Navigating The Labyrinth of Love

Chapter 1

Cover done by MarinkadeMeutter

Middle school was a time when things often seemed simpler for many people. As Maya Hart lay against one of the school walls, she watched Lucas Friar flip through the pages of their yearbook - the last one they would receive from their middle school years. Unlike her enthusiastic friends, Maya was not excited about signing the yearbook.

"You look dead," Zay joked, prompting Maya to exhale deeply.

"Maybe I am dead. On the inside, at least," Maya replied, her gaze fixed on Lucas. "What's up, Huckleberry? Got something to say?" she asked, but Lucas simply shook his head.

Just then, Riley and Farkle arrived carrying armfuls of yearbooks, eager to discover their superlative titles. Farkle announced that he had, unsurprisingly, been voted "Most likely to be a Farkle." Riley, on the other hand, had been named "Most likely to smile myself to death again."

"And I got 'Most likely to be okay with anything that happens,'" Lucas said with a shrug. "Maya, what about you? What did you get this year?"

"Most terrifying girl alive. Yeah, they haven't met your mom yet, Riles," Maya said as she jumped off the pillar. "We don't have to be what the yearbook describes us as," she added as Lucas smiled at her.

"I don't think you are terrifying at all," Lucas said as Riley, Farkle, and Zay looked at him.

"Excuse me?" all three of them said as Lucas looked at them.

"What? She isn't," he said.

Maya raised an eyebrow at Lucas, a hint of a smile playing on her lips. "Oh really, Huckleberry? You don't think I'm terrifying?" she challenged, a mischievous glint in her eyes.

Riley, Farkle, and Zay exchanged perplexed glances, unsure of how to respond to Lucas's unexpected defense of Maya.

"I mean, sure, you can be a bit... intense at times," Lucas conceded. "But terrifying? Nah, I don't buy it." He flashed Maya a warm, lopsided grin. "You're too much of a softie underneath that tough-girl exterior."

Maya scoffed, but her lips quirked upward despite her best efforts to maintain a stoic expression. "Softie, huh? I'll show you softie, Ranger Rick." She playfully shoved his shoulder, earning a chuckle from the group.

Farkle stepped forward, a contemplative look on his face. "You know, Maya has a point. We don't have to let these yearbook superlatives define us. They're just silly labels, after all."

Riley nodded enthusiastically. "Exactly! We're so much more than what's written in these books." She wrapped an arm around Maya's shoulders, giving her friend an affectionate squeeze. "We're a team, and we're going to keep challenging those expectations, right?"

The group murmured in agreement, the tension dissipating as they shared a moment of camaraderie. Maya glanced around at her friends, a rare, genuine smile tugging at the corners of her mouth.

"Yeah, I guess we are," she admitted, her voice softening. "Even if I am the most terrifying girl alive."

"Maya," Lucas said, placing a comforting hand on her arm. "Don't take much notice to it. Because I think I can absolutely agree with the fact that you aren't terrifying."

Maya looked into his earnest green eyes, a hint of surprise coloring her features. "We'll see if everyone else agrees, Huckleberry," she quipped, a challenge underlying her words, as they entered Cory's classroom.

"Maya Penelope Hart," Cory called out, prompting Maya to exhale deeply.

"What this time, Matthews?" Maya asked, bracing herself.

Cory held up the yearbook, a contemplative expression on his face. "My whole class has been gossiping about you, and I just haven't thought much about it, until I looked at the yearbook," he explained, flipping to a certain page, and handing it to Maya. "Look there."

Maya took the yearbook, her brow furrowing as she scanned the page. There, under the "Favorite Couple" superlative, were her name and Lucas's. She had assumed Riley and Farkle would have been chosen, given their blossoming romance.

"Whoa," she murmured, her gaze shifting to Lucas, who seemed equally surprised.

"What's wrong, Peaches?" Riley asked, peering over Maya's shoulder. Her brow furrowed as she read the entry. "Are you kidding me?!" she exclaimed, clearly annoyed. "You guys aren't even together. Me and Farkle are."

"What's going on, Love?" Farkle asked, concern etched on his features.

"Lucas and Maya won favorite couple," Riley informed him, her voice laced with frustration.

"What?!" both Farkle and Lucas exclaimed in unison. Lucas stood up to get a closer look at the yearbook, his expression a mix of confusion and disbelief.

"Is she joking or what?" he asked, his eyes searching Maya's for an explanation.

"Would either of you like to shed some light on this... interesting development?" Cory had asked.

Maya glanced at Lucas, her eyes pleading for him to take the lead. She opened her mouth to speak, but the words caught in her throat, leaving her uncharacteristically speechless.

Lucas shifted uncomfortably in his seat, running a hand through his hair. "Uh, well, to be honest, Mr. Matthews, we're just as surprised as everyone else," he admitted. "Maya and I... we're not a couple. We're just friends."

Maya nodded in agreement, finding her voice. "Yeah, this is news to us too. I don't know how we ended up being voted 'favorite couple' in the yearbook."

Riley and Farkle, who had been observing the exchange, exchanged a knowing glance. "Well, this is certainly an interesting development," Farkle remarked.

Riley nudged Maya's shoulder playfully. "Looks like the yearbook knows something you two don't," she teased, her eyes sparkling with mischief.

Maya shot her best friend a look, but couldn't quite hide the faint blush creeping across her cheeks.

The classroom's initial buzz of chatter quickly morphed into a chorus of giggles and teasing remarks aimed at Maya and Lucas. The two friends exchange uneasy glances, unsure of how to handle the sudden attention.

"Ooh, looks like Huckleberry and Shortstack are the new 'it' couple!" Zay called out from the back of the room, his grin widening as he elbowed Lucas playfully.

"I always knew you two had a thing for each other," Smackle chimed in, adjusting her glasses as she eyed the pair with intrigue.

Maya felt her face flush with embarrassment, and she shot a pleading look towards Riley, silently begging her best friend to intervene.

Riley, however, seemed conflicted. On one hand, she appeared genuinely amused by the situation, a hint of a smile playing on her lips. But there was also a subtle trace of something akin to... jealousy?

Farkle, ever the voice of reason, raised his hand to calm the class. "Now, now, let's not get carried away. As Maya and Lucas have clearly stated, they are not actually a couple. This was simply a mistake on the yearbook committee's part."

Cory nodded in agreement, sensing the need toregain control of the situation. "Alright, everyone, that's enough. Let's move on and focus on our lesson for today."