Chapter Three
Once they all got back to the house Dylan was eating his Bojangles happily at the island and Emma ,sitting across from him, was doing her homework.
"You didn't have to get him food." Lucas said sitting down at the couch in the living room.
"I wanted to, it seems like he had a pretty rough day." Maya said sitting down next to him. "That leads me to the next topic." She added now recording the conversation.
"Go ahead." He said putting his feet up on the coffee table. Maya turned to him and put her knees to her chest and rested her arms on top of them. .
"Let's talk about your siblings." Maya said.
"Okay, well I've always wanted siblings so when I finally got told that I was going to have I brother I was so happy, but then they showed him all of the attention. Then I started to not like him. Then they told both of us that we were going to have a little sister. I knew that this one was going to get all of the attention too but of course I was still excited. They showed Emma all of their attention and let me do whatever I wanted because they were so busy. That's when I went through my wild streak. I would party, have one night stands, drink, and I even decided to do drugs. I now barley go to any parties and if I do I bring sodas, I've stopped the dating for a while. I don't drink anymore and I stopped doing drugs. I then came back home and realized my parents needed more help than they were letting on. So that's when I started taking care of them and ever since then it's like they've been my kids." Lucas let out. I've never had a drink or done drugs, I've had sex once and that was with Josh when we dated, and I don't really like to go to parties, I much rather keep to myself .
"Wow, you've really been through a lot Lucas." Maya said.
"Yeah, I've come to realize that I need to stay strong for Emma and Dylan, that's why I don't like to show people that I'm weak." He added.
"I don't either but people just already know that I'm broken. I guess I don't do a very good of hiding it." Maya said looking down at her fingers.
"Yeah you do, not all of us know you're broken. I mean yeah we know somethings wrong but we know zero about you that's why we've gone to Riley." Lucas said.
"Wait, who's 'we'?" Maya asked.
"I'll admit I've gone to Riley to see if everything was okay with you because even though I know nothing about you I was still worried." Lucas said.
"Wow, you care?" Maya asked.
"Of course I care, I care about a lot of people that others don't think I do." Lucas answered. This surprised Maya, she never thought of Lucas as a nice, caring guy. I guess she thought wrong. Then Dylan threw his food away and ran towards the back door.
"Hold it." Lucas yelled and that made Dylan stop.
"What?" He asked turning around with an angry tone in his voice.
"Where are you going?" He asked.
"To hang out with Trevor, right next door." He said pointing outside.
"No you will not." Lucas said.
"Come on dude, why not?" Dylan asked
"Because you haven't even done your homework, you need to study for your retake on your Math test, and you haven't thanked Maya for the food." Lucas answered.
"Thank you Maya." He said turning towards Maya.
"You're welcome." She responded.
"Now go do your homework and I'll help you with your Math." Lucas said finsihing up business. Dylan moaned and stomped back to the kitchen.
"You're amazing." Maya said.
"What do you mean?" Lucas asked turning to look at her.
"You know what's best for him, instead of having fun." Maya said.
"Well you're great with them too. I've never seen Emma get along with someone that fast and Dylan is calm when he talks to you, he's usually not like that." Lucas said.
"Well I babysit every summer so I'm pretty good with kids." Maya said with a laugh.
"Pretty good? You're amazing." He replied.
"Thank you." Maya said trying to hide her smile. Lucas noticed and then smiled himself.
"Why don't you like people to see you weak?" Lucas asked.
"Huh?" She responded.
"I told you that I don't like it because I need to stay strong, so what's your reason?" He asked again.
"Because everyone see me as this strong tough girl, so I rather them think that instead of seeing me as broken girl." Maya said.
"But you're strong because you're weak." Lucas said.
"That doesn't make sense." She responded.
"Yeah it does, you got strong because you were once weak. You don't like to be weak so you defeated it with strongness." Lucas said.
"Wow, that's a great way to put my whole entire life." Maya said with a laugh.
"So you are strong." Lucas said.
"I mean everyones strong, just some show it more than others." She replied.
"You're right." He said looking at the floor.
It was quiet for the next ten minutes, the only sounds you could hear were Emma and Dylan writing on their papers. Maya was sitting on her end of the couch with her knees up to her chest and her toes pointed towards Lucas. Lucas was sitting at the other end of the couch now leaned over with his hands folded together. Maya could tell he was thinking about something so she decided to leave him alone. Emma got done with her homework and handed it to Lucas to check it. After he got done he still didn't say anything he just nodded and she skipped away. Maya could tell something was wrong with him but was afraid to ask what. Lucas then got up and walked outside and Maya watched out the window as he was squezzing his fists together and then he punched the brick wall. Maya ran outside whne she heard him scream out in pain.
"What the hell is your problem?" Maya asked shutting the door behind her. She looked down at his hand and could tell that it wasn't broken.
"It doesn't matter." He said sitting on the bench.
"Yes it does, come on talk to me." Maya said sitting next to him and rubbing his shoulder.
"I've always wanted to make myself a better person and now that I rethink things that I have done, I realize that I'm not better." He said now bouncing his leg.
"Just calm down and tell me what you're talking about.' Maya said.
"I need to get you home, my parents are going to be home soon and I have to make supper and get Emma and Dylan ready for bed." Lucas said standing up.
"You have to talk to me." Maya said following him.
"I will, on the way." He said.
Once they were in the truck Maya knew he wasn't going to talk about it, that he was just saying it to be saying it.
"So, what have you done taht makes you think you're not a better person?" Maya asked. He sighed and she knew that he didn't want to talk about and he was going to make her.
"I've always wanted to be friends with you, Riley, and Farkle. Y'all all seem so close and are so different. Y'all aren't just friends because you have to be like the popular crowd." Lucas said.
"You're still a better person, I can tell from just what you've told me tonight." Maya said.
"I'm not that much better." Lucas said.
"Nobody's perfect, Lucas." Maya said. Then Lucas came to a stop infront of Maya's apartment.
"You need me to walk you up?" Lucas asked.
"No it' fine, but thank you though." She responded and he nodded.
"It was nice talking to you. I know tomorrow's Saturday but I was wondering if you wanted to work tomorrow?" He asked.
"Same and yeah I would love too." Maya said with a huge smile on her face. She hoped out of the truck and then turned around. "You're strong, Lucas." He smiled and said you too and then she ran inside. Lucas watched as she ran inside and then pulled off with a huge smile on his face.
Maya ran into her apartment and leaned her back against the door. She smiled and bit her lip. Was she starting to grow feelings for Lucas? And what was he hiding from her? She was going to figure it out.