typical | rilaya au

e i g h t

Today was the day of the party, which meant two things. I still needed to convince my parents to let me go, and I needed to find something cute to wear.

My parents and Auggie were out at the grocery story right now, so I texted my father. He has always been the more lenient option out of my parents when I wanted something.

Hey Dad, can I go to a party tonight?

I winced at the thought of him saying no and me having to cancel on her. So, I added something extra that'd for sure convince him.

Maya's taking me.

He replied back after 5 minutes with a simple "Okay."

Feeling like I had succeeded, I went to text my new friend.

I have nothing to wear.
I don't have anything to wear.

I laughed to myself as Maya and I had just texted each other simultaneously with the same thing.

Does this mean an impromptu mall trip? I asked hopefully.

Of course it does. She replies.

~

We were now walking into our third store, still looking for outfits.

I discovered quickly that Maya was a lot more fun to shop with than Farkle. She had a great eye for things and was super honest with her opinions.

I twirled around in a skirt and top that I had found in the sale section. Glancing into the full length mirror at myself, I turned back to Maya to see her opinion.

"Eh.." she muttered, causing a frown to form on my face.

She noticed my expression and stood up from her seat and walked up behind me. "Hey.." she murmured, putting both of her hands on my forearms. Maya stared at me through the mirror. "You look beautiful in everything, I think we're missing something though."

Suddenly the room became a lot smaller and it became more difficult for me to breathe. My knees became weak as she moved even closer to me, even though I thought that was impossible.

I gasped softly when Maya gently gathered all of my hair and put in over one shoulder. "A necklace would make this outfit stunning." She said.

I nodded and stayed still, worried that if I did anything other than look into her eyes, the world would fall apart.

"Okay great!" She grinned and walked backwards, picking up a long silver necklace.

I watched as her eyes followed her hands when she reached around my neck to put the necklace on me. "Perfect." She whispered.

I offered her a gentle "Thank you." Simultaneously, my heart started to race and I felt the butterflies form.

~

Looking for something for Maya to wear was easy. The blonde looked stunning in everything.

Feeling successful, I skipped down the corridors of the mall with a bright smile.

I noticed that nobody was beside me. It was late so the mall was nearly empty. I glanced back at Maya and grabbed her hand, pulling her with me to the parking lot.

We ran together through the empty lot, while pointing out all the constellations that I could make out. I knew she wasn't interested in the galaxies out of our reach but she still pretended to care about the stars to make me happy.

And that warmed my heart.

Before we got into the car, I wrapped both of my arms around her, burying my head in her luscious hair.

"You're the best at choosing outfits." I laughed into her ear.

I felt Maya grin as she rubbed my back, "And you're the best at pulling them off."

We stayed like that for a while; I never wanted this moment to end. I felt so content, in her arms, like it was us against the world.

I was the first to pull back, noticing that her lipstick was smudged when I looked at her face.

"You got something-" Without thinking, I reached out and touched her lips.

Bad idea Riley.

I felt her body tense as I wiped my index finger gently on her upper lip to get rid of the smudge.

"-there." I finished my sentence and retracted my hand.

I broke the silence by apologizing with a quick "sorry."

I had never seen Maya so helpless like this. I started to worry that I had done something wrong. I silently cursed myself as I opened the car door, not expecting a response.

"Wait Riley" Maya interrupted. She grabbed my wrist and spun me around. "Don't be."

I stayed motionless for a few seconds, enjoying her touch. I remembered the first time she had done the exact same thing to me, and the effect it had.

"Okay."

Maya hesitated for a moment and grabbed my chin, moving closer to me in the process.

My breath hitched in my throat as I thought about what was about to happen.

The blonde pressed a light peck in my cheek and moved back. "You're a good person Riley." she said.

My hands were now shaking and I wondered if I'd ever be able to function normally again; let alone drive home.

She shut the door on the drivers side and jogged over to the other side to climb into the seat beside me.

I stayed silent as I started the car while she turned on the radio.

"Let's go Riles" she beamed and for a second, Maya looked the happiest I've ever seen her.