The Long Game ✅

21. Assumptions

It's the Sunday before Valentine's Day and I'm lying in bed when my phone vibrates. I smile when I notice that it's Josh. It seemed as if he was ignoring me most of the week so it would be nice to hear his voice.

"Hey babe" I say answering the phone happily.

"Hi" Josh says sounding a bit upset.

"Is everything okay?" I ask concerned.

"I'm great Maya. What time do I have to be at this party on Wednesday?" Josh asks coldly.

"Um I don't know. The gang is meeting tomorrow after school to discuss it." We would normally all get together on the weekend but oddly enough we ended up off on Valentine's Day, something about staff development or something stupid, nevertheless we were off of school so we were celebrating the holiday on the correct date.

"Okay well can you text me when you find out?"

"Of course. Sweetie are you sure nothing is wrong?"

"Maya, maybe I'm just sick of hanging out with you and all of your juvenile friends but it doesn't matter. Just text me. Bye" he says hanging up. I stare at my phone in confusion. I didn't know who this person was but it wasn't my boyfriend. I put my phone on the nightstand and try to get some sleep but it's impossible. All I wanted to do was talk to Josh but I had lied to him and I couldn't tell him why yet. I had to give him his space and hope that he would understand.

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School the next day drags on. I receive not one text from Josh and I know now at this point that he's pissed. I was losing Josh. I had no idea how he knew I lied to him, but he did and now I was going to lose him. I'm moping by my locker as Riley walks up to me.

"Hey Peaches" she says gently. "You ready to go?"

"Yea, of course" I say as I compose myself shutting my locker. "To Topanga's."

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A few hours later we're all sitting around discussing our plans for the following day. "What time does the party start?" Farkle asks putting his arm around Smackle. "Because we have dinner reservations at six."

"The party is at seven thirty" Riley answers. "That leaves an hour for dinner and a half hour to drive here." Riley responds seemingly proud of herself for having everything planned out in detail.

"Okay, well then Smackle and I will be there."

"Perfect" Riley answers.

"What about you Zay?" I ask turning my attention to my ex-boyfriend turned friend.

"What about me?"

"Who are you bringing to the party?" I ask teasingly feeling a little better as I fall into my routine with Zay.

"I don't know. Myself" he answers.

"Are you sure there isn't anyone you'd want to bring?"

"Maya" he warns.

"Maya, what are you getting at?" Lucas asks confused. I look at Zay deviously before turning my attention to Ranger Rick feigning innocence.

"I don't know I just thought maybe Zay would want to bring someone." I answer nonchalantly.

"Well, I'm not bringing anyone" Zay says.

"Okay cool, so that means there are six of us, plus Josh" she whispers making me a bit confused. She said his name almost as if it seemed ridiculous that he would be coming. Odd. "So seven people. Perfect." After Riley writes down the final number on her party planning clipboard the topic of conversation changes to the awful pop quiz we all took in Spanish today. But before I'm able to put in my two cents I'm being pulled out of my chair. Suddenly I'm pushed into the hallway at the back of the café.

"Maya, what the hell was that?" Zay yells.

"What?" I ask playfully.

"You know what." He says angrily. I look at him knowing exactly why Zay is so pissed off at me.

I was obviously referring to the fact that Zay should bring Vanessa to the party.

"Yea, I do. I know that you want to invite Vanessa but you're afraid she's going to reject you." I respond seriously.

"That is not what's going on. What's going on is that I told you something in confidence and you almost just told everyone."

"Zay, I had no intentions of telling them-."

"Good" he say cutting me off.

"I wasn't done. I wasn't going to tell them but I still think you should invite Vanessa to the party." Zay looks at me worriedly. "Zay" I continue, "just because we didn't work out doesn't mean that every girl is going to reject you. You're an amazing guy, Vanessa would be lucky to have a guy like you."

Zay just looks at me for a second sighing, "You really think I should invite her?"

"Yea, I do. Plus-." I start deciding it's safe to start teasing him again. "If you get married I'll be able to tell people that I was the one who got you two together." He laughs and we hug before returning to our friends. Riley looks at us suspiciously as we sit down and suddenly I'm starting to piece things together. Did Riley know I lied to Josh? Had she told him? Did she think I was actually back together with Zay?

"Where were you two?" Lucas asks eying his best friend.

"Just talking" Zay answers not missing a beat. Riley and Lucas share a look and it's a look I'd know anywhere. Everyone actually thought I was cheating on Josh.