Monday, February 29, 2016

GMW fanfic, Right in Front of Her

After they entered the NYU dorm. Maya froze. She had wanted to leave. She knew it was too late, but Riley had to push her into confronting them. There he was sitting down with two girls next to him on the bed and a guy on his side. He looked surprised when he saw them. " Maya?, Riley?". Josh exclaimed shocked. He knew that his brother would kill him if he knew they were here.
"Whoa, Josh, you know these girls?, How you doing?, said his friend Zeke.  Josh was about to say that they weren't their age but in middle school. It's hard to tell anymore now a days.
May decided to let him know, since Riley was frozen. She looked at Zeke and said, "We're in middle school," she said in a sharp tone. That did it. Zeke then turned to Josh when he realized this. " Oh, um they can't be here, Josh". Now, Zeke felt awkward, it was one thing to hit on girls his age but to hit on girls in middle school is another thing.
 " Yes, we were just leaving actually," said Maya . "Wait", said one of the girls to the side of the bed. She was a little bit taller than Maya, had long black hair and brown eyes. " I'm curious about this, What's your name?", the girl said to Maya. May was surprised she thought she was talking to Riley. For some reason she looked honest.
"Maya", she said. The girl then motioned to the other girl next to her. " Ok, so Maya I'm guessing that you have a crush on Josh, am i correct in assuming this?, by the way I'm Sarah and this is Grace.", said Sarah. "It's not a crush," Maya said quickly. It wasn't. Just then the door knocked and it was the sorority girls who took Riley in, while Josh went to go get her back. She though that would be the end but soon enough Lucas came in. " Thank god, i was looking everywhere for you," said Lucas. Sarah, Grace, and Zeke focused on the scene in front of them. " Huckleberry, I told Riley to text you in case we were going to be late, that didn't mean you had to come here", said Maya a little annoyed. Lucas was surprised. Of course he was going to come, it's dangerous at night especially for girls. " I got worried, it's not safe at this time", he said. " Don't worry we can handle ourselves, well I can, Riley not so much," Maya chuckled at that. "Good", he smiled at her then. That's when they were aware that they were being watched. " Oh, we're sorry, we didn't mean to stare at you guys,"said Grace. " It's just that we noticed how comfortable you guys are with each other, Maya, you were smiling when he said he was worried about you", said Sarah. What were they saying? She was not smiling at him.
" He implied it to both of us right?", said Maya as she looked to Lucas. He was on the spot. In a way yes he did mean both but mostly Maya. She puts up walls around her so people don't see her fragile.
" Um," he was about to answer when Josh came back in with Riley.
" Maya, I though you were going to leave", said Josh " Maya told you guys about her crush", said Riley.
" It's not a crush", she said again. She was getting tired of repeating herself. She sat down on the bed next to Sarah and Grace. Lucas was beside her. " I just thought that if I did something like this, Josh would take me seriously and we could reach some sort of understanding", she said softly. Josh then stood up and went near her, " We have an understanding, you're going  home and I'm staying here", he said. Lucas wanted to punch him then. How dare he treat her like that?. It's one thing to not feel the same way but to just dismiss it as if it's nothing, he had a problem with that.
" Hey, you could at least be a little kinder to her, she's basically telling you her feelings and you're dismissing them," said Lucas with his arms crossed. Sarah, Grace and Zeke all crowded Maya. " He's right, dude" said Zeke. " "Guys, she's three years younger than me," said Josh crossing his arms.
" She's what 14 and you're 17 right?", said Grace
