Author's Note: Thank you to those who have reviewed, followed, and favorited this story! Please don't forget to REVIEW, and please enjoy! (Edited by Chereche!)

This is a little off topic, but if any of you-I'm guessing most-are Lucaya shippers, you should definitely check out this fan video! It's "you love him don't you" by girl meets lucaya. It really brings out all of the emotions! ;)

UPDATED: 12-31-16

Disclaimer: I don't own Girl Meets World; just the story!

Chapter Seventeen: How You Handle It

"How many times are we going to do this?" Zay groaned.

"As long as it takes," Farkle answered sternly.

"Don't you guys feel bad at all? You know for sneaking around behind her back?" Riley spoke up, dunking her straw in and out of her smoothie.

Lucas sighed. "Maybe a little, but it's for Maya and we're helping her."

"Yah, I guess..."

"So, let's get started." Farkle cleared his throat, and set his drink down on the table. "What happened last Thursday?"

"Maya exploded," Riley said, hurt lacing her voice. "A lot."

"We all know there's something she's not telling us," Lucas said. "And it's so frustrating. Once in a while she'll open up a little bit, and you think you've gained her trust, but then she pulls this kind of stuff."

"What do you mean? Did she tell you something?" The brunette asked, interest peaked.

He cleared his throat and took a sip of his smoothie. "No...I was just referring to past experiences."

"Come on, Lucas. It's obvious you're lying," Farkle spoke up, a little annoyed.

"I'm not lying."

Zay snorted. "Man, you're in denial."

"Can we please just move on? We're here to talk about Maya," he said.

"No! I need to know what's going on with her!" Riley exclaimed, visibly upset. "I'm tired of being in the dark! And you know what? If she talked to you first, fine, I'll get over it. But, I think I deserve to know what her problem is, don't you?"

"Some things aren't meant to be shared, Riley," Lucas answered slowly.

"And some things are!" she insisted.

"Yes, and maybe this is one of them...just not yet."

The girl stood up and slammed her smoothie down, much like a couple of nights ago. She started to walk out, but Farkle grabbed her arm before she could get very far.

"What are you doing?" he asked, forcing her to sit back down.

"I told you guys I'm tired of being protected all the time. So, if that's how you're going to treat me, I'm leaving."

"That's sounds like something Maya would say," Zay commented from his chair.

"Yah, well she's been a huge influence in my life."

"Look, Riley. It's not that I don't want to tell you. But, it's Maya who told me and I have to honor that," Lucas leaned forward.

"Ha, so you admit that she told you something!" the girl said triumphantly.

"Ugh, fine. Yes, she told me something," he groaned, immediately regretting it.

"Seriously?!" Riley exclaimed.

"I thought you were fine with it," Zay reminded, a smirk plastered on his face.

She answered with her dramatic flair. "Yah, well I didn't think she'd actually do that! I'm her best friend, and I should know everything about her!"

"Um, can I remind you that you said we shouldn't know every detail of their lives?" Farkle spoke up tentatively.

"Their?" Lucas asked.

"Uh—sorry, just thinking out loud," the boy attempted to smooth over.

"Moving on..." Riley changed the subject. "Yes, I said that. And I guess I think it's true: we shouldn't be involved completely in her life. I may want to, but I can't and won't."

"Good." Farkle nodded. "I know it's hard, and I want to help her too, but we have to be patient and understanding. Which leads back to how we're going to fix Maya. Honestly, we've had this conversation so many times, I feel like we're just going to repeat ourselves."

Riley slumped back into the couch. "Yah, but nothing's changing."

"I actually have no idea what to say," Farkle admitted reluctantly. "We've already decided to try to build her up and all that other stuff. So, what do we do now?"

"Look," Zay rested his arms on his knees. "The deal is this, Maya exploded. What do we do? Nothing. We continue to try to make it better, but we don't address it. At least not yet."

"Why can't we at least talk about it?" the girl asked.

"Because where do you think that's going to get you?" he pointed out. "Yah, that's right: nowhere. She's not going to open herself up. Yes, obviously something else is going on, maybe more than one thing. But, that's just going to make her more defensive, so I have one suggestion."

"Which is?" Farkle inquired, a little peeved that Zay suddenly seemed to be so insightful.

The dark skinned boy sighed and shrugged. "We creep in, slowly. We're her friends and we just need to reassure her that she can trust us. But, like we've said, it's going to take time."

"Isn't that what we've been doing?" Lucas said.

His friend looked at him. "Maybe. But, are we doing it the right way?"

"What's the right way?" Farkle asked.

"Well, we've been doing this logically...maybe we should try emotionally," Zay suggested.

"Maya thrives on feelings," Riley said, mostly to herself.

"So, good idea?" the boy grinned.

"Yes, Zay." Lucas gave him a small smile.

"Yes! I've gained my points back!"

"How'd you lose them?" the brunette asked.

He scowled. "I lost them the day I set foot in a ballet class."

"And just like that, it's back to Zay." Farkle shook his head.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Baby girl, you know you can tell me anything, right?"

Maya looked up from the depths of her chamomile tea, a surprised look on her face.

