Fragile Heart

Chapter Nineteen

MAYAS POV
"Peaches." Riley smiled trying to soften the blow. That's when I knew there wasn't a Josh because he didn't care enough to check on me.
"Save it Riley. I'm just happy to okay."
I wasn't okay though, not at the least. He gave me an infinity in that one week with all our ups and downs and childish love. He was Romeo, I was Juliet. We both fell too quickly except in the end of this tale, I was the only one who took the poison and he was the one who fed it to me.
"I'm glad you are too." She smiled.
"You, Lucas, and farkle are all I could possibly need."
"What about me?" Shawn interrupted our conversation by barging in. His face illuminated the entire room when he saw me. I felt my heart swell with warm cozy feelings of hot cocoa , campfires, and blankets.
"Eh I don't really need you Shawn." I joked.
"I missed you kiddo." He spoke in a serious tone and walked over to give me a hug.
"Thanks for being here." I cried softly into his shoulders.
"Young man,what kind of magic did you do to make her wake up?" The nurse teased Lucas.
My cheeks altered to a cherry red shade and I smiled forgetting where I was.
"Can I go home?" I asked looking upwards at the nurse.
"Yes, soon. We will keep you for a couple more hours for some testing but then you're free to leave miss Maya!" She sprayed out while looking over her clipboard.
"Yaaaaaaayy." Riley bursted out, she was happier than I was for me to get out of this sanitized jail.
"I should call Josh, I promised I would when you woke up.... Is there anything you'd like me to say?"Riley said avoiding my eyes.
"Nope, game over Riley." I closed my eyes locking in the tears and visualizing our little moments.
RILEYS POV
"Riley? Is it Maya? Is she okay? Did she wake up?" Josh screamed anxiously not giving me a chance to say one syllable.
"She's awake." I said flatly.
I could feel his smile through the phone, he didn't speak for a couple of minutes. He cried softly into the speaker.
"Why are you crying?"
"I'm just so happy she's okay. It's a relief."
"Yeah because you wouldn't want to hold that on your conscience huh?"
"No, Riley shut up. If she wasn't okay I don't know what I would do, I can't even think about that because it hurts too much." He stuttered and rethought every word.
"Well I should go I just wanted you to know."
"Do you think she would call me?"
"She asked for you when she woke up Josh. But I asked her if she had anything to say to you and she said game over so I don't think so."
"Riley please put her on the phone."
"No. She's injured Josh, she almost died! I can't let her get consumed by a boy who is only going to damage her more. You don't know Maya like I do. She's strong but she's been strong for so long, everyone has a breaking point. Don't be her breaking point, just let go."
"You really think that's for the best?" He asked breathing heavily holding in all of his tears.
"Yes, if you love her.. That's what you would do. You can't be selfish with her uncle Josh."
"Alright, I'll release her from my heart. But tell her I'm glad she's okay, promise Riley?"
"Of course. Bye uncle Josh."
"Bye Riley."
The line was silent and I felt my mind go dull.

MAYAS POV
The nurses released me and said I was clear to leave. The sunshine blinded me as I exited the door and blinked continuously.
"Maya, are you excited to go to school tomorrow?" mom asked.
"Super." I said sarcastically
"Sweets, it'll all be fine alone."
She didn't even know what she was talking about, she just wanted to pretend like she did so that she didn't have to feel bad.
Once we arrived home I crawled into my bed, and piled myself with blankets so I could disappear into the darkness again.