" Yup", said Josh." Ok, well right now for you, Maya that may seem like a lot but in 4 years you'll be 18 and Josh may look at you differently then. Lucas was not the type of person who said when someone was wrong. But, this girl gave bad advice. Wait 4 year like Maya is just going to wait around until Josh notices her.
He couldn't be silent anymore. " Well, I don't want that for Maya, I want Maya to be happy. I'm sorry but do you really think she's just going to wait just hoping that you like her in 4 years. If you do, then you don't know her. Maya is the most incredible person I have ever met. She's smart even when she tries to hide in class. She is loyal to her friends and family and is always there for them. She's a great artist, and I want her to get better because I know she has so much talent that she needs to share with people. Also, I have never known anyone that is selfless and compassionate as she is despite her home life. But, I also know that there are times where she gets insecure whether it's about her height or her dad leaving her and her mom. Her dad left her when she was 5 and every day she hoped that she would wake up and he would be there, but he never was. She stopped hoping because she learned that if you hope for things, you end up disappointed, So please, don't give her false hope. She's been through enough already".
 By the time Lucas was done, Sarah, Grace, and Zeke all looked at Maya. Maya was surprised by Lucas's speech about her, she had expected it to come from Riley, never expected it would come from the cowboy. He was right the more she thought about it, she would probably date around in four years than stick hoping for one guy, She liked Josh, He was always there for his family. He wanted to see his brother proud of him and Auggie liked him too. He was also, she realized that most of what she liked about him had to do with his family. She couldn't think of one thing about him as a person besides his eyes and smile. It's how Riley described Lucas when she started to like him. She thought it was different when it came to her but they're actually the same thing. She looked at Josh then " I'm sorry for coming here and you're right I am a little girl with a stupid crush on you, but you're also to blame too. See, at least I knew I liked you, but you're the one who also flirted with me when it was the holidays,the family game night, and Riley's first date. I'm sorry for thinking that you maybe liked me a little bit even though you knew I was younger than you. Don't worry though, I won't ever bother you again so you can go stay here with your friends, I'm going home, it's bad enough i'm humiliated in front of strangers". Maya then walked towards Lucas, " So you're walking me home, Huckleberry or what?", she said as Lucas tipped his hat. " sure thing, ma'am". Maya pretended to be annoyed. Lucas and Maya walked out of the room talking, their voices being heard as they went further down.
"Wait, what about Riley?," Lucas said, Maya looked back towards the room where Riley was.
" She'll be fine, Josh can walk her home anyway", said Maya. Reassured that Riley was going to be ok, Maya went on talking to him. " Thanks for saying those things about me, it meant a lot to me" she said softly.
" Anytime", he said smiling.
"So, are you sure you're ok, you know with the whole Josh thing", Lucas said with his eyebrows raised.
" Yea, I mean, it was a crush and my second one at most. It did hurt, but it's not like we dated or anything like that. Crushes are complicated. One minute you like one guy, the next another guy."she said.
" So how was the other guy?", asked Lucas
" What?", she said
" You said this was your second crush so you had a first one then, who was the guy?", he said
This was not where she thought it was going, he can't know about her first crush. No one knows not even Riley, especially Riley. She'll tell him someday but no today.
" That's a story for another time, Sundance," she said smirking.
" Good, then I'm looking forward to it", said Lucas.
He wanted to know who it was. Part of him was curious about it while another part was anxious because he secretly hoped it was him. Knowing Maya Hart, It could be either one but that's what he liked about her the most.

