Maya wiped her hands off on her jeans, she'd just climbed up the ladder to the first landing of the fire escape of Riley's apartment building. It wasn't an unsanitary place – and even if it was she wouldn't have minded considering where she'd come from – but it had just snowed making the metal slick and cold. She reached into her pocket to make sure the present she'd got for Riley was still there and when her fingertips brushed against the small box she started slowly climbing up the frozen steps until she came to Riley's open window. Grabbing the top of the window with both hands Maya slipped in landing in her spot in the bay window.
"It's Rilaya Day." Maya smiled at Riley who was grinning from ear to ear. They'd come up with Rilaya Day as a way to celebrate the holidays together because they couldn't be together on December 25th while the Matthews all drove out of town together and New Years Eve was always such an event. Their holiday was always on January 3rd, because it was one day before their last day of holiday break. "I got something really special for you." Maya beamed putting both of her hands in her pockets.
"I do too," Riley started, "I know we do a gift exchange and then go to Topanga's but can we just have a normal bay window moment really quick? I need to talk to you about something." Maya shifted in her seat,
"Okay..."
Riley took a deep breath and pressed the heel of her palm into her knees, "IkissedFarkle." She finally blurted sending Maya into a fit of hysterical laughter.
"That's what you wanted to talk about?" Maya spat you before calming herself down, "Riley he's your boyfriend – do you want me to act surprised?"
"Well-" Riley slumped down in her chair, "is this why you never told me when you and Lucas first kissed?"
The smiled on Maya's face dropped and she started began to study the lines on her jeans as if they were the most intricate work of art she'd ever seen, "I just – I never thought you'd want to hear about it. You know, considering your past with Lucas and all." Maya shrugged and started picking at a loose string on her jacket sleeve, "I thought about telling you all the time."
"Hey," Riley said, putting her hand on Maya's shoulder, "You can tell me anything." She held up her hand, "Thunder?"
Maya smiled and grabbed hold of Riley's hand with her own, "Lighting."
"Anyways!" Riley cheered standing up and going into her closet, "We've got to meet the boys in 30 minutes so we better start the festivities now!" When Riley returned from her closet she was holding an average sized box with beautiful silver and gold wrapping paper and a red ribbon. Maya pulled the small box wrapped in newspapers out of her coat pocket all of a sudden being all too aware of how little her gift was.
"Same time?" Maya requested.
"Same time." Riley confirmed.
The two of the handed each other the gifts and counted down from 3 before tearing apart the wrapping. Riley had gotten Maya four classic novels (Moby Dick, the Great Gatsby, Lord of the Flies and the Scarlett Letter) and a 48 pack of soft core colored pencils. For Riley Maya gave her the necklace the two of them used to gawk over as children. It was an 18 karat gold necklace with pavé diamonds encircled by small opal gems. There was no doubt that it was stunning, and Maya's grandmother refused to even let her old the heirloom until she was 14. Now, a few years later, it was Maya's – and she couldn't think of anyone else she'd want to give it to except Riley.
When Riley pulled the necklace out of the box she was in awe, "You can't be serious." She said dangling the pendent in front of her face, "Maya this is a Hart family necklace, it's been in your family for generations."
Maya laughed, "I want you to have it. You're my family and I couldn't think of anyone safer to give it to." They fell into each other's arms and Maya whispered, "If you ever tell anyone that you got me books and I'm happy about it I'll kill you." Then they broke apart and started walking down to Topanga's.
"What's that?" Farkle demanded, pointing to the necklace hanging around Riley's neck, "I didn't give you that where is it from?" Riley and Maya looked at each other and laughed,
"Calmed down Inspector Gadget I gave it to her." Maya beamed walking over to Lucas. Lucas looked down on her, his face clouded with concern.
"You love that necklace, you said one day you wanted to give it to one of your kids?" He asked, keeping his voice low so Riley wouldn't hear.
Maya rubbed her neck, "Yeah well, Riley's basically my child." She gulped, "I've raised her since she was a pup." Lucas laughed and shrugged it off, holding Maya a little closer than usual.
"We better go if we're going to catch that sunset." Lucas announced, bending over to pick up his bag. Riley looked panicked and looked around the room,
"Actually, would it be alright if Minkus and I go to the library instead? We want to
look at these old films I found."
Maya couldn't help but laugh, "Yeah you two love nerds have fun." And they all broke off into separate directions. Riley and Farkle ran to her house to pick up the film reels while Lucas and Maya raced to the top of her apartment building.
Upon arriving Lucas lay down a plaid fleece blanket and pulled out two sandwiches in Ziploc baggies, setting them down and trying to arrange it like a picnic, Maya sat next to him and picked up the sandwich with one hand. The unsteady bread drooped down towards her hand and Maya started laughing.
"I'm sorry." Lucas exclaimed, also laughing at the failed structural integrity of his sandwiches. "They were meant to be romantic." Maya picked up one of the Ziploc bags and tossed it at Lucas,
"There's nothing romantic about plastic baggies Huckleberry."
"Oh yeah?" He threw his sandwich to the side and started tickling Maya profusely. She was laughing so hard her stomach hurt but she was never one to say uncle, instead she grabbed Lucas' face with both of her hands and started kissing him. They lay together on the roof kissing each other like some bad teenaged romantic comedy, when they finally broke for air Maya gasped.
"Lucas look at the sky." She immediately jumped to her feet. The colors of the sunset were melting into each other. Purple to blue to orange to yellow, all perfectly blending together and settling around the New York sky line. It was breathtaking and incredible. Lucas grabbed Maya's hand after a few minutes and pulled her back down to him.
"Why would I look at the sky when I'd rather look at you." He whispered as she gently gnawed on her lower lip.
"You're ridiculous." She laughed pulling him back so they were both laying on their backs staring at the sky, "I wish I could stay here forever." She yawned, tracing circles around Lucas' chest with her finger.
"Then we will."
YOU ARE READING
And Then She Stopped
Fanfictionlucaya // Maya Hart has been running her whole life, running from her past, her present, her everything. But the thing about running is, sometime you have to stop, and that's usually when whatever you're running from catches you.
