game on | lucaya

t w e n t y o n e

stalkers and sleepovers
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"Don't go falling for me too soon, Shortstack," a familiar voice says as I'm being helped to my feet.

Is that... Lucas? He did not just flirt with me.

"Huckleberry? What are you doing here?" I ask, feeling my cheeks go crimson red.

"Pappy Joe's in town, and he wants to try premium beef," Lucas explains, sighing. "You really have to be more careful, Maya, I don't know how you manage to fall over so many times."

"You look beautiful, by the way," he says when I don't reply him, making my heart skip a beat.

"Um, thanks," I say awkwardly, shuffling my feet around.

"Why are you here, Maya?" Lucas asks.

As if on cue, Malcolm appears by my side. "She's here on a date with me," Malcolm answers in a clipped tone. At this, Lucas's mood visibly changes.

"Whatever," Lucas deadpans and storms away hurriedly.

"Why were you with him?" Malcolm questions me impatiently.

"I fell down," I answer, biting my lip nervously.

"Why are you always falling down?" he snaps, irritancy evident in his voice.

"I–"

"Never mind," he sighs, pulling me into a hug. "At least you're okay."

Woah, we skipped the hand holding and went all the way to hugging? This is a lot of progress for a first date, I must remember to tell Riley about this.

Awkwardly, I wrap my short arms around his sturdily built frame. Strangely, I feel more uncomfortable than pleased about this. Quickly, I detach myself from him and flash him a reassuring grin, remembering the reason why I was heading to the toilet in the first place.

"Why don't you go back first? I still have to go to the toilet," I press my lips together awkwardly.

He chuckles. "Sure."

After our dinner, which I can say was really good, I still haven't gotten the whole Lucas incident out of my mind. Also, have I mentioned that Malcolm owns a really cool car? It's even better that Farkle's.

"I really enjoyed myself today, Maya, thanks," Malcolm grins, pulling me in for another hug.

"No, thank you," I smile, "especially for the food and all, it was really good."

As I walk up the stairs to my apartment, I wonder why the only thing on my mind seems to be Lucas Friar and not Malcolm.

_____

I collapse on the sofa, exhausted, and fling those wretched heels away from me. God, those heels kill.

Lucas texts me a while after I get home: i don't think you should be going out with malcolm.

What is up with everybody telling me not to date Malcolm. It's not like I like anybody else, right? And Malcolm's a nice guy, I don't see a problem with going out with him.

I text him back, a tad bit annoyed: who i date isn't any of your business, huckleberry.

Quickly, I press the send button before I have any second thoughts. I flop back onto my bed, my head muddled with thoughts about Malcolm and Lucas. I'm dating Malcolm, but when I'm with him, my mind seems to wander to Huckleberry.

Could Riley be right about the fact that I... I like him?

No way.

Right?

I groan, pressing a cushion onto my face. It's all stupid Riley's fault for putting this stupid idea into my head. I feel my phone buzz again. Is it Lucas?

Quickly, I take my phone out to see who it is. It's... Riley? I open her text to see a link and a text saying: you should check this out. Nervously, I press the link and it opens to the school blog, and it's a video? Wait, I recognise that, that's me falling into Lucas' arms? What the actual hell. It's like that blurry footage the other day. I scroll down to read the comments. Ooh, wow, some of them are hella nasty.

I thot she was dating Malcolm? LOL, what a ho XD — horsegurl24Xx

I cringe at that comment, who still uses 'XD' these days? No offence to anybody who actually uses it, I just have something against this person because she called me a 'ho'.

You know what? The only way to distract myself is, you guessed it, a prank. Yes, a prank on Huckleberry is the only way to show that all those butterflies are just a sign of me being confused of my feelings. Riley says I'm in denial, but I'm with Malcolm now anyways.

Wow, it's been so long since I did a prank. God, it's as if I lost my sense of purpose since, like, Chapter 15 or something. Anyways, moving on with the prank, I guess I'll have to ask Riley for help.

Suddenly, my doorbell rings. Oh my God, what if it's the stalker? Warily, I take my plastic gun out and load it with four rubber bullets, ready to shoot the stalker outside my door. The ringing of my doorbell becomes incessant, so I throw open the door and shoot the bullets at the trespasser as fast as I can.

"Ouch! What the hell are you doing, Maya?" Riley glares at me.

"Oh! I thought you were the stalker," my voice trails off as I grin at her sheepishly. Ushering her in, I raise my eyebrow at her. "What in God's name are you doing here?"

"My Best Friend senses were tingling and I figured you needed help with something, so I invited myself over for a sleepover," she shrugs as if it's nothing, but I'm slightly creeped out.

"Well, you got that right, I do need your help," I say incredulously.

Tucking a strand of her behind her ear, she smirks knowingly. "I'm glad you asked me for help to prank Lucas."

Wow, she knew even that? Riley is one hell of a best friend, it's actually kind of scary.

As if she read my mind, she pats me on the back. "I know I'm a really cool best friend."

"Stop it."

"Stop what?"

"Just- just stop talking."

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a/n:

ahhhhhh i've missed y'all so much ;; but hell yes surprise surprise i'm not dead wow! i'm so sorry for being so inactive!!! anyways, if i wrote a book that isn't fanfiction, would you guys check it out? not that i've published it but yes i need your opinion :-)