The Wrong Choice

Chapter 3

I'm alive, Marley didn't kill me
I'm pretty sure the last chapter had the most j*shaya in the book so it's all good from here. I think. We'll see.
This is a long ass chapter so have fun

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Maya was silent on the bus ride back from the ski lodge. She and Josh had decided not to sit together in hopes of not drawing attention to themselves, so she sat alone in the back of the bus, her head resting against the cold window as she watched rain drops race down the glass.

Lucas and Riley had obviously sat together; Maya had expected nothing less. Although, she had hoped that Riley might sit beside her best friend, but she understood the constant desire to be close to Lucas, so she couldn't blame her.

Farkle was with Smackle, both lost in their own little world as they talked quietly, though Maya could hear Smackle clearly disproving some theory Farkle was trying to convince her of, and Farkle's constant frustrated sounds he distinctly made when he knew he was wrong.

Zay had decided to sit with Josh, bugging him about how he was, "so smooth with the ladies."

"You gotta tell me your secret, man!"

Maya rolled her eyes a little, but refused to spare a glance in their direction, closing her eyes as she prayed for the sleep that wouldn't come.

+++

They'd arrived back to the school a few long hours later, and Maya was the last to get off the bus. She threw a fake smile to her teacher as she passed, ignoring Mr. Matthew's concerned glance. She'd been uncharacteristically quiet the majority of the day.

She played the tired card and left him there, walking to Riley's locker to meet with her best friend as they always did after school.

"Riles, let's go." She nodded towards the exit before turning to look at the perky brunette, who was lip locked with a certain cowboy against her locker.

Riley pulled back quickly, as if she wasn't expecting anyone to be there, though they were standing right next to an obviously bored Zay Babineaux, an uncomfortable Isadora Smackle and a clearly annoyed Farkle Minkus.

"Go where?" She asked quickly.

Maya blinked a few times to clear the image from her mind, but the picture was imprinted painfully in her brain. "Bay window?" She raised a brow.

Riley blinked dazedly as she cocked her head. "Oh, are we doing that today?" She asked lamely.

Maya stared at her as if she'd just been accused of murder. "We've gone to the bay window everyday after school since we met, Riley, yes we're doing that today." She exaggerated.

Riley glanced between Maya and Lucas before she sighed softly. "We're growing up, Peaches. Traditions change. Remember when I stopped going to the Coney Island Cyclone with daddy every year?"

Everyone in the group stared at her incredulously.

"Riley." Farkle exclaimed. "Are you serious right now? You're comparing your and Maya's special safe place to a damn roller coaster?"

"I mean, it's just a window." Riley shrugged. "The window isn't special, we are." She smiled at Maya, thinking she'd just said something sweet instead of the bombshell she'd dropped, making everyone hold their breath as they waited for Maya to explode.

After about a minute of stillness and silence, Maya let out a shaky breath. "Oh."

"Well shit." Zay quipped.