three. parties and honesty maya hart and lucas friar
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Maya Hunter never really had healthy ways of dealing with her feelings, especially not in middle school. Sure, she had Riley and the Matthews and Farkle, but she was the equivalent of a human mess. Then Lucas was added to the mix and changed things up. She was less alone, that is until she realized that Riley and Lucas were destined to be together. She still remembers the day she looked at the box containing her biggest secret and realized that she couldn't keep doing that, then took the box and threw it into a dumpster on her way to the Matthews'. She remembers the way Riley stepped back the way that she did, so that she could have a chance with their cowboy, but it didn't last very long. She remembers the first day she put on heels and found herself taller, more intimidating. She remembers knowing in that moment that she'd never wear anything other than heels because how can she protect Riley if she's nowhere near intimidating.
She remembers the triangle and all the angst that it caused, then ultimately stepping back for Riley and Lucas to have their fairytale ending. She remembers the way that they all assumed that she was turning into Riley when she started doing better in school, started dressing classier, and liked Lucas. She remembers the way that that broke her heart and the way that Josh looked at her like she was a new person at the ski lodge, but then agreed to Zay taking her on "dates" with Riley and Lucas. She remembers the way that Lucas easily accepted her choice to step back, the way that hurt, and the way he easily stepped into the relationship with the brunette. She remembers her mother's wedding to Shawn and the way Lucas came just to help calm her down.
She remembers the moment she knew she had to let go of the fantasy of becoming "Mrs. Josh Matthews" or "Mrs. Lucas Friar", the moment she had to accept that neither of them were the guy for her. She remembers the way they used to look at each other, before everything went down. She remembers when things started going south for the "strongest" couple in the group and how not much changed when Farkle and Smackle broke up. She remembers the fact that none of them were surprised when, a few months later, Zay announced that he had asked Smackle to their school dance and she had said yes. She remembers thinking about the dynamics of their friend group and the fact that even the couple that was most compatible couldn't last, so how could she even begin to imagine that she could find someone out there?
She remembers the day of the big break up, the day that Lucas and Riley broke up. They showed up at school, both looking a little upset. But that had passed within a few days and suddenly they were back to normal, since Riley and Lucas never even really acted like a couple to begin with. She remembers the whispers around the school that were trying to figure out why the golden couple had called it quits, that blamed her for the split, that guessed that Lucas [or even Riley] had been in love with their blonde best friend and that's why the relationship ended. She remembers the way that Farkle and Riley had fallen together into a routine so easily, so perfectly, and she wondered why they hadn't seen that long before it happened.
