Riley woke up and snuggled close to her mom. Topanga pulled the girl even closer and kissed the top of her head, "Ready to talk about last night?"
Riley shook her head, "I can't."
"Daddy and I can't fix it if we don't know what the problem is." Topanga told her.
That irritated Riley, her mom had promised that they would keep Maya safe, and she wasn't safe at all. She felt lied too and like there was no one to trust. No one except Maya. She crawled out of bed suddenly not wanting to be in her mom's arms. "I need to get ready for school."
Topanga was surprised by the sudden shift in her daughters mood, and the set to her jaw. "Okay, Honey." She left the room and went to go get ready herself.
Riley didn't feel much like eating, and she laid down in the bay window and stared up at the ceiling wondering if her and Maya had enough money saved to run away.
--GMW--
Maya woke up and dragged herself out of bed, she wasn't sure how she was going to get through the day.
She thought about calling Mr. Matthews and saying she was sick, but she didn't want to be home with Troy all day and she didn't want the questions they would ask. She threw the clothes on that were closest to her and walked over.
She choose to come in through the window and was immediately engulfed in a Riley hug, "Are you okay?"
"Yeah. Riles, just one more night and then I spend two nights here. I'm going to be okay." Maya tried to reassure them both.
"Being here isn't great either," Riley said firmly, laying back down in the bay window.
Maya went and knelt down by her friend. She rested her chin on her friends stomach, "What do you mean?"
Riley giggled at Mayas chin tickling her when it moved, and Maya laughed.
The laughing brought both adults into the room, "Hey, Maya." Topanga said.
"Hey Mrs. Matthews!" Maya said, turning. She kept the smile on her face. She was dying to rush into the woman's arms and just cry and spill her guts but she knew that she couldn't for her mom. Riley reached out and squeezed her shoulder to let her know that she was safe.
"Are you two ready for breakfast?" Cory asked.
"We aren't hungry." Riley told them.
"Eating is…" Cory started.
Topanga reached out and tugged on her husband's jacket, "That's okay, girls. Just promise to leave through the front door, so we can say good bye." Cory turned to his wife about to ask what she was thinking, but she shook her head. "Promise?"
"Yeah, of course." Maya told them.
"Okay, girls. Twenty minutes until you have to leave." Topanga said, leading Cory out.
"WHAT WAS THAT?!" He whisper yelled.
"They are looking for control, so I'm giving them some, remember we need to be the safe place." Topanga told him. She walked out into the kitchen and pulled out four granola bars, a couple oranges, some chips and a couple packs of cookies.
"Where's Riley?" Auggie asked.
"Her and Maya are going to hang out In their room." Topanga told him.
When the door shut she turned back to her friend, "What did you mean? We are safe here."
Riley stared back up at the ceiling, "Do you think we could run away?"
Maya sighed, "It was just a spanking Riley."
Riley turned fiercely to her best friend, "No it wasn't and you know it."
Maya put her hands up in surrender, "I'm just trying to keep my mom happy."
"She has let you get hurt several times in the last two weeks, and so have my parents. We don't owe them anything."
"They are doing their best." Maya assured her.
"Why does their best have to be at your expense?" Riley asked, reaching out and tugging at one of Mayas curls gently.
Maya felt uncomfortable under Riley's searching gaze. She stood up and reached out her hand. Riley's world was so simple and unchaotic. Mayas world was full of her moms drinking problems and whatever Daddy Katy wanted to bring home, all with their own slew of problems. Troy had gotten cozy quickly, but he wasn't the worst one that Katy had brought home. She could understand Katy's constant seeking of love. "Let's put running away on the back burner for now, okay?"
"Okay," Riley said standing. "But we need to make a real plan for keeping you safe when you are home."
"Okay, we can do that Friday night." Maya told her. She picked up her backpack and handed Riley hers.
They walked into the main room and Topanga gestured towards the snacks. "Take them, in case you get hungry."
