Just A Kiss (Rilaya)

Ranger Rick

Riley's POV:

I turn my head when I hear footsteps coming from behind me.

I see Maya come into the family room with a huge grin across her face. My stomach drops. Cut it out, Riley. I say in my head. I cannot be jealous of Maya. Why would I be jealous of Maya?

Josh follows Maya as she comes over to the couch and places her hands on the edge of it behind my head.

"Hey." I say, trying to sound normal.

"Hey." Maya says, grinning even more.

"So...?" I ask.

"So..." Maya says, "I'm bringing Josh to the dance. As friends."

My eyes widen in surprise without trying to.

"What?" Maya asks.

"Nothing..." I say, "just...nothing."

Maya opens her mouth to speak, but someone else cuts her off.

"Riley?" A boy's voice says through the speaker by the door. "It's Lucas. I'm here to pick you up."

Good, I think to myself, Lucas will definitely help me get my mind off of Maya and...Josh. Even thinking of Maya and Josh in my head was hard.

I get up off the couch and skip to the speaker.

"Come on up." I say, holding down the button on the speaker as I talk into it.

I go over to the hooks on the wall to the right of the door and grab my coat.

I shrug into it and grab Maya's, too, handing it to her without making eye contact.

I hear a knock on the door and open it. Lucas's adorable smiling face looks at me, and all of my thoughts melt away.

"Hi, Riley." He says.

"Hi, Lucas" I say, smiling.

"Howdy, Ranger Rick." Maya says from behind me.

"Hey, Maya." Lucas says, not looking annoyed at all by Maya's constant teasing.

"Mom, we're leaving!" I yell as I step into the hallway.

"Okay, see you later!" She yells back.

I loop my arm through Lucas's and force myself not to look behind me as we walk down the hall to the elevator because I have a horrible feeling that Maya has her arm through Josh's, too.

This night is going to be hard, I say in my head. I straighten my back as we wait for the elevator, trying to act like I am perfectly fine. Little did everyone with me know how much I was hurting inside.