Maya's POV
I walked through Greenwich Village towards Riley's house. I figured walking would help me clear my head. I walked past a bunch of couples on my way, some of them were in the middle of PDA. Guys and girls with their arms wrapped around each other, holding each other close on a park bench, kissing each other in public. It's so easy for them.
Then I noticed there was one gay couple. Two boys who looked like they were in college. I didn't realize they were together at first. They were being much more discreet than the other couples I had seen. But one guy reached for the other guy's hand as they were walking, and then I saw the way they looked at each other. I'd recognize it anywhere. It's the way Riley looks at me. I smiled at them, and they smiled and nodded back. Aww! Two guys holding hands in public is the cutest and probably the rarest thing to see.
We were all walking in the same direction for a couple of blocks. Everything was fine until an older man walking past us gave them a dirty look. The boys let go of each other's hands and seemed to be more cautious of their surroundings. The older man kept walking the other way and looked back at them a few times. He muttered something under his breath. The only words I could make out were "disgusting" and "faggots".
I got the impression the older man was a tourist or someone from out of town. This is the most historically gay neighborhood in one of the most liberal cities in the country. Hate shouldn't happen here. But I guess it can happen anywhere, even here. I don't know why I let myself believe that any place could really be safe from that.
I rounded the corner of Riley's block. "Well, it was beautiful while it lasted."
Riley's POV
I waited for Maya in the bay window. I'm nervous about what she'll say. I know that she's worried about us, and Lucas. I just hope she's not giving up on me.
Just then I heard her footsteps approaching and my heart beat a little bit faster. Maya climbed into the bay window and sat down next to me.
Her eyes were more grey than blue. Uh oh. That's not a good sign.
"Hey Peaches," I leaned in for a kiss. Her lips met mine and her kiss felt just as impassioned as it always does. Maybe I'm worrying for nothing.
"We need to talk, Riles," she said.
"Okay," I said. Now I'm worried again. "What's on your mind?"
Maya's POV
I can't keep her safe the way he can. She doesn't deserve to be disrespected just for being with me. She deserves the chance to explore whatever she feels for whoever she feels it for. I know this is the right thing to do, even though it feels…well I'm just going to try to ignore how it feels.
"I don't know how to say this," I started.
"Then don't." Riley said. I looked into those beautiful brown eyes of hers and they looked scared.
"Don't say it, Maya." Riley grabbed my hand.
"I was thinking"- I began
"Maya-" She interrupted
"-that if you wanted to-" I continued.
"-I DON'T want to, Maya-" she affirmed.
"that it would be okay with me if-"
"Don't you dare finish that sentence, Maya Penelope Hart."
Oooh. She used my full name. She's really scared of what I'm going to say.
"if-" I tried to finish it but she silenced me with
"Ring Power!"
Okay I guess, I'll have to start a new sentence.
Riley's POV
Hah! Ring Power wins. There's no way I'm letting her give up on us that easily.
"Why don't we just take a break?" Maya said. I can't believe what I'm hearing. I shook my head.
"No!" I refused. "Why would you think I would want that?" I asked.
Maya got up from the window and started pacing. I got up too. She stopped pacing when there was a significant amount of space between us and turned to look at me.
"Riley, I saw you and Lucas in the powder room at Farkle's house," she said.
"You did?" Whoa, I'm surprised she hasn't killed Lucas already. I didn't think she was aware of his advances.
"I think he wanted to try to kiss you," she looked away as she said that. "At least that's what it looked like from where I was standing," Maya said.
"You saw that?" I asked. She nodded. Suddenly, it made sense why she wanted to ask Lucas that question during the relationships game.
"Maya, is that why were you were drinking?" I asked, suddenly feeling slightly responsible.
Maya shrugged. "I don't know, maybe." I walked over to her and held her hands in mine.
"There is nothing going on with me and Lucas, I swear," I told her.
She looked me in the eye and asked "But do you want there to be?" The question completely took me by surprise.
"No, Maya. I don't. I've rejected all of his attempts." I can't believe she'd ask that.
"I'm not just talking about right now. We're going to high school. We need to figure out who we want to be in high school," she said as she returned to the bay window and sat down. I sat down next to her again.
"I want to be myself. I want to be exactly who I am and be with the girl I love," I smiled at her. She didn't seem any more assured by it.
"Riles, I just don't get it," she said.
"What?" I gestured for her to go on.
She continued, "Why would you choose me? You could be with a great guy and be just as happy with him. He can keep you safe in ways that I can't. Nobody is going to bully you just for being with him-" hold it right there.
"Missy Bradford" I interrupted.
She nodded. "Okay, maybe except for her.."
"Maya," I turned her chin to look at me. "It's high school, and we're freshman. We're all going to get massacred anyway."
She nodded quietly.
"Maya, high school is just the next place. Your safe place is us. Your safe place is me." I reassured her.
She smiled, finally, and offered me her hand. "Then I'm yours," she said.
I took her hand in mine. "From the day we met," I said, as we smiled at each other.
She planted a kiss on my hand. Her eyes started to become blue again.
"Maya, I used to sit here in this bay window by myself, hoping that someone would come in and sit with me. And then one day, you climbed through my window. And you stayed. Look, Maya. You're still here, sitting with me. Just like I hoped for. Please, don't leave me now," I pleaded.
"I could never," she answered, still smiling.
"So no break?" I asked her. She shook her head.
"No break." she agreed.
"Good, because how I feel about you hasn't changed. No overzealous ex-boyfriend, no dance with a prom king, no bullies on the subway can change that. I'm still in love with you, Maya," I professed my feelings to her with as much sincerity as I could convey.
"And I'm always in love with you, Riles," she replied. "Promise me we'll always be together," she said.
"We will always be together," I promised. She leaned in and sealed our promise with a kiss.
"Thunder," I said.
"Lightning," she said.
"Forever".
(Author's Note: This is the end of this part of the story. Thank you all all so much for reading and for your feedback! I will be writing a continuation of them in high school next. I will be posting one more chapter in this story and that will be the preview of the first chapter of the continuation, so that way everyone following this story can easily find the continuation when it's published. It won't be ready right way though, so please be patient. I have a lot of ideas for it that I'm still trying to organize into a narrative with structure. Thanks again for reading and supporting this story. It means a lot to me.)