complicated [lucaya]

22

Lucas' POV;

My eyes followed her as she walked across the cafeteria. I was tuning out the conversations around me, for I could only focus on how I managed to play this all wrong. I thought I had it all, and now I'm just left with a two broken friendships, and a forced relationship. 

Maya looked over at me, and held my gaze before quickly looking away and sitting at an empty table. I really fucked this up.

"Lucas," I snapped my attention back to my friends. "What are you staring at?" Riley tried to follow my gaze, but thankfully the room had started to fill with more students, and Maya was out of sight.

I slung my arm around her shoulders, and half-lied. "Guess I was just zoned out. I've had a lot on my mind lately."

"Where's Hart?" Missy sat on the other side of me and looked around, "I was started to get used to her being here."

"You don't even like her." Zay joked, and the rest of the group, including Riley, laughed.

Missy shrugged, "She was growing on me. But after Riley's announcement last week, I'm not surprised that she's flying under the radar."

Riley just laughed, I think she's actually proud that she humiliated her best friend. 

"So Lucas, do you know if she's going to press charges against Josh?"

I sighed and looked at Riley, then back at Missy, "She says she doesn't want to, but I know that she does."

"Those videos alone are enough to get him convicted."

Riley rolled her eyes and stood up, "I'm not hungry anymore." She glared at me, "Are you coming?"

I scoffed and shook my head, "I could, but you're acting like a bitch. So I think I'll stay here."

She stomped away and I chuckled, "Did you two switch bodies or something? Because she used to be nicer."

Missy laughed and ate her yogurt. "You and Maya's little stunt really did a number on her."

"You know?" What other secrets did Riley spill, and who else did she spill them to?

She nodded, "That you were never really dating Maya? We all know."

I looked around the table at Zay, Anthony, and Jacob. "I'm just going to assume that Zay told you guys."

"I was talking to Maya during spirit week, and she swore up and down that there was nothing between you two, and by the end of the day, you guys were dating." Anthony was on to us the whole time. "It never added up."

Looks like everything is out on the table. "So you guys just went along with it, and you knew the whole time."

"Pretty much," Jacob chimed in. "And you're whole secret friendship? We knew about that."

Missy patted me on the back, "You're really not as sneaky as you think you are." We all laughed. I guess I'm not the best at keeping secrets. "So what's really going on with you and Blondie?"

So I told them everything. I think the fact that they already know my secrets means I can trust them with a couple more.

- 

Maya

Once again, I find myself painting away my problems. The school is gonna have to name this classroom after me since I've spent so much time in here this semester.

When did everything go so wrong? I remember thinking that Junior year was going to be so different. I would get my life back on track. Rediscover my voice. But things don't always go according to plan. Josh wasn't who I thought he was, and Lucas turned out to be exactly who everyone thinks he is. Is it my fault? In a way, I ruined a lot of friendships: Me and Riley, Lucas and Josh, Lucas and I. I am the common denominator of all the drama that's taken place these past few months, and the only way I know to make things better is by distancing myself.

I never told Lucas, but ever since Josh told Riley about our secret friendship, I've constantly replayed that day in the gazebo. It was the way Josh looked us that day. I think he knew there was something between Lucas and I before we did. He let it be known that if Lucas hurt Riley, he would hurt him. He was right. Lucas is a player, and I don't think when I'm with him. And together, we hurt our best friend.

I also haven't told Lucas that Josh was in fact the one that sent the videos around. Me and Farkle did some digging. Maybe that was his way of punishing me. Or maybe he knew that hurting me, would hurt Lucas, and I was just collateral damage. I've been trying to make sense out of everything, because I don't believe that Josh never cared about me. I think he did at some point, and I think he still does to an extent. I do believe that at some point he decided he hated Lucas more than he cared for me, and that's when his colors started to change. I however, was too infatuated with him to see what was going on, and he took advantage of how much I adored him, then used it to hurt Lucas.

I was simply a bystander that got hurt when the bomb was dropped.

Putting down the brush, I stepped back and looked at the piece in front of me. Not my most subtle work, but it was two couples, and half of each were secretly holding each other's hand.

"Need someone to talk to?"

I turned around and faced Missy Bradford. "Are you hear to mock me? Perhaps call me a lying slut."

She smiled and sat across from me. "None of the above." She gestured to my painting. "I figured you could use a friend."

I turned sat down on my stool and sighed. "Wow, hell really is freezing over."

We laughed, "Lucas might have filled me in on everything. I already kinda knew what was going on, but he shared the details."

"And what's your take?"

"First of all," she placed her hand on my shoulders and looked me in the eyes, "I can't believe you of all people were willing to go through with such a stupid plan just to put me in check."

I tried to hold back my laugh, but I couldn't, which made Missy laugh too. "Seriously? You poured a whole ass iced coffee on my head a week before hand."

"And the best you could do was pretend to date my off-again, on-again boyfriend? That's how I knew it wasn't your plan." We finally stopped laughing and the room was quiet. "I'm really sorry that I've been such a bitch to you all these years."

Sighing, I looked up at her. "Did you actually think I slept with Austin?"

She shrugged "I think a part of me knew that you didn't. We've known each other since middle school and I've always admired how you tend to put others before yourself."

"Can't say the same thing now..." I looked at my painting. Maybe that's who I am now.

Missy followed my gaze. "You two really fucked up, but you guys have got to stop tiptoeing around Riley's feelings." We kept our focus on the painting. "Part of why I always claimed Lucas as my boyfriend, is because we all know that he doesn't love Riley, even if he won't admit it. Basically trying to let her believe that he's not perfect."

"He admit it to me."

"He was trying to convince himself more than he wanted to convince you. He's in love with the concept of the perfect girl, but he knows he can never be the guy Riley wants him to be." She looked at me. "Lucas loves you, okay? And he won't say it because you're not only the exact opposite of Riley, but you're also her best friend."

"Lucas, was just using me for sex. And he didn't deny it went I confronted him about it."

"Oh please. If Lucas was using you for sex the boys would know."

I rolled my eyes, "They tease me about it all the time."

"Because up until three months ago Lucas wanted us to think he hated you. And even after your little rendezvous at Zay's party he didn't tell them anything. Look Hart, the whole group caught on to your little game a long time ago. You are terrible at sneaking around. The only thing we didn't know was that you were still sleeping together since he's been with Riley."

"Well since you are now the expert on my life, what do you suppose I do?"

Missy shrugged, "I can't tell you what to do. But you have to put yourself first for once. Riley will get over it. She will be absolutely crushed if she finds out you really were sneaking around, but she's not going to get over Lucas until she stops thinking that he's a real life Prince Charming."