What Are We Now?

(24) Maya's Surprise

The next day bright and not so early the gang meets up at Topanga's for a quick breakfast. To Maya, it looked like everyone had already arrived. She was siping her orange juice when Josh walks in, looking tall, tan, and all kinds of handsome. The boy was wearing a fitted black tee that showed off his arms, along with camouflage pants and sun glasses. His hair looked the perfect amount of soft to run ones hands into and even though Maya was seated her knees began to buckle and her arms turned to jelly.
"I'm here kiddies! Uncle Josh to the rescue." He says playfully. Maya looks away, taking a quick bite of her croissant, hoping to hide her sudden giddiness.
"Thanks for coming to drive us." Lucas grins.
Ugh of course. Stupid huckleberry, always meddling in my life, Maya thought.
"What are you looking at Maya." Josh grins confidently.
"Nothing." Maya makes a face.
"Sure."
"I'm not looking at you. You think I'm looking at you, Boing? I'm not looking at you." Maya huffs.
"Well I'm looking at you Maya, and you sure do look beautiful today." Josh says as he helps himself to Maya's orange juice. He chuckles at the expression on her face.
"T-t-thanks." Maya mutters.
"Today's ganna be fun huh." Josh says with a wink, and with that he walked away.
"Sure..." Maya sighs when Josh is out of earshot. She was definitely getting Huckleberry back for this in today's activity. Maya looks for Lucas with her eyes. When she spots him, her eyes soften. There was Huckleberry offering Riley a breakfast sandwich and juice. Maya watches as Riley shyly accepts it and Lucas smiles in triumph. Why aren't those two together again? Maya thought. Oh yeah, Charlie.

"Let's go kiddos!" Josh says half an hour later. It was time to begin the fun.
"Who ever is last gets shot gun!" Lucas shouts. He grabs Riley's hand and pulls her towards Josh's car. Lucas tired not to think about how soft Riley's hands felt, or how small her hands were in his. Zay ran quickly behind them. Farkle and Smackle were already there at the car, Lucas had tipped them off.
"Heyyyy! No faaaair!" Maya complains. As Lucas suspected, Maya wasn't even trying to run. She was just standing by the stairs that lead to Topanga's, arms crossed and pout at the ready.
"Come on Peaches, you already lost. Go sit with Uncle Josh." Riley smiles. Maya looks at her all upset, when she notices that Riley and Lucas are still holding hands. Riley follows Maya's gaze then looks from Lucas to their intertwined hand. Then back at Lucas, who's face looked like he was trying his best not to smile. Riley lets go of his hand, her face ablaze.
"Alright Riles but your next to Sundance here." Maya says, mischievously raising an eyebrow. Riley nods as Maya hops into the front seat.
"Seat belt." Josh sighs. He'd been warming up the car while the gang talked outside.
"What are you, the safety police? Come on, I just got in Josh, relax." Maya says nonchalantly.
"Don't make me put it on for you, Hart." Josh says, his eyes dancing. The stupid happy look on his face  causes Maya to go breathless. Why is he so beautiful? Maya thought.
"I'm fine. See, I have working hands." Maya wiggles her fingers, then she puts on her seat belt. The thought of Josh getting any closer makes her head spin and her arms go fuzzy. She sighs glad that the drive to her activity was only twenty minutes long.
"So how's Alec?" Josh says, his voice hardens on the name, barley noticeable but Maya still catches it. He turns to look at Maya.
"Well?"
"He's great. Now eyes that way" Maya points towards the windshield.
"Well that's just dandy." Josh smiles.
"What about you and Kayla?" Maya says shyly.
"What about Kayla? She's my best friend. That's it." Josh looks at Maya as if to say just my friend.
"Right. Hey we're here!"
"No we're not we got five min-"
"-Joshua we are here. We're here, we're here, we're here!" Maya says jumping up and down.
"Nothing that makes Maya that happy can be good." Lucas tells Riley.
"I second that!" Zay butts in.

Five minutes later when they finally do arrive, the kids all spill out of the car and follow Maya's lead. They make there way out of the parking lot to a grass clearing. All around them, there are forts, walls, and what looks like an obstacle course.
Zay make a face.
"Awww no. This looks bad man! Abort mission, abort!"
"Zay you don't even know what we're doing here yet." Lucas says.
"Did you not hear me? It. Looks. Bad.... no wait, not bad, painful." He says.
"Come on. You're over reacting." Lucas says.
"Really? Look at her face! She's glowing Lucas! Glowing!" Zay says gesturing to Maya. And Zay was right. Maya was grinning from ear to ear; her eyes sparkling mischievously.
"Actually, Lucas, I can say for a fact you are wrong. Which is ok because you're handsome enough to get away with it." Smackle says.
"Hey!" Farkle says, but Lucas just shrugs.
"Ok, ok. Hush!" Maya says calling attention to herself, "Ladies, Gentleboys, and Boing; I give you my activity of choice...."
Zay holds his breath in anticipation, Riley reaches for Lucas's hand, Josh looks calm like he's already figured out what they are going to do, and Smarkle looks done with everything.
"Paint ball war!" Maya shouts.
"Nooooo! Lucas you have to protect me." Zay says dropping to his knees and grabbing his best friends legs.
"Zay! Snap out of it!" Lucas says, shaking is friend off his leg.
"Yeah Zay you can join me and Smackle, we have a strategy." Farkle says.
"I'm sorry Lucas, I'm leaving you to die. I have to join the geniuses."
"That's ok Zay, I think I'll make it."
"Hey! Who says you can make teams! And what if I want Zay on my team." Maya says in false annoyance.
"Well Maya alliances are a part of any war." Smackle says matter of factly.
"On second thought... if you want me, Maya, you got me." Zay says with a wink.
"Nice try Zaydikins, I'm a lone wolf." Maya smirks.
"Peaches?" Riley looks at maya with baby doll eyes.
"Sorry Riles you're going to have to stick with Huckleberry."
"But-"
"Not a peep out of you. You're safe with him honey. Besides me, he's your best bet."
"Hey!" Smackle says.
"What? Come on, I know your only plan was to get a good hiding spot." Maya says. Farkle nods his head furiously.
"That's what I thought." Maya grins.
"What about me." A voice says from behind her.
Maya freezes momentarily.
"What do you want?" She turns to look at Josh.
"I thought you were our driver." She continued.
"Not at all. I want in on the fun, or are you scared I'll beat you at your out game?" He asks Maya, his eyes gleaming. Everyone was silent, waiting for her answer. You could feel the tension in the air; swirling around them. That's when Maya says with a roll of her eyes, "Please, your going down Boing."
"Not when we're on the same team." He says with a grin.
"Lone. Wolf." Maya repeats.
"Every wolf needs a mate." Josh whispers.
"Ooookay! Who's ready to lose?" Maya says loudly. She was sure she'd misheard Josh, but in case she hadn't she needed to get as far away from him as possible, he wasn't safe.