I DO NOT own Girl Meets World!

First things first:

1.) Farkle and Lucas have never seen Maya's home before… only Riley.

2.) I am changing Maya's room so it seems a lot worse than what it was in the episode.

3.) Maya is ashamed to have her friends see the way she lives.

4.) Maya hates the word poor with a passion.

So you all know the story… Farkle's father makes an investment, feels it has took a turn for the wrong, the Minkus's prepare to be poor, turns out they aren't after all, but Farkle learns to never take money for granted again.

The scene moves from Farkle's room to Maya's in an instant, but how did they get there?

"You've got a great big room Farkle. The problem is it keeps us to far apart from each other." Maya said.

"Well what's yours like?" Farkle asked.

She just looked at him.

"My rooms not important to the situation." Maya finally said.

"Maya don't you think it's time?" Riley said.

Maya death stared at Riley.

"Yea. How can I fully learn what it's like to be poor without seeing it with my own eyes?" Farkle chimed in.

Maya's expression was somewhat sad. She hated that word- 'poor'.

"Fine." Maya said heading out the door.

The group got to Maya's and she was very nervous. Her home was nothing like any of theirs.

"Here we go." Maya said under her breath.

She opened the front door to reveal a very small living room/kitchen; about half the size of Riley's.

"Come on in." she said inviting them in. "I'd offer you all a drink… but we don't have any."

Awkward silence.

"My rooms just down the hall and to the left… Follow me." Maya said leading them to her room.

When she opened her bedroom door they all stepped in.

Her room was nothing like Riley's. She had her bed against one wall and a dresser against another. The point was withering off the walls and there were cracks in the plaster. There was a hole near the floor in one of the walls and her roof had a crack in it that water would leak through.

No one said anything. Maya felt very ashamed.

"Where's Ginger?" Riley broke the silence.

"Who knows." Maya replied. "So… this is my room."

"It's nice." Farkle said.

"You don't have to lie. I know it's nothing like yours or Riley's and it's definitely not nice."

"Maya-" Riley started.

"No Riles, it's fine. You all don't have to pretend that it's nice because I know it's not."

"Maya we had no idea." Lucas said.

"I know Huckleberry."

Awkward silence.

"It's no sanctuary but it's somewhere to sleep and stay semi warm." Maya said reassuring them.

Maya was hiding it well but she was very embarrassed and ashamed.

"Why are there like 6 or 7 bed sheets on your bed Maya?" Farkle asked.

"Like I said, it keeps me semi warm… Winter is the hardest part of the year." Maya said looking away from the others.

**Skip to a later conversation in the room.

"Lesson 5, who needs money at all right?" Farkle said proudly.

"Wrong." Maya said destroying his confidence. "When you don't have it you learn when it comes in handy. If I could I'd fix the leak in my roof, do something about the cracks in my walls, and definitely patch up the hole Ginger came through a year ago."

"Wait a minute what?" Lucas said concerned.

"Your cat that's a ferret is a rat?" Riley asked almost disgusted.

Lucas acted upon this immediately. "There you go." he said putting it down.

Maya couldn't help but smile.

Later that night after everyone had left Maya couldn't help but think how little she had. The clothes she owned Shawn bought for her. The phone she uses Mr. Matthews bought for her. The guitar she owns Riley gave to her. Was anything really hers? Not even Ginger was hers technically.

BUZZ

Maya's phone went off. It was a message from Lucas.

Ranger Rick: "You okayy?"

Other One: "Why wouldn't I be?"

Ranger Rick: "You seemed apprehensive about letting us see your home today."

Other One: "Could you blame me. It's shameful."

Ranger Rick: "No it's not."

Other One: "Yes it is. You guys have so much compared to me."

Ranger Rick: "…"

Other One: "See, not even you can deny it. My home life is shameful."

Ranger Rick: "Just because we have more doesn't make our home lives better."

Other One: "Of course it does. You have heaters and non leaky roofs."

Ranger Rick: "Just because my room is a little less distressed doesn't mean my home life isn't hard too."

