Title: and then she was gone

Rating: T (language/themes- may change)

Summary: AU- Maya lives with her caring mother and verbally abusive father. She's waiting until she's 18 to leave, but after one night's fight, she runs away, leaving her friends heartbroken.

Notes:

Shawn and Katy know and like each other, but whenever Katy mentions divorce to her husband, fighting ensues.

I changed Maya's father's name from Kermit to Mitchell.

Maya, Riley and Farkle are and almost are 18, while Lucas, being a year older turned 19 a couple weeks ago.

Zay and Smackle are part of the group

Lucas and Maya are dating, and have been for a while (if you want a prequel to find out how the began dating, just let me know)

Everything else is mostly canon, sticking to what we know.

Maya ascended the rickety chipped fire escape ladder, slid her window up, and ducked into her room. She shut the window, and as she threw herself on to her bed, wanting nothing more than to sleep, heard the shouting.

"Why do you never do what I tell you? You were supposed to clean this house, and cook! Why can't you get a few little tasks through that skull of yours? Oh, right! Because you're a stupid, idiotic, worthless woman, Katy!"

There was momentary silence, then the shouting match continued.

"Me? Worthless? That's rich, coming from you! All you do is get drunk with your friends and do stupid things! I have a job too, you know! And unlike you, I'm trying to make this a good as possible home for OUR DAUGHTER!"

During her mother's retaliation to her father, Maya crept out of her room, ready to attempt to break up the fighting if need be. It wouldn't be the first time.

"Speaking of Maya," her dad responded. "She needs to stop fooling around with that art crap and focus on a career that'll actually get her somewhere in life!"

"She can do what she wants! She loves art, and she's good at it. If that's what she wants to do, that's what she'll do and what I'll support! It's her life— her choice!"

"That may be, but I don't want her to fail as badly as you did! It would ruin my reputation to have a failure for a daughter, AND A WIFE!"

It was at this insult Maya decided to take action.

She stormed into the living room, cerulean eyes flashing dangerously. "What did you just say?" She aimed her question at her father, whose anger was boiling and ready to spill over. It was from him from which she got her temper.

"Stay out of this Maya," her mom said softly, hoping her daughter would heed her warning.

"No, I won't," she replied, as she pivoted to face her father. "How dare you stand there, drunk off your ass bad mouthing us-" she gestured at herself and Katy, "when you're the one with the problems? You don't act like a father should. You know what? You are not my father. A father wouldn't treat his family like this. Shawn is more of a father than you'll ever be! He-" her shouting was cut off abruptly by the sound of a hand connecting with her face.

Her dad had slapped her. That was the little push Maya's brewing anger needed to be set off.

"How dare you talk to me like that! You are my daughter and you do what I say! I forbid you to talk to or about Shawn in my house!"

"YOU CAN'T CONTROL ME, FATHER! I'm almost 18— I'll be an adult in two weeks. An adult who can make her own decisions, and you have no control over me. That's what you hate, isn't it? Not having control over me."

"You ungrateful little brat. I gave you a home, and food, and an education, and you're going to throw it all away to do some art crap! You're going to amount to nothing; NOTHING!"

Despite how these words affected the blonde, she wouldn't let anyone see her weakness. She was about to retaliate when her mother stepped in.

"Don't you dare talk to MY daughter like that!"

And Mitchell's fist connected with Katy's face.

Katy stumbled backwards, clutching the side of her face, where the bruise was already beginning to form.

And Maya's anger erupted. "DON'T YOU DARE TOUCH HER! She's been nothing but good to you, and this is how you repay her?!"

Grabbing a vase, Maya hurled it at her "father's" head, smirking when it cracked against his face.

While she was congratulating herself, her father strode over, grabbed Maya by her golden locks, and yanked her over to the other side of the room.

"You will NOT disrespect me in my own house, you little bitch. Or else you're going to get it real bad."

"Oh yeah? What are you going to do to me father?" she questioned, using a taunting tone on the last word, not letting any pain show through her voice.

"This," was the only word spoken as a fist collided with Maya's nose, creating a sharp cracking noise as it was broken.

Maya gritted her teeth together as the pain swept through her face, which was only increased as her father pushed her aside and her face banged into the wall. Her vision started to blur as black crept into the edge of her vision. She stumbled away, just barely making it into her room, closing the door behind her, before she blacked out.

When she came to, she gingerly touched her nose, not daring to look at it, but wanting to get a feel for how serious it was. She grimaced as her fingers made contact.

That's it. I'm not taking anymore shit from him. I'm leaving.

She grabbed her backpack, emptied it of her school supplies, and packed it with a few changes of clothes, her phone, laptop and their respective chargers and her sketchpad and pencils.

Quickly opening her bedside drawer, she grabbed a piece of line paper and a pen, and wrote a quick note.

