A/N: Jelly!Lucas... it's a yes from me.

It had been going on all week.

When Zay had first hollered a pick-up line from across the art room to Maya, Lucas had laughed it off.

Maya had scowled fiercely, eyes igniting with a look of annoyance as she made a point of grinding the end of her paintbrush into her palm as if it were his head, and Lucas had to stifle a chuckle at the way Zay's body stiffened beside him.

He assumed Zay wouldn't try again, although it was entertaining to watch.

He tried again the following day, as the bell signalled the end of lunch and the start of History. As they made their way to the lesson, Zay slid from his place beside Lucas, effectively blocking the blonde's path.

Said blonde gritted her teeth and crossed her arms. "Forget which way the classroom is, Babineaux?"

He grinned and placed his hands in his pockets, rocking on the balls of his feet. "No, no I know where it is. But I did forget my pick-up line, you know, with you being so cute and all."

Lucas winced on reflex, awaiting a frown and a stamp of her heels on his friend's sneakers. He expected a lengthy groan, a roll of her stormy eyes, a huff coupled with a biting remark.

Instead she smirked.

And Lucas was the one frowning.

"I see you're getting cornier," she commented, linking Riley's arm with hers and moving past the boy to enter the classroom door.

Zay grinned at Lucas and threw him two thumbs up. "You see, man? She totally wants the "Z"." He popped his collar for effect as he swaggered into the lesson.

Lucas sighed.

"Whatever you say, buddy."

The third time he tried Maya actually smiled. The fourth evoked a quick snigger and a light roll of her eyes. The fifth time she burst into laughter and playfully pushed his shoulder.

Not that Lucas particularly cared.

It was just hard to concentrate on Farkle Time when all he could hear was Maya's quiet giggles as she unfolded and read a note Zay had asked him to pass along to her.

He tried to focus on writing his essay but all he could hear was Maya messily scribbling her response, folding the note back up, and loudly whispering "Yo, Huckleberry. Pass this to Casanova, would you?"

"Shouldn't you be focusing on the lesson?" he snapped, eyes narrowed as he glared at the essay in front of him. He had only managed to write the opening sentence.

He felt her stare at his head for a while before turning back round to face the front, sighing. "Yeesh, what's got your lasso in a knot?"

Lucas' mood continued to worsen with each day. Farkle had questioned why the boy would avert his eyes whenever Zay spoke to Maya, and Lucas had dismissed it by accusing his genius friend of reading into things too much. Riley had asked if he was feeling okay, and he had replied only with a curt nod of his head and a small "I guess".

And then Maya cornered him in class one day after everyone had left for their next period.

"What's up with you? You're bumming everybody out," she frowned, casually leaning against his desk as he packed his notepad away, "What happened to that irritating, sunny Texas attitude of yours?"

He frowned back. "We're going to be late for Biology."

She crossed her ankles and glanced sideways at him. "Your point being?"

He sighed in response. "I can't concentrate on my lessons with you and Zay flirting all the time."

She blanched, tilting her head to the side in utter bewilderment. "Come again?"

"You know what I'm talking about, Maya." He pulled the strap of his backpack over his shoulder. "The pick-up lines, the passing notes."

"First of all, he's the one saying the pick-up lines, not me. And I would happily pass notes with you if you weren't frowning into your work all lesson." she smirked, cheekily poking his forehead before uncrossing her ankles and sauntering towards the door, "Stop acting like a jealous boyfriend."

His bag slipped from his shoulder and landed with a thud on the floor. "I am not-"

"Admit it, Cowboy!" she whipped around and grinned at him. "You want nothing more," she placed a mocking hand on her heart and spoke in what she would call a decent representation of the Texan accent, "than to save me from the evil sheriff in a duel at high-noon, guns blazing and hearts racing."

"Maya-"

"You wanna hold me in your toned arms and tell me how 'the town wasn't big enough for the botha ya' and ride off into the sunset with me on your trusty steed."

"Would you just-"

She lowered her voice in an attempt to match his. "Oh, Maya. You're just about the most dazzlin' girl I ever did see. Sure'nuff, watchin' Zay pull them slick moves on ya got me all riled up-"

He put a hand over her mouth, wincing at her impersonation of his non-existent accent. "You done?"

"Not quite." she mumbled under his palm. He groaned and hesitantly lowered his hand.

And then she jumped onto her toes and kissed him.

And he froze.

The kiss was over before he had time to fully process it, and as she made her way through the door into the hallway he spluttered out a hasty "W-what was that for?"

She looked back and grinned. "Doesn't the cowboy always get the girl in the end?"

He joined her in the hallway, slinging an arm over her shoulders and matching her footsteps with his own. "Well Westerns are mainly concerned with the action and the drama rather than th-"

She slapped his arm and he grinned. "Watch it, Friar."