The 13 reasons why Maya Hart couldn't love Riley Matthews...
1) Her family. Riley Matthews was always a girl with a happy life, a loving family, a roof over her head. And not a leaky one.
2) Lucas. She loved Lucas. She couldn't take that away from her.
3) Her sexuality. She was straight. She loved boys, and Maya hadn't seen any difference.
4) Her mind. Riley was smart, she was going to get somewhere.
5) Her thought of love. She heard all the stories. Cory and Topanga. She couldn't ruin it for her.
6) Her reputation. Sunny smiley adorable riley. Not gay riley.
7) Her kindness. Riley cared enough to want to set her best friend up with her own uncle. Who else was that brave? How could she tell her it wasn't real?
8) Her smile. The way Maya was killed every day Riley said hi, every time they embraced, the death she felt.
9) Her gender. Well of course, she was a girl.
10) Her faith. What if she thought it was wrong, she was a Christian after all...
11) Her parents. Her dad didn't trust Lucas being in her room, what would he think about Maya and Riley sharing a bed? What if she could never go there again?
12) Her innocence. She was 8, she can't see her not 8. Too innocent, can't end that...
13) It was too hard. It was so much easier fawning over someone like Joshua Matthews, and Lucas Friar. Both were just like Riley in that Lucas would do anything for his friends and she had known Josh forever, and he cared so much about them. How could she change anything? Riley might be such a good friend that she would change if Maya told her the truth. She couldn't force it.
...and the 13 reasons why she did
1) Her voice. The first thing she heard. She climbed through a window because she heard singing. She always preferred singing to yelling. Now it quickly brought her comfort.
2) Her mind. It was Riley who was the best friend anyone could have, because she brought Maya back. She was the one who did anything for her friends.
3) Her. Just pure Her. At 5:30, she turned gold. 5:30 Her favorite time. She should capture that one day.
4) Her head, and the way it fit perfectly into her own neck. They had done that since they were 7, and they weren't going to stop.
5) Her smile, and how it was out every minute of every day, 24/7.
6) And when she didn't smile, the way she cried softly to Maya, the way she comforted her.
7) Her hair, and the way it smelled. If she could just keep that smell in a bottle, oh how much she would love it.
8) Her trust. Riley put trust in her friends, so much. Trust in everyone, in the world. Even people they thought were messing with them, she trusted them, and was right. And she earned everyone's trust back.
9) Her faith, and how she would do anything she believes is right to help someone else. Despite her innocence, she still would change the world if Maya ever needed.
10) Her love. Riley was the best friend anyone could ever have, she wouldn't be ever believe differently. Riley had a never ending amount of love for the world and everyone in it.
11) Rileytown. Riley was insecure, so was Maya. Both of them were two different extremes. But Riley completed Maya. Her good balanced out Riley. Because without Riley she may never come back.
12) Her persistence. Riley did anything for her friends. She would even let Maya break first. Keep her insecurities inside. Fight for arts. Bring Maya back. Go to a college at 10pm. Pretend do be Zay's girlfriend. Anything.
13) Maya didn't believe in love at first sight. She learnt at a very young age not to trust. So somewhere along the line, she fell in love with Riley. With every day, every smile, every word.
The 13 reason why Riley Matthews couldn't love Maya Hart...
1) Her gender. She was a girl. It was easier to fall for Lucas, who would be more secure. No names, no terror of coming out, no worry of losing her best friend in the world.
2) Her sexuality. She was obviously straight. She had loved Lucas, and gone crazy over Josh.
3) Her life. She grew up with problems in her family. She couldn't add to the problems in her life. It would be too complicated.
4) Riley's parents. What would they say? If she told them. Having slept with Maya for years. Them trusting her. That would end. Wouldn't it?
5) How different they were. It was perfect in a friendship, but what if they were too opposite. What if it didn't last?
6) And if it didn't last... she would lose her best friend forever. Wouldn't it be better to keep Maya, under the security of friendship?
7) Her age. She was older than Riley, and what if Riley was too innocent for her?
8) Her life. Maya had problems in her life, it was never a secret. Growing up with a broken home, and having to struggle for hope. What if Riley couldn't help Maya get through all she would need to?
9) Her thought of hope. Maya thought hope was for suckers. She might have lost the hope for love, and the belief that anyone could ever love her as much as Riley really did.
10) She would go too far. Riley became a communist just to protect Maya. There was no telling how far she would go. It could turn out worse for her.
11) And if it wasn't Riley who went too far, it was Maya.
12) She was scared. Riley had liked people before. She had never considered the possibility of growing old with anyone, or really, properly marrying someone. High school relationships were not as easy as her parents made it look, and she knew there was a high chance of breaking. It terrified her.
13) Maya thought change was a bad thing. Riley did at once, but she now saw why it wasn't. This much change... it could be something Maya would never want. And the last thing both Riley and Maya could handle with would be a broken friendship.
...and the 13 reasons why she did
1) Her bravery. Riley always thought Maya was cool. She would rebel, take the subway, speak out. It was fascinating.
2) Mayaville. Without Maya, she may never unfold her hands.
3) She was the best friend anyone could have. She actually did it. She became Riley. Maya would do anything for Riley, and Riley knew she would do anything for Maya back.
4) Maya didn't have much, but she cared so much. She grew up in a small broken home, yet was willing to fix anyone else's leaky roof.
5) Her heart. She was Maya Hart for a reason. She had so much love. She went crazy when someone went after Riley. She loved her so much. Riley could always depend on her.
6) Her loyalty. Maya came into her window when she was 7, and never stopped. She wouldn't keep anything from Riley, and always stood by her.
7) Her hugs, and how they brought her comfort. Any problem, and she could tell Maya. She she would hug, and talk, and everything seemed okay.
8) Her deep, blue eyes, and how they still had a sparkle in them. Anyone else would have lost that sparkle, but she didn't.
9) Her expression. She was a true artist. She believed in something, she wanted people to know. Paint a picture. It was beautiful.
10) How comfortable her shoulder was to rest her head on. The position they had adopted, sitting in the bay window. Together, that was all they needed.
11) Her importance. Even when Riley was unsure about her relationship with Lucas, and how long it would last, she knew her and Maya would always be together. And though she didn't recognize at the time, she knew Maya would always be there to lift her head.
12) What she was. Like forces repel, as Isadora put it. But they were opposites, and opposites attracted. Riley and Maya evened each other out. They wouldn't go too far when they had each other.
13) When all Riley had was an empty bay window and her own voice to keep her company, Maya was there. From the start. When Riley was upset about her new baby brother coming, Maya was there. Even if she had her own problems. When all she had was a broken teddy bear, and an upset brother, Maya was there, always.