Girl Meets Maya's World: Chapter 1

Chapter 1: Riley's Returned Secret

I was waking up for a regular Wednesday at school. Yay, can't wait. What 12-year-old middle school student is excited to go to school? I am just like everyone else. No different, I don't want to be different. I am just one of them. "Beep! Beep! Beep! Beep!" went my annoying alarm clock.

"Just ignore it, Just ignore it" I thought to myself, covering my ears with my pillow. It just got louder and louder and my pillow stopped blocking out the sound.

"Ugh!" I cried and sat straight up. I hit it multiple times until it shut off. I sighed and flopped back down onto my bed.

"Get up, Maya" I told myself, forcing myself out of bed. I glanced over at the alarm clock that read "6:03am." I was already late. I leaped out of bed and rushed over to my closet. I pulled out whatever was at the front of my closet and quickly whipped it on. I curled my blonde hair into big light curls in 20 solid minutes. I ran downstairs and looked over at the time. "6:42am" it read. I had 20 minutes to eat breakfast and pack my stuff for school. 7th Grade was much harder than 6th Grade was, I kinda wish I could go back.

"I'm gonna be late" I sighed after finishing my breakfast. I packed by bag and took the New York City subway to my best friend, Riley Matthews's house. Riley Matthews. Quirky, awkward and definently over-dramatic. Riley's my best friend, but sometimes she needs to keep her cool better than she does.

Once it came to my stop, I got off and rushed to Riley's apartment building, fearing of being late. "Maya" I said into the buzzer. "It's open!" I heard a voice say into the buzzer. That voice was none other than Mr. Matthews. Riley's father and a father figure to me, but most of all, our 7th Grade history teacher. Mr. Matthews teaches at our school and he is a mentor about life strategies and his class lessons are often life lessons. I look forward to attending his history class, because it often involves life lessons, not something you'd see on a test that is required to be memorized or understood.

I walked up and opened the door to Riley's apartment, Number 26, across the hall from 27. "Hey Goofballs!" I said opening the door with a smile. I saw Mrs. Matthews, Riley's mom, Auggie, her little brother and Mr. Matthews, her father all eating at the table. "Hey, Maya, oatmeal?" Mrs. Matthews asked. I knew she'd make me eat it whether I accepted her offer or not, so I decided not to fight it this time. "Where's Riley?" I asked, placing myself across from Auggie at the table. "She's getting ready" Mr. Matthews said. "Riley, let's go!" Mrs. Matthews called to Riley. Not a minute later, Riley waltzed out from the hallway, she looked exhausted, like she got no sleep last night. Her face was more red than usual and her eyes were only half open. Her t-shirt was on backwards and her hair looked
like she wore an angry racoon as a nightcap.

"Whoa, Riles. What's with...that?" I asked motioning to everywhere on her. Riley plopped down beside me and her head dropped onto my shoulder.
"Riley" Mr. Matthews attempted to figure out the problem.
"Did you wake up on the wrong side of the nest?" I asked. I looked down at her clothing. It was nearly 20 degrees outside and she was wearing sweat pants and a long sleeve shirt with a heavy jacket.

"You know this isn't Antarctica, right?" I asked her glancing at her outfit. No words came out, not even body language.
"Cory, don't do anything. You've got to get headed to work, or the kids will all beat you there" Mrs. Matthews said.
"Right, got it" Mr. Matthews said leaping up from his seat.
Mr. Matthews walked passed me and whispered "Fix your friend!" hoping I could put a light into this situation.
I sighed, "Let's get going" I said getting up from my warm seat. Riley followed me, dragging her backpack behind her. When we got out of the house, I picked up her bag off the floor and carried it to the subway for her.

We took our spots on the subway, standing in the aisle. "So, what's taken the color out of your rainbow?" I asked vigerously. "Nothing, I'm fine, Maya" she said. "Come on, Riles. I thought we didn't keep secrets" I said convincingly. "I thought you didn't try to fix things you have no control over" Riley said. She was right, I normally would leave such a thing alone. "Yeah, but I love and care about you, Riley. I will not just leave you like this. Your my best friend, I couldn't just leave you out to dry" I said making myself clear. "Maya, I'm fine. What would I have to be sad about?" she asked. "Hey, that's my question, Riles. What do you have to be sad about?" I asked. "Nothing" she said. I sighed and looked down at my feet, my long black boots even seemed saggy today. The subway came to a stop and we arrived at school.