Lucas-

I'm sorry for not doing this in person, but I have to leave. I thought I could tough it out until I was 18, but after tonight, I can't. Tell the Matthews and Farkle I'm sorry for leaving like this. I have a plan. I'll be alright once I get there. I promise.

-Maya

She folded the note, and crammed it into her pocket. She donned her backpack, glancing at her room. She wouldn't be back for a long time, if ever.

She crept into the kitchen, noting that the apartment was silent. Her father's coat was gone, meaning he probably went off to another bar. Then where was her mother?

She headed towards the bathroom, where she found her mother covering up the bruise that she was sporting on her right cheek.

She hugged her mom from behind, whispering to her. "You know I can't stay anymore mom. I have to go."

Katy turned around, embracing her daughter, avoiding her nose. "I know, love. I understand. Go. You'll be safe. I know you will. I trust them. I love you."

"I love you too, mom," Maya responded, tearing up as she pulled away from the embrace.

Katy placed a kiss on her daughter's forehead as Maya made for the bathroom door. "And Maya?"

"Yeah mom?"

"Make sure to get that nose checked out, yeah?"

"I will mom, I promise. I'll be on my way as soon as I drop off a note at Lucas'."

Katy smiled sadly at her daughter. "Good. Now go, before he comes back. And don't worry, I can handle it here," she added on as she saw Maya's worried face. "I promise."

"You always have Topanga."

"And you have Shawn."

They smiled at each other, and then Maya ducked out of the bathroom, leaving her mother to deal with _'s aftermath.

Maya entered her room, not daring to glance around and get sentimental. She slid open her window, and was about to duck out, when she noticed her bracelet on the windowsill. She grabbed it, slid it onto her slim wrist.

She descended the fire escape, disappearing into the night.

Maya walked the ten minutes to the Friar's. She glanced around, noting no one on their street.

She grabbed the note out of her pocket, and placed in on the doorstep, then walked away.

She made her way towards the edge of the town, almost to the top of the nearby hill, where she sat until sunrise, spending a few last hours in her home town.

And when the dew on the grass began to soak through her jeans, she stood, turned face her town, and was silhouetted by the rising sun. She checked her pockets for the money she had been saving for the past six years, then turned around, taking in the town.

The glistening dewdrops lay upon the grass as the morning sun made its ascent into the sky, warming the earth. A gentle breeze wove its way through the delicate flower petals that were scattered on the pavement.

There was silence as the cool breeze rustled through curtains in the quiet town.

A lone scrap of paper was swept up by the wind, tumbling throughout the air, guided towards a stream within the bounds of the isolated forest that lay on the edge of town. It was set down on the edge of the babbling brook. It remained there, until yet another gust of the breeze nudged it onto a branch barely anchored to the land. The water lapped at the edge of the paper, smudging the midnight blue ink upon it.

As the sun rose higher and higher into the sky, the water erased more and more of the ink upon the letter —until only the name of the recipient was legible (Lucas)— and then the note was carried downstream to where the rivulet met the expansive lake.

And somewhere in the town, when he woke up, a cerulean eyed teenager would be awaiting a girl that would wouldn't show.

(and somewhere, a golden haired teenager looked back at the town she used to call home, before facing away to the open horizon that lay in front of her. she trudged forward, and didn't look back again)

Lucas groaned as he slapped his alarm off, not wanting to wake up. He had been up late with Maya, and now was paying the price. He had gotten all but 4 hours of sleep, and it was just his luck he had to go in early today to make up a test he missed when he was "sick." In reality, he and Maya skipped school for the day and went to the nearby fair.

He closed his eyes, hoping to get a few more minutes of sleep, but to no avail.

He groaned as he heard his mother knocking on his door. "Lucas, honey. It's time to get up. You don't want to be late! Pancakes in ten minutes."

Stifling a yawn, he got out of bed. He grabbed his phone from where it was charging, and sent off a quick text to Maya.

See you soon. Ready for the test?

He grabbed his back after getting dressed, and headed downstairs to where his mom was setting a plate full of pancakes on the table.

"Did you get a good night's sleep, Lucas?"

"Hmm? Oh, yeah. I did all my homework."

With a sigh, his mother set the pan she was holding down. "Lucas, honey. You can't keep doing this to yourself. I know how much you care about Maya, but you need to take care of yourself. Maybe you and Maya should stop with the nightly study dates, and just spend time with each other at school and on the weekends. You need sleep."

By this time, due to his mother's words, Lucas was wide awake. "No, I can't do that."

"And why is that? You two have almost every class together. It's not like you don't spend anytime together."

Lucas hesitated. His mother didn't know much about Maya's family situation. She knew her parents fought, but didn't all parents do that? "It's.. complicated. Her house just isn't the best place for her to be."

His mother opened her mouth to reply, when Lucas' father walked in. "What's going on here?"

