Bite Me (Lucaya)

Part 5

RECAP: Josh asked Maya to a Halloween party and Maya said yes. Lucas got mad and they broke up. Riley and Maya made up and Maya found out Topanga has cancer.

Tuesday.

Maya woke up Early that Tuesday morning. Could it only be Tuesday? It had seemed like everything had changed in a matter of 24 hours. She went from sleeping in Lucas's bed to breaking up with him and dating Josh, from not speaking to Riley to ending up in her bed. She shifted, her face meeting a mass of brown hair. Suddenly everything made sense. Why Riley wasn't speaking to her. Why Mr. Matthews seemed to barely be able to focus on the conversations last night at dinner. Why getting to take home the class pet that weekend couldn't spark a light is Auggie's eyes, and why Topanga had called her last night.

The girls dressed quietly and had a subdued breakfast. Riley didn't want to talk and Maya didn't want to push her. They walked out the door to go to school but before they left Maya doubled back and gave Topanga a hug.

"I'm going to be okay." Topanga murmured into the blonde's head. "It's just a small tumor they'll have it out by the end of the weekend"

"Here you're the one that's sick but you're comforting me." Maya laughed through her tears.

"It's alright."

"I love you mom." Maya said. She was shocked at herself. She had never called Topanga mom before. She felt like it was an insult to her own mother. Yet going through this made her realize that she really did have two moms.

Topanga didn't push her away but instead held her harder. "I love you too baby. Now go to school." She let Maya go and both women whipped their tears.

Friday Night.

While Maya and Riley were back to being inseparable, other areas of Maya's life had yet to improve. Lucas and now Zay were giving Maya the cold shoulder and while the day of her date with Josh was here Maya couldn't find it in her heart to be excited.

"Are you sure it's ok if I go out tonight?" Maya asked Riley for the thousandth time. Topanga had gone into the hospital after work that afternoon and was her operation was already underway. Maya had encouraged Riley to stay with the rest of her family at the hospital but Riley insisted that helping Maya get ready for her date was a welcome distraction.

"Of course Maya. I know how much this means to you." Riley said dropping a strand of freshly curled blond hair. Maya was going to the party as Alice and Josh was going to be the Mad Hatter. Maya put her headband in place and looked at herself in the mirror. She couldn't tell if the feeling in the stomach was excitement or dread.

There was a knock at the front door and Riley went to answer it was Maya following her. Josh's Mad Hatter costume looked straight out of the Disney movie. "My friend is in the Drama department so she hooked me up."

"You look great." Riley said, nudging Maya

"Yeah, you're costume is awesome." Maya said barely able to form sentences. Maya Hart was officially excited.

The Party.

The part was, it was, ok it was lame. She sat next to Josh on a broken couch holding a red cup with liquid in it that should have tasted better than it did to deserve all the hype. She sipped from the cup periodically as the bitter liquid promised to help her relax.

The music was loud. The people were in various stages of drunkenness while moving periodically to the music that seem like incoherent thumping. Josh was talking to some guy who's name Maya couldn't remember with his arm around her. Josh looked at her and she cracked a smile. What was wrong with her? This was a party, a college party with Josh Matthews she should be having the time of her life yet as much as she tried her mind was still in a hospital room across town.