Hi everyone,

I'm so sorry for not updating for over a year.
Things have been crazy with me, but that isn't an excuse for forgetting this story.

Things are calming down for me over here so I will finish this story and maybe even write the sequel I was planning two years ago if I can find a good, reliable and free place to rewatch the episodes, I don't have Disney+.

Once again a reminder that I use initials to show who's talking. Here's a list.

M= Maya Hart ( I'm not saying hart- hunter because this is before Shawn adopts her.)
J= Joshua Gabriel Matthews
R= Riley Matthews
C= Cory Matthews
A= Auggie Matthews
K= Kat DeBeliso
An= Andrew Henderson
P= Paola Garcia

Here's the next chapter of He Likes Her.

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-Maya's POV-

We've just arrived at Greenwich Hall. M "Here we are." I look over my shoulder and see Josh with that girl I saw him with on the tube, I think her name is Kat. I turn back to Riley. M " We're leaving." R " No, we're not." She turns me around and pushes me into the room.

J " Maya? Riley?" An " Josh, you know these girls?" The guy who just asked Josh if he knows us turns to Riles and me. An " Hello gals." M " We're in middle school." An " Wow! Josh, they can't be here." He pushes Josh towards us. J " Yeah, no kidding. Maya, Riley, you have to go home now." M " You're right, it was a stupid idea anyway. Come on, Riley, let's go."

The girl gets up and pushes aside. K " Wait, I'm intrigued. What was your idea?" M " He's her uncle Josh, I call him Uncle Boing, because, look at him." R " She made me sneak out of the window to come here. That's how much she likes him." M " Okay, come on, Riles, let's go home." R " Sorry we ruined your evening." K " Oh, I think our evening has just begun." Riley turns to Josh, who has been silently watching the exchange. R " Josh, can you show me the bathroom?" J " Yeah, okay." R " Andrew, right? Why don't you come as well?" R " Um, Okay." Riley, Josh and Andrew leave. I suddenly realize that there's another girl (AN: the girl's name is Paola.)

K " Hey." M " Hi." P " So, Maya, How long have you had a crush on Josh?" M " It's not a crush, I know it looks like it, but it's not. I just thought that if I did something like this, he might finally take me seriously and we could come to some kind of understanding."

Josh, Riley and Andrew enter the room. J " We have an understanding, you go home and I stay here." K, P " Sit down!" J " Okay!" Josh and Andrew sit down but Riley stays on her feet. M " I'm just stupid right?" An " Maya, I'd love it if someone did something stupid for me." K " Yeah, it's not the big gestures we do for others but the small decisions we make for ourselves that help us grow." R " Oh, Maya told you about her crush." M " It's not a crush."

R " Maya, tell us one thing about Josh that you love." M " He's part of your family, I love your family." R " And, we love you. What about Josh in particular?" J " Yeah, Maya, you don't even really know me." M " Yeah, you're right. I don't pay attention to anything you do. I don't know that you drive from Philadelphia to New York not even looking if you got into NYU, just so you could open your acceptance letter in front of your older brother because you love him and you want him to be proud of you. And I see the way you are with Auggie. A little boy who looks up to you, who you always have time for. And I know that even though you'd rather stay here with these girls, you're gonna walk Riley and me home. Cause that's just the kinda guy you are. " While I'm saying this, I walk closer to where Josh is sitting. I'm now standing in front of him and looking right into his eyes.  M " I like you."

-Josh POV-

She likes me and I like her. Should I tell her? NO, she's still three years younger than me. It's illegal for us to be together. An " Dude, what is wrong with you?" I jump up. J " She's three years younger than me!" K, P " Sit down." J " No, because it will most likely reflect badly on me." K " Really, how will this reflect on you. If you don't sit down I will tell every single girl here that you belong to the bravest girl I have ever met. And I will make sure that no one goes out with you the whole time you're here." Kat says putting an arm around Maya. J " Okay, I'll sit down but only because I want to." I say, sitting back down. Kat turns to face Maya. K " Maya, he's seventeen and you're fourteen?" M " Yeah." K " That might seem like a big age difference, but here we learn really difficult math." P " Yeah, and when you get here, you'll be eighteen and he'll be twenty-one. And the good news is that he'll be smarter because he'll be in college." K " And he just may be smart enough to look at you differently." I'm feeling thoroughly embarrassed so I speak up. 

J " Okay, thank you guys for figuring out my entire life for me. But this has been the worst party of my life!" I gesture with my head to Maya and Riley. J " Come on, let's go."  I get up. K " Oh, you're leaving?" J " I have to get these girls home." Maya, Riley and I walk out the room and I gently put my hand on Maya's back because I'm feeling sorry for the fact that I keep having to shoot her down because it's illegal for us to be together and I can see that she's starting to give up. Her facial expression doesn't change but I can feel her softly tense and relax under my hand.

_The next day at the Matthew Residence_

-Josh POV-

I enter Riley's room where she, Maya, Cory and Topanga are sitting on the bay window. J " Well this was an interesting visit." R " Josh, you told them?" I sit between Riley and Maya. J " Told them what Riley? That nothing happened, why would I tell them that nothing happened if nothing happened? Why would I tell them that, huh?" I ramble. C " Riley, Josh didn't tell us, Maya did." R " What???" Riley turns to Maya with a look of surprise and confusion on her face. T " Maya told us everything." R " Why?" J " I wouldn't rat you out, Riley." I turn to my brother. J " Sorry Cory, guess that I'm still your little brother, huh?" C " No Josh, you were so looking forward to making new friends at that party but you left just to bring the girls home. You're not that small anymore, I guess I should stop looking at you like that." J " Thanks, that means a lot to me." 

R " Maya, why did you tell them?" I turn to face Maya. M " It was a choice I made for myself. I thought it was the grown-up thing to do." I smile. J " It was. You're not so little anymore Maya. Guess I have to stop looking at you like that." She gives me a shy smile. M " Thanks, that means a lot to me."

God, she's growing up so beautifully, she's going to be a stunning and brilliant woman.