A Stray Cat

Feeding A Stray

He knocked on the door to his best friend's apartment and grinned widely when it swung open.

"Shawny!" Cory yelled happily.

"Cory!" Shawn yelled back then they threw their arms around each other.

"I didn't know you were gay." A rude voice piped up behind Shawn making Cory move back and glare at her.

"Shawn? Buddy?" Cory smiled at him.

"Yeah Cor?" Shawn asked with a chuckled knowing what Cory wanted.

"Who is the mean little girl behind you?" Cory asked still glaring.

Maya rolled her eyes and walked past Shawn to enter the apartment.

"I actually never caught her name." Shawn shrugged. "Hey kid! Name?"

Maya glanced around the room, everything seemed so familiar to her. "It's Maya. Maya Hart." She shrugged. She turned and saw a lady looking at her with a shocked face. "What?"

Cory turned to the young blonde girl. "Maya? Little Maya Hart?"

Maya looked from the lady to the guy named Cory in confusion. "Yeah?"

"Maya." Topanga smiled at her.

Maya turned back around to look at the lady cautiously. "Yeah? What? Why are you smiling at me?" She snapped. "Great. I should have know the nice guy was a murderer. Are you gonna eat me alive or kill me first?"

Topanga chuckled. "Someone watches too many horror movies."

"Shawn, how did you find her?"

Shawn shrugged. "Oddly enough I just came across a runaway kid. Maybe it was, I don't know, fate or something."

Maya turned around again. "Fate? Okay are you all crazy or just weird?"

"Maya, are you staying for dinner?"

"No way. You guys are-" Her stomach growled. "Damn stomach. Shut up."

Topanga chuckled. "You sound hungry. I'll set another place."

"I'm not hungry. I'm fine."

"Come on kid, stay for dinner, then we'll look for your little friend."

"How are you gonna find her? I told you I only know her name. I can't even remember her dumb address." Maya frowned and kicked the couch.

Topanga chuckled. "Maya, would you want to help me in the kitchen? Our daughter and her boyfriends will be home soon." She gave her a smile.

"Boyfriends? Wow, you sure she is Cory's daughter." Shawn joked. "Then again she is your daughter too."

"No! They are not boyfriends! No boys! I'm not ready!" Cory yelled.

Topanga chuckled. "They are just friends, Shawn. I just like saying that to tease Cory." She laughed a little.

"Not funny! It's never funny!"

"So your kid just has friends that are boys then? Is she a tomboy, cuz the last time I saw her she was very girly."

"Not really a tomboy. She promised to never make another friend, but when Minkus brought his son over they became friends then he made friends with this boy so Riley did too and then that boy had a friend from Texas and she made friends with him and now they all swarm around her like gnats!"

Maya shook her head. "What kind of nut house did I walk into?"

"No kidding, Minkus reproduced?" Shawn chuckled. "Wow. Times sure have changed, haven't they?"

"We're not sure. He might be a clone.. Oh by the way Topanga, Auggie is staying at Ava's for dinner tonight. I would have told you earlier, but you have have dragged him back here."

"Ick." Topanga groaned.

"Ava?" Shawn asked curiously.

Cory shrugged. "He has a wife. He takes after me ya know." He grinned.

Shawn shook his head and chuckled. "Only you would be okay with your six year old getting married."

"I'm not okay with it." Topanga made an 'ick' noise again rolling her eyes.

Maya was trying to tune out all the annoying people while setting the table. She never set the table at her house, barely even sat down at it, it was always cluttered with bills and empty bottles so she would just heat up a cup of noddles and eat in her room, either at her desk or in front of her TV since her bed was a futon.

When she finished setting the table Topanga told Maya she could go sit on the couch and watch some TV. She was used to sitting and mindlessly flicking through the channels so she went to sit down. The couch was more comfortable than her futon, much softer and there were no metal bars pressing against the back of her legs.

"I'm home!" A voice shouted as the door opened and a girl walked into the apartment followed by three boys who all looked around the same age.

"Farkle sees a girl! Hello lady!" He was about to step closer, but a strong hand clapped down on his shoulder making him stop in his tracks. "Let Farkle go!"

"You can't just walk up to her and flirt." A voice said in annoyance.

"Farkle can flirt with anyone! Farkle has an agreement!" He huffed.

"I think he means don't scare off the girl. We don't get to talk to many because of who we hang around with." Another boy chimed in.

"That's not my fault." The girl scoffed.

"Yeah it is." The boy argued back.

"Well then stop being my friend. See if I care." She huffed flipping her brunette hair over her shoulder.

He smirked at her. "Don't lie. Plus I'd never stop being your friend, but I wish you'd be more social with girls so they would come around more."

"Uh, not to interrupt, but don't you want to know who the random girl sitting on your couch watching tv is?"

Riley looked over. "Oh right. Thanks Lucas." She turned to her dad. "Also who is the guy sitting by my dad at the window? He looks kind of familiar."

"Little bird!" Shawn shouted with a wave. "Been a long time, kid. Last time I saw you ya looked like this." He said squishing his face up. "You were a weird little baby." He laughed.

Riley gasped and blushed. "Who are you?! That's embarrassing! Don't say that! I have friends over! Daddy!"

Cory chuckled. "Riley, this is my best friend, Shawn Hunter." He smiled over at the couch. "And that is your best friend Maya Hart, remember?"

Riley stared at her father in shock, then she looked down at the bracelet on her wrist. The pink, purple, and orange strings braided around each other to form one thick band. "Maya?"
Riley turned to look at the girl on the couch, and the girl turned to look at Riley with a shocked expression.

"Dinner is ready!" Topanga yelled.