"Yah, of course I do."

"Are you sure?" she persisted, leaning on the counter.

"Where's this coming from, mom?" her daughter raised an eyebrow.

Ms. Hart sighed, and laced her fingers around her warm mug, drumming them on the porcelain.

"Sweetie, I love you to death, but what's going on with you?"

"Not you too," Maya groaned, rolling her eyes.

"You're just not acting like yourself, and I'm concerned," Ms. Hart continued. "And I have every right to be. After all I am your mother."

Her daughter mumbled something, and took a sip of the piping hot tea. She didn't care that it burned her tongue, it just felt good to have the sensation.

"I'm just changing a bit, mom. Nothing wrong with that."

"I know, honey," she answered, sighing. "But, these don't seem like good changes."

"You can't just tell me that!" Maya's eyes were full of fire.

"I just want to help you."

"I don't need help! Why does everyone assume that?"

"Because everyone needs help!" Ms. Hart pointed out. "You need to stop being so prideful and stubborn. If you did, you'd realize how many things you can get through easily."

"I can deal with trouble just fine," Maya answered.

"I know," she said sadly. "But, there's nothing wrong with asking for help. Or just needing it, for heaven's sake."

"But, at least I have my dignity," Maya blurted out thoughtlessly.

Her mother grew quiet.

"I'm sorry," she said softly.

"It's not your fault your father left," Ms. Hart said, her gaze on her pale hands.

"No, but at least I have you. You didn't leave," she consoled.

"Oh, that reminds me." Her mother obviously wanted to change the subject. "I'm going to Maine this weekend. I'm sorry I didn't tell you before, but it was kind of last minute."

"You're leaving," the small girl said flatly.

"I'm just taking a little vacation," she said reassuringly.

"You're leaving," Maya repeated.

"Stop. Now." Ms. Hart warned. "I'm only going for a week. There's a great acting audition there, and I'll get the chance to visit your aunt Rose."

"Well, then can I go with you?" Her voice now calm.

"You have school."

"So?"

"No debate. I'm going to leave you at the Matthews', so you're not home alone," her mother added. "And they've already said it's fine, so it's all set."

Maya's mouth felt dry, and she swallowed thickly. "Can't I just stay home? I'd really prefer that option."

"I'm not leaving you home alone," she snorted.

"Why not? You're only going for a week."

"Yes, I'm going to leave my teenaged daughter home alone for a week," Ms. Hart said sarcastically. "Great idea."

"Glad we're agreed." Maya slid off of her seat, and headed for her room.

"Get back here, missy."

She did.

"It's only for a week, and besides you're with your best friend. It can't get much better, right?"

"Right."

"Good. I love you baby girl, you know that?"

"Of course I do." Maya glanced up at her then back at the worn wood of the table.

But, sometimes it sure didn't seem like it.

Maya played with the silver ring on her finger, twisting it around and around. She had gotten it from Riley for her birthday last year, and even when they fought she kept it on. Maya could remember the day it was given to her. Her mother had seemingly forgotten her birthday, and Riley had spent all day trying to fix it. It turned out she was just trying to buy her a locket, but the hurt and disappointment was still a fixed feeling in her heart. Now, the feeling seemed to return. No, it wasn't like her mother was necessarily leaving her, but it almost was. And sometimes that was enough. It explained her own nature though: everyone in her family seemed to leave, so it only seemed fitting for her to follow suit. Someday she would, and as she was on her journey there wouldn't be any regret. Only numbness. If she had to give that feeling a color it would have to be black. There were those times where she stood in a dark hallway, or in a small, space and she couldn't see a thing. And in those moments, when it felt like she didn't have any senses, Maya felt numb. Because without feeling, sight, sound, taste, and the like, you couldn't experience anything. And once she'd left, Maya would realize that she had just lost all of that...and it would all be her own fault. Because what she'd leave behind were her senses. It hadn't happened yet, but she knew that eventually she'd leave. It was inevitable really.

"You look lost."

Maya slowly directed her mind back to reality. It brought her the vision of a tall boy standing in front of her, hands in his pockets.

"What do you mean by that?"

He sat down on the stool next to her. "You look like you're not seeing anything else but what's in your own mind."

"Yah, well I do that a lot." She shrugged, running her hand over the ripped leather of her seat.

"Artist thing, huh?"

Her smile dropped. "Sure."

He cleared his throat awkwardly, clearly sensing the tension. "Um, well just out of curiosity what are you doing here? It's on the opposite side of town from where you live."

"I don't know." Maya lifted her head, and glanced at the room. "I just like it. I've been coming here for awhile now...something about it is calming I guess."

"Yah, it's nice. I like the pictures."

She nodded in agreement. "I like to look at them a lot even though I've already seen them a million times. Sometimes I wonder why the people in them are there, or why they're even doing what they're doing...why is he holding a fish? Why is she smiling so secretively? I don't know...it's just nice to have someone else's mystery to deal with."

"I get that," he smiled.

"So, what are you doing here, Josh?" Maya asked after a moment of silence.

