The Broken Beauty

Tell Me What's Going On

Maya climbed in the window and saw Riley.

"Where's Farkle?"

Riley looked over at her. "He's not here."

"Oh." Maya said scooting over to Riley. "Sooo..."

"I think I know why you're so upset." Riley blurted out. Maya sighed.

"I'm not upset."

"Yes you are. You're upset because Farkle chose me instead of you." She said.

Maya gaped at her. "Wait, you think I'm jealous?"

Riley nodded. "It's okay if you are, you can tell me. Farkle didn't choose you. It has to hurt, but you can't make him feel bad for choosing me or make me feel bad that he loves me, not you. I'm sorry, Maya, but you have to get over this! Farkle's mine!" Riley started out calm, but got louder the more she thought about Maya trying to take Farkle.

Maya scoffed. "That's not it at all, Riley. I'm glad he chose you! I didn't want him to choose me!"

"Then tell me what this is because I don't get it!"

Maya moved over to the window. "No, you don't get it! You don't know me at all and you don't even understand!" She yelled.

Riley turned toward the window. "Maya, you're not making sense! Tell me what's going on!"

"Leave me alone!" Maya shouted crawling through the window. Riley reached out and grabbed her foot. "Let go of me!"

"No! Tell me what's going on! I can't understand unless you explain it and I won't leave you alone!"

"Let go or I'll kick you!" Maya yelled out angrily.

Riley chuckled. "You wouldn't kick me."

Maya threw her leg back making Riley let go and fall off the window seat.

"You kicked me!" Riley gasped from the floor.

Maya just shrugged and left down the fire escape.

She walked home and climbed through her bedroom window.

She wrapped her arms around herself when she felt the cold air. When she reached for her jacket on her desk chair she knocked over the lamp making a loud crash.

"Maya?! That you?!"

She flinched. "Yes." She said meekly before the door opened up.

"Why didn't you use the front door?" She asked.

"I didn't want to wake you up. You worked two shifts last night."

"Oh, baby girl, you don't have to worry about me. It's my job to worry about you." Katy said putting her hands on Maya's arms. "You should go to the Matthews. I have to work another double tonight." She stated.

Maya frowned. "Why can't someone else?"

Katy sighed. "Abby has the flu and Sarah is out of town. The diner needs me and we need the money."

"Well Riley and I fought so I can't go there." She said following after her mother while she got her things gathered for work.

"Well, you can't stay here tonight, baby girl."

Maya frowned. "Why?"

Katy sighed. "Because we have no heat or electric."

"I have a coat and heavy blankets. I'll just sleep."

Katy grabbed her purse. "No, Maya. We don't have food right now either. I have to wait til payday to go shopping." She said putting on her lip gloss.

"But Mom, I-"

"No Maya. That's final. Now come on. I'll walk with you, but we have to go now because I have to catch the subway."

Katy walked to the door and Maya reluctantly followed behind her.

Katy gave Maya a quick one arm shoulder squeeze, then they parted ways because Katy was going downtown and Maya was going into the city. But Maya didn't want to visit Riley so after she watched her mother leave she turned to go back home again.

"Maya?!" She heard a voice call out and looked around to see where it was coming from.

"Oh, Hey Cowboy."

"Hey. What are you up to? I thought you would have been home by now."

Maya nodded. "I was."

Lucas waited for her to explain, but soon realized she wasn't going to so he tried to make small talk.

"I'm just headed home after baseball tryouts. Really hope I make the team." He said smiling.

She shrugged. "Maybe. If you want to make the New York team though you better root for the right team or the other guys will eat you alive. So, who do you root for, the Yankees or the Mets?"

Lucas chuckled. "I like the Yankees." He smiled.

Maya frowned and got closer to his face. "They will eat you alive."

Lucas leaned down into her face and grinned. "I can handle it. So, who do you root for?" He asked raising his eyebrows.

Maya smirked. "Yanks, but I'm not trying out so they don't care about me." She shrugged.

Lucas just kept smiling down at her. "Well I do."

Maya blinked. "You do?"

Lucas nodded. "Uh huh."

"Why?"

He smirked. "Because Yankee fans have to stick together in this Mets city."

Maya chuckled and playfully shoved him away from her. He just kept grinning at her.

"Can I walk you home?"

Maya shrugged. "Sure."