whumptober day 3 - my way or the highway - manhandled (romanogers part 1)

fandom: girl meets world

set: junior year

timeline: separate (romanogers series)

tw: alcohol, underage drinking, toxic relationship, unwanted physical contact, mild language

summary: josh invites maya to a college halloween party and promptly encourages a series of poor choices which lead to her being half-drunk and left alone to fend off overly eager college boys.

notes: my knowledge of getting drunk is zero, so if there's inaccuracies, talk to the website i used.

wordcount: 3988

"Riles, this is not going to be the same type of college party as the one we went to before," Maya sighed. "I'll have Josh to protect me from the creeps, but I know you. If you go, you'll wander off, and then you'll get in trouble."

"What do you mean I'll wander off?" her best friend protested. "I will not!"

Maya rolled her eyes. "Oh, I'm sorry, I seem to remember you becoming best friends with sorority girls two seconds after we got there and then running off with them before I knew what was going on."

Riley went to protest, but Maya didn't let her.

"You know that's exactly what happened."

The other girl exhaled in resignation. "Fine."

"It's not even actually on Halloween," Maya said placatingly. "Your parents are still taking us to Fright Fest at Coney Island, and I still would not miss it for the world."

"You better not."

They looked up to see Lucas, followed by Farkle and Zay, entering Topanga's.

"What're the Avengers without their Black Widow?" the Texan asked, smirking.

"Freakin screwed, that's what," Maya replied as the guys sat down.

Farkle looked between her and Riley curiously. "Why would you miss it, anyway?"

"I wouldn't, because the party's on a different night."

Zay's mouth fell open in playful disbelief. "A party? And you didn't invite us?"

"Josh invited me to a college party the night before, I can't bring you guys because I'm just a plus one, don't bug me about it," Maya replied tiredly.

"Awe, you know I'm just playin'," Zay told her. "That's cool. I know you two haven't hung out much lately."

Lucas, however, was frowning. "A college party? Are you sure that's a good idea?"

"What, Moral Compass?" she sighed. "You think I'm gonna get drunk or something?"

"No, I think everyone else is going to."

Maya exhaled. "Josh promised he'd stay sober and have my back. Stop freaking out, I'll be fine."

"Maybe you should study some Black Widow moves just in case," he suggested, half-joking but still looking less than convinced.

"Hey, maybe I should." She smirked. "Will you let me practice on you?"

He returned the smile. "Whatever you want..." That aggravatingly hot tilt of his invisible hat. "Ma'am."

time-skip sponsored by sPoOky SEasOn

Katy gasped in excitement as her daughter walked out from her room, black clad and looking like a proper assassin. "Oh, Babygirl! That boy is going to lose his mind!"

Shawn was looking much less pleased. "Yeah, he is," he said, frowning. "And that is not a good thing."

Maya smirked. "What? The lady's man doesn't want me around little hims?"

"That's exactly right," he told her, crossing his arms. "I know what goes on in those boys' heads, because I was one."

"Please, this is a potato sack compared to what those college girls will be wearing," she scoffed. "Besides, I've been working on my Black Widow moves if anybody gets any ideas."

"Oh yeah?" He couldn't help the smile that broke through his serious expression. "Show me what you got."

Disregarding all of the moves she and Lucas had actually been working on for the past few weeks, she started bouncing up and down, aiming quick punches at his torso.

"I got that! I got you! Huh! Hah!"

She was halted by a knock on the door, which Shawn jumped to be first to answer. "I've got it!"

Maya sighed heavily as he rushed in that direction. "I have the feeling I am not going to enjoy this part."

One Shawn-to-Josh lecture later, the two of them were walking down the street, towards the