Growing Pains ~ NSLAM book 2

Chapter 3: Wednesday Night

"Have you spoken to Riley?" Josh's voice came from the other line as Maya was laying on her bed with her phone on speaker, propped up on her shoulder as she stared at the ceiling of her dorm room, half unpacked boxes laying around her.

"No. She was gone when I came back from lunch with Simon. I texted her and she said that she was catching up with Smackle. I'm not sure when she plans on coming back tonight." Maya answered as she focused on the random lines on the ceiling.

"Well maybe she just needs to calm down. Give her some time, if there is anyone she'll talk to, its you." His voice was soft as he spoke. Causing comfort to wash through her even though he wasn't there.

"What about everyone else? I've never seen them like this Josh. Zay and Lucas just snapped at everyone. Farkle of course isn't taking a side-"

"As he shouldn't." Josh reminded her. He had been a huge voice of reason over the summer. He kept telling Maya over and over that Farkle doesn't need to pick sides with Riley and Lucas, nor should he be made to.

"All I'm saying is that something had to have happened this summer to cause everyone to be so uptight." She twiddled with the necklace that was around her neck.

"You know, I recall you were pretty uptight yourself last year with everything that was going on between us." Josh told her. Maya crinkled her nose.

"Why do you have to bring that up?" She asked him. He let out a low laugh.

"To remind you to be patient with them. Riley and Lucas went through a huge break up, it cant be easy having to see each other every day. Especially when your friend group is the same." He said.

"Yeah, that's what Simon was saying earlier." She told him. Josh scoffed.

"It's only been a day and you're already stepping out on me." He teased. Maya smirked.

"What can I say, Simon just has that sarcastic attitude that drives me crazy." She teased back.

"Indeed." Josh answered her. "I miss you." He said after a moment of silence. Maya felt those butterflies that made her feel like she was going over a cliff on a rollercoaster.

"I miss you so much." She replied. "The weekend is too far away."

"I know exactly what you mean." There was a tone in his voice that Maya knew he meant it. She wouldn't have thought that Joshua Matthews would be the affectionate person that he was, until they started dating for real. Of course he was Cory's younger brother. But Maya felt that it should be illegal to be this in love with someone.

"How did lunch with your dad go?" She asked. Josh had hoped that she didn't hear the hitch of breath that he suddenly had. If she did notice, she didn't comment on it.

"It was fine." He stated. Maya closed her eyes.

"Are you two good?" She asked him.

"Of course we are. Him and my mom are just worried about me. That's all." He told her.

"Do they have a reason to?" She asked him quietly. There was silence for a moment.

"Maya, I already told you-"

"I know what you told me. I just-Josh If you're having problems-"

"I'm not. I have everything worked out. Andrew has been more than willing to help me out. And it's kind of nice rooming together again. Now that we don't have school looming over our heads we might even grow to like each other." He told her sarcastically.

"Now who's stepping out?" Maya asked him with a grin.

"Nah, Andrew doesn't shave his legs. I've grown fond of running my hands up your smooth-"