Monday, February 22, 2016

Review: Inland

Inland Inland by Kat Rosenfield
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I though that the premise of the book was interesting. Definitely had my attention about it being about a different take on the mermaid myth. But, there wasn't really a plot when I read it. Callie's mother dies, she witnessed it, forced to forget it, then is sent away to another place with her father. The mermaid myths are here and there. Also, the mental illness that her mother and she had as well wasn't developed much as it could have been. I still don't remember what she was diagnosed with in the end. Which reminds me, the ending, I was confused it, it didn't explain anything. I really think the book itself could have shorter, and subplots could have been taken out. The idea was great, the writing, beautiful but the execution not so much. I picked this book up 3 times. Also, I think the ending should have been in the beginning instead because It's Callie's memory of that day that when her mom died. That would have made more sense because then we would have gotten an idea of what it was like, instead of it being mentioned here and there.



Currently Reading : Me Before You by Jojo Meyes

I just got back from the library and I got Me Before You by Jojo Meyes, I am ready excited to start this book. Also, it is my first adult book that i will be reading this year. I want to expand the genres that I read this year. I am excited for the movie, the trailer looks amazing. It has been praised and praised by many people. But, I am going into it with low expectations because you never want to go into a book with very high expectations because you may end up disappointed.  

Thursday, February 18, 2016

Chapter 5

I think if I close my eyes, the day would on faster. But, the universe had other plans. , its lunch time in the cafeteria. You can always tell who the cliques are right away. Looking at Mike's table, he's in the middle surrounded by two guys, and I think a sophomore girl is about to approach him. They are the jocks of the school. Then, there are the geeks, cheerleaders, skaters, theater kids, and finally the popular girls. Looking at Maggie's table, she was obviously one. She was laughing with her friends as a freshmen tripped on a banana peel. 
I was walking towards a table, when I felt someone grab my wrist. You can probably guess who it was. 
" , Sam, come sit with me", Mike said gesturing towards his table. I noticed that his friends laughed when I looked at them. I don't want to hang around lunkhead jocks. 
" No thank, I'm good here," I said trying to get his grip off me. Man, this guy is strong. The guy does not give up though. He looked around the cafeteria.
" I get it, not your scene come on I know a better place," he said pulling my hand and leading me out. I don't know where he's taking me.  We're walking in the hallway when he takes a shortcut through one of the doors. Then we walked the stairs until we got to a door. 
Mike put a finger to his lips, " No one knows about this place ok", he said as he opened the door.
It was a garden although its mostly like a jungle.
" Wow, this is amazing", I said looking around the garden. Mike smiled and said, " I figured its a better place than the cafeteria, this way we can talk and no one can bother us".  
There were roses and lilies of different colors everywhere. I saw Mike grab a rose while we walked and he put it in his back pocket. There was a bench nearby so we sat down there. 
" So, what do you want to talk about?",  I said.  Mike laughed and said " well I was thinking the English assignment first, loved your answer by the way".
I was surprised. I didn't think anyone liked it. I just answered honestly. 
" So, who was the guy?". he said questionably. 
" Excuse me?", I said confused. Why is it important to him who it was. It's not like it matters. We had a relationship and then we didn't.
" You were obviously thinking of him when you answered the question, i was just curious," he said smiling.
Might as well tell him but he doesn't need to know everything. I'll keep it short and brief.
" He was my ex", I said softly. 
" How long did you guys date?", Mike asked
 Why does everyone ask this question when it comes to break ups?  It doesn't matter how long a couple dates, what matters is the time and the memories they had together.
" A year", I said firmly.
" Wow, it must have been tough, who did it then?" he said 
" It was mutual", I said. I learned a long time ago to always say mutual. That way no one gets hurts and feelings are spared.
" Enough about my relationship, how about yours?", I said crossing my arms at him. Now it's his turn.
Mike paused and cleared his throat. " We dated junior year and it was great the first few months. We were happy, always together. I remember this one time we stayed up all night talking and neither of us went to school that day. But then, as the months went on we would argue about everything, me not spending enough time with her because of basketball season. She would get mad if i didn't call her back or wait for her after school. She would get jealous of any girl who would look at me or talk to me. I swear to you, one time a freshmen had wanted an autograph of mine and she had pushed them out of the way. I think we just stuck with each other because it got comfortable. But, i knew it had to end".
" That's intense", I said. When it came to our relationship, we would have disagreements, but it would never be full blown out arguments.
" Yea, it was but now I'm better" he said
" who knows, you could meet someone new this year", I said.
He smiles, " Maybe, i already did".  i noticed that he kept going to his back pocket. He took out a white rose from it and held it out out me. 
" Thank you, it's-", I started to say but was cut off.
" I'm worthy of you", he said smiling.
" What?", I said confused.
He started laughing. " It's what white roses mean. Also, new beginnings which i think suits our situation".
Of course. 
" Right, I knew that, I said. 
" Of Course, you did, he said.
The bell rang which meant lunch was over. I was going to go on ahead first but Mike had other ideas. He held my hand and dragged me down the stairs, " Come on, we don't want to be late for Media Studies", he said as we ran down the stairs. 