"Hey Maya." Josh smiled
"What are you doing here?"
"I love you Maya Hart, I'm done running from the truth. I want to be here with you. I snuck in and waited for you to get home.."
"Yeah? Well I don't know Josh...you kissed another girl when we went together to the carnival . You didn't even show up when I was in the hospital, damn it Josh I waited for you! I waited for you Josh, I felt stuck and scared and all I wanted to hear was your voice..I..I... needed you!" I stuttered shaking and crying blind in emotions. I started pushing against his chest in rage and he grabbed both of my tiny wrists and tried to wrangle my arms from moving. He pushed me against the wall pinning me so I couldn't even twitch. I felt helpless, as usual. He looked down at my lips and all of my insides tingled with anticipation.
"Shh Maya. I'm sorry, I was stupid and afraid. I love you. I don't care about her, I care about you. I'm ready to be everything and anything for you."
"Josh I can't deal with you leaving me again, I can't get close to someone who just leaves."
"I'm here for good Maya. Please trust me, I would never hurt you. I only want to protect you."
I reached up on my tippy toes and wrapped my arms around his neck and gave him a long hug. He placed his hands on my lower waist and I felt complete once again. I felt like you feel when you're under blankets, watching movies, and it's raining. That relaxed, safe feeling, Josh captured it in that hug. He was my worst habit but I couldn't break it, I don't know if his words are truth or deception but I was sure of one thing. He gave me real feelings, he made me feel things other than sadness and emptiness. I felt special with him.
"Can I lay with you Maya?"
"Yeah."
He picked me up bridal style and threw me into my rock hard bed.
"I'm going to move in with Cory this summer for my college program... And I'm going to finish my senior year at your school when you'll be a freshman! So I'll see more of you Maya. I'm not leaving."
I pressed my lips against his passionately and I slowly lifted off his shirt revealing his beautifully sculpted abs. He began kissing my neck and I moaned with pleasure.
I felt a tugging at my shoulder.
"Maya, are you okay?" My mother interrupted my precious thoughts.
I used a mini crowbar to open my crusty eyes and saw my mom standing over me. My heart dropped to the floor and bursted when I saw no Josh. I felt hot and moist, beads of sweat spilled down my forehead.
"Yes, why?" I asked
"You were screaming Maya."
Screaming for him. My insides were aching with longings for his touch. I was still beyond mad at him, I don't even know if I'd speak to him. All I knew was he had an affect on me, he left me damaged. I felt like he was the only one with the cure to fix me but only I could fix myself.
"Well you need to get up for school,baby girl."
I trembled out of my bed like a zombie and slowly made my way to Riley's.
"Maya!" Riley chanted as I climbed through the window.
"Let's just get today over with." I smiled weakly.
We strolled our way down to the subway and I attempted to mentally prepare myself for the day. My mind was still all blended up from last nights dreams. The worst part is I desperately wanted to close my eyes and go back to that place. He treats me like trash but i can't seem to let him throw me out. I needed to forget him, he clearly forgot me the second he saw Olivia.
I walked into school with my head facing the tiles.
"Sad face is back." A group of boys joined in and laughed in perfect harmony. I felt my insides turn to mush. I ran towards them ready to attack but Farkle stood in my way.
"Calm down pitbull."
"Hey stalker! We heard from some outside sources that you were so obsessed with a boy you got hit by a car because he was talking to another girl. " screamed a tall boy with a muscular build and greasy brown hair.
That triggered all of the emotions inside of me. Who told them that?! I felt mascara filling my eyes and causing them to sting.
Farkle squeezed me and didn't let go.
Lucas swooped in with his cape and cowboy boots.
He saw me with my back leaned against the lockers crying uncontrollably while Farkle tried to calm me down.
Lucas, the good guy who appeared to solve all of his problems with his pearly grin and his wise words pushed the greasy boy against the lockers. The boy was much larger than Lucas. My heart pounded fast and flashbacks of Lucas and joshs fight replayed in my head. Farkles small sweaty hand wrapped around mine. The boy full heatedly hit Lucas across the face but the cowboy got up for another round in this rodeo. I couldn't bare to watch, I scrunched my eyes closed and felt the warm tears still manage to leak through the crevices.
"Is Lucas okay?" I asked nervously.
"Just don't look Maya."
Riley walked up behind me as I felt the crowd form.
"Maya, what's..."
When she she observed Lucas she sat down on the other side of me and leaned her head against me.
"I'll go get my dad.."
"Hurry!."
Riley was too slow and my heart was going too fast.I stood up without thinking and slid myself between the two feuding boys.
"Lucas stop."
"But Maya.."
"He's not worth it, remember? I know who I am and what happened. Isn't that all that matters?"
Greasy hair boy didn't seem to think so. I felt his large hands strangle my wrists and I winced in pain. He slammed me against the lockers and my entire body felt bruised and tormented.
I kicked and wiggled but his grasp was too tight.
I felt his grip loosen and soon my wrists were completely free of constraint. I looked upwards apprehensively to observe Lucas had pulled him off of me. Lucas pulled me into a hug and kisses the top of my head.
"I'm sorry." He said.
"don't be. You're here." I smiled.
Mr. Matthews and Riley came back to observe the victory.

JOSHS POV
My mind wandered towards Maya, no matter what the topic was I was thinking about, doing, or discussing it always seemed to go back to Maya. She was everything. I could be eating French fries and bam Maya pops into my head, the way she eats fries on days where she could use food therapy. It was her food of choice when she was upset. Whenever I see a girl with blond hair, my heart flutters but then they turn around and there is no comparison. Whenever I see the ocean, I think of Maya's beautiful eyes and I drown in them. She was everywhere except for with me. I couldn't stop thinking about her so I decided to call Cory to see if he would give me a better update than Riley who suggested I forget about. I promised I would move on and not go for her but there's no way I could forget Maya, she left her mark everywhere she touched.
"My brother!"
"My brother." Cody said less ecstatically.
"Why the grumpy tone?"
"I'm just dealing with a situation at work Josh. I'm faced with a dilemma."
"Tell me about it. I'll give you my golden input."
"As a teacher it's my responsibility to report all unacceptable behavior that causes harm. I witnessed a fight, no other teachers were around..."
"So report it Cor..."
"Riley would be mad at me. The fight involved Lucas and another boy. Lucas was only doing the right thing. I'd hate for him to get suspended...."
I couldn't help but grin and feel all mighty inside, Lucas getting into trouble.
"I think you should suspend him..there's no justified reason for fighting."
"He was protecting Maya. A bunch of kids were teasing her and bullying her. Lucas only pushed the boys. I would be fine ignoring that detail but Maya got in between them to stop it and the boy physically hurt Maya that's when Lucas snapped and punched him. I don't know what to do Josh."
My chest felt tight, I gasped heavily for air. My stomach began to hurt.. Hurt Maya?
"Don't report it Cor. That's a justified reason for fighting. Just forget what you saw.."