"Lucas was up late again last night with Maya," was the response given.

"Son, I get you like this girl. But you have to stop doing this."

"No, I really can't. She's here with me a lot, or with Riley, because her house isn't a good place for her to be."

"It can't be that bad. All parents fight, and you said yourself that's all they do. There's no reason for this."

"Oh yeah, and what are you going to do about it?" Lucas snapped.

"Don't take that tone with your father, Lucas."

"You know what? I can do something about it, Lucas. Until this school year's over, you are expected home by 7, and are not allowed to leave after then, unless it's for a game. And when I say you are expected home, I mean just you, not anyone else. Unless it's for a project, and if it is for one, you will be doing it here in the kitchen where your mother and I can supervise. Ever since you and that Maya girl started dating, you haven't been the same. We can't trust you as much. You talk back to us, you break rules, you get detention. You skip classes and come home late. It's not acceptable, Lucas."

Scowling, Lucas left the kitchen without another word. He stormed upstairs to his room, grabbed his backpack and phone, then walked downstairs and out the front door, slamming it behind him. So what if he was being rebellious? All teenagers do it. He wasn't Mr. Perfect anymore. And who were they to stop him from spending time with Maya? He would just sneak out. It's not like he hadn't done it before.

Lucas stepped into his car, threw his backpack onto the front seat, and grabbed his phone to rant to Maya. He expected to see a reply to the text he had sent earlier, but there was none. He shook it off, assuming she slept in and was hurrying to get to school in time. He'd see his blonde beauty soon enough.

When he arrived at school, he made his way to the testing room.

He got his test, and was shown to the small room in the back. He quickly glanced around, not seeing maya, but assumed she'd be there soon, or was already in a different room.

Thirty minutes later, he finished the test, turned it in, and went to go find Maya. He walked towards her locker, and not spotting her, figured she and Riley (whose locker was next to Maya's) we're hanging out with Zay, Farkle and Smackle.

He dropped his stuff off he didn't need for the first half of the day in his locker, then went over to the art rooms, which is where the group usually met up.

Farkle, Riley, Zay, Smackle. But no Maya. Where was that blonde beauty?

His friends noticed him, waving him over. He subtly shook his head, indicating he was going to wait by Maya's locker for her.

Ten minutes had passed, and the warning bell had rung. Lucas had five minutes to get to class or he'd be late, which he'd rather not do, as his dad would be even more pissed if he got another detention.

He slid into his seat in the back of his English class, and stared at the clock. Ever since he and Riley convinced Maya to apply herself back in sophomore year, she had managed to be a few honor classes. The trick was applying herself, because she had always been smarter than she appeared.

The bell rang again, and Ms. Lampone began the day's lesson.

Lucas took every opportunity he could to check his phone for a message from Maya, but no no avail. It was after the fifth time he checked in twenty minutes, Ms. Lampone confiscated his phone, and told him "You'll get it back at 3:30. No earlier, no later. Got it, Mr. Friar?"

So now Lucas was unable to communicate with the blonde girl, or anyone else for the matter. He resorted to watching the clock, counting down the minutes until the class ended. Unfortunately for him, the forty-five minutes felt like years, and it was only first period.

The day dragged on, and by the time lunch rolled around (6th period), Lucas felt like he had spent thirty years in the school.

He groaned as he sat down besides Farkle.

"What's the matter with you?"

"This day is going by way too slowly. I just want it to be 3:30 so I can get my phone back. Ms. Lampone took it."

"It's just a phone, Lucas," came from Riley. "What's so important that you checked it enough that it was taken and can't wait for?"

Lucas looked disbelievingly at his brunette friend. "Maya. She's not here."

"Yeah, yeah, I realized. She is my best friend after all."

"So do you know where she is?" Lucas asked hopefully. "She hasn't texted me."

"She's probably fine, Lucas. You know Maya," Riley responded, waving the question off. "She's gone days at a time without saying anything to anyone and not showing up at school. Farkle and I are used to it. You should be too, at this point. She'll show up, don't worry. This is only the first day. Remember when she was gone for a month, Farkle?" she asked, turning towards the brainiac who was engaged in a debate with Smackle.

"Yeah, she was gone one day, and a month later, she showed up. No notice. It's Maya. She'll be back within a month. If she's not, then we worry, or if we get word from her mom."

Lucas didn't like it, but he let the subject drop. After all, Riley and Farkle had known Maya way longer than he had. He hadn't met them until middle school, and the other three had met and became friends years before that, back in first grade. If they weren't worried, why should he?

The rest of the day passed slowly, but finally the bell rang to signal the end of school. Lucas raced out of his history class, and almost ran to Ms. Lampone's office, which was located on the opposite side of the building.

"Can I have my phone back?"

Ms. Lampone opened a draw where multiple phones lay. She grabbed his, then responded. "Here you go, Mr. Friar. I don't want to see this out in my class again, understand? I want respect in my class."