Smoke And Fire - Sabrina Carpenter (Audio Only)

Tuesday, February 16, 2016

Julian Camarena - Dancer (Audio)

Chapter 4

My next class was English. The teacher's name was Emily Daniels. She was a petite women with  short black hair and brown eyes. I sat in the middle of the class. Soon enough, Mike came in smiling and sat down next to me. I ignored him and focused on the teacher. 
" Ok, seniors. Since this is your last year, I thought that instead of making you guys read Shakespeare, we would go for something more modern and easier to understand which is why we will be reading The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald", said Ms. Daniels.
Apparently, the great Gatsby is one of those classics that everyone has read. Mike turned to me as the books were being passed around. " So, when do yu want to meet up?" he said. I was confused then I remembered the project. "  I guess after school works, if you're not busy or anything", I said. He smiled and grabbed my hand, " great, then its a date". I figured he would let go of my hand, but he didn't. 
" Miss Montez, Mr Gold, is there something that you would like to share with the class?", the teacher said with her eyebrows raised. Great, now we'll get detention. Stupid Mike.
" No, ma'am", I said quickly. Last thing I need to get detention because of this guy.
" Wonderful, then perhaps you can answer this question,  Gatsby's  love for Daisy is what drives him to do irrational things, why do you think that is, Miss Montez?, she asked.
Before I knew it, I was answering the question. " Its because Daisy was his first love when he was young. When's you're young, everything feels like the end of the world. Everything is intense when it comes to your first love. Its the first time you're feeling these emotions and you don't know what to do with them. All you know that you want to be with this person because they make you happy. You allow yourself to be vulnerable around them and they don't judge you. You have all these fears because you don't know what's going to happen next, but when you look at them all those fears go away because that person is a part of your life and nothing could ever change that", I said softly. Mike looked at me then and grabbed my hand again.
" Excellent, Miss Montez, it is because his love was intense that he does everything to feel that way again", Ms Daniels said. She then looked at Mike, frowning.
" Mr. Gold, since you seem to love touching Miss Montez, and you clearly are not paying attention to the class because you are focused on her, I am making the two of you partners. Perhaps, you can learn a thing or two from her  she seems to have understood the story ", she said handing us two books, one for each.

Monday, February 15, 2016

Chapter 3

My next class was Human Studies. As soon as I left the room to go it, Mike decided to grab my hand again.
" , Seriously, what is it with you grabbing my hand," I said annoyed as I walked in the hallway.  Mike laughed and said " well you're new, you could get lost, this way I know where you are", he said smiling.
" well not all the time, I'm sure you have other classes" I said praying Health was the only class we had together.
He stopped to grab his schedule from his backpack and showed it to me. My mouth dropped when I saw it. You have got to be kidding me.
" Must be fate", he said pulling me again in the hallway.
Fate, right as if I believed in that.
I ignored him as we walked into the class. I noticed that he was still holding  my hand so I went to pull away. " you know I can't get to a seat, if you're constantly holding my hand", I said trying to pull away from him again. " we're going to  sit together, so this makes things easier", he said. That's when I saw that most of the students had taken a seat. There were only two seats left. Dammit it.  Mike grinned as he pulled me to the seats. He sat in the first one and I sat in the second one.
The teacher started to talk about the senior project. He had said the two words I hated. Buddy up.
" please, turn to the person next to you and introduce yourself", he said  writing on the board the lesson.
Mike and I already knew each other, so we shook hands. But then Mike decided to be funny and kiss my hand after. When I  pulled my hand away, the teacher said, " congratulations, you have just met your partner for the rest of the semester".  I pulled my hands in front of my face.  Mike patted my shoulder and said, " don't worry  we'll do great".
The teacher started to explain the project and what it would mean from both partners. It sounded similar to the project I did with Will but this one had a central idea. The one I did was based on how we saw the other person.
" Connecting is what we do everyday as people. In this project, I want you guys to figure out  what that means to each one of you. Do you guys just connect through  technology or something else. You will present as a pair what connecting  means to you along with a separate report on what you learned from this assignment". The teacher finished with writing down the name of the partners.
Connecting. How are we suppose to write and explain what it means to us?
To make matters worse, Mike held my hand as we left the class and his ex saw us.  I  pulled away from him and went to my locker. Speak of the devil, she was there when I slammed my locker shut.
" Listen, new girl. That's my boyfriend, so stay away from him or else", she said throwing my books down. I stood there and glared at her. Her ex is the one who keeps coming on to me. I didn't do anything, that's all on him. Before I could say anything, she had already left. I went to pick the books up, when Mike started to help me. " I'm sorry about that", he said putting them in my hands. I looked at him angrily. "Just stay away from me", ok? Last thing I need is some jealous ex coming after me and threatening me. We'll work together on the project together, but that will be it". Mike looked disappointed but then he looked angry.
" what did she say to you?" he said angrily. " she told me to stay from you, or else", I said nonchalantly. I don't get why he's mad at that. It makes sense any ex-girlfriend.would say that.
" you shouldn't listen to her", he said putting his hand on my locker.
" why not, its better than being threatened", I said.
" she's just doing this to get between us," he said putting my hands on his chest.  Between us? What is he talking about? There is no us.
" There is no us, Mike", I said.
He looked confused for a second. Then he  realized what he had said. " I meant our friendship", he said scratching the back of his neck.
I sighed. " well leopards and cheerleaders don't change their spots".
" what does that mean?" he said.
" it means that Maggie is not going to change all of sudden because I stay away from you. Girls like that never do. They always have interior motives". I said and left him to walk to my next class. 
 

