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[hartsquad]

Lovers Lie

Lucaya Fanfiction. Look guys I’m old and a mom and don’t have time to edit so it is gonna be a little messy. Let me know what you think and if I should continue. I’ll be posting here.

Before crossing the large green courtyard Maya clicked the button to lock her beat up old bug. Once she heard the beep, she stuffed her keys in her book bag and pulled out her camera. The school year had started just a few weeks ago and it was senior year, Maya wanted to capture every moment.

And it wasn’t because she was feeling bittersweet nostalgia. During her high school year Maya took up graphic design. Anything with a computer or tablet she was talented at, of course she still loved her paints, pencils, and canvas but Maya saw graphic design was where the money was at and could support a lifestyle for herself while she kept painting, what she really loved, as a side passion. She could do it when she wanted, how she wanted, whenever she wanted it was all her, but graphic design she did for others.

That’s how Maya ended up as the editor for the yearbooks Student Life page. Her job was to take and find the pictures, create a memorable page for her and her classmates in her last year of high school and submit it for her college portfolio.

Maya was already in talks with a college after her teacher sent a lot of work she did for the school and local businesses, for the most part she had it in the bag it was just doing the formal application process.

So here Maya was setting up her camera and looking for the perfect photo.

Once she reached the fountain in the courtyard, she scanned the grassy location.

Of course, the beautiful and popular were at the fountain like the first shot of any high school film and Riley Matthews was at the center of it all as president of the student council. They were doing a back-to-school fundraiser for all the lavish activities they had planned for the year. Right now, it was “Breakfast by the Fountain”, pay $3 dollars for your pick of a breakfast bowl and enjoy it by the fountain.

Maya headed over and Riley caught sight of her.

“Peaches!”

“Hi honey,” Maya smiled back and motioned to her camera. Riley lifted a warm breakfast bowl and had that big sunshine smile on her face. Maya's camera clicked and Riley handed the bowl to her.

“Of course, we appreciate everything you do for our yearbook and the amazing photos of the student council that you get an honorary bowl! "And just because I love you,” Riley beamed.

Maya smiled. “Thank you Riles.”

Riley didn’t see though; it was bit of a forced smile.

“Oh! I can’t make it Friday! Kelly and I are going to the shelter to help pass out doggie bedtime treats and then meet up with the rest of the council later, I’m sorry!”

“It’s okay, I have to work on my layout for the yearbook anyway, get some ideas going.”

This wasn’t new to Maya. Since Riley gained some confidence, she's had her own life in high school that Maya had been put on the backburner for. Maya loved watching her little baby bird spread her wings at first, then she got sad, but now it was just the new normal.

She and Maya make plans, but Riley backs out for the council and whatever activities they have planned.

And Lucas.

Maya shakes that lost thought away.

“I knew you would understand peaches!” Riley threw her arms around Maya and gave her a tight squeeze.  

Maya hugged her back. She remembered when Riley's hugs were her safe place but now, they just feel foreign, and that thought does leave a bittersweet taste in Maya’s mouth.

“Is my biscuits and gravy breakfast bowel ready to go?”  

Maya stiffened but Riley didn’t notice, and she broke from the hug.

“Of course, it is, and I it made with love,” Riley said to Lucas.

She thought the devil into existence.

Lucas stared at Maya, and she stared back at him and for a split second everything stopped.

A backseat, a sky full of stars, strong arms, and a maybe.

Riley leaned in for a kiss from Lucas which he responded too, and Maya tried to make a getaway.

“Aww Maya they are so cute! You have to take a picture for the couple's page!”

Maya glared at Denise.

“Oh, please Maya!” Riley pleaded. “The sun is hitting the water just right and it would be so magical!”

Maya gave a small smile. “Anything for you Riley.”

“Yay! Okay come here Lucas, I going to stand at the end of the fountain to lean down and kiss you and you just hold me and kiss back,” Riley said as she began to position her and Lucas. He just smiled as he let Riley guide him, but Maya swore, she saw him take a quick peek at her.

It didn’t matter though.  

Lucas held Riley up as she leaned down to kiss him and even though her heart was in her stomach Maya was an artist and had to do it right. She looked through her camera lens, she found the perfect angle, focused the camera and just like Riley said, it was magical.

“Got it,” Maya said.

Riley jumped into Lucas’s arms, and he held her to his chest.

“Oh, Maya I can't wait to see it!”

“As soon as its developed, Riley.”

Riley squealed and threw her arms around Lucas’s neck as she kissed him, and Maya took the opportunity to run away but as she put her breakfast bowl in her bag, she caught the glares from Kelly and Denise.

Maya just left not looking back at the happy couple.

“Well, that hurts to watch,” a voice said.

