The Apocalyptic World | Rilaya

Reunited

Tears well in Maya's eyes from my words. I feel bad for a second before remembering that she was just playing me.

"Riley, you can't remember? You love Maya, you've loved her for years." Farkle states. "You would watch her every day at school."

"I don't understand how I can though. How can I love someone who's just a player? She's just gonna break my heart and move on to the next victim." I spit out, unknowingly repeating my dad's words from before. Maya had tears freely flowing down her face at my words. Zay gathers her in his arms and lets her cry on his shoulder.

"Riley, she's changed." Farkle says softly. "Why are defending her!?" I shout.

"I think I liked it better before Riley remembered them." Zay says, his shirt being soaked by Maya's tears.

"Riley, stop this." My dad says. "They've changed, they both have. In fact, the words you just said were the words I said when I first found out about this. But you defended her, you defended her because you love her for who she is. Please try to remember." My dad begs me, flashing a look of sorrow at Maya.

I look around at everyone, trying to remember anything else. "I think there might be one way to get Riley to remember everything." Lucas says.

"What?" Farkle, Zay, and my dad ask.

"Zay, remember what I said earlier at the store?" Lucas asks.

"That sappy stuff about love?" Zay answers with a confused look on his face. "I mean, I guess you were technically right. Riley did remember things when she saw Maya, but not the good things."

"Maybe they just need to kiss." Lucas says, looking to Farkle for help. Farkle shrugs. "It might work, I have no idea how love works."

Oh no, I didn't want to kiss her! If I kiss her, I'm gonna fall for her. And if I fall for her, I'm gonna get my heart broken. Lucas notices my expression. "Riley, please. At least give her a chance." He pleads with me. "She loves you and you love her. You just don't remember that yet."

I think about Farkle's words. Lucas did seem to have changed, maybe Maya really did too. I guess I should at least give her a second chance. I slowly nod my head. Lucas gives me a small smile.

"Maya." Lucas says. Maya doesn't answer, her tears still flowing down her face. She was curled up in a ball now, giving me a pang of sadness in my chest. True, I still think she's a heartbreaker, but I didn't want to hurt her. I didn't want to be a bully like Lucas is-was. Like Lucas was.

"Maya." Lucas tries again. Maya gives no indication of hearing Lucas. "Maya, I think I know a way to get Riley's memory back." Maya slowly picks her head up, looking straight at me. Her eyes were glassy and she had a mixture of heartbreak, hurt, and pain on her face.

"Kiss her." Lucas says. Maya shakes her head and curls back up. "What? Why not?" Lucas asks.

"I don't deserve to." I heard her mumble. My chest gives another stab of pain. She looked broken, she sounded broken. Did I do this to her? Guilt starts to consume me. Did I break her? I didn't think my words would matter that much to her unless... Unless she really does love me. Watching Maya be like this, watching her break down, it made reality hit me right in the face.

All my memories all of a suddenly come flashing back. Farkle tripping and spilling the chemicals, bumping into Maya on the street, us running into my house. Rescuing Lucas, comforting Maya in the bathroom, Maya and Lucas making out, Farkle and I heart broken. The water fight, the zombie attack, the deep cut on my arm, Maya saving me, the two of us almost kissing, the spider on Farkle's shoulder. Lucas and Maya breaking up, Lucas and Farkle kissing, Maya and I kissing, finding my dad at the grocery store, and getting separated.

I give a little gasp. Everyone but Maya, who was still curled up, look to me at the sudden noise. "What is it?" My dad asks me, worry creeping in my voice.

"I remember." Those two words were all it took for them to break out in smiles. "She's back!" Zay and Lucas fist bump while Farkle and my dad flash me grins.

I glance back at Maya, who was still crying her eyes out. It felt like my heart was crushed and stomped on, seeing her like this. Especially since I was the reason she was crying. I slowly walk over to her and sit on the ground next to her.

"Maya." I say gently. She doesn't respond, still looking at the ground. "Maya, please look at me." I beg her, wiping the tears off her face. She flinches at my touch and shrinks away from me, breaking my heart even more. I did this to her, I'm a monster. I broke the already broken girl.

"Maya, I'm sorry. I didn't mean any of it!" I exclaim, feeling tears run down my face as well. She doesn't answer, still rocking back and forth in her curled up ball position. "I'm not mad at you." She finally says in a small voice. "What you said was the truth."

"No Maya! It wasn't!" I croak out. "You're not a heartbreaker!" I gather her in my arms. She tenses up and doesn't move a muscle. "Please let me in." I say, almost a whisper. My mind flashes back to when Lucas had shouted at her, I had the said the same thing but in a literal sense. This time, it was metaphorically.

Maya slowly turns her head to look at me. I frown upon seeing her eyes, the light was gone from them. It was like the little sapphires had been shattered and then carelessly glued back together. And it was all because of me. She frowns back at me. "Don't cry." She says softly, gently brushing the tears off my face. "I don't like seeing you cry."

The feeling was mutual.

"How do you not hate me right now? I said some terrible things to you." I look down in shame, unable to meet her eyes anymore. "I could never hate you." Maya says back, giving me a watery smile.

We hold each other, staying in each other's arms. We were finally reunited, for real this time.

Linebreak

"So that was heartwarming and all, but we gotta move. We're out in the open with our only coverage being a bush." Zay says, grinning at Maya and I.

"So it would be easy to get amBUSHed?" Lucas cracks a joke. Everyone gives him a glare. "Too soon?" He asks.

"Okay, so where are we gonna go?" Farkle asks. "I'm not really in the condition to move for too long." He glances back at his wound. "You won't need to." Lucas answers and picks Farkle up, bridal style. Farkle gives a little yelp, not expecting to be lifted.

"Maybe we could go to my house." Farkle says. "It's not that far from here."

"No!" Lucas and I shout at the same time.

Everyone else jumps at our outburst and Maya wraps her arms tighter around me. "What's wrong?" She asks.

"Every time we're in a house, the zombies eventually attack." Lucas says.

"Ugh!" Zay sticks his tongue out again. "Don't remind me about touching that nasty zombie head!"

Lucas and I give a little snicker, remembering Zay's reaction. Maya, Farkle, and my dad stare at us like we're crazy. "We'll tell you later." I say.

"Okay, so if a house is out, where else can we go?" Farkle asks, still in Lucas's arms. He snuggles closer into Lucas's chest and buries his head in the crook of Lucas's neck. I give a little smile at the display of affection. It's hard to believe that a week or so ago, we were still back in high school as the biggest losers while Maya and Lucas were dating. So much has changed.

There's silence, as no one can answer Farkle's question. "Maybe we should just stay at my house for the night, then figure out where to go next." Farkle suggests, seeing as no one else had an answer.

We all agree and start the journey to his house, finally all together.