Betrothed

Never Grow Up

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It was times like these where Maya wished that a time machine had been invented. She wished with her whole heart and soul she could go back to when she was just starting high school. When things weren't so complicated. Or better yet, elementary school. Where her and Riley would rush to get home so they could watch Peter Pan over and over again in Riley's living room after Cory had helped them finish their homework.

Where there really wasn't a Josh or she didnt have to worry about college. Where she could just hang out with her best friend and dream about being in Neverland. Where she didnt have to think about growing up and becoming an adult. Where she didnt know that she was going to have her entire future taken away from her by her soon to be in-laws.

So many thoughts ran through Maya's head as she tried to watch Peter Pan and get her mind off of everything that was going wrong in her life. Where she could just be Maya inside the four walls of her bedroom and have her iPhone turned off beside her where she didnt have to be interrupted. The unopened envelope from California laying on her bedside table, forgotten for the time being.

Maya had turned her phone off right when she had gotten into her room, she had no idea how many times Josh may or may not have tried to call her. She didnt think about graduation that was just six days away now. Or the fact that she was supposed to go with Riley later on to check on the venue and pick up their dresses.

Maya just wanted to spend her Saturday alone, laying in bed all day and watching nothing but old disney movies that brought her back to her childhood, brought her back to a time where she the only big problem that she had in her life was figuring out if she was going to have dinner that night or not.

A knock on the window interrupted her time to herself as Maya chose to ignore it, hoping that whoever it was would just give up and go away.

"Maya Hunter! I know you are not watching Peter Pan without me!" Maya couldnt help but smile as she heard her best friends muffled voice from out the window.

Slowly getting up from her spot on the bed, she walked over to the window and stared through it at the sad smile of her best friend.

"Did Josh send you?" Maya asked her, preparing herslef to close the curtains on even Riley if there was any indication that Josh had asked her to come talk to her.

"I did to talk to Josh, yes. But that's not why I'm here." Riley held up her envelope, identical to Maya's that was still laying on the bedside table. Maya opened the window and allowed her best friend to crawl through. She could see the nerves on her friends face.

"When did you get it?" Maya asked her.

"It came in the mail yesterday. I was going to wait until you got back from the dinner to tell you. But Josh told me what happened after I called him when I didnt here from you this morning." Riley explained. Maya walked over and grabbed hers from the beside table. She held it up to Riley.

After a long talk between the two, they both decided that where they wanted to go to college was not the same place. So because they both cared about the other, for the first time in their lives Riley and Maya decided to seperate from one another and apply to different colleges.

Riley applied to a college in Texas so that she could go and be with Lucas, and Maya followed her heart and decided to apply for a scholorship to an art school in California. As a back up plan, they both decided that they would apply to NYU. But neither of them had gotten those letters back yet, and depending on what was in the ones that they were holding, it wouldnt matter.

"Okay, on the count of three we open them together." Riley said. Maya breathed deeply as she nodded her head, her hands starting to tremble as she held the envelope tightly in her hands.

"One." Maya started.

"Two." Riley continued.

"Three." They both said together before they ripped open their letters and pulled them out to begin to read.

It was silent for the first few minutes, the most nerve-wrecking few minutes of their lives. Before suddenly it was like a volcano errupted in the room.

"I GOT IN!" They both screamed at the same time as they jumped up and down and hugged each other. They both smiled and laughed as they took in the moment together, everything gone away from Maya's mind for the time being.

"What does yours say?" Riley asked smiling. Maya brought the letter back up to her face and started reading.

"Dear Ms. Maya Hunter,
We are pleased to inform
that you have been accepted
into California School Of Art
for a full four year scholorship
based off of letter recomendation
from your teachers."

Maya finished reading as her and Riley got excited and started screaming again. Shawn and Katy werent home, otherwise they would be busting the doors down trying to find out what happened.

"This is amaing Maya! We're going to college!" Riley excalimed. But then just like that, excitement turned into dissapointment. Reality hit Maya like a ton of bricks.

"No." She stated. "You're going to college. I'm getting married." Riley's face dropped as Maya put her letter back down on her bed.

"What? Maya this is your dream school! I'm sure if you explained this to Josh he-"

"Josh isnt the reason I'm not going. His parents are. How am I supposed to get married and then leave for school two months later. California is on the other side of the States. There is no way I'm going to be able to go." Maya told her as she sat down on her bed. Peter Pan still playing in the background. Riley frowned.

"Maya, this is your dream. You cant give it up." She whispered. Maya shrugged her shoulders.

"What choice do I have, Riles?" Maya asked her. Riley went to sit down on the bed beside her. Maya leaned her head on Riley's shoulders as Riley looped her arms through hers. "Things were so much simpler back then." Maya whispered as her and Riley watched Peter Pan quietly.

Maya didnt have to elaborate, Riley knew exactly what she meant. Both girls suddenly wishing they could go back in time, wishing that they had never grown up.
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