What Could Have Been (Lucaya)

Maya's 18th birthday

Everyone had just finished singing happy birthday to Maya when Josh whisked her away from the party for some privacy, his hand on the small of her back. Riley couldn't help but beam at the pair... looks like hope isn't for suckers after all, she thought to herself as she turned away from the door and began talking to Smackle excitedly.

Zay, on the other hand, watched Lucas for his reaction as the two walked away together. It was always hard to decipher Lucas's feelings unless he made them clear. Even after years of knowing him, he could never fully tell what he was thinking except for that occasional twitch in his eyebrow. That was when he knew something bothered him. So that was what he was looking for now.

"So that's it huh?" Lucas turned to Zay, jumping slightly at the sound of his voice. "Maya riding off into the sunset with Josh while we stay down here on earth?"

"Zay, what on earth are you going on about?"

"Oh nothing, nothing." Zay walked away from him. He heard Lucas take the bait as he followed him to the bay window in the living room, just slightly away from the others.

"Zay, you should be happy for Maya. She's finally getting what she wants." Zay didn't say anything as he sat down on the cushioned seat comfortably. Lucas shuffled awkwardly, "You don't like her do you?"

He knew that Zay and Maya were an unspoken couple of sorts. They had always tagged along when Riley and him were a couple. It's been two years since they've broken up in Sophomore year. Both finding that the transition between friends to a couple was too difficult. If they were meant to be, as Riley said, then they shouldn't have found it difficult to kiss or even hold hands. But it was, everything about it felt awkward.

Through the length of their relationship however, Zay and Maya acted very much as a couple would. At times he would envy the two when he was with Riley. They seemed more comfortable with each other than Riley or him could ever be and they weren't even together. He had to ask Zay if he liked Maya. Surely the times they held hands, and occasionally kissed each other's cheeks, made him develop feelings for her. He wouldn't find it unbelievable to think that Zay might like her, as he had once liked Maya all those years ago. What he didn't know was if Zay had feelings for Maya. He had expected Maya and him to stop going out together after Riley and Lucas broke up, yet that never happened. He always wondered if they ever went further...

"I️ like Maya," Zay nodded confidently. It's true he did. He liked how funny, creative, and loving she was. He also liked how fiercely protective over her friends she was and had always admired that about her. Not to mention the fact they always had fun together. But he didn't like her in the way that Lucas was asking him. He was her friend as she was his.

He had never wanted Maya to miss the opportunities she would get while waiting for the so called long game with Josh. He thought it a bit selfish at first until he had that talk with Josh and thought he really was a good guy.

Since then he and Maya had become a lot closer. He didn't want her to feel out of place especially when Lucas and Riley were together. She had done this to him when he first came from Texas. He felt like an outsider as he watched his friend act so differently around these new people. Riley made him feel even worst with the way she hardly paid him any mind. It was like she refused to believe Lucas had a past that didn't involve her. Then Maya sat down and started talking to him, in that moment, he never felt so grateful. So hanging out with her while Lucas and Riley did their awkward couple thing, was the least he could do. Besides, he enjoyed their time together, she was a great friend.

If he was being completely honest with himself then he could see himself with Maya proudly. The two got along just well and he couldn't ignore the fact that she was beautiful. But he never stopped talking to Vanessa after their trip to Texas back in their last year of middle school. He was even visiting her in Texas during the summer as Maya had suggested.