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first time for everything

The next day, Maya plonked herself down at her desk, interested to see what new things would crop up today. Maybe Mr Matthews would come in a leotard and tutu? Perhaps Janitor Harley would become Principal Harley? Or maybe, maybe, school was cancelled? To her dismay, everything was normal, somehow. Aside from the fact that Riley was extra smiley and Farkle was, well, Farkle. As Mr Matthews began to write out a diagram on how to they should work on essays, Maya felt warm breath fanning over the cool skin on her neck, the faint smell of mint filling her nostrils, making just the smallest hairs on her neck stand. She almost, almost broke into a smirk but being too irked to turn around, she hissed, "What do you want, Huckleberry?" He sighed, breath still making her insides shiver, "I'm sorry if I did anything wrong yesterday, and I'm definitely sorry about last week."

Confused, Maya gave into her urge to turn around. He chuckled, "So am I forgiven?" Maya leaned towards him and glared, "I don't know, Cowboy. You've done quite enough, haven't you?" She puckered her lips and kissed the air, attempting to mock what he had almost done to her yesterday. Although she had no idea what happened 'last week', she just liked the feeling of getting to him. As she felt a 'hurrhurr' coming on, she smirked and apparently he took this as an approval. Without a second thought, he smirked and leaned forward even more, his soft and warm lips landing on hers. In that moment, Maya's mind had gone blank so all she could do was relax as she let him pull her towards him, almost flying off her seat in the process. She could practically taste the mint he had been chewing earlier, she could taste everything in him, everything about him, she knew and she felt it deep inside her and boy was it good. Warm and soft, like him, tasted like him, felt like him. She had never known her first kiss would be like this, and to be honest, she never wanted it to end. Her mind begged her to stop, telling her that this was Ranger Rick, but what she was feeling was controlling her heart, and she just couldn't.

"Mr Friar. While I do encourage faithfulness in youths, I do not encourage all this in my class, or on school grounds, if you don't mind," Mr Matthews said. He had finished drawing a diagram he expected them to use to plan an essay and had turned around to see Maya and Lucas going full on in his class. They gasped and turned around, cheeks going red. The entire class was giggling, not just at their inappropriate timing, but the fact that Lucas the Good, Mr Moral Compass had been caught kissing his girlfriend in the class taught by his ex-crush's father. Usually, they would sneak little forehead kisses but that was the most. This, was something that belonged on a big screen. And that was something that definitely should not be put on the record. Maya turned around one last time to giggle at Lucas' stunned face before returning to the land of education.

That afternoon, the gang was gathered in Topanga's and Riley kept shaking with excitement every time Maya looked at Lucas or vice versa. However, the rest of them pretended to not notice this and talk about that day's homework, or how horrible the cafeteria food was getting. Farkle said, "Oh yeah, Lucas, have you done that math homework we were supposed to have done?" Lucas chuckled and said, "Farkle, you know I've done it. And I know you've done it too. Come on, we're friends, not academic competitors."

"Sure we are, freak," Farkle muttered as he continued the homework. Unfortunately, in a true Riley fashion, she eventually burst out with whatever it is she was trying not to say.

"Maya! How are you not freaking out? You guys got caught going all lovey dovey in my dad's class, I mean what if the entire school knows that y'all kissed and ahhh I'm so happy for youuuu!" Riley practically screamed. Maya laughed, no matter what she was talking about, Riley was always one to cheer everyone up even if that day was an okay day.

"Well, Riles, if they don't already know from just now, they sure would now that you've shouted it out loud. Would you like me to accompany you to New York's highest point so you can tell the whole city?" Maya said. Riley laughed, "Oh Maya, we certainly couldn't do that… without a megaphone! But really, why aren't you jumping for joy. I mean sure, you guys have kissed before but never so, so, all out! Come on, I'm happy for you, be happy with me, ring power!"

The girls held up their friendship rings and laughed, and Maya knew that at that moment, she definitely loved smiley Riley. However, she had to admit she missed the 'upset face' of Riley, even though it was still 50% smiles.

As Maya lay her tired head down to rest that night, the faint sounds of water dripping from her apartment coming from the living room, she thought about everything that had happened that day. Her friends were definitely starting to feel more like her friends. Riley was back to her ray of sunshine-y self and Maya was definitely not. Farkle was spewing random facts at will and absorbing everything he could like the sponge he was. And Lucas, well that was something completely different. In a good way, that was. As her mind flickered back to the moment their lips touched, the moment her heart quivered and the way she felt so at ease, she realised that she definitely liked that. Maybe she didn't like Lucas being her boyfriend, or being all cringe-worthy or flirtatious, but she definitely liked what he could do, the way she could both feel them smiling when it happened, and at that point, for a girl stuck in this strange alternate world, that was all she needed.

This time, she was going to switch it up a bit. If she was going to be stuck in this world where she and Lucas were together, she might as well have a little fun right? Riley and Farkle were going to stand by the side, filming the whole thing for their own purposes. Although she and Lucas were supposedly 'together', Maya still had a clear enough mind to see that Riley and Farkle had something special. They were both smart, both naturally positive people, and although they weren't polar opposites like she and Lucas were, they were cute for each other. Returning her focus to the mission at hand, Maya snuck up on a preoccupied Lucas, and slammed his locker door. She placed her hands behind her back and bounced on her toes, saying, "Hey Huckleberry, missed me?"

Lucas whipped around and knew what she was doing. Taking a step closer such that their bodies were flushed together, Maya tiptoed even more such that her lips just brushed his. And this was different from yesterday's. This didn't feel like one where she needed him so badly it hurt, this one was light, soft, delicate. She would have said it was like kissing a pillow or a cloud, except it was warm and smelled like Lucas and, well it was Lucas, so that made it all the more delightful. She didn't know how to describe it exactly, except it felt like an especially special kiss. She stepped away and Lucas tipped his imaginary hat, saying in his Southern accent, "Maya, it's been less than a day, but I missed you, so all the more pleasure doing business with you ma'am." She quipped back, "The pleasure's all mine."

Grabbing his hand, she walked over to Riley and Farkle, who were actually giggling as they watched the video over and over and over again. Maya watched them and as Riley was laughing at her best friend, she caught Farkle's gaze flicker up to Riley, and that look was all too familiar. In the past 3 days, that was the way Lucas had been looking at Maya, and as much as she hated to admit it, the way she had started looking at Lucas. It was like looking at the stars, being in awe of this human being that you adored so much. Maya restrained her own giggle and was about to grab Riley's hand when she realised that her other was on Lucas'.

His hand was rough and warm. Rough from his old days in Texas, but warm, which helped because her hands were always cold. Her palm fit perfectly into his and without thinking, their fingers had interlaced, thumb next to thumb, finger next to finger. It was like the perfect jigsaw puzzle that she was a part of, and she had never been part of something perfect. For a split second, she was taken aback by the thought of being with Huckleberry, and her hand quivered, loosening Lucas' grip. She stuttered before saying, "I… I gotta get to class. Come on Riles." With that, she dragged a confused Riley to class, leaving a shocked and equally confused Lucas and Farkle behind.

That day at lunch, as Maya walked over to the table where Farkle and Riley were sitting. She felt a warm arm being placed over her shoulders. She turned her head slightly to see that familiar smile.

"Hey babe. Um, what's up with you the past few days, are you feeling ok? Shortstack?" Lucas said, a smirk forming on his lips as he used Maya's nickname. Maya put the tray down on the table and turned to face him. She glanced at the floor, pretending to think of a response. Biting her lip, she took a step forward, grabbed the front of his shirt and pulled him closer. She looked up into his eyes and said, "You know I hate it when you call me that, right?" Lucas chuckled and bent down to whisper into her ear, once again, his warm breath brushing across her neck, "Nah, you love it. And you love me." He rolled his tongue as he said those words, causing shivers to run down her spine. As he picked an apple off her tray, tossing it in the air, he sauntered off and said, "Ah, you know I'm right." She would have said no, except every word he said, every intonation in his voice, it had a sort of hypnotic effect on her, and so she could only grin. However much she loved it, she couldn't help but feel guilty. She was making Lucas fall in love with her even more, when she didn't love him for him in the first place. All she liked was the taste that he could give her. However, she couldn't ruin this alternate version of her life, all she could do was continue it and sustain it. Her life was bad as it was with Morotia and Donnie Barnes back in reality, she couldn't let another version of her suffer just as much. Pushing the depressing thoughts out of her head, she sat down with Riley and Farkle.

"Maya, you gotta stop being so touchy with Lucas. I think the other girls are starting to get a little jealous," Farkle pointed out. He gestured to the table next to them, where Missy and her gang were pointing and putting on the bitchiest bitch face Maya had ever seen. However, this was only to her joy, what she would give to make Missy so pissed off that just maybe, she would explode!

As the bell rang, Maya and Riley walked towards the main doors to find Lucas and Farkle waiting for them. Maya tapped on Lucas' knuckles and he rotated his wrist, grabbing her hand in response. He felt her jump and he grabbed her hand to steady her, the warmth spreading across the two bodies through that single point of contact. She could feel his very essence moving through her, she felt as if she could know everything that he was thinking. She blushed, saying, "Aw, you waited for me?" Lucas laughed and said, "I would say we were waiting for Riley since we're going to her place, but sure, I waited for you too." Although Maya was currently only playing the part of loving girlfriend for the kisses, she knew that she had to actually pretend to love for him for who he was and not just what he could do. She knew that what she was doing was shallow and stupid, but it was the most of what could she do. Riley put her arms around Maya and Farkle as they walked out of school over to her house. As they were walking, Maya asked, "Hey wait what exactly are we doing at Riley's place anyway? Don't we usually go to Topanga's?" Riley chirped back, "They're doing some monthly maintenance check to make sure the infrastructure is still secure and stuff. So we'll be studying at my place. That's ok with you guys right?"

"Riles, does that even qualify as a question?" Maya asked. She squeezed Lucas' hand tighter, loving the safety and warmth that it provided her, and hugged Riley closer as the four of them walked into Riley's apartment building. As Maya looked at each of her friends, she realised that this was the only paradise she ever needed. Spending the rest of her days with her 3 best friends. However, she realised that this was literally a dream come true. She made a silent prayer that her dream would never end, but were dreams really just dreams?

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