Saturday, February 13, 2016

Chapter 2

When I walked into the classroom, Mike came right behind me. It was nice that he showed me around but I think he would have done that for anyone. He's the typical popular guy. I saw a picture of him in one of the hall frames. Basketball team. Figures, he's probably the captain.
I went  to Ms Matthews and explained that I was a new student. She was a women in her mid-30s. She has curly blonde hair and black eyes. She wore a orange blouse and black pants.
" Everyone, we have a new student her name is Sam and she moved here from New Jersey" said Ms.Matthews. I looked at the students in the class. Mike was sitting in the middle, he winked at me when I looked at him. A girl in the front noticed and glared at me. She was a little taller than me with curly black hair and blue eyes. She's probably his girlfriend or something.
"Now, where can we put you?", said Ms Matthews, while putting a hand on her hip. The back would be good. Nobody ever pays attention to the people in the back. I was about to say something that but then Mike raised his hand.
"Ms.Matthews," he said smiling. " Sam can sit next to me, we met earlier so I can show her around". Great, more time with this guy.  I looked at the girl in the front, her face was red as a tomato when she looked at me. I want about to say that I was fine sitting in the back but Ms.Matthews had other plans.
" How thoughtful of you, Mike, Sam you may sit next to Mike", she said pushing me towards my seat.
I sat down next to him. He must have found it amusing because he whispered " Sa5m, the five is silent, I love it ". So original. I nodded and looked back at the teacher as she went on talking about senior year and the semester. Mike decided that it would be fun to play with my hand while I was writing down notes. I looked at his girlfriend, this time she gave me an evil look. Last thing I needed is a jealous girlfriend mad at me.
" your girlfriend is looking at us", I whispered so the teacher wouldn't hear us.  Mike looked confused when I said this. I gestured towards the girl in the front who was throwing daggers at me.
He laughed. " oh that's Maggie, she's not my girlfriend, well she was junior year but we broke up after.". Wow, I guess she's still hurting.
" Judging by the multiple glares she's given me, I don't think she's over you", I said writing in my notebook.
Mike chuckles and decides to grab my hand again. I pull it away but he grabs  it again. I decide to ignore it and focus on my work. But, then i feel a piece a paper on the hand that Mike grabbed. On the paper, it had my name and his phone number, it said anytime you need help or just to talk". Such an idiot, he must have wrote it when I wasn't looking. I decided to keep it in my notebook. Its not like I'll ever call him.

Friday, February 12, 2016

Story- Chapter 1

As Sa5m approached the high school for her senior year, she thought of Will. Will was her ex-boyfriend from sophomore year when she lived in New Jersey. She lived in New Jersey her whole life. She loved it. The music, movies and the books.  She loved singing. There was a time where she stopped when she was younger. But, Will helped her when she sang for his band in Bandslam. They didn't win, but people loved them. She thinks that's when things started to go bad between her and Will. At first, it was little things, being late for dates or not calling back. But then, it started to go to his head because he cared more about the band than their relationship. She couldn't take it, so she ended it before junior year started. It was time they had both grown apart.

Junior year was went by like a blur. She was doing good in her classes, she didn't sing anymore because it reminded her of Will. She had made new friends who shared her love of books and scary movies. All that changed when her mom's job transferred them to California summer before senior year.