Lucas nodded, not fully paying attention to what his teacher was saying, just eager to see if there was word from Maya. He took his phone, and went to his locker. He grabbed his notebooks out of his locker, then went to go sit on the bench out by the big oak tree in the middle of campus. He unlocked his phone, and opened his messages to see if there was anything from Maya. Nothing. All there was was a text from his mother:

I expect you to be home after practice. Your father and I have something to tell you.

He sighed. His parents were pressuring him to chose what college to go to, but he didn't want to think about his future. He didn't even know if he wanted to go to college right after high school, but alas, he had no real choice in the matter.

Lucas was about to turn his phone off and head towards the lockers rooms when he thought of something. Why not go over to Maya's and see what's up? He could just tell his coach he's feeling sick, and ask to go home. His parents would think he was at practice, his coach would think he was at home.

Lucas grabbed his backpack, slung it over his shoulder and ran to his car that was, fortunately parked at the front of the lot. He slammed the car door, and sped off towards Maya's.

Upon arrival, he parked his car, and walked up to the door. He knocked, then waited for five minutes. Nothing.

Sighing, he walked around to the back of the apartment to where the fire red, paint-chipped fire escape was. He ascended the stairs, watching out for the sharp corners that were a result of the old fire escape not being cared for. He had snagged shirts on the stairs before, resulting in a whole bag of shirts being thrown away. Though, to be fair, it wasn't always entirely his fault. He and Maya had gone to a party once and it got a little crazy. They had made their way back to her place after, and she had been pressed against him, her lips on his and her mile long legs wrapped around his torso as he rushed them up the stairs.

Truth be told, that shirt would have been ripped off him anyways.

-/-

He knocked on Maya's window, hoping to see messy blonde hair and an annoyed expression greet him. Nothing. He peered into the room, hoping to catch a glimpse of life, but to no avail.

He slid open the window, thankful that Maya had left it unlocked. He slipped into the room, shutting the window quietly behind him. He crept towards the door that led out into the hallway, glancing out for any sign of life.

One foot in front of the other he made his way to the living where he had spent many late nights with Maya back in middle school, when her parents were never home, back when, believe it or not, it was easier for the blonde girl. As he entered the room, he gasped. There were shattered picture frames, a broken vase and water stains and flower petals on the floor. Lucas knew there were verbal fights in the Hart home, but he didn't know they got physical.

He began to panic, the worst case scenarios already playing out in his head. And then he saw the blood on the wall. [an: from Maya's broken nose being slammed onto the wall]

"Maya," he whispered as he walked slowly closer to the wall. And though he hadn't been there, somehow he knew the blood was Maya's.

A slamming door broke his train of thought. Someone was coming. Lucas dived behind the couch, hoping it was Katy, and not Mr. Hart.

High heels clacked against the wooden floor as Lucas breathed a sigh of relief. It was Katy. He stood up, ready to question her.

"Lucas? What are you doing here? How'd you get in?"

"Maya's window was left op-" he trailed off, noticing the faintly visible black eye Katy was sporting, mostly concealed by makeup. He gestured hesitantly at her eye.

"It's nothing, Lucas. Don't worry about it," Katy replied hurriedly. "Why are you here?"

"Maya. She wasn't in school today, and Riley and Farkle told me not to worry because she'd be okay, but I had to come check because I had to know myself if something happened and no one was here until you got here, and I saw the mess and I-"

"Lucas, honey. You're rambling. Take a deep breath, then talk."

Lucas did as asked. "I wanted to know where Maya was, as she wasn't at school. She didn't tell me where she was."

Katy frowned. "But she did tell you. She told me before she left that she was going to leave a note at your house. And I know she followed through."

"What do you mean, she left? And what note?"

Katy sighed as she sat down. "This may take a while to explain. Sit down. And don't worry, my husband won't be home for hours."

Lucas glanced at the watch on his wrist, courtesy of Riley for his 19th birthday that had been two weeks previous. It was only 4:45, meaning he had two hours before he had to leave to make sure he'd be home in time. He nodded, and sat down next to his girlfriend's mother, ready to hear where Maya was.

A head of messy blonde curls was easily spotted amongst the businessmen heading home at the train station. Her eyes darted around the station, making sure no one in her class at school was there, coming home late after practice. Satisfied no one she knew was around, she walked in. All she carried with her was a black leather backpack strapped to her back. She headed towards the ticket office, grabbing money from the pocket inside her olive green jacket.

"How much for a ticket to Texas?

AN: so this is my first GMW story, and I hope I do the characters justice. I know where this story is going, and it'll probably be around 10 chapters. I have little inspiration for my old stories on here, so they're still all on hiatus. Some will be re-written and continued in the future.

Review, follow and favorite!

~R5 is my life