She's Having My Baby

Rise And Shine

Maya felt a hand on her back and jumped. Small, beady eyes stared down at her and for a second Maya had no idea where she was. 

"Time to get up, sweetheart," said the woman from behind the register. 

Maya sat up and rubbed her eyes. 

"What time is it?" Maya asked. She looked at the woman and for the first time she read her name tag. Her name was Evelyn. Good to know, Maya thought.

"It's 7. I'm headed home and it's Thursday so I'm guessing you have school," Evelyn said. 

School. Maya had totally forgotten. School seemed so minuscule in the grand scheme of her problems. There was no way she was going today. 

"I'm not going to school today," Maya told Evelyn as she stood up and straightened her wrinkled clothes. 

"Well that doesn't seem like the best plan. You need an education if you wanna give that kid a decent future," Evelyn said, redirecting her eyes to Maya's little belly.

Maya was annoyed now. This woman had been enormously kind to her, but she wasn't the boss of her. 

"Yeah, well I'll see," Maya said vaguely.

The woman raised an eyebrow. Maya walked past her and started towards the door. 

"What's your name?" Evelyn called after her.

Maya stopped and turned around. 

"Maya," she told her. 

"You got somewhere to stay tonight, Maya?" she asked.

"I guess I'll know by tonight. Thanks, by the way. You really helped me out," Maya said. And with that, she left the drugstore and hoped she wouldn't be back there begging tonight. 

Maya turned on her phone and it immediately blew up with alerts.

Mom: 3 missed calls

Riley: 9 missed calls

Lucas: 5 missed calls

Farkle: 2 missed calls

So they did notice, Maya thought. She knew they must be worried, but there was still no way she was going to school today. Everyone probably knew by now and after the night she had, she just couldn't face it. Her only problem was she had nowhere else to go. She couldn't go home in case her mother was there. None of the Matthews would be home. 

Suddenly, her phone was ringing. It was Lucas. She'd told herself she wasn't talking to anyone, but she thought since she was most likely dubbed "missing" right now, and she was harboring Lucas's baby, it might be courteous to let him know she was okay. 

M: Hello?

L: Maya? Is that you?

M: Yeah, it's me. 

L: Oh my God, are you okay? Your mom said you never came home last night and you weren't with Riley and no one saw you...I was so worried.

M: Well, I'm telling you now that I'm fine. 

L: Are you at school?

M: No, aren't you?

L: No, I'm out looking for you.

M: Oh, well you can stop. I'm fine.

L: Where are you? Maya, I'll find you eventually, just tell me where you are. I won't send the search party your way, I promise.

M: Fine, meet me outside the drugstore by my house. 

Maya hung up. She did feel guilty for running off with a baby that's half someone else's inside her. And anyway, she wouldn't mind seeing a familiar face after the events of last night.