Maya looked over to see Kendra walk in step next to her. Her pink and red curly hair bouncing on her shoulders. Kendra was an artist like Maya, both graphic and on canvas but Kendra preferred the graphic. They really had become close since the end of freshmen year, that was when the separation had started, and Kendra was there.  

It hurt Maya to say but Kendra was her new best friend. When everyone fell in the stigma of high school cliques Kendra was the first friend Maya made and has stayed by her side since. Sleepovers, partners in class, even getting suspended together fighting with some girls after school. Kendra was just like Maya, which sometimes could be a bad thing because Kendra knew what was going on inside Maya’s head.

Maya would always love Riley, but Kendra was the other half of Maya, it was good to have Riley as her opposite to help her grow and evolve and be loved but Kendra was Maya. Maya could take risks and not feel judged, she could say what was really on her mind, she loved Maya for her flaws.  

“Good morning to you too but please shut up,” Maya told her.

Kendra chuckled as she handed  Maya a bottle of water. Which Maya took.

“I’ve said it once and I’ll say it again, it’s not fair.”

“It’s not supposed to be fair,” Maya said. They reached Kendra's locker and Maya twisted to the correct numbers. She had first period gym and Kendra’s locker was closer.

Maya put her stuff inside and then grabbed her gym clothes and put a fresh pair in for the next day.

“Maya you’re just hiding and holding it in, for YEARS it’s not fixing anything. Since little baby teeny boppers, you’ve held onto it, it's not fair.”

“Okay maybe it's not but it's too late now.”

“Not really I mean not since the start of summer which was just a few months ago and you're still not even sure if that was a mis-”

“Enough,” Maya told her grabbing her by the shoulders. Maya didn’t want to remember any of that ever again.

Even though it played in her mind repeatedly and haunted her dreams.

“You’ll crack one day Hart and I'm going to be right there with you through it all,” Kendra told her earnestly looking Maya in the eyes. Maya just looked back at her and gave her friend a hug.  

Maya knew Kendra hated this situation enough for the both of them. Maya was happy now she didn’t have to carry that burden alone.

“No more about this for the rest of the week because we have to finish your entry for the newspaper logo. Friday night? I’ll bring the bottles,” Maya said giving her mischievous smirk.

Kendra laughed. “I thought Shawn hid the bottles from you?”

Maya closed Kendra’s locker. “Please, Shawn’s motto is ‘if you're going to do it, do it in the house’ and gives me what's leftover of his. I’ve got two.”

“Then it’s a date, our best work is drunk together anyway.”

Maya and Kendra laughed before parting ways to their classes.

A young Texan watched as Maya opened the gym doors.  

[nerd-hotnissa]

Hey lovelies! Since the GMW fandom has been dead for years I thought I would make some headers I guess when I post a new chapter just so it would get some attention. Even if it is just the small few of you I will continue to write it because it gives me a good distraction and for some reason this story haunts my waking life lol let me know what you think for chapter 4 and please be aware of the trigger warnings.

28 yrs old and the fangirling will never stop lol don’t @ me 😂

[starlightsweetheart]

Another amazing chapter from @sy5starplaty

I ❤️ this fic soooo much!

Read it people!!

[onlyalittlecrazy]

hey...

any slowburn fans out there who also like girl meets world? then you should check out my fic, good person lessons! it's my personal character fix it for lucas and maya, and i think it's really good and you would enjoy it!

[actually-phoenix]

Two things can be true he can love you baby and baby I can too ~ Fletcher - Two things can be true

There are so many ships that need this song I can't stop thinking about it and writer's block is killing me

[nikkiruncks]

Girl Meets Maya

What if the identity crisis storyline doesn’t happen? Au from Girl Meets Triangle

AO3 // FFNET

[fanfiction-writer11]

Lucaya FanFiction

Do not post my work as your own - I do not own Girl Meets World or any characters from the show, this is strictly a fan writing about a ship she likes!

~~~

Writing Prompt posted on Pinterest, Link: https://pin.it/4KNouss

Warning ⚠️: Mention of Death

~~~

"Maya, come home," her mother, Katy, had said only an hour before her whole world shattered.

She's gone. She is really gone.

After Katy broke the news, Maya went to her room and cried until she had no more tears. Now, Maya is slumped against her bed, staring absent mindedly across her room.

She is my Canada, my closest ally, and she... she's gone.

In the mist of her turmoil, she had ignored the insist ringing from her cell phone. This caused a particular cowboy to wonder if she had made it home okay, and wish he would have fought hard to walk her home. The only reason he stopped pushing the issue was because she promised she would message him the minute she got to her apartment. However, it's been over an hour since Maya left the group at Topanga's.