"Same as you I guess. I just needed to get away."

"Why do you think I'm here to get away?" she questioned with suspicion.

"Oh, come on." He raised an eyebrow. "I may not go to college, but I'm not dumb."

She rolled her eyes. "Whatever. We'll just leave it that, okay?"

"Fine."

Maya went back to her coffee, and Josh continued to stare at a photo of an old couple in the mountains. Admittedly, it was a comfortable silence, but it had to end just like everything else good. It died when Josh turned his attention to the blonde next to him, and noticed her half-full cup.

"Aren't you too young to drink that?" he asked.

She reluctantly came back from her thoughts. "No, and I need it."

"You need it."

"Yes."

"Taste or caffeine?" He prodded curiously.

She pondered the question. "Both, I guess. I like the bitterness of it...it makes sense. And trust me I need the caffeine...it's a necessity."

"You're too young to have to worry about that," Josh sighed, folding his hands, and resting his elbows on the counter.

"Life doesn't really factor age into its decisions," Maya said.

It was then that he noticed the bags under her eyes, and the makeup trying to conceal them. She really did look tired, and he wondered how much sleep she was actually getting. Josh only knew what he could detect and small bits and pieces of what he'd heard, but Maya was obviously dealing with stuff that no adult should have to shoulder all at once. How she dealt with the pressure, and didn't break, he had no idea.

"You know," she spoke up, taking a long drink of coffee. "I don't know if life factors bad ideas into its decisions, but I say we go for it."

"What are you thinking, Maya?" Josh asked suspiciously.

"I want to go do something." She smiled, zipping up her backpack, which he hadn't noticed until now.

"Like what?"

"I don't care," the small girl shrugged. "Anything. As long as it's a bad decision."

He considered her, and made his own stupid choice. "Okay, lets see what we can find."

Maya grinned, and slung her bag over her shoulder. They got up in unison, and headed for the door, neither really sure where they were going.

"This is all you could come up with?" The smile on her face making it hard to think her question was sincere.

"Eh, I had short notice. Plus, I doubt you've ever done it." He looked at her for confirmation.

"Okay, but I still don't understand this." Maya shook her head.

They headed into the store, lazily making their way to the produce aisle. Picking up an apple, and tossing it in the air, Maya turned to Josh.

"Now, please enlighten me on how this is going to funny?" she asked.

He grabbed the fruit from her hand, and took a contemplative bite.

"You said you wanted to do something. Sure, maybe this isn't huge, but it creates chaos."

"Why not huge?"

"Tell you what, maybe we can work our way up from here," Josh winked. "But, let's see what you got first."

"Ugh, fine. It's still lame though," Maya complained.

She proceeded to grab a basket, and fill it to the brim with fruit. Josh did the same, and once it was full, they started down another aisle.

"Now, you may begin," he announced, flicking out a sharpie with a flourish.

She shook her head, and began to draw on an orange, more scribbling than drawing though. The boy finished first, and placed a banana with a sharpie mustache in between two cereal boxes. It looked like said fruit was stalking you, and judging you for your breakfast choices.

Maya raised an eyebrow. "Again, lame."

"I disagree," Josh smirked.

"Yah, well I probably have more detentions under my belt than you," she challenged. "Even if you lied about going to college, and like to destroy things."

"First, I never said I didn't go to college. I did, it just wasn't for very long. Second, that may be true, but that doesn't mean I haven't wrestled with trouble a couple of times."

"That has to be a Matthews' thing." Maya sighed, finishing her orange drawing.

"What?"

"Weird analogies and comparisons." She placed the fruit in a basket of potatoes.

Josh ignored her comment, and gazed at her scribbles. "That's nice."

She smirked. Maya had decided to write something this time, which happened to be "Look behind you". The bright color stuck out from the dull brown of the vegetables, and it would be clear as day to anyone passing by.

"A little fun?" Josh questioned, noting her amused expression.

She picked up her basket, and headed towards a tray of bread. "Maybe. But, this isn't over yet. I'm doing some other stuff, too."

"Like what?" he asked suspiciously.

"You'll see."

They ended up placing tattooed fruit across the whole store, and then decided to continue their "prank". Maya began by switching all the labels and prices on everything, and Josh practically rearranged the store by color. So, in the end she enjoyed it even if she didn't admit it.

Once they had finished, they crept out of the store trying not to laugh too hard. They lost control at the corner, and burst out laughing, getting odd stares from passerby.

"Okay, now I know you had fun," Josh chuckled.

"I'm not saying I did," Maya grinned. "But, next time let's do something else."

"Hey, I told you we could do something bigger."

"Sounds like a plan." She shook his hand. "And as leader you get to buy me coffee."

"How does that even work?"

"It just does."

Josh sighed. "You had some earlier."

Maya cocked her head. "That's wonderful, you have a great memory. Okay, let's go now."

He complied reluctantly, and let her drag him across the street and to wherever she wanted to go. Josh wasn't sure about the whole pranking thing they were doing together, but he did know that he needed to protect Maya Hart. It was an obligation, and he didn't mind. And if he could help her have a little fun along the way, why not?