That is why she was standing outside staring at the name of her new high school. Hayden High School. It had an angelic ring to it. Sa5m had walked in to the office, told them her name and got her schedule. She saw that her first class was Health in room 14. Her teacher's name was Ms. Matthews.
" I have the same class, I can show you where it is" said a voice behind her. She turned around and saw that it was a guy with shaggy dirty blonde hair wearing a plaid shirt and jeans. She also noticed he had blue eyes. It reminded her of the ocean
Sa5m nodded her head at him.
" ok, thanks," she said not really sure if she can trust this boy, but he said he knew the way so what the hell.
"No problem,you must be new", said the guy as they walked through the hallway
" yea, we moved from New jersey", said Sa5m.
"Jersey, huh?, isn't that the, " he said putting his finger on his chin.
"birthplace of music", said Sa5m, smiling. Everyone knows that.
"right, oh I'm sorry I haven't introduced myself yet," said the guy clearing his throat. He then extended his hand towards Sa5m.
"Mike Gold, at your service" said Mike smiling.  She shook his hand
"Sam" said Sa5m.
" is that short for something like Samantha?", said Mike.
" No, well it's different in how I spell it", said sa5m
Mike was confused. This girl was telling him there is a different way to spell her name. It's only 3 letters, that's the only to spell it.
"how do you spell it? said Mike wondering. Sa5m took a piece of paper from her bag and a pen. She wrote down her name and handed to him.
" The 5 is silent", said Sa5m looking at him. She left him and proceeded to walk inside the classroom.

Wednesday, February 3, 2016

The Date, GMW fanfic

The day had finally arrived. She had doubted that it would happen. But, it did. Today would be the day that Maya Hart goes on a date with Lucas Friar. True to his word, he had told Riley the truth about he felt about her in 3 months. She had assumed that by then Lucas would have forgotten about the date and move on. She was wrong. He did not forget. He send her a rose every day for a week to her locker or would leave little post it notes reminding her with complements.