"Have any of y'all heard anything out of Maya since she left?" Everyone shakes their head, "It's been over an hour. I'm am gonna head over to her place to make sure she got there okay." He grabs his cellphone and wallet off the table, "Have fun, y'all."

Who would celebrate every milestone with her?

A knock on the door draws Katy's attention away from the cold cup of coffee in her hands. Katy sits down her coffee as she makes her way to the door. "Who is it?" She calls from the living room.

"It's Lucas, ma'am." As Katy opens the door, Lucas notices the somber look she holds. "Is everything okay, Mrs. Hunter?"

Katy gives a soft smile, inviting him inside, "Maya didn't tell you?"

"No ma'am," Lucas responds, "I haven't spoken to Maya since she left Topanga's. I came over to make sure she made it home okay."

"Oh," Katy realizes, "Maya is in her room. If she feels like talking, she will tell you what happen."

Lucas, confused, says, "yes ma'am. Thank you."

Who will listen to all her stories? Hold all her secrets?

Suddenly, Maya hears a rhythm on her door. *knock, pause, knock, knock, knock, mini pause, knock, knock*

"Lucas," She croaks.

"Yea, Short-stack, it's me," He pauses, "Can I come in?"

"Please." Lucas feels his heart swell when he sees the state she is in. Due to her tear stained face, running mascara, and bloodshot eyes, he knew she had been crying. Lucas walks towards the bed, crouching down to her when he close enough.

"What's wrong, sweetheart?" Lucas questions. When he doesn't receive a response, he seats down on the floor beside her. "Come here," He says as he opens his arms to hug her. Immediately, Maya leans into him; holding onto him as though he was the only thing keeping her grounded on earth. Lucas wraps his arms securely around her fragile frame as she begins to cry. "Baby..." Lucas trails off, rubbing her back, "can I do anything to help?" Maya shake her head, her breathing becoming labored. "Try to take deep breaths, baby... Like this." Lucas begins to take deep breaths while whispering terms of endearment.

After a while, Maya's breathing evened out and she looks up at Lucas. "She's gone, Luke," Maya mutters.

"Who's gone, baby?"

"Grammy."

"Oh sweetheart... what happen?"

"Heart attack." Maya leans back into Lucas. "It was unexpected."

Lucas starts to rub her back, "I'm so sorry. What can I do?"

"Talk." Maya says, definitely.

"What?"

"I don't care what you talk about, can you just keep talking?"

With a small, sad smile, Lucas pulls Maya close, "Did I ever tell you about the time I gave birth to a horse?"

Maya gives a sad giggle, "no, I don't think so."

[harringtonlovers]

HEAD OVER HEELS | WALLY CLARK x OC!

chapter one: bad hair day

first chapter of my wally clark x oc! book has been posted! please share 🫶

ao3:

wattpad:

[oyprongs]

20 questions for fic writers

thank u @isahorcrux for tagging me !

1. How many works do you have on AO3?

10

2. What's your total AO3 word count?

85,062 words

3. What fandoms do you write for?

i now only write for HP and just jily, but i used to write lucaya from girl meets world lmaoo

4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

this is such a weird order to me but: i would still be on my feet, a slip of the thumb, as it always was (it always was, it always was) [lol], stage fright, and then i love you much (most beautiful darling) and spare the rest for me are tied

5. Do you respond to comments? Why or why not?

i try to!! especially if someone took the time to write a really nice or long one. i like for people to know i appreciate it!

6. What's the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

i think the only fic i have with an angsty ending is "i love you much (most beautiful darling)" because it's canon jily until their death. for some reason i wanted to do that when i was 18 idk

7. What's the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

probably barry, bond, and the blues or a slip of the thumb, just because they were pretty much all fluff beginning to end

8. Do you get hate on fics?

no i don't think i ever have. i genuinely don't think people care enough to lmao

9. Do you write smut. If so, what kind?

i have but only like a scene or so, and it's all fairly mild except for maybe one or two explicit words lol. i have other stuff in the works but haven't touched it in ages

10. Do you write crossovers? What's the craziest one you've written?

nope and i don't intend to. they just don't really interest me

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

nop!

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

someone asked to translate an old lucaya fic into russian but idk if they ever did lol

13. Have you ever cowritten a fic before?

no, but i would! i just think i'd be terrible at cowriting because i'm sooo slow

14. What's your all-time favorite ship?

oh god. i think literati and jily are tired for me, just from their sheer staying power in my heart + how frequently i go through periods of obsession with them

15. What's a WIP you want to finish, but doubt you ever will?

ugh. my people we meet on vacation au "let's fall apart and start again" that i literally only have the prologue posted for. one of these days u guys......

16. What are your writing strengths?

ummm i think dialogue! at least that's usually what i start with and then try to build around.

