What Could Have Been (Lucaya)

After pt. 1

Life without sunshine is no life at all. When day turns into night you go to sleep not having to worry that the sun won't be there for you when you wake up. It's always there for you to depend on. Sometimes you take it for granted; the sun that is. It's too bright. Too hot. It burns you every now and then. But it's always there.

Riley was our sunshine. The day she had left to London was about the darkest day any of them had ever experienced. Their sunshine had left and taken every bit of their rays with her.

Promises were made. Everyone promising something they had no power to make. Because no one quite knows the future. Anything could happen... that includes drifting apart.

You see, sunshine isn't the same when you see it in on a screen. Even though it's there for you to see you can't feel it. The way it warms you up as if you are being snuggled into. When you close your eyes and bask in the sun rays the feeling of peace envelopes you.

When Riley left, that presence— her presence was no longer the same. The balance between them all felt wrong and tilted the scale. They tried. They really, really tried. But sometimes all good things must come to an end for another story to begin.

If they looked back on it they couldn't exactly pin point when exactly everything began to fall apart for them. Was it the triangle that did it? Maybe when Riley left? Or perhaps when they showed up less and less at Topangas for their daily Skype calls to Riley that slowly turned to weekly calls. Then to monthly calls. Then to no calls at all.

But that was years ago. A time where Maya felt that her whole world was falling apart around her. Oddly enough, her world was only starting to rise up from the darkest of days.

You see, living with sunshine could be wonderful. Sunshine is what helps keep you and your spirit alive. And yet it could also shade you. Prevent your own light to shine.

She would never say that she hated feeling like she was under Riley's shadow. She loved her more than life itself. And yet when she left it felt like life had stilled for her. Like she couldn't figure out what her place was in life besides being Riley Mathews best friend. What happened to Maya? When did her own world stop and instead became Riley and Maya's world?

In a way—as horrid as it sounds— it was refreshing being away from the sun. It was like jumping into a cold pool in the dead of summer where the only wind there was, was hot air. Or rushing home from school for a glass of lemonade with the AC on high.

Discovering herself away from Riley was definitely an experience. Gave poor Shawn a run for his money. But she found her balance after awhile. Moved into her own loft by herself and explored the better half of the world with just a backpack full of clothes and a sketch pad. But now she was back in New York.

Back to where her story begins.
________
May 19
11:00 a.m.
Local grocery shop
New York City

"Maya? Is that you?" Maya recognized that voice. It was a voice she couldn't possibly forget. The pasta fell with a thud in her basket as she turned around and faced the voice she hadn't spoken to in years.

"Riley." Just as she remembered her once best friend she was all sunshine. Literally, a halo from the suns rays through the glass windows of the store created this halo around her. Her brunette hair, shiny and pretty even with the yellow lighting of the market.

"Peaches! It is you!" Riley bounded forward, arms stretching out to Maya, holding her with a death grip. Maya awkwardly moved her basket away and hugged her back. When Riley stepped away, she visibly looked up and down at her.