 It was also his idea to bring a camera to their date. When she asked him why earlier in the week, all he said was that it was to capture memories. So here she was dressed up in a floral blouse, jeans, and flats. For her hair, she decided to leave it loose and just added bangs to it. It was Lucas, so he's seen her in practically every outfit.
 She turned the camera on.
" Ok, guys so i'm about to go my date with Lucas. Normally, I wouldn't document it, but he said he wanted us to have it for memories so I'm doing it", said Maya as she walks down the stairs. The doorbell rings after she is finishes. Maya opens the door and sees Lucas standing there in a blue suit with flowers in his hands.
Lucas stops for a moment and stares at Maya. She realizes this and decides to break the tension.
" Say hi to the camera", says Maya as she points the camera at Lucas's face.
" Hello, um these are for you", says Lucas as he hands the flowers to Maya, Maya grabs the flowers from him and puts it in a vase.
" Ok, where are we going Lucas", said Maya pointing the camera at him. Lucas smiles at this. He loved how she was always curious about everything.
" Well, since this is one of our many first dates, I though that we would see an art festival", said Lucas smirking.
" Not bad", said Maya. At this point, they are walking out the door. Lucas was nervous now. He wanted to hold her hand but he didn't want to make her feel like she had to. He wanted it to come naturally. " So, what kind of art is going to be there?", said Maya as they walked to the train station. Lucas tried to remember the names on the flyer but failed. " Oh, i think just a little bit of everything I guess", said Lucas smiling. Maya was excited she loved art. It was her favorite thing to do at home and at school. While they were in the train, Maya and Lucas kept getting shoved around. It was happening so much that Lucas had to grab Maya's hand so she wouldn't fall.
By the time their stop was reached, Lucas noticed that Maya was still holding his hand. He smiled. Of course, she was too focused on being pushed that she didn't notice it.
 When they arrived at the art festival, it was better than anything Maya had imagined. There were paintings from Van Gogh, to Picasso, Frida Khalo, Fredrick Church and many others. Lucas watched as Maya's eyed glowed as she walked around the festival. He knew that she would love this place.
 He thought some of it was amazing. Maya stopped at one particular painting and stared at it. Lucas noticed and went near her.
" You like this painting?", said Lucas. It was a painting of that showed a mountain and the sky had a variety of colors from green to red and yellow.
" It's the Aurora Borealis, The Northern Lights", said Maya smiling. Lucas loved watching her talk about art. He took the camera and pointed at her, Maya noticed and stopped smiling
" What are you doing?", she said
" filming you talking about the painting,"said Lucas
:" Why?", said Maya perplexed. She had forgotten about the camera actually.
" I love watching you talk about art because you're passionate about it", he said smiling
" Even if it's boring ?", said Maya
" It's not boring to you right?, that's the only thing that should matter", said Lucas
" I guess, you're right, she said.
"So how did you learn about The Northern Lights?", he said. He doesn't remember Mr. Matthews ever teaching them about it.
Maya looked down for a moment, Lucas sensed that it was something important but he didn't want to push her. " It's okay, you don't have to tell me if you don't want to", he said putting his hand on her shoulder.
Maya looked up and smiled at him. " Um no, it's fine, really. I learned about the Northern Lights from my mom. It was a few days after my dad had left us. There was one night, I was five and there was a thunderstorm. I remember thinking that the light was so bright, I thought the world was on fire. So, I hide under my covers crying and hoping that it ends soon. Then, my mom comes flying into the room and puts the covers from me. She decided to make it a game to calm me down. She said that we were in Alaska looking for gold and said that the lighting was The Northern Lights. She had told me that before there were maps, explorers used the stars to navigate where they were going and said that if i was ever lost, I can just look up at the stars and find my way home".
Lucas was shocked at at how young Maya was when her dad left her. It made him sick to his stomach. How could anyone leave this incredible person?
" Let's take a picture near the painting", said Lucas
" Ok, sure", she said smiling
They got close together, Since Maya was shorter than Lucas, he had to bend down to put his arm around Maya. On the other hand, Maya had no problem getting close to Lucas's side.  Lucas took the picture. In it, they are pressed against each other. Lucas has his arm around Maya while Maya has her arm around Lucas's waist. They both have smiles on their faces.
After the art festival, they decided to get something to eat at Topanga's. They had ordered two smoothies and hot dogs. They sat in one of the couches in the bakery.
" So, what did you think?, said Lucas pointing the camera at her.
" Ok, it was a pretty good date," said Maya laughing.
" Is there hope for a second one?", he said smirking
" We'll see how the night ends, she said
" Fair enough," said Lucas
They had spend the rest of the date talking about everything. Lucas had told Maya why his dad was transferred and why he was kicked out of school. Maya told Lucas about how it was like for her when her dad left, how she met Riley and Farkle, and her mom.
" Seriously, that's how you guys met". said Lucas laughing
" yes, apple- picking. Riley was bobbing for apples but she kept drowning, so I told her to lift her head. She didn't lift it at the right time so i ended up getting wet and Farkle had to help me pull her out", said Maya.
" how about any stories about you?", said Lucas
" I have told you stories about me, said Maya
" no, most of the stories have been about your mom, Riley, and Farkle, he said
"OK, I'll tell you one but you have to promise not to tell anyone not even Riley knows", said Maya firmly.
"  Scout's honor"," he said as he did a scout salute
" When I was 10, I was obsessed with Taylor Swift so I would sing her songs and post them online", said Maya
" You liked country music?", he said smirking
" When i was younger, ok  I don't anymore, said Maya seriously.
" Really?, so if i search your name, nothing will come up?, said Lucas raising his eyebrows
She thought about it. There were still some old videos of her singing. He could find them and show them to Riley and Farkle.
" I'll show you one of them", said Maya. She was thinking of one of them that's harmless. The Valentine's Day one.
Lucas was excited to see them. He would never have guessed that Maya sang country music when she was younger.
She picked the Valentine's day one. In the video, it showed a younger Maya with a guitar in her hand. " Hi, everyone this is Maya", said the younger version. " I'm going to be doing my first cover on the guitar. This is Jump then fall by Taylor Swift and this is my belated, kind of belated Valentine's day present to all of you and i hope you all have a great Valentine's Day." This is Jump then fall, again by Taylor Swift, again', she smiled and strummed the guitar.

I like the way you sound in the morning,
We're on the phone and without a warning
I realize your laugh is the best sound I have ever heard

I like the way I can't keep my focus,
I watch you talk you didn't notice
I hear the words but all I can think is we should be together

Every time you smile, I smile
And every time you shine, I'll shine for you

Whoa oh I'm feeling you baby
Don't be afraid to jump then fall, jump then fall into me

Baby, I'm never gonna leave you,
Say that you wanna be with me too
Cuz I'ma stay through it all so jump then fall

Well I like the way your hair falls in your face
You got the keys to me I love each freckle on your face, oh,
I've never been so wrapped up,
Honey, I like the way you're everything I've ever wanted

I had time to think it all over and all I can say is come closer,
Take a deep breath and jump then fall into me

Every time you smile, I smile
And every time you shine, I'll shine for you

Whoa oh I'm feeling you baby
Don't be afraid to jump then fall, jump then fall into me

Baby, I'm never gonna leave you,
Say that you wanna be with me too
I'ma stay through it all so jump then fall

The bottoms gonna drop out from under our feet
I'll catch you, I'll catch you
When people say things that bring you to your knees,
I'll catch you
The time is gonna come when you're so mad you could cry
But I'll hold you through the night until you smile

Whoa oh I need you baby
Don't be afraid please
Jump then fall, jump then fall into me

Baby, I'm never gonna leave you,
Say that you wanna be with me too
I'ma stay through it all so jump then fall

Jump then fall baby
Jump then fall into me, into me

Every time you smile, I smile
And every time you shine, I'll shine
And every time you're here baby, I'll show you, I'll show you
You can jump then fall, jump then fall, jump then fall
Into me, into me yeah
The video ended. Maya had her hands over her face and waited for Lucas to start laughing. She was surprised when she heard clapping instead. " Aww. you were so adorable. you had a great voice even then", said Lucas smiling.
" No, I didn't, I couldn't hit the high notes", said Maya looking away from him
" Your voice was great, I bet it's even better now", said Lucas
" No,", said Maya
" Come one, just one verse or the chorus", he said grabbing her hand. She looked at her hand and thought about it. It was only one verse or chorus, it's not like anyone is going hear her. She nodded and Lucas took out the camera.  He spoke to it, " Ladies and Gentlemen, the beautiful and talented Maya Hart". She laughed," You're so weird". She smiled and took a deep breath.
No one ever listens, this wallpaper glistens
Don't let them see what goes down in the kitchen.

Places, places, get in your places
Throw on your dress and put on your doll faces.
Everyone thinks that we're perfect
Please don't let them look through the curtains.

Picture, picture, smile for the picture
Pose with your brother, won't you be a good sister?
Everyone thinks that we're perfect
Please don't let them look through the curtains.

D-O-L-L-H-O-U-S-E
I see things that nobody else sees.
(D-O-L-L-H-O-U-S-E
I see things that nobody else sees)
She stopped and looked at Lucas who stopped filming. She was surprised when Lucas came near her. She moved back and he kept moving closer." um, so how was it,?". she said nervously playing with her fingers,
Lucas grabbed her hands and kissed them. She was shocked at how affectionate he was being. " That was beautiful, Maya you have an amazing voice", he said smiling while still holding her hands
" Thank you", said Maya smiling. She was good at something. She never thought she would be compared to her friends.
"Do you mind if i do something?", said Lucas
" um, sure," she said wondering what he was going to do.
He brushed hair away from her face and grabbed her face. Maya was frozen. She didn't think that he would kiss her. She knew that she should move away but her feet aren't moving. Her eyes widen as he pressed his lips against hers. At first, she was shocked but then she closed her eyes. Lucas felt over the moon when he kissed her. He felt her kissing back and pulled her in more. They opened their eyes when they were done.
Both of them were nervous walking back home. Lucas walked Maya to her door. " So, how about that second date?", said Lucas holding her hand.
Maya was happy for the first time. The date turned out better than she had expected.
" Yeah, I would like that", she said smiling. She noticed that he liked holding her hands a lot. It's like he wants to make sure she's actually there.
Lucas kissed Maya again and said their goodnight to each other.
They both slept with smiles on their faces. Maya looked up at the stars before going to bed that night. Unknown to her, Lucas was looking at the same sky as well. He had framed the picture they had taken and it sat beside his bed. He liked looking at it because they were both happy in the picture. Hopefully, they would take more pictures like that in the future.