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

isa said finishing things and that is so true. i also would say inner monologues

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language for a fic?

omg it scares me to death i have too much anxiety about getting it completely wrong

19. First Fandom you wrote for?

well technically harry potter if u count my 7 yo fanfiction, but officially it would be gmw/lucaya

20. Favorite fic you've ever written?

in terms of jily, i do really like "let's fall apart and start again" and "stage fright", but is it crazy if i say im actually still proud of my 17yo self writing like 50k of two disney characters jsdfkj a

ok as usual im sure all my ct discord friends have been tagged but whatever @sunshinemarauder @possessingtheproperspirit @emeralddoeadeer

[ccgg112]

Does anyone have any good fanfiction of a GMW season 4? I need all the dramatic irony from season 3 to pay off (like how Maya never actually turned into Riley). I need everyone to finally escape the world of purple cats and grow out of their stereotyped BMW roles... And plz give me riarkle, lucaya, and zayadora thx

[hartsquad]

Hello lovelies! We have great news, good news and bad news.

Great news! Bought a new charger so laptop is back up and running!

Good news! Chapter 7 is posted!

Bad news, everything after chapter 7 is missing 🙃

I have no idea where the rest are, I didn’t get far so it was like almost to 11 but to me that felt like a lot lol but yea it’s missing.

Looked in the recycle bin, double checked all the folders, even had my tech wiz uncle help and nada, zero, zilch.

So updates will still be about the same but since I know where I was at it should be a smidge bit faster.

But atleast on the plus side you know this is going to be multi chapter, I’m estimating around 20 chapters but we’ll see.

All mistakes are mine but I hope you guys enjoy and thank you for staying with me and this story!! Love you lots!

Posted 01/18/24

[shewhobefuddles]

I've been reading a lot of Lucaya fics lately, and one thing that has really struck me is a lot of writers' shared assertion that Maya never would have forgiven Lucas and it wouldn’t have worked out initially if he had chosen her over Riley, because while Maya could take the heartbreak and continue being friends, Riley would not have been able to handle the jealousy and perceived betrayal (because she feels like she is entitled to Lucas, for a variety of reasons), and both Maya and Lucas’s and Maya and Riley’s relationships would have imploded.

And with what we have seen of Riley's behavior (accusing Maya of turning into her and telling her to stop) when Maya gets good things in her life (passing grades, crush on a nice boy, new clothes, more positive outlook on life, etc.) this seems like a very likely outcome. As much as I would have wanted Riley and Maya to overcome these issues and preserve their friendship, Riley's emotional immaturity, tendency toward jealousy/insecurity, and savior-complex in their relationship is something that desperately needed to be dealt with on the show. Which we will never get, both because the show was canceled and because the writers were cowards who didn’t want to acknowledge Riley's many privileges in life, as well as her flaws.

Riley and Maya's friendship could not have survived Lucas choosing Maya.

Did Lucas realize this? Was that part of why he went along with it when Maya pushed him toward Riley? It seems likely.

[starlightsweetheart]

Ok. I really need a fanfic that has Maya telling Lucas: "I didn't like you as 'Riley', I loved you as 'Maya'!".

I'd write it myself, but I can't write for crap.

[huckleberrysclutterbucket]

History repeats itself

[erinxneil]

The Girl on the Subway

This story will be based on the song:

Everybody Talks - Neon Trees

Primarily based on the lyric:

“It started with a whisper, and that was when I kissed her”

Thank you so much to the anon who requested this! If anyone else would like to request a story based on a song, please do so! You can find the post where I explain what I’m doing plus the fandoms I can write for here! The anon asked that I write a story based on this song about Lucas and Maya from Girl Meets World ! In this, its basically the Season 1 scene where Lucas meets the girls, however with a twist. I’m also making it that they’re in high school rather than the seventh grade because that feels less awkward for me.

Pairing: Lucas X Maya

Summary: The one where Lucas was the one who first noticed Maya on the subway.

Lucas sat in the corner of the subway, flipping through a Sports Illustrated magazine. Being new to the city, he caught himself glancing up every time that the vehicle stopped to ensure that he didn’t miss his stop. However, at this stop, he couldn’t seem to look away.

A blonde confidently strutted into the cart, placing a delicate hand around the beam in the center of the seats. Lucas noted that her nails were trimmed short as if they had been bit, as the red tips of her fingers were exposed, and the black nail polish that lay on them were chipped.

She spoke loudly to the timid brunette beside her, who gazed at the dirty subway around her as if it was some sort of extravagant adventure.”

“Riley, we’re going to be seniors in high school. Boys are going to notice you now more than ever.”

The brunette- apparently called Riley- pouted at this. “That’s easy for you to say, Maya! You could have boys falling at your feet!”

Maya. A pretty name. Lucas stood and walked over to them, leaning on the pole beside the two girls.

