Of Course I Like You

She Didn't Have To Tell Me

[Zay's Room]

"So what'd you and Maya figure out about Riley's party?" Zay asked. Lucas was distracted with the thoughts of Maya's wrist. "Lucas?"

"Huh?" Lucas' eyes blinked really fast as he snapped out of his thoughts. "Sorry man, I'm just a little distracted right now." 

"About...?"

"I- I can't tell you." Lucas' face and tone was apologetic, it's not like he didn't want to tell Zay about it, he just couldn't. It wasn't fair to Maya. "I'm sorry."

"You don't have to tell me who... Just tell me what..." Zay replied.

"Umm, okay..." Lucas hesitantly agreed. "So I saw someone with burns and cuts on their wrist and they won't tell their friend because they know how they'd react, but I need that person to tell them because that person needs to get help for it."

"Oh are we talking about Maya...?" Zay asked. 

Lucas' brows furrowed and his jaw dropped, "You know?! How?! Did she tell you?!"

"Okay, first of all-- calm down! And second of all, she didn't have to tell me, she did, but she didn't gave to." Zay explained.

"Why would she tell you and not me?!" Lucas hadn't looked like this in a long time, he'd only ever got this way when Zay first came to New York, when he found out Riley was being bullied, and when he found out it was Billy who was calling Farkle a nothing. 

"Why do you care?" Zay asked.

"I don't!" Lucas defended.

"Obviously you do! You look like you're about to go all Texas-Lucas on everyone." Zay explained. Lucas sat down on the edge of Zay's bed. "Lucas, you're shaking..." Lucas shook his head and rubbed his face.

"Why wouldn't she tell me about it? More importantly, why does she feel the need to- to-" He couldn't finish his sentence without shaking more and feeling sick.

"Self-harm?" It all became so real then, to hear it said out loud. 

Lucas stood up from the bed, shaking more and more excessively each second, "Excuse me..."

➰

[Maya's Apartment]

Maya was pacing back and forth, trying to figure out a way to tell Riley, when someone knocked on the door. She was so anxious about telling Riley, she didn't even bother to look through the peep hole. "What are you doing here?"

"Why?" He asked.

"Why what?" Maya asked back.

"Why do you--" He pointed at her wrist.

"You want the full story or the shortened version?" She asked.

"I've got all the time in the world for you..." Maya smiled when he said that. She opened the door wider and allowed him to enter her apartment. She closed the door and they sat on the couch. "So...?"