World meets Maya

{1} Can you fall out of love?

As every friendship is doomed to have there was a period were Maya and Riley were more distant than close, during summer, when Riley and Lucas were at a peak of their relationship and there was not really any time for Riley and Maya.

Maya never minded this, at the times were Maya would fill the silence with Riley she had turned to Zay.

Ever since she met Zay they had clicked incredibly. They had the same humour and snark, they were as cool as each other and were a formidable team in a fight. The least dramatic and the most iconic duo in everyone's eyes. Maya and Zay would spend hours together doing dumb shit and procrastinating homework. Conversation would usually go like this

"you know what? it's one assignment it's not gonna define our lives" Zay would start

Maya would complete it "Yeah you're right! In the long run we're gonna be rich and famous"

Then they'd throw their textbooks to the ground and watch hallmark movies so Maya could laugh at Zay when he cries.

By the time Riley and Maya started spending more time together again, something had changed. They still loved each other as much as ever, but Maya had started going to Zay to cope with her thoughts, Riley became the alternative.

Maya noticed there was something different about Riley, she wasn't as excited to talk about Lucas as usual, Maya knew that Riley loved to talk about Maya more than anything but that was just because they were best friends or soulmates or whatever. Until one night Riley asked Maya a question that titled her off balance.

"Maya is it possible to fall out of love?"

Maya just stared at her in shock, "Riles what do you mean? you just can't, you and Lucas are forever" Maya tried to reel the dramatics back in a bit, last time she threw a fit about things changing, it turned into an embarrassing moment she can't get rid of.

Riley had sighed, "It's fine let's let it go, are Farkle and Smackle still together by the way?"

Maya brushed off the topic change and went back to the previous question, "Riley you know whatever you're thinking can be fixed, I mean that's what you and Lucas are good at! TALKING!"
"Peaches.."
"No Riley, you guys are each others true loves, you're gonna get married on a farm in texas while you ride in on a horse and Lucas will say 'you bet your darn tootle ding dong I Do' when the officiant asks if he will take you as his wife and then you'll have 10 kids and a midlife crisis which you will come back from!"

Riley stared at her

"Okay yeah me and Zay love hallmark movies let's move the fuck on"

"Peaches I love you" Riley smiled at her softly

Maya felt her heart squeeze a little, moment between Riley and Maya haven't felt so nice in a long time. "I love you too Riles"

They sat in a comfortable silence for a bit before Riley furrowed her eyebrows and turned to Maya, "Wait will me and you both have a midlife crisis?

Maya scoffed "Riles have you met me? I'm never having a midlife crisis i'm too cool for that"

Riley took Mayas hand "That's what people who have mid life crisis es would say"

They both laughed for a beat before Maya tackled her to the ground.

Farkle was tired, he has been tired since he realised he's still in love with Riley. One thing he always hated about himself is that he was really in touch with his emotions, curtsy of Riley's influence, he hated this especially because it ruined the Donnie Barns effect. The realisation that he's still in love with Riley didn't come from himself though.

It was his soon to be beloved ex-girlfriend Isadora

They were studying in the cafe once in the last week of school, when Smackle pulled out a new binder from her bag.

"Oo is that ur next stage closer to winning the Nobel Prize?" Farkle beamed at her

Smackle smiled back and laughed before turning serious "No of course not my phases are hidden in a safe in the floorboards of my room. Wait shit forget that I said that"

Farkle pretended to wipe his mind "Ooo is that a new binder"

Smackle laughed for real this time "It is but it's made for you"

Farkle caved his eyebrows in confusion "You have a binder for us?"

"No for YOU" Smackle said with exaggerated emphasis. "It's about the theory of Riarkle"

Farkle shook his head and laughed out a noise of question. Smackle opened the binder and there was a picture of Farkle smiling at Riley when she wasn't looking. "How in the hell did you obtain this picture"

"Zay. We have an agreement. Anyway not to break your heart but I don't think we will work out well and it's better to end things now or the statistical probability of you meeting the love of your life in high school will drop dramatically"

Farkle didn't know how to feel about this "but you're the love of my life?"
Smackle titled her head "Aw Farkle, I am looking at you softly right now"

"Yes Isadora I can tell, you're not a robot"

"Shut up don't ever say that to me again"

"why do you want to break up"

"Cause we are best friends and I want us to stay that way and you're in love with Riley and i'm okay with that because I already knew a long time ago"

"But we are doing okay!"

"I don't want okay, no one wants just okay. You want Riley, you don't talk to me the way you talk with Riley and she gets you more than I do! Just because we are both smart and society's definition of weird doesn't mean we are destined to be together"

Farkle stayed silent this time. Smackle has already picked up her things before looking down at him. "We are in high school Farkle, you don't have to try and save this like a marriage. I love you as my best friend and as the man who i'm gonna share a Nobel Prize with" Farkle shining eyes looked up at her. She put her hand on his shoulder "Call me when you're okay with this. I'm not sorry Farkle, this is for you."

She walked out the door and Farkle turned back to the binder. Flicking through he saw all the 'proof' and the creepy pictures of him and Riley. He scoffed and pushed the binder away at the time.

Yet ever since that break up which only Maya and assuming Zay knows about, he's been dead set on thinking about Riley every day. He knows that Riley senses something different in their friendship but Riley never digs deeper into it, she is too good of a person to do that to Lucas"

It's not until first day in their second last year of high school that he realises something about Maya and Lucas.
Lucas laughs with her differently and another side of him comes out with Maya. Even though Maya won't admit it the group knows there is something she isn't talking about with the group, she seems to be smiling less and more tired, any attempt to talk about is brushed off by her. Until the next day when she walks in with Zay and her shoulders seem lighter. She'd stick closer to Riley more, who would offer her hugs and invitations to come over more. Although things were so good with Shawn and Katie that Maya didn't have to do that anymore. To investigate, Farkle had went up to Mayas fire escape one night but before he opened the window he had seen Lucas inside, they were both lying on the floor looking at the ceiling in deep conversation. He didn't think about it much but now there's a new sort of bond between Lucas and Maya or maybe it's an old reignited.

Maya Hunter didn't talk much or shine as much as used to but when she was with Lucas, boy did she shine