Maya scoffed. “Yeah, right. I’m too intimidating for them to pay me any attention, anyways. Which I’m thankful for, by the way.” She picked at the polish on her nails, speaking absentmindedly.

Lucas coughed loudly behind her, a smirk present upon his lips. “Excuse me, ma’am, but I happened to notice you.”

The blonde spun around with a fire in her eyes, a look of confusion gracing her features. “What are you, some type of cowboy? Riley, observe as I show you how to deal with creeps on the subway-” Maya pushed out her hand to shove Lucas away, however as she put her hand on his chest, he stopped it, and held her hand in place.

“Well, I quite like this.” Maya rolled her eyes. “Listen, Hop-along, learn personal boundaries and bug off. We don’t want you here.”

Lucas blinked. While the girl did amuse him, he didn’t want to actually make her uncomfortable. He nodded, leaning in close to her ear. “Your wish is my command, M’Lady.” And with that, he retreated back to his original seat, leaving an intrigued blonde and an awestruck brunette.

-*-*-*-*-*-

Riley hadn’t stopped talking about the cowboy for the entire rest of the subway ride, nor for the rest of the walk to school.

“I can’t believe you didn’t get his number!” Riley crossed her arms in annoyance.

“Listen, Sunshine, I am perfectly okay with the fact that I will probably never see that boy ever again.” Maya grinned and rolled her eyes, although she ignored she slight pang in her chest as she said this. 

It wasn’t that no boys ever paid attention to Maya, because they did. Except it was just as she said. She scared them away. They were intimidated by her confidence and that she didn’t feel that she needed anyone for her to be whole- except for Riley, of course.

“You can consider him lucky, Riles, he got away sooner than anyone else, and I bet he’s run for the hills by now.”

The two girls halted in their paths, just before their lockers. Standing before them just so happened to be the cowboy from the subway.

The two girls stared in confusion. In sync, they glanced at each other, and then back to the boy.

“Hello, ladies, miss me?”

“Like I’d miss a rash...” Maya muttered under her breath, louder than she’d intended. She glanced up, expecting an indignant response, however she raised an eyebrow in surprise at the amused expression upon the boys face.

“How did you even know where our locker is?” Riley asked, speaking for the first time to the handsome stranger. Maya blinked. She also hadn’t considered that.

“Well, when the Principal asked me if I knew anyone at the school so that they could give me a tour, isn’t it quite lucky that there’s only one Maya in the entirety of this school?” Lucas smirked.

Riley turned to Maya. “There’s only one Maya in the whole school? That’s crazy!” “I know, right? I always assumed there was atleast one- maybe two-”

They were interrupted by coughing in front of them. The boy still stood in front of them. Right.

“What even is your name?” Maya asked.

“Lucas.” “And are you actually a cowboy?” “In the flesh.” “Gross.”

Riley watched the interaction with a raised eyebrow. Maya didn’t tend to speak to anyone besides Riley unless she had to, yet she seemed more than comfortable speaking to Lucas.

The bell rang, “Well, Huckleberry, looks like our time’s up.” She smirked and grabbed Riley’s arm, preparing to walk to the next class.

Lucas raised his arm, showing off a laminated pass that would offer them access to skip the next few classes in order for Maya to show him around. And how could Maya pass up the ability to skip Pre-Calc and Biology?

-*-*-*-*-*-

After several class periods, the pair still walked around the empty halls. Initially, Lucas tried to make casual conversation, however Maya would tell him to shut up and he would. Now, it seemed as if it was Maya who was nagging Lucas.

“...I mean, honestly. Is being a gentleman your only personality trait or something? You act like you’re perfect all the time. I barely know you and I already hate you.” Maya ignored the feeling in her stomach that told her she was lying. She didn’t necessarily hate him, she hated the fact that she didn’t.

This struck a cord with Lucas. “I’m not perfect.” His jaw tightened. “So he has feelings other than happiness?” Lucas sighed. “Of course I do, Maya, I’m not some sort of robot like you who doesn’t have any emotions at all.”

Maya raised an eyebrow, a smirk crossing her features. “Aw, did I hurt the cowboy’s feelings? Look buddy, all I’m trying to say is that it wouldn’t hurt to actually show something other than whatever pristine image that you’re trying to show, because we both know its an act.”

Lucas sighed. “God, don’t you ever shut up?” Maya shrugged, not really paying attention. “Why don’t you make me?”

That was all Lucas needed.

He quickly turned and faced her. Maya yelped in surprise, pressing her back against the wall, and Lucas placed one arm on the wall beside her waist and the other on the wall beside her head. She blinked up at him, intrigued, and Lucas took that as his invitation.

“As I said, M’Lady, your wish is my command.” he whispered,

and with that, he kissed her.