Other One: "What do you mean?"

Ranger Rick: "Nothing. I mean nothing."

Maya didn't respond.

Ranger Rick: "Maya your room doesn't change the way I feel about you. It doesn't change the way any of us feel about you."

Other One: "Why not? It's clear that my life is unfortunate."

Ranger Rick: "I don't see it that way. I think you are very lucky."

Other One: "…"

Ranger Rick: "You get to see everything from perspective. You have just enough to thrive off of and you never make a big deal about anything when you don't."

Maya was just about to respond when he sent another message.

Ranger Rick: "You've made it clear you don't need money because you have us, your friends. Isn't that good enough?"

Other One: "Of course it is, but it doesn't make the nights any warmer. Or the sky less rainy. Lucas I don't have much but I appreciate what I do have, and what I do have is you guys. You all make me want to eventually be able to move to a better place, but for now I cannot. They say your home is a reflection of who you are, well mine shows who I am… and I am poor."

Maya really hates that word. She hates its meaning, she hates its existence, she hates that it defines her.

Maya quickly sent another message before Lucas could reply.

Other One: "Thank you for checking on me. I know we could go back and forth all night but when it's over I will still be poor."

After that Maya turned her phone off and went to sleep. A tear escaped her tear duct.

**At school the next day.

Maya had sent Riley a message that morning before school telling her she was running late and wouldn't be able to "pick her up" before school. Maya wasn't really running late, she was just ashamed to go back to school to face her friends after they had seen who she really is.

Riles: "Everything okayy Peaches?"

Peaches: "Just fine Riles, just running late. Will see you at school."

Maya turned her phone off after that.

**Jump to Matthews Class.

"Where's Maya?" Cory asked his students.

"She said she was running late this morning daddy."

"Maya's never late." Farkle interjected.

Class ended and Maya was still not at school. Cory held back Riley, Farkle, & Lucas to talk with them. E just looked at them waiting for someone to answer his thoughts.

"I don't know daddy. She said she'd meet me here today because she was running late."

"But Maya has never been late before… ever."

"Really?" Lucas chimed in.

"Really." Farkle replied. "I hate to say it but school it the one place, other than Riley's, that she can count on to stay warm and get a meal. I think we saw that yesterday."

"Yesterday? What happened yesterday?" Cory chimed in.

"We went to Maya's." Lucas said.

"You what?" Cory exclaimed.

The three were confused.

"Daddy I've been to Maya's plenty of times before."

"No Riley, you haven't. You've been one time and you were very little."

Riley had to think about that.

"Mr. Matthews I'm confused." Lucas said.

"Maya isn't here because you pushed her into showing you her home life. She has to be ashamed."

The three just looked at each other.

"I suggest you fix this before things get way worse with Maya."

The three of them left this class and went into the hall.

"Maybe we should call her?" Farkle suggested.

"She won't answer." Riley shot back.

"So what do we do?"

"I'll send her a text in hopes she responds." Riley said pulling out her phone and sending Maya a message.

"Maybe she's on her way here for all we know." Riley said with hope.

The bell rang and they had to go to their next class.

The end of the day came and Maya hadn't responded to Riley.

"I don't get it." She said to herself.

Riley made way to her fathers classroom.

"Daddy can I go to Maya's?"

"No."

"Why not?!"

"Because it's not safe to go by yourself."

"Daddy I'll be fine. I'm a big girl."

"Riley I'm sorry but no. I know she's your friend but she doesn't live in a safe place."

Riley's expression went from anger to worry.

"What if something happened to her?" Riley pleaded.

"I can assure you she is fine Riley. You may see her tomorrow at school."

"But dad!"

"No butt's Riley! No is my final answer."

Riley was upset with her father. She couldn't believe he would say that her home isn't safe and then not allow her best friend to go check on her at all.

**At Maya's home.

Knock Knock

Maya heard a knock at her door and went to open it. She was hesitant because of the neighborhood she lived in, but took a deep breath and prepared herself.

"Oh its you." She said feeling relieved. "What are you doing here?"

