A Stray Cat

Rescuing A Stray

"What are doing here?" Maya asked, shocked at the presence of three boys in front of her, one staring into her blue eyes with concern on his face. "You don't know me? Why help me?"

Lucas scoffed. "You think I have to know you to help you? You're a girl and you looked like you were in trouble. I wasn't gonna just walk away. I was raised better than that."

Maya scoffed. "Ohh, I get it." She smirked. "You're one of "those guys"."

Lucas frowned. "Those guys? What does that mean?" He asked confused.

"Ya know, you see a damsel in distress and have to rescue her? You got a hero complex don't ya?" She teased.

Lucas didn't laugh or even smile. "A hero complex? That's what you call doing the right thing?" He scoffed. "That's not what I meant." He snapped at her. "Look, I don't care if you're a girl, a guy, a puppy, a cat, a horse- It doesn't matter! If I see trouble I'm going to help!" He huffed. "If you want to call that a hero complex, fine, but I just call it being a decent person."

Maya was stunned. "But- Why do you care what happens to a stranger?"

Lucas frowned. "Because no one deserves to have something bad happen to them." He sighed, then he smirked. "Oh I get it, you think I'm one of "those guys" because you're one of "those girls"." He teased her.

Maya glared at him. "Those girls? What girls? I'm not some stereotype!"

Lucas' smirk didn't falter. "Ya know, those girls who think they can handle everything by themselves and refuse to ask for help." He sighed. "One bad thing happens and they think they're all alone so they act like they don't need anyone, but deep down inside they are begging for someone to show that they care." He whispered leaning down to get in her face. "I care."

Maya gasped when she felt his breath on her cheek as he whispered near her ear. "Oooh." She shuddered.

Lucas pulled away. "Let's go. People are worried sick about you." He said as he walked away from her.

Maya shook it off and followed after him. "Hey! Ya know I was fine before you guys showed up!" She yelled.

"Yeah, yeah. I'm sure you were about to kick him where the sun don't shine and run off." Lucas rolled his eyes.

"Maybe I was!" Maya yelled after him.

He kept walking slightly ahead of her to lead her back to his friend.

"Looks like you have competition." Zay joked nudging Farkle's arm.

Farkle pulled away from him. "Be serious. I don't like her like that. I just-" He sighed. "I feel like I owe her."

Zay chuckled. "Yeah, I know. You only have eyes for Riley Matthews."

Farkle frowned. "That's not it either." He rolled his eyes. "I just want to help her, that's it. I already told you it's not about Riley and it's not about having a crush on her or anything like that. It's like when someone saves your life and you just want to repay them."

"Okay, but she didn't save your life. She let you keep a drawing."

Farkle smiled softly. "Yeah, and that drawing saved my life. I told you, I look at it and I know I'll be okay." He put his hands in the pockets of his jeans. "It makes me feel better."

Zay frowned. "Okay, no joke. I'm being serious here. Are you saying that her drawing is like the reason you're still here or whatever?" He shrugged.

Farkle nodded. "Yeah. That's what I mean. I thought about it once and that night I met her and I got that drawing. Now if that thought crosses my mind I just look at the drawing and-" Farkle was cut off by a pain in his arm. "Ow!"

"Dude!" Zay pulled his hand back. "What the hell?! If you think that way you gotta let your friends know about it! You gotta talk to us so we can help you! Man, if you would have left us I would have been so.. so pissed off!"

Farkle chuckled. "Well I didn't do it. I'm okay now, Zay. I promise. But a lot of the time I find myself thinking about her, the girl from the library, and wondering about her. Why was she there so late? Why was she alone? Would I ever see her again? And now here she is, of all people she was Riley's long lost childhood friend. If I believed in fate, I think this would be it." Farkle mused. "I found her again, and I have a chance to thank her and pay her back for that really pretty drawing that saved my life." He smiled. "And I won't stop until I do."

"Okay, I get it. Man, I wish she effected me the way she effects you, and Riley, and now even Lucas." He chuckled watching as Maya and Lucas walked ahead of them while they continued to argue about stupid things.

Farkle shrugged and offered his friend a smile. "Maybe she will. Maybe this is all part of that non-scientific phenomenon known as fate that I fail to be able comprehend because there is no physical proof that it exists."

Zay smiled. "Yeah, well I believe in fate. I don't need proof. Maybe you're right. Maybe this is all fate and maybe we were all meant to meet and be friends. Maybe those two arguing are gonna get married someday." He laughed. "Along with you and Riley."

Farkle chuckled. "Yeah, and maybe you'll marry your cheerleader crush."

Zay frowned. "Don't poke my wounds. Vanessa!" Zay cried out making Maya and Lucas stop and turn to him.

"What was that?" Maya chuckled.

Lucas shrugged. "Farkle must have mentioned Vanessa so Zay shouted out her name even though she is in Texas and can't hear him because he loves her." Lucas explained.

"Oh, weird. So, who do you love? Let me guess Riley?" She teased him.

Lucas smirked. "Nope. We're just friends. Farkle loves her though."

"Really?" Maya smirked.

"Yeah." Lucas sighed. "They have an agreement, it's kind of weird."

Maya made a face. "An agreement? What kind of agreement?"

"Farkle is Riley's future husband and Riley is Farkle's future wife, but right now they are just friends and they can flirt with or date whoever they want. They don't want to date each other until they are older and Riley loves him the same way he loves her so he is waiting until Riley realizes she is in love with him." He shook his head.

"Is she.. in love with him?" Maya asked slowly while trying to process everything Lucas just told her.

Lucas nodded. "I think so. She had a crush on me when we first met, and it was mutual for a while, but then it became awkward and we broke up. That was also mutual. We decided that we were better as friends and that's when she told me that she was probably gonna marry Farkle in the future anyway." He shrugged. "Like I said it's kind of weird." He chuckled.

Maya scoffed. "That's not kind of weird. That's really weird. Almost as weird as her six year old brother having a little wife." She chuckled.

Lucas nodded. "Yes! I think that's weird too, but I guess her parents have been in love since they were like 2, on and off, until they got married so it's just a really weird family."

"Maya!! They found you!"

"Yeah." Maya nodded. She smiled when she saw Riley, Riley's mom and dad, and her Uncle Shawn in the distance. "But a really kind family."

Riley ran to Maya and threw her arms around her. "Never run away again!"

Maya chuckled. "Whatever you want."

Lucas smiled at the two girls hugging.