Risking the Long Game ✅

1. Best Year or Worst Year

Maya's POV

"Can I just say that the dog ate my homework?" I ask, staring down at my incomplete algebra assignment. It was Thursday night and I was currently sitting at my desk in the living room of the two story house that my mom and I had moved into with Shawn shortly after they got married.

The house wasn't anything extravagant but it was perfect for the three of us with the kitchen, living room, and my bedroom on the first floor and my parent's bedroom and the spare room upstairs.

I run my pencil over the desk, hoping that somehow my homework will complete itself while my parents watch the newest episode of Grey's Anatomy.

"Seeing as though we don't have a dog I'm gonna go with no" my dad replies making me moan in annoyance as I look over at him on the couch snuggled up to my mom.

"My teacher doesn't know that" I argue making my dad sigh as he shakes his head.

"Maya you need to do your homework" he insists.

"I know" I sigh as I turn my attention back to the book work I was trying to complete when my phone buzzes. I smile when I look down at the sender of the text. It was my on again off again boyfriend Charlie. After Riley turned him down for Lucas the two of us started talking and we really hit it off. Of course he also tends to hit it off with other girls too causing the off again part of our relationship to be most common but right now we were on and I was happy.

CHARLIE: Miss you baby 😕

MAYA: You too 😕

"Maya Penelope Hunter. Phone" my mom demands as she towers over me, holding out her hand for my phone making me moan in annoyance as I hand over my cell.

"Fine. Take my phone. I'm going to finish my homework in my room" I scoff as I gather my things and storm off down the hallway, slamming the door behind me. I put my books on my bed and head straight for my laptop, opening it up to my Twitter. Of course the only person popping up was the king of Twitter. Joshua Matthews.

He was the playboy of Abigail Adams in his senior year of high school. I had a huge crush on him for years but his reputation got so bad that I decided to move on, hence the Charlie Gardner of it all.

His newest tweets were about some party he went to last night and the couple pictures he was tagged in on Instagram showcased him with some curvy blonde. I roll my eyes in annoyance as I close my social media accounts, deciding to take a look at my grades while I had my computer on.

I open the gradebook and for the most part it's perfect. I have all A's and B's. All except for algebra. The large D- showcased on the page making me run my hands through my hair in frustration. I tried in that class I really did but there was only so much failure one person could take.

Suddenly a chat bubble appears on the screen from Riley making me smile.

RILES: Come over!!!

MAYA: Can't. In trouble for complaining about homework and texting Charlie.

RILES: Heavens to Betsie Maya will you never learn?

MAYA: Haha. Why did you want me to come over?

RILES: Josh is hungover. I wanted a partner in crime to make his migraine ten times worse.

MAYA: Wow I am a really bad influence

RILES: Yep the worst 😛 I'll let you go so you can kick some math butt. Love you!

MAYA: You too 😊

I close out the chat bubble and walk over to my bed, opening the book to the right page as I analyze the problems again. Of course I still have no idea what I'm doing.

I thought this year was going to be simple and fun but it's been anything but and at this rate I'd be doing it all over again come the fall.

I hate algebra.

~ 📚 ~

Josh's POV

I wake up to the sound of pots and pans banging in the kitchen making me moan in annoyance. I had moved in with my brother and Topanga after my parents passed away a little over a year ago in a tragic car accident. The year since has been the literal definition of hell on Earth but luckily most people gave the kid with dead parents a free pass.

Except my niece Riley.

I climb out of bed reluctantly, opening the door and heading down the small staircase before entering the kitchen where my niece is failing at pretending to cook something.

"Morning Riles" I laugh lightly as I take a seat at the table.

"Morning? Josh you slept through school again. It's four in the afternoon" she sighs as she leans back against the counter with her arms crossed over her chest.

"Sorry" I reply as I rub my neck, yawning in the process.

"Whatever" she scoffs as she rolls her eyes in annoyance. "Who was the blonde?" she asks curiously making me rack my brain for any memory of a girl. A blonde girl.

Maya.

I know it's not Maya. It'll never be Maya because after my parents passed away I blew up our someday. I turned into a playboy and she wanted nothing to do with me. I couldn't blame her but I missed her.

"You don't remember do you?" Riley asks in frustration, her annoyance with me seemingly growing by the second. "Josh I understand that everyone seems to be letting you get away with whatever the hell you want but this is ridiculous."

"You're not my mother Riley" I reply angrily as I bolt out of my seat. "Just leave me the fuck alone" I shout as I rush back to my room. I pull out my phone and look over my tweets and the pictures of me hanging over some random blonde girl. She's no competition for Maya that's for sure.

I'm scrolling through my feed when I finally stumble upon a tweet from Maya posted only a few minutes ago.

Peaches_Hunter: Maya + Algebra = F

"Riley" I shout making my niece appear in the doorway a few seconds later, an annoyed look still on her face.

"What?" she asks snippily as she crosses her arms over her chest.

"Is Maya having trouble in algebra?" I ask curiously making her roll her eyes as she walks into the room.

"You sleep with a different girl every weekend. You think I'm letting you anywhere near her. Block her. Now" Riley orders as she motions to the phone in my hand.

"No" I say seriously as I clutch my phone. "Can you just answer the damn question?"

"Fine" Riley sighs as she steps back from me. "She may be having a little bit of trouble" she admits and though this new information should make me sad it does the complete opposite.

Maya was struggling in algebra but back at my old school I was amazing at it. There was a perfect solution to this, one that might just make senior year my best year yet.