A New Beginning

Prepping

Maya POV:
I wake up and it's the day before Thanksgiving. We are finally on fall break. The Matthews family, my mom, Shawn, Lucas' parents, Farkle's parents, Farkle, my kids, and I are going to go to Riley and Lucas' house for Thanksgiving. It's going to be a lot of people, but everyone insisted that we host so that they can see our places. Riley and I are going to go to do most of the cooking, but Farkle and Cowboy begged to help. Also Topanga volunteered to come early and help. We also put everyone who is coming in charge of bringing something so that we don't have to provide everything.

Today Riley and I are going to cook some of the things that can be made the day before. I take a quick shower and put on yoga pants and a NYC t shirt. I French braid my hair but don't put any make up on. I put on my tennis shoes and text Riley I see if she is awake.

Me: Riles, you awake?

Sunshine 😘💖: Yep. Wanna come over and start making deviled eggs?

Me: Sure. I'm already ready.

Sunshine 😘💖: K. See you in 10 minutes!

After about 7 minutes I decide to go over to Riley's. Riley answers the door still in her pajamas and a messy bun. "Well hello sleeping beauty." I say laughing and walking in. "Be right back." Riley says as she runs to her room. She comes back wearing sweatpants and a John Adams High Cheerleading shirt and has redone her messy bun. "Ready for two days of nothing but cooking?" She says getting out a bowl. "Yeah okay." I say getting out a dozen eggs.

Riley POV:
After the deviled eggs are done, I get out the crust for the pumpkin pie, and Lucas appears at the counter of the kitchen. "Sup Huckleberry." Maya says pulling out pumpkin pie mix. "Hey Pancakes." Lucas says walking towards me but directing his message to Maya. "Morning Beautiful." Lucas greets and pecks my lips. "Good morning Handsome," I reply back.

After the pie is out of the oven, I decide we need to go shopping for other foods for tomorrow. Maya runs back to her apartment to get her purse and tell Farkle where she was going. "Riles can I please go?" Lucas begs. "Yes if you get Farkle to watch the kids." I give in. Lucas wakes up the kids and gets them dressed and did their hair. Maya taught Farkle to do a pony tail and I taught Lucas how to do a regular braid. It took us a whole day, but we did it. Lucas ran the kids to Farkle and came back. I put my hair in a less-messy bun and we walk out the door.

In the car, Maya is driving, I'm in the passenger seat, and Lucas is in the back. I turn the radio on and "Stitches" comes on. Maya and I start singing immediately. "I thought that I've been hurt before." We start singing. "But no one's left me quite this sore. Your words cut deeper than a knife. Now I need someone to bring me back to life." Maya and I smile at each other because our favorite section of the song is next. "Got a feelin that I'm going under, but I know that I'll make it out alive if I quit calling you my lover. Move on. You watch me bleed until I can't breathe. Shaking. Falling onto my knees. And now that I'm without your kisses, I'll be needing stitches. Tripping over myself, aching begging you to come help. And now that I'm without your kisses, I'll be needing stitches." I look back at Lucas who is smiling at me. Maya looks in the mirror at him and then says, "How bout you sing along?" She says looking back on the road. "Nah, I'd rather not." He replies nicely. "Oh so Bucky McBoing Boing is scared huh?!" Maya challenges. "No." Lucas replies calmly. "Alright then. Whatever song comes on next you are singing to got it Hopalong." Maya says cooly. I start laughing. Maya and Lucas are like brother and sister.

I turn up the radio again and "Fight Song" comes on. Lucas starts singing like promised. "Like a small boat, on the ocean. Sending big waves into motion. Like how a single word can make a heart open. I only have one match, but I can make an explosion. This is my fight song!" Lucas starts to sing, but Maya turns down the volume and asks, "Lucas, who sings this song?" "Rachel Platten." He replies. "Let's keep it that way." Maya says as she puts the car into park. "Well that wasn't nice was it Maya?" I huff. It's true, Lucas doesn't sing so pretty but it was mean of her to say that to my boyfriend. "It's okay Riles, she's just acting like a little sister again." Lucas says getting out of the car and opening the car door for me.

Once we got inside, like little kids we ran to the sample trays they had set out in the store. After we had stuffed ourselves with a variety of foods, we get a cart and split up to cover more ground faster and get to shopping.

Lucas POV:
The girls left me with the shopping cart so push it around with me to find some potatoes for mashed potatoes. I then go towards the carrots but notice a familiar person standing in front of them. "Oh no..." I mutter under my breath. They suddenly turn around and notice me standing there. "Hello Lucas," is all she says as she moves her hand onto my arm. "Look, I don't wish to speak to you, Missy Bradford." I say and push her hand off. "Why not, cutie?" She says skipping until she is behind me. "Umm I don't know, maybe because you always try to break Riley and me up and ruin my life?!" I firmly say as I grab a bag of carrots and walk away dragging the cart behind me. I rarely see Missy anymore, since she moved high schools for her senior year because she was expelled from John Adams. But when I do see her I try to get away before she can damage my relationship. She's always gunning for Riley, and anyway she can get in her head, she takes it.

I decide not to tell Maya and Riley about my encounter with the monster, and I continue shopping. After about another hour we meet up and finish getting stuff and then we check out.