-*-*-*-*-*-

[kingkatara]

Girl Meets Waitress: Opening Up

Disclaimer: I don’t own Waitress. I don’t own Girl Meets World. This is a fanfiction written just funsies.

Looking around, seeing the same things every day brings

          Maya woke up to darkness every morning. Her eyes peeled open after a mere six hours of sleep and were met with nothing. For a split second, there was only darkness in front of her, around her, within her. It was then that she and the world had their daily battle of wills, the war over who would break the stillness first and stir the other into motion. And always it was Maya who surrendered. Her eyes would adjust to the low light and a hot puff of breath would warm her face, still partly under the covers to avoid that first shiver of a New York morning that was always chilly no matter the season. She sat up in bed and surveyed the smoking battlefield of her bedroom, taking in her losses from the night before and wondering which of them would show on her face for the rest of the day. Beside her, the world’s weapon lay dormant, harmless unless she were to challenge the demands for peace. If she came quietly as the world beckoned her, he would slumber on. She didn’t look at him as she swung her legs over the bed and tapped her toes against the smooth hardwood floor beneath her. Her white flag of surrender was the tug on the long curtains that shielded the sunlight from shining into the apartment through the wide window on her side of the bed. This was her cry out into the world that she would not fight. And then the day would begin.

           Wake up, use the toilet, brush the teeth, comb the hair. Put the hair up. Makeup over the dark circles and fading yellow-green lump above the eyebrow. Panties, bra, uniform. Socks, then shoes. Purse. Nametag out of the purse and on the uniform. Every day, the routine was the same. There was ease to it, but it would be a lie not to admit that it was also repetitive. She didn’t know what her life was supposed to be like, but she couldn’t help feeling that it wasn’t supposed to be like this. It was as though there was some missing ingredient that she had long ago forgotten to include in the recipe, which always left the dish edible, but unsatisfying. A ritual she had not shared with anyone in the six years of living in her Lower East Side apartment was that the last thing she did before giving in to the reality of her life was standing at her window and waiting for the first rays of light to peek over the buildings in her neighborhood. She never watched the sun fully rise up into the sky. She simply waited for it to appear and then raced it to work. She never won.

           The ride across town on the subway would have been daunting at best for a tourist, but for a born New Yorker like Maya, the odd little scenes playing out right before her eyes, even as early as six in the morning, were just as natural to the routine as tying her shoelaces. On the way to work, swaying gently along with the subway car, Maya would pull out her sketchbook (which wasn’t a sketchbook at all, but a pathetic server’s pad on which she took down her orders) and mimic the likeness of what she saw and sometimes, on her lowest days, what she felt. Today, there was a particularly amusing picture of an eccentric woman with some sort of hat, though Maya couldn’t quite bring herself to call it that. It was tall, a violent shade of purple, and topped with hot pink feathers. These feathers were of great interest to a small little girl, whose mother, wearing the scrubs of a nurse, was snoozing against the window of the subway car. The little girl was standing up on her seat, using the handrail for balance, and blowing on the feathers of the woman’s hat. The woman gave no indication of noticing this invasion of personal space and was instead muttering to herself about some sort of building with her name on it. The two of them were immediately transcribed into her notepad in short, quick lines of ink.

           From the subway, she made her way through the streets of the Lower East Side, weaving in and out of passerby with an expression that was as equally bored as it was underground. She didn’t look up at anyone and instead chose to keep her eyes down on her white sneakers. The less she looked open to communication or interest, the greater chance she had of making it to work having avoided any unwanted attention—because yes, some men really were in the mood before seven in the morning. Then finally, there was the diner. Where her life played out day by day, where the routine really began and always finished; the diner was more of a home to her than her own apartment, which, of course, wasn’t really hers at all. But the diner? It was the closest thing to belonging that she felt since being held in the arms of her mother so many years ago. She entered through the door in the back of the building that led to the kitchen.

           “Is it a woman thing?”

           “Excuse me?”

           “The being late. Every damn day. Is it a woman thing?”

           “Oh, shove it up your—”

           “Good morning! Who’s ready to start the day?”

           Of course, no home was complete without its inhabitants. Maya supposed she could have had it much worse when it came down to the universe selecting her partners for this life thing. She didn’t hate the people she worked with every day and she guessed that they didn’t hate her either. With that being said, however…These partners were no picnic either.

           There was Zay Babineaux, the cook. All Maya knew about him was that he was from a small town in Texas and he came to New York when he was a teenager. He still had a slight drawl to his snarky voice, the stubborn southern streak within him that refused to be beaten down by the hustle and bustle of the north. He never offered any detail into his personal life, like why he chose to be a cook or how he ended up at the diner, and Maya never asked. When he wasn’t flipping pancakes on the griddle, he could be found grumbling to anyone who would listen (and that was exactly no one) about how nothing in his life made sense and why women were the reason for that. Though he was technically her boss, he and Maya had an ongoing feud over who should be giving who orders within the unhallowed walls of their place of employment.

