Fragile Heart

Chapter twenty

MAYAS POV
"Maya can we talk?" Lucas managed to ask me through his swollen, cut up lips.
"Lucas, can we please just not have that talk."
"Sure." He looked down at his feet. He looked even more damaged, and he already had blood oozing out of every crevice of his face and black and blue matching bruises tattooed on his eyelids.
Farkle and Riley walked up behind us and interrupted our undone talk.
"Do you guys want to go back to my house? We can watch a movie and take care of Lucas?" Riley suggested.
"I feel like being home, sorry Riley." Lucas stuttered.
"Maya? Want to hang?" Riley half smiled.
"I should get home, my mom is still worried with the accident and all." I lied.
"Okay. See you tomorrow?"
"Of course." I smiled weakly.
I started walking towards my house until Riley was out of distance. I ran quickly avoiding looking both ways, I wasn't afraid of that anymore. I felt careless and free as the breeze pushed against me.
I knocked like a bear on his door.
"Maya?" Lucas asked.
"You've had a hard day. You shouldn't be alone right now. Let's just watch some tv so you can relax." I suggested with a toothy grin.
"Come in you goof." He smiled.
"Hi, you must be Maya?" A strange women with tan skin and seemingly flawless features smiled at me.
"Yes m'am." I grinned.
I wasn't good at the whole impressing adults thing.
"Well it's a pleasure! Lucas talks so much about you."
"Does he?" I tilted my head to the side teasing Lucas.
His cheeks turned bright pink.
"Sorry Lucas." His mom winked.
I couldn't help but laugh, I've never seen Lucas this embarrassed.
"We are going to be in my room." Lucas said pulling me anxiously into his room which was plastered in sports posters. His shelf was lined perfectly with baseball trophies mixed with the occasional basketball award. I studied his arrangement of books and ran my fingers across the edge of his records.
"So Maya.."
"So Lucas.." I raised my eyebrows.
I felt a certain pressure hanging in the room and I just wanted to break it down.
"Truth or dare?"
"Couldn't we come up with something better?" I raised my eyebrows even higher.
"No, this is the only game that doesn't involve digging for a game board."
"Okay. Truth or dare ranger Rick?"
"Truth."
"It's not like you to hit someone. You're our moral compass Mr.Friar. Why did you break character?"
"I didn't break character ms.Hart. My character stands up for his friends, I was presented with a problem and maybe I didn't handle it the right way. But I can promise you, I'd do it all over again. If I got suspended, I wouldn't mind. I would know it was for a good cause. Those guys were jerks."
I smiled awkwardly and punched his shoulder softly. That was my way of saying thanks, I didn't know how to express myself with Lucas anymore without hurting him.
"Truth or dare?"
"Truth."
"I thought the truth scared you?"
"It does, but I know you won't hurt me with your questions."
"Why wasn't Josh with you when you got hit?"
Boy was I wrong, he did know how to ask the hard hitting questions. My facial features froze in place and I felt like a million bricks were stacked up on my chest.
"Let's do something else." I felt my eyes on the verge of watering.
"Okay." Lucas said disappointed but with an understanding. He didn't push, I needed that.
"What do you usually do?" I prodded his stomach.
"I usually play some hoops with my friends."
"Alright. Let's play."
"Are you serious Maya?" He laughed.
"Yes. Let's place a bet."
"What kind of bet? Maya I have a bruised face and I will still own you."
"If I win, you have to go on a date with Riley."
"Maya..."
"Just a date! I swear just give it another chance. She adores you. She's my best friend and she's great."
"I know she is, but I like you."
"It's one date, not an arranged marriage. Are you that threatened I'll win?"
"No. WHEN I win what do I get?"
"What do you want?"
"A date with you."
"I don't know.."
"Threatened Maya?" He said bending down so our faces were aligned and centimeters apart.
"Game on Friar."
We both stood up and walked out his front door carrying a basketball.
"First basketball wins?"
"Sure."
"You can start because well you're a girl. Check it."
I chucked the ball as hard as I could into his stomach after his sexist remark.
He gasped for air as the ball knocked the wind out of him.
"Alright. You're playing rough?"
He passed it back gently eyeing me. I ran dribbling the ball, nearing the rim but he stood over me, nearly a foot taller. He smirked down at me and blocked my throw.
"You're short."
"Shut up." I crossed my arms.
He grabbed the ball, I tried jumping but I couldn't reach so I started to tickle him.
"Maya you can't do that! You're a cheater." He laughed as he released the ball in defeat.
I ran towards the basket with determination and power in my bones. I felt two strong hands grip around me taking me away from the hoop.
"You can't do that Lucas! Put me down!" I screamed in between laughing.
"Hey you started it by tickling me."
He gently placed me down and grabbed the ball charging towards the net. That's when I used his weakened against him. I pretended to fall and I grasped onto my knee releasing a little scream of pain.
"Maya, are you okay?"
He placed the ball down and ran towards me.
I looked into his eyes deviously "I think if I had the ball id feel better."
"What?"
I pushed off of the ground catching him off guard and advanced towards the ball but he was faster than I was. He grabbed the ball and lunged forwards shooting it into the net. Lights out, the orange ball that held the power swished in.
"Good game Maya." He winked.
"I almost won.." I yelled with my competitive side waking up.
"No, you didn't. There's no way you would've ever won because you weren't playing for something as great as I was. "
"No I was, remember if I won I didn't have to go on a date with you! That was something great to strive for." I joked.
"I know inside you're like wow I'm so excited to go on this date with this great guy." He winked.
"Yes Lucas I'm nearly fainting in excitement of going on a date with the one and only sports God Lucas friar." I played back rolling my eyes.

________
Where do you think Lucas will take Maya?
Do you think Maya will develop mutual feelings for Lucas?
How will Riley feel?
Will this change her feelings for Josh?
When will Josh and Maya hear from each other, will they both have moved on by then?