Home(less)

She's Staying

"You can still back out now," Maya told them just before they entered their apartment again.

"Nothing is going to change our minds," Topanga told her confidently and opened the door.

"You found her," Riley was relieved.

"Yes, and our first rule that we are asking you to follow, Maya, is to not leave without telling us where you're going. Is that fair enough?"

"Yeah, sure," Maya groaned.

She valued her independence and freedom to go wherever she wanted whenever she wanted. Frankly, it was the only thing in her life that gave her a sense of control.

Once they had cleared up the no-running-off issue, they didn't feel an immediate need to outline more rules. Instead, they wanted to learn more about Maya.

"What do you want to know?" Maya asked them.

"Let's start off with why you don't live at home."

"I just didn't want to," she shrugged.

"Maya," Cory urged her to open up more.

"Fine, I just  don't have a good relationship with my mom or my stepdad. I don't really want to get into it."

"Alright," they were satisfied with her honesty. "Where do you go to school?"

"Abigail Adams," she answered.

They all looked at each other in shock.

"Did you know she went there?" Topanga asked Cory.

"No, I had no idea. Riley?"

She shook her head and was in just as much shock as they were. 

They'd never seen or heard of her at Abigail Adams. At least that's what Riley thought until a memory came back to her.

"Wait, you're the girl who set off the sprinklers smoking in the bathroom last year."

"Oh yeah," Cory remembered. "All of the history projects got soaked."

"Does this mean you don't want me here anymore?" Maya asked.

She already knew the answer. The wouldn't want a trouble maker like her in their home, especially around their kids.

"Of course we still want you," they assured her. "Everybody's got troubles from their past, and we're not here to judge you for yours."

"Really?"

"Really," they were certain.

Maya was relieved, but also confused. She had never thought of the possibility of a second chance, and these people were willing to give her what seemed to be a million chances.

"What do you say we start off with a clean slate?" they offered.

"I'd like that," Maya was happy with their proposal.

Everyone's always just seen her as a troubled kid. No one 's ever looked further than her mistakes, and it was nice finally having people see her as something more than a delinquent.

"Oh yeah, here's your jacket back," Maya handed it back to Topanga.

"Why don't you keep it until we're able to buy you a new one," she told Maya.

"Buy me a new one?" Maya's eyes were wide. "I can't ask you to do that for me."

"We also can't let you freeze to death, honey."

Maya was still unconvinced. She couldn't stay in their home and then have them buy her clothes.

 "We're in a good place financially, let us do this for you."