Zaya

Chapter 1: Maya

"Love you Peaches!"
"I love you too Riles!" I respond and hang up the phone. Riley had called to confirm that I was going to our 8th grade reunion, and I had asked her if that was even a question, of course I was going. I miss everyone terribly, even though we all just saw each other at Lucas and Riley's wedding.

"Ahh" I let out a sigh and blow my bangs out of my face. I flop down onto my bed, limbs stretched out in all directions, looking like a deranged starfish. My graceful landing catapults one of my pillows straight into the air and under my bed as it hits the floor. I flip my self over onto my stomach and hang over the side, peeking under the bed where the pillow had just fallen. I stretch out my hand to grab the pillow, but my arm brushes a hard corner of some sort. Sitting right next to my pillow, collecting dust, is a small brown box. Intrigued, I pull the box out from under my bed. My nails easily slice through the packing tape, and I rush to open it up, curiosity getting the best of me. What I see inside, brings tears to my eyes, happy tears, but still tears. I brush them off my cheeks before they could fall, to protect the precious paraphernalia inside. A ring, a locket, and a framed picture are all nestled inside the brown little box. I take out the ring and slip it onto my pinky finger. Although me and Riley originally wore our "Ring Power" rings on our pointer fingers, I could tell my hands aren't as small as they were when I was a teenager.

I reach back into the box, and pull out the locket my mother had given me for my 14th birthday. Inside were two pictures one of my mom and one of Shawn, both taken on their wedding night. I press the locket up against my heart and smile, thinking back to their wedding on the roof. My mother looked absolutely stunning in the dress Topanga had lent her, but even prettier than the dress was her smile. I can only hope and dream that I will find somebody who will make me smile the way my mother does around Shawn.

Setting the locket down on my lap, I pick up the last treasure in the box and flip it over. Here, framed in my hands, is my most favorite memory of my friends and I. The picture was taken a week after our high school graduation, at the beach. Riley wanted to make sure we all had one last good memory together as kids before we entered the real world, so a trip to the beach was planned. In the photo, Farkle and Smackle were on the right making a heart with their hands, Lucas was holding Riley bridal style on the left, and in the middle Zay was carrying me on his back, giving the biggest smile I had ever seen. Propping the picture up on my bedside table, I lay back on my bed and replay all the good times and memories we had experienced together, until I finally fell asleep.