"You weren't at school today."

"I'm aware hop-along." She let him in.

"Why not?"

"Are you seriously asking me that?"

"Yes I am Maya."

She looked at Lucas dumb foundedly.

He looked back at her with a "seriously answer my question face."

"How could I have come to school today? How could I face you guys knowing you would just pity me?"

"Maya we would never pity you."

"Yes you would!" she exclaimed. "I know how this story pans out!"

"Maya just because you are poor doesn't mean we think any less of you." Lucas said.

"Could you not say that." Maya said walking away from Lucas.

"Say what?" he questioned following her.

"Poor. I hate that word."

Lucas looked confused.

"I don't feel poor until people use that word around me. I like to think of myself as less fortunate."

"Maya, poor isn't a bad word."

"Yes it is!" she shot back. "I don't want to be defined as poor!"

"Maya the word poor doesn't define you at all." He said looking at her.

"Would you please stop using that word!" Maya pleaded as she walked into her room.

"Maya I don't understand why you are doing this. Why are you pushing me away?"

"Because."

"Because why Maya?"

Maya didn't say anything. A tear fell onto her cheek, her back was to Lucas.

"Maya, why are you-"

"Because I don't deserve you!" She said yelling and turning around.

Lucas was very confused.

"I don't deserve friends like you guys! You guys deserve someone who can help you care for another friend! Like when I couldn't give any money to Farkle because I didn't have anything to give. I couldn't sell anything online like you did. I don't even have a computer!"

"Maya-"

"You guys deserve to have a better friend who you can relate to! Not me! How are we alike in any way! I have barely anything to my name and the things I do have I didn't even get myself!" She was still yelling.

"Maya-" Lucas tried to interject but she cut him off again.

"You guys deserve someone who you can count on! I don't deserve any of you!" a few tears fell from Maya's eyes.

Lucas didn't say anything. He went to pull her into a hug but Maya resisted.

"Don't!" She exclaimed. "I don't need your pity."

"It's not pity Maya. It's concern." Lucas said pulling her eyes to his. He wiped a few tears from her cheek.

She just looked at him trying not to burst into complete tears. It wasn't working. As her eyes watered more and more she couldn't hold back. She burst and he grabbed her and pulled her into the hug whether she wanted to or not.

She just cried into his shirt. He just held her. She had no one to do that because her mom was always working or sleeping from working. Maya really had no one at home.

The two eventually sat down onto Maya's bed. It was just silence. Lucas suddenly grabbed Maya's hand and intertwined their fingers.

"Maya just because you have less doesn't mean any of us think less of you. Riley thinks the whole world of you. You're her best friend."

Maya looked at Lucas.

"Thank you huckleberry." Maya gave a small smile. She laid her head on his shoulder.

There was another moment of silence.

"I have to get home soon or my mom will worry." Lucas said.

Maya took a deep breath.

"Will you be okayy?" he asked.

"Yes, I will be fine."

"Maya?"

She lifted her head off f his shoulder and looked at him.

"I'll be fine Huckleberry. I promise."

"Good. Will I see you at school tomorrow?"

"Yes, I will actually show up tomorrow." She smiled.

"Good." he smiled back.

"I guess I should get going now." Lucas said standing up.

Maya didn't say anything but she just stood up and hugged him.

"Thank you." she whispered.

He smiled. She couldn't see it but she felt it.

He went to leave when he turned around.

"Oh and one more thing Maya."

"Yea?"

"Please text Riley back. She's freaking out."

Maya just smiled. "I'll call her right now."

Lucas smiled back and left Maya's apartment.

Maya picked up her phone and clicked on Riley's name.

"PEACHES?!" Riley yelled into the phone.

Maya couldn't help but laugh.

"Hey Riles."

"Peaches are you alright?!"

"Riles I'm just fine…" Maya Smiled.

The conversation went on and Maya calmed Riley. Riley explained how her parents wouldn't let her come over alone. Maya understood but didn't tell her how Lucas came over. She didn't want Riley to feel left out.