Riley didn't move, but Maya scooped the food into her bag. "Thank you."
Topanga reached out to hug the girl, but she took a step back. Maya laughed uneasily at her own reaction, "We are going to be late."
Topanga reached out and brushed the girls hair out of her eyes, "I understand, Honey. Bye, Riley."
"Bye." Riley called.
--GMW--
Cory was waiting for Troy to pull up, he turned to the girls. "Take a lap around the school."
"But…" Maya started.
"Yes, Sir." Cory said.
"Mr. Matthew's he doesn't like to wait…"
"Like he really does not like waiting." Riley agreed.
"Yes. Sir." Cory repeated.
"You're going to get Maya in trouble!" Riley snapped.
Cory stared silently, waiting for both girls to give the expected response. Both girls sighed, "Yes, Sir." He watched them walk around the corner of the school.
Cory opened the door and climbed into the car. "What the hell man?!"
"I want to know what happened last night, Troy." Cory said forcefully.
"I told your wife, the girls got lippy with me and I don't take kindly to that." Troy snapped, turning to glare at the other man.
"Then what happened?" Cory asked.
Troy had heard Katy say that she was worried about these people taking Maya away from her, and when he wouldn't mind that, he knew that Katy would be devastated. "Then I said your girl couldn't come over this week."
"See, where I'm struggling here, is that my daughter cried herself to sleep last night, and she wouldn't have done that over being banned from your house for a couple days so what really happened?" Cory was trying hard not to shout, but he was close to losing it. His kid was hurt, both of his girls, and his wife was beside herself.
"It is clear that you have spoiled both those girls, it isn't my fault they respond so poorly to discipline." Troy shouted.
Cory looked in the mirror and saw the girls walking up, "I'm going to find out what happened, Troy, and when I do, your ass will be in jail so fast." He opened the door and got out. "Maya, you keep that phone on your body at all times, and you call me if anything happens."
"Yes, Sir." Maya told him, she tried not to tear up at his tone. She looked past him to a very pissed off Troy. Great, she thought, he was already heated. Both men seemed pissed at her and she hadn't even done anything wrong.
Riley and Cory watched them drive off, and Cory turned to his daughter. He could feel her anger radiating off of her, "Say what you need to but keep it respectful."
"You made him angry and then just sent her with him?!" She roared.
Hurt crossed Cory's face, they were doing the best they could with the complete lack of information that the girls were giving him. "Riley, I have to let her go…"
Riley shook her head, sadly. She knew that this wasn't about her but she couldn't help feeling betrayed by her parents. She walked off towards the subway, not sure if home was where she would end up.
Troy seethed the whole way to the apartment and Maya knew it was best to keep her mouth shut. When they got inside she started to head to her bedroom, but he called her back.
"Sit your ass down and tell me what you told those people!" Troy shouted.
"N..nothing, I swear!"
"Why is that teacher threatening to put me in jail?!"
Maya watched him pace the kitchen, and kept both of her hands clutching the chair. She was going to be okay, she kept telling herself, just one more night. She could hang on just one more night. She knew that he was venting and didn't want an answer so she stayed quiet, and watched for any sudden body movements. He stopped pacing and looked at her hard in the eyes. "Your mom wants a family and that's all I'm trying to give her, why are you making this so hard?"
"I'm not trying to, I didn't say anything to them!" Maya said.
"Then its that friend. Maybe I should have whipped her too."
Maya had to work hard to not lose her cool at that. Riley was safe either at her house or with Lucas and Farkle, this wasn't the time to defend someone's honor. "I don't think she said anything either. She is sensitive. Her mood shifts."
Troy slammed his hand down on the table, "You both need more discipline." Maya jumped at the sound, and grimaced when her bottom made contact with the chair again. "Go to your room and get your homework done, just stay in there tonight. I need to talk to your mom."
Maya ran off to her room, glad to be ordered to its safety.
