The Long Game (Joshaya)

All That Matters

* Maya's POV *

I pace back and forth in my room, thinking about what to say to Josh about Lucas. What I'm more worried about is how he'll take it. I think about what Lucas said, about wanting to see if he felt anything, which made me question if I felt anything. My phone rings, so I pull it out of my pocket.

Josh: I'll be over in half an hour

My hands become sweaty as the minutes go by. I should be more worried about how Riley would react, but all I could think about now was Josh. Riley said I was above all for her, and I should be doing the same. So, I go over to her apartment, entering from the bay window. Riley looks up from her laptop and smiles.

"Hello," she says, returning to her laptop. "Just staring at my computer hoping for an email from any college right now."

"A watched pot never boils," I reply, sitting on the side of her bed. She giggles and closes her laptop.

"Lucas is coming over in a bit," she says, just as Lucas steps through her bedroom door.

"That was a short bit," I reply, noticing Lucas looking at me and not her.

"Riley, I need to talk to you," Lucas says, shifting his eyes back at Riley.

"Hey, I got here first! First come, first served," I reply.

"Fine," he says, glaring at me. "I'll be outside."

"What's going on between you two?" Riley asks, turning towards me. "He seems angry."

"Probably just boy stuff," I reply. Should I tell her or should Lucas? Who would she believe? I think she would believe me. After all, she said I was above all. "Riley, something happened between me and Lucas."

"What...?" she replies, her eyes narrowing. I think of a soft way to put this, but that would only be pampering the truth with lies. Truth will always come out eventually.

"Riles, he kissed me, but it didn't mean anything. He even admitted it!"

Riley looks at me, then at her bedroom door. "Lucas!"

"Yes?" he replies as he walks in the door.

"Did you kiss Maya?"

"I was going to tell you! That's why I came over. It didn't mean anything, I swear."

"See? Both of us feel bad about it so that's why we're telling you," I add.

"I still don't believe it, even coming from two people I'd trust my life with."

"Who would you have preferred to hear it from?" I ask Riley.

"I don't know," she replies softly. "But what I do know is that I don't want to talk to either of you...at least for now." She stares at us, but Lucas and I stay in our places. "You can go now," she says, cold and flat, two words that never describe Riley. If Riley reacted like that, it makes me worry about how Josh will react. The Matthews family is really sensitive. I follow Lucas out of their apartment, then grab his shirt to stop him before he walks away.

"Why are you so upset that I told her?"

"Because I'm her boyfriend!"

"Well, I'm her best friend. Betrayal of either of these relationships isn't good at all."

"Why does it matter if you're not going to be around her anymore? Do you even know why she wants to go to USC?"

"Yeah, she told me about their pre-law programs there." Why else would she go? Education is Riley's top priority. When she got a D on a Spanish test, she freaked out about her permanent record.