeks to hold her small face in his large hands. Maya melted into him and as they pulled away, they stared at each other with pure love in their eyes. Then, they heard something at the window, they looked up and saw that at Maya's window, was a shocked brunette.
Riley had gone over to check on the pair to see how their project was coming along. But when she got to the blondes window, she saw her crush and her best friend kissing. Now, all Riley wanted to do was run home and cry in her bed. Both Maya and Lucas looked at each other and then at Riley. They walked over to the window and opened it.
"Riley, please we have to talk about what just happened."
"I think we all know what just happened Maya." Riley said, feeling hurt and betrayed.
Lucas tried to talk to the girl, "Come on Riley we need to talk, it's long overdue."
The three friends sat on Maya's bed in silence.
"Well someone's got to go first." Maya said, hoping it wouldn't have to be her.
"Fine, I'll go first. What the heck Maya! Why were you kissing Lucas!" Maya started to cry, this is exactly what she didn't want to happen.
"Riley stop yelling at Maya, she isn't to blame. I should have told you this a long time ago, Riley, I'm so sorry."
The angry girl looked at him confused, "Should've told me what a long time ago?"
Lucas sighed, "I like Maya. I'm so sorry Riles I just can't keep it in anymore. It's been bottled up and I had to let it out. I never meant to hurt anyone."
Riley, confused and hurt, stood up and walked out the bedroom door and left them in silence.
"Maya? Maya. Are you okay?" Lucas looked at the blonde concerned. She hadn't said anything through the whole interaction. "Lucas, I just need you to hold me. I feel safe when you hold me and I feel like this will all go away so just hold me." The blonde broke down bawling in the boy's lap. Lucas didn't like seeing Maya cry and tried to calm her down. He leaned down and kissed the top of her head. He wasn't going to leave her side until she was all better and he knew that she was fine.
Once Maya had calmed down, she spoke, "You know, when I came in here, I was trying to find a way to tell you that I liked you too."
This made Lucas shift and look Maya in the eyes. "Wait, what? Really?"
Maya laughed at the cowboy's surprised look. "Yea Ranger Rick, I like you. Get used to it." She replied with a smile that Lucas had never seen on her before.
"I guess I could get used to it." He joked as he leaned in to kiss the girl. Then suddenly, the door opened. Katy and Shawn walked in with dumbfounded looks on their faces.
"Oh yeah, forgot about them." Maya thought to herself as she got up from Lucas's lap.
"What happened in here? We heard screaming and then crying and the. It was just quiet."
"Wait how long have we been in here?" Lucas asked frantically. "About two hours. Why?"
"I need to get home or my mama will throw me in the shed again." The boy said his thank you'd and started for the door.
"Mom, I'm gonna walk Lucas to the subway. I'll be back" Maya looked at Lucas and the pair headed out the door.
As they were walking, their hands found each other and Lucas slipped his hand into Maya's. "Wow, cowboy smooth move." The girl replied happily. Suddenly Lucas stopped walking and led them over to a bench on the sidewalk.
"Lucas what are you doing you need to get home?"
"Maya, we need to talk." The boy looked down nervously at his hands.
"What are we now?" He looked up into the blondes blue eyes.
"Lucas, I don't know. It's all complicated. No matter what happens here, someone is bound to get hurt. People already have gotten hurt. I don't know if we can be something. Not if us being together hurts Riley."
"So you want to be together?" He asked, full of hope.
Maya smiled, looking at the boy she had grown to love, "Of course I want to be together. I like you a lot. But, Riley." The blonde said with pain in her voice.
The brown haired boy frowned and stood up, "Well then, I guess I'll see ya tomorrow short stack." He said tipping his imaginary hat and faking a smile in her direction to hide the matching pain he felt.
"Yeah, see ya tomorrow Huckleberry."