           Riley Lawrence was a young woman of thirty who was made up of sunshine and daisies. She married her high school sweetheart right on the heels of graduation and went to NYU for a degree in political science. A year into law school, she dropped out to start working at the diner in order to care for her husband, Charlie, who had suffered severe brain injuries in a freak bus accident. Though all of her dreams were now wasted, she still smiled like sunshine in the rain and danced like a daisy in the wind. It was for Riley’s sake that squabbles between Maya and Zay were quickly put to bed—neither of them had the gumption to disappoint a soul like Riley’s, who had endured so much already and never uttered a single complaint.

           “Me. Thirty minutes ago. Why are you women always late?”

           “Perhaps it’s because we know you can’t afford to fire us.” The newest addition to their band of misfits was Isadora, who for some reason allowed them all to address her by her ridiculous surname: Smackle. Even her nametag introduced her as such to the customers. She was a twenty-three year old grad student living the dream that Riley had once chased and for that reason, Maya and Zay tolerated her. It wasn’t that she wasn’t likable; she was nice enough. It was just that Maya had never met anyone who was more tightly wound. Smackle had a particular way of doing things and though the diner had never been cleaner, more organized, and more efficient than when Zay took her on, Maya simply didn’t appreciate changing her way of doing things just to fit Smackle’s compulsive need for order.

           “Actually, I can. I don’t own the place. I just run it. I wouldn’t lose anything but the weight of carrying this business if I had it my way and kicked you three to the—"

           “Business? It’s a diner. And it didn’t miss us for the fifteen minutes that we were late. But it will miss us for thirty if you keep us from actually doing our jobs with your whining.”

           “Alright, you know what? Get out of my kitchen. Get out.”

           Snickering, Maya led Riley and Smackle through the swinging door that led into the dining area. Though Riley sighed unhappily as they left Zay to his dramatics, the girls easily fell into their habitual duties for opening up. Riley got to work on the register, counting bills and setting up the front desk. Smackle wiped down each table and sorted the condiments in whatever order made sense to her otherworldly brain. Maya got to work on the pastry display case. The first thing she did every shift was rearrange it so she could display her creation of the day, which was dreamt up sometime before going to bed every night and arriving at work each morning. What made all the elbow grease she put into the job worthwhile was found underneath the diner in its basement: the bakery. Each dessert, particularly the pies, was made from the imagination of her mother. Every dressing coating its recipe, particularly the cakes, was designed from Maya’s. Serving the sacred combination to the diner’s patrons, who had no idea that they were seeing into the very essence of her being with every bite, was the most gratifying thing Maya got to experience in a montage of diner meals that left her secretly hungry for something more. In another life, perhaps Maya would have liked to be an artist. But she was living in this life and if she couldn’t be that, she supposed being a waitress that got to bake the cakes was the next best thing.

           “What’s the special today?”

           Maya’s fingers twitched towards her apron’s pocket where the sketch of her subway ride lived frozen in time between the pages of her server’s pad. She was planning on using it as inspiration for some kind of cake resembling that crazy old woman’s hat, but Riley’s hopeful expression was especially sweet this morning. Her brows lifted in the direction of her hairline ever so slightly, creating the barest traces of wrinkles that were not yet etched into the still youthful skin across her forehead. Her lips parted in a preciously premature smile of delight. Maya never wanted Riley to know the harsh truth that she did, that hope was for suckers, and so she never let Zay put Riley’s pie on the menu even though it was continuously requested by the regulars. As long as it wasn’t on the menu, Riley still got to hope every morning, for just a minute or two, that that would be the day that her pie was the special of the day.

         “Why, Aren’t You a Peach Polka-Dot Peach Pie, of course.” Maya painted on an indulgent smile and admired how Riley beamed sunlight at her.

         “Peaches, you shouldn’t!”

         “Too late, I already did. Today’s a good day to serve everyone a little Riley, I think. I know I could use a little of whatever it is you got.”

         “Well, I’m happy to share.”

         “Go check the stock downstairs and make sure we have enough kosher salt. We were running a little low the last I checked and I don’t think Zay is ordering new stock until tomorrow.” Riley abandoned the hostess station where she was organizing the trio’s sections as if they ever changed and raced downstairs into Maya’s sanctuary.

         “When am I going to get a pie made for me, Maya?” Smackle asked without accusation, just curiosity.

         “Maybe it’s not a pie. Maybe it’s a cake. Or a cookie.” The blonde answered thoughtfully, to which Smackle snorted and shot her a grin from across the room.

