Someday: A Collection of Joshaya One Shots

First of Many

Maya's POV

Twenty-one. It was the age that was supposed to excite me, the age where I was finally allowed to go out and drink with my friends. Unfortunately for me, I was the oldest of my friend group which led me to go to the bar right down the street from my house, alone. 

I'm sitting at the bar with my second beer in front of me when the door to the establishment opens for the millionth time tonight. I swore I never realized how many people in my neighborhood spent their nights at the bar rather than snuggled up in their beds. 

I take another swig of my beer but almost choke on it when a voice startles me from behind. "Maya?" My eyes widen as soon as my name tumbles out of his mouth. It was a voice I hadn't heard since I was a freshman in high school. 

Slowly, I turn around and come face to face with my middle school crush, Joshua Matthews. "J-Josh" I stutter, attempting to remain calm despite the way my heart has suddenly sped up. "What are you doing here?"

He chuckles, shoving his hands into his pockets. "I live just down the street" he explains. "What are you doing here?" he asks confusedly. 

"It's my birthday" I explain simply, turning around to grab my beer and holding it up. "I am finally twenty-one" I add happily. He nods in understanding. 

"Uh huh and where are your friends? The Clique something or other, isn't that what you called yourselves?" he asks, moving to the stool beside me. I spin back around and place my beer back onto the counter while he shrugs off his jacket to reveal a black sweater underneath. It's baggy enough to look comfortable but tight enough to let onto what lies beneath which I could only assume were large biceps and maybe a six pack. He definitely grew up to be sexy as hell. 

"The Clique Six" I explain with a chuckle. Admittedly were quite goofy to give our group a name but were always a unique grouping of people. "So uh how have you been?" I ask, changing the subject. "How is-?" I pause, trying to remember the name of the girl he left me for. 

The day he ended someday I spent the entire night erasing the girl's name from my brain while crying on Riley's shoulder. I knew we had agreed to see other people but I never expected him to. It's just one of those things you say, like when you break up with someone and then say that you can stay friends. You don't mean it but it's a nice thought that sounds mature and for a few minutes you feel like an adult. 

"Nikki" he fills in. I roll my eyes. "I'm assuming she's fine. Last I heard she was screwing one of her professors" he explains. I turn my head to look at him and he laughs. "We broke up a while ago My. She was screwing half the damn football team and silly me, I was only screwing her."

That stings. Of course I'd had sex too at this point; it was sophomore year of college, he was my lab partner in Physics and throughout the entire semester we had had some unspeakable attraction that eventually led to a relationship that ended about seven months after it started but within that time I had swiped my V card and done it more times than I could count with him afterwards. It was sweet and awkward and everything a first time could be and I didn't regret it but now that I was sitting across from Josh it suddenly felt wrong. 

"I'm sorry Josh" I reply softly, reaching out for my drink and taking another swig. 

"It's not your fault" he shrugs, signaling for the bartender and pointing to my beer once he gets his attention. "What about you?" he asks, turning his attention back to me. "Any special guy?"

I shrug. "A few years ago" I confess. "But that's been over for awhile." 

He smiles. "I suppose that shouldn't make me so happy to hear" he confesses as the bartender places his beer in front of him. "Did you love him?"