--GMW--
After the second night of listening to her child cry herself to sleep Topanga was done. Once she knew Riley was sleeping she turned to go down the hall.
"Where are you going?" Cory asked.
"I'm going to the diner." Topanga said.
"Its ten, Katy should be home."
Topanga gave him a look, "We both know she's not though."
She waited for her husband's response telling her no, or to not go to jail, but it didn't come. "I'll be up waiting for you."
She kissed him gratefully and left. She drove to the diner and waited in her car for a moment trying to compose herself. After a few minutes she went inside amd saw Katy at the counter.
Katys face immediately fell on seeing Topanga, "Hey, I just had to…"
"Save it." Topanga said. "I came to ask you what the hell is going on in your house, but clearly you don't know because you are here."
Katy frowned at that but couldn't object, "I know I said that I would be home, but we needed the money."
"Bullshit." Topanga told her. "We made sure that schedule would work with your bills, you should even be able to save money, Katy. How much of this new money is going to beer for you and Troy?"
Katy bit her lip, she was grateful that the place was empty. "If you are this upset over Troy telling Riley to stay away tonight, I will make sure that doesn't happen again."
"Something else happened, Katy." Topanga growled.
"Troy said…"
"Riley hasn't eaten since she went to your house and she has cried herself to sleep for two nights now. Something else happened." Topanga shouted.
Katy paled at that news, "And Maya?"
"Have you even seen your kid this week?"
"I've been busy." Katy defended.
"I don't want either girl alone with him again, Katy."
"Topanga, I appreciate all that you do, but…"
"Cory and I will sue you for custody of that girl, and we will win. She won't ever see you again if you don't fix this."
"Hey! Maya is my daughter!" Katy snapped back.
"Then act like it!" Topanga shouted back. "We are bringing her home tomorrow night, and honestly Katy, I don't know if I will feel comfortable with her leaving with you guys Sunday."
"You are over stepping." Katy told her, firmly.
"Fix this, Katy." Topanga told her, "Or I will."
Katy thought about that the rest of her shift. It had been a long double and she was excited to get home and sleep. She was surprised when Troy was awake, sitting at the kitchen table at 530 that morning when she got in.
"We need to talk about that teacher threatening to send me to jail." Troy said.
"Yeah, his wife came by the diner last night too, they are pretty upset. What happened the other night?" She tried to keep her voice calm to not upset him.
He got up and grabbed a beer from the fridge and opened it before sliding it over to Katy. "I called for that girl three times and she ignored me so she got the business end of my belt." He told her as he opened himself a beer.
Katy looked horrified, "You didn't hit Riley did you?"
"No. But I sent them both off without dinner. The friend cried more than Maya at the spanking though."
Katy nodded, "Riley is more sensitive."
"If I'm living here, I should be able to discipline that child any way I see fit." Troy said, his voice rising.
Katy bit her lip, "Maybe for now you leave the physical discipline to me and the Matthews."
He laughed humorously, "Oh so they can hit her, but I can't?! That's rich."
Maya woke up at Troy's shouting and had made her way down the hall. "They spank her." Katy said.
"I spanked her!" Troy said, "And none of you do it enough with the way she behaves."
"Troy, please. I can't have them take Maya, for now can we just please not spank her?" Katy pleaded.
"No thirteen year old is going to rule the house I'm living in." Troy snapped.
He walked towards Katy and Maya was worried that he would hit her, so she walked into the kitchen. "Good morning," she said lamely.
Katy reached out and pulled the girl in for a hug. She kissed the top of Mayas head, "Good morning, Baby girl. It's early, you can still sleep for another half hour."
"I'm okay." Maya said. Katy pulled her onto her lap, and Maya tried hard not to wince in pain.
"This is what I'm talking about!" He pointed to Maya, "you all baby her. Your mother said go back to bed!"
Maya snuggled closer to her mom, "She didn't tell me, she asked if I wanted to, and I don't." She knew that she should feel safer with her mom there, but Maya had learned early that her mom was more fragile than she was, and like Riley she needed protecting.
Troy took his belt off and smacked it hard on the table, "Then I'm telling you, go to bed now or go in ten minutes with a sore butt."
"It's okay, Maya." Katy whispered into her ear.
"Can I take a shower instead?" Maya asked turning to her mother. In the shower she couldn't hear the yelling at least.
Katy was about to say yes when Troy grabbed her arm and started swatting her with a belt. He rained down swat after swat while Katy sat silently watching. After close to ten minutes, he pushed Maya away, "Go clean yourself up."
Maya didn't need to be told twice, and limped to the bathroom as quickly as she could, grateful that she had laid out her clothes in there the night before.
Maya showered, brushed her hair and teeth, threw on some lip gloss and walked back out to the kitchen. She saw Troy standing over her mom shouting, and walked over to sit in her moms lap, regardless of the pain it would cause.
Troy grabbed her arm and harshly yanked her away, "Go get your backpack and get out of here."
Maya looked at the clock. "I still have ten minutes…" All Maya registered next was pain. Her face erupted in it. Troy's ring had caught her lip on the backhand, and it had split open. Before she could think about anything else, Maya stood up and ran to her room. She locked the door and could hear Katy and Troy screaming at each other, but she grabbed her phone and her backpack and then jumped out the window and took off. She fell twice on her way to the Matthew's and by the time she burst through the front door out of breath her hands and knees were bleeding.
"What the hell?!" Topanga shouted.
"Mommy that's a bad word." Auggie told her.
Riley was buy her crying friends side in a second. "What happened Maya?"
Maya looked down at her bleeding hands, "I fell."
"How?" Cory asked, his voice also raised.
Maya flinched away from the sound. "Let me see if I can get a ride to school for Auggie, Cory you take Maya and get her cleaned up."
Cory was seething. He picked Maya up and walked to his bathroom before roughly setting her down on the counter. When he couldn't find the neosporin, he turned to Riley, "Go grab the neosporin from your bathroom." Riley scampered off.
"What happened?"
"I fell while running here." Maya told him so softly he almost didn't hear.
"Why were you running?"
"I didn't think I would fall."
Riley came back in and handed her dad the tube of antiseptic before leaning on the doorway. "Maya…" He started. God, he was so angry that he couldn't fix whatever this was. Topanga had gotten a neighbor to take Auggie, so she walked into the bathroom too. She sat on the tub and beckoned Riley over, but the girl stayed where she was.
Cory washed the girls wounds while thinking. "Are you mad at me?" Maya finally asked, as Cory put the last Band-Aid on her palm.
He put a hand on either side of the girl and frowned at her. Topanga could tell he was about to let his anger speak, so she stood to stop him but it was too late. "Yes. I asked you if you were safe and you lied to me."
"I really did fall!" Maya said, panicked.
Cory couldn't deny that was what he looked like, but he knew something was going on. "Even beyond that Maya, I asked if my kid was going to be safe there and you lied. She has cried herself to sleep for two nights now…"
"Dad!" Riley snapped, pushing off from the doorway.
"Cory!" Topanga shouted.
Maya squirmed, wanting to jump off the counter but Cory was blocking any movement. "I'm not mad, I'm furious. I trusted you to keep my child safe, and you let me down in the biggest way possible."
"HEY!" Topanga shouted, trying to break through the cloud of anger that had encompassed her husband. "Inappropriate!"
Riley reached out and grabbed Mayas hand, pulling her away from her dad. "None of this is Mayas fault."
Topanga pointed to the girl who's tears had stopped at Cory's harsh words, "None of this is your fault, Maya."
With that Riley pulled her out of the bathroom, "Let's go." She went to her room and threw both of their piggy banks into her backpack before crawling out the bay window. Maya followed in a daze.
"What in the hell was…" Topanga started.
"I have to get to work." Cory cut her off and walked out too.