         “I am at least a brownie by now, thank you very much. How did Riley end up with a peach pie anyway? Because she calls you Peaches?”

         “Nah, she calls me peaches because that’s what the pie is.” Maya explained, “I don’t know, she’s just so nice. It kind of threw me off when we first met, being New Yorkers and all. When she learned about how I make the desserts and dress them up, a peach pie is the first thing I thought of when she asked me what kind of dessert she would be. The polka-dots came later when I thought about how she dresses out of uniform. That’s what makes it Riley.”

         Smackle hummed in understanding. “And what makes it yours, with that kind of personal touch. No one can bake like you can, huh?”

         “No one but my mother. I just try to do it like she would.” Maya answered with a casual shrug and brushed her hands against her apron as she finished up with the display case. Smackle was obviously done with the condiments as she had moved on to adjusting the number of napkins at each table. Maya regarded her for a moment. She wasn’t sure how to say so, but the spectacled girl had unwittingly stirred a feeling of warmth in her chest at the astute (and the very gracious, at that) compliment—the kind of warmth that spread slowly, like a pie crust in the heat of an oven. So she said nothing at all. Maya got through each day by watching the people she saw and jotting her notes down into her art, be it on the dish or on paper. She had never considered that Smackle might do the same. Dimly, she wondered where her coworker took her observations. Perhaps a scholarly notebook; that was presumably what a good NYU student like Smackle would use in her classes at school. Or maybe she just kept it all in that great big brain of hers. It probably was time for Smackle to get her own dessert by now, wasn’t it?

         Without Riley around to peer over her shoulder and ask questions, Maya pulled out the server’s pad from her pocket and flicked through its pages until she found her sketch from the subway ride. Some of her glimpses into inspiration never quite revealed their whole picture and without that, she couldn’t transcribe their stories into a cake. Maya had a gnawing ache deep in her gut that this lady and her crazy hat were one of those torturously brief peeks into something special that she would only ever wonder about for the rest of her life. Sighing, she walked over to the hostess stand, tore the sheet from the pad’s binding, and slid the sketch between the thick cardstock page of a menu and its plastic cover. This was the eulogy of all the subway sketches that never went on to become something more. The idea of one of the diner’s patrons finding it out of the blue and seeing what Maya saw, even if it was only for an instant, was exactly what Crazy Hat deserved. She deserved the chance to connect with a stranger who was not looking for her and make them wonder just like Maya did; if she was lucky, that stranger could do something to tell her story more truthfully than Maya ever could.

         Riley had returned from the bakery downstairs. “I think we should have enough to get through the day!” She announced joyously, waving a carton of the last of the kosher salt they had left over her head just to show them she was sure.

         “Great, but why did you bring it up here?” Maya chuckled, sliding the menu back into the stacks that would be passed around to the customers throughout the day. Riley’s smile faltered for just a second as realization came to her. As quickly as it left, her smile sprung back into place as if it was never gone, albeit the accompaniment of sheepish awkwardness was an endearing new factor in Riley’s sunshine.

         “I…I just…I’ll go put this back.”

         “No need.” Maya offered her a gentle look of reassurance, the expression well-rehearsed for the times that Riley, feeling especially Riley, looked to her for permission to go on exactly as she was. She did this as though Maya would ever want her to change. “I should probably get started anyway before the morning rush gets in. There’s some crust defrosting in the fridge, but I’ll have to make the filling from scratch. I’ll just bring it back down myself.”

         “Well, then get to it! I want my pie!” Riley pitched her the kosher salt that was not even in the same vicinity as her direction, which Maya had to scramble to catch in an almost cat-like maneuver. Smackle made a move to shoo her away in jest, but she was already hurrying along down the narrow spaces between tables to get a move on. She skipped the stairwell leading to the bakery and headed straight for the single bathroom in the back of the building.

         She couldn’t get the door open fast enough and she still had to find the dexterity in fingers that were not so nimble as they were when baking to lock it. The kosher salt was forgotten, carelessly thrown to the floor and forced open upon impact with the ground. Hard flakes of it dug into her bare knees as she dropped and flung her head into the waiting toilet bowl. It was the fourth time this week that Maya had emptied her insides at work. She didn’t think that anyone had noticed this theatrical display of her stomach’s hysterics, but if it went on, it would be impossible to keep hidden. She didn’t want to deal with that intervention, because that’s exactly what it would be with those two goofballs for coworkers, and she certainly didn’t want to have to deal with Zay. She didn’t want to deal with any of this, not at all. She didn’t know how. All she knew was the diner, the customers, the girls and the cook. The desserts. All she knew was being a waitress. If Maya added anything more to her plate, it would not be a matter of whether she would break, but when.