complicated [lucaya]

5

Three days later (Thursday)...

[Lucas' POV;]

"Please just come tomorrow." I leaned forward and whispered to Maya while Mr. Matthews was turned around.

She slightly turned her head and pushed a strand of hair behind her ear. "Why would I want to do that?"

"It will be even more fun if you're there." I looked between her and Mr. Matthews.

Maya shifted around in her seat and placed her arm on my desk, barely turning around to face me. "How, think you'll get lucky again?"

I sighed and fumbled with my hands. "Of course not," I stared into her eyes and slightly bit my lip. "You know I don't think of you like that."

She shook her head and held my gaze. "I don't know how you think anymore. You've been acting like a jerk all week."

"Maya-" I was cut short.

"Miss Hart. How was Germany affected by World War I?"

Maya rolled her eyes and turned towards Mr. Matthews, who was standing right in front of her desk. "Matthews, we do this every day. I refuse to pay attention and you ask me questions you know I don't know the answer for."

He faked a smile and looked over Maya's head at me. "Care to help her out, Mr. Friar?"

"World War I left Germany economically devastated." I gave a firm answer and played with my pencil.

"Good, care to elaborate Riley?" Mr. Matthews redirected his eyes onto his daughter and smiled.

She looked over at Maya and me, then back at her father. "The morale of the Germans was gone. The economic downfall of the country allowed a charismatic leader to step forward. The people were desperate for change and it paved a way for Hitler to rise in power."

He proudly nodded and walked to the board. "I'm glad someone paid attention."

The bell rang and everyone scattered out of the room as Mr. Matthews gave us our homework assignment.

My eyes followed Maya as she quickly walked down the hall. I stood against the lockers and waited for Riley.

When she came out of the room, I walked next to her and slung my arm over her shoulder. "Have I ever mentioned how happy I am that we've managed to stay close all these years?"

Her face started turning red and she slightly looked up at me as we walked down the hall. "What do you want Lucas?"

"I just want to make sure you're coming to my party tomorrow, is that so wrong?"

She giggled and shook her head. "Of course I'm coming. But you know, my dad is basically putting Josh in charge of me so I guess I'm not going to get much drinking in."

We stopped at her locker and she turned to face me. "Josh is actually pretty cool. I party with him all the time."

"Yeah, he's cool when he's with you, Maya, or Zay. But when he's with me he still looks at me like I'm his little niece."

I chuckled and rubbed the back of my neck. "That's because you are his niece Riley. He just wants what's best for you. If it makes you feel any better, he's always been super protective of Maya."

"Speaking of Maya, what's going on with you two? I mean people are still talking major crap about her."

Looking down at Riley, I tried to find the right words to say. "People never stopped talking about her. And I won't lie. I feel bad for her."

"Then why won't you make them stop? You know how much power you have in this school. Maybe if you actually said something rather than encouraging it people would stop."

"I just can't, Riley."

"Why?" She looked up at me with her big brown eyes, searching for hope.

"I don't know..."

-

[Maya's POV;]

School is like hell.

People are talking shit about me every time I turn a corner.

Lucas is my ride home and of course, he had football practice. I sat at the top of the bleachers, trying not to make it obvious that I was waiting for him.

I've always admired the way Lucas handles himself when it comes to sports. He just gives off so much confidence and energy; it's no wonder why people love being around him.

Since I had nothing better to do, I pulled my notebook from my backpack and started doodling.

An hour passed and the boys were nowhere near finished practicing.

Before I went to stand up I heard someone walking on the bleachers.

I looked up and a smile instantly spread across my face. "Look at what we have here."

Josh chuckled and sat next to me. "It's good to see you too."

"What are you doing here?" I closed my notebook and turned towards him.

He looked out onto the field and rolled up his sleeves. "I just had a feeling I'd find you here. Seeing as Lucas is your ride and all."

"You're the only person that knows that." I watched Lucas run across the field.

"I heard that you've been having a rough time." Josh looked over at me. "What's going on?"

I let out a sigh and ran my tongue over my teeth. "You know how your brother always says that history repeats itself?" He nodded. I looked away from him and nodded slowly. "That happened."

My eyes wandered in Lucas' direction. Josh followed my gaze. "Only instead of some random senior, it was Lucas." He always had a way of knowing what I was thinking. "I'm going to assume that he still treats you like shit in public."

"Some things never change. He'd rather everyone think that I was just another girl than them dare think he actually associates with me."

"Why do you let him, Maya?" Josh stared into my eyes and I questioned everything. "Why do you let him treat you like that?"

"Because I know that-" I hesitated and thought carefully about what I would say next. "I know that he's just doing it to seem cool. You and I both know that he's not really an asshole."

Josh smirked and shook his head, "Seriously?"

"That's not who he is, Josh. He's just an idiot that put popularity before his friends."

"I know the story." He stood in front of me. "I was there, Hart. I was at that party. I saw how drunk you were when you went upstairs with Austin." I looked away. I didn't want to hear it. That night is a blur. All I know is what people told me.

"Please stop."

"You need to know exactly what happened, Maya. I was the one that followed you to make sure you were okay. I stood by the door and knocked it down when I heard you yelling for him to stop. You were drunk and scared and you don't even remember it happening."

He lifted my head up, forcing me to look at him. "While Lucas was busy trying to convince everyone that you were nothing to him, I was the one trying to get everyone to shut up. I know what he almost did to you. Lucas doesn't know that."

"Josh..."

"Lucas is a jerk. I'm not going to stand here and say that he doesn't care about you, because I know that he does. But you can't tell me that he didn't change for the worse."

I stared at him, searching for any indication that maybe he was exaggerating, but he wasn't, and I knew that without looking.

"So I'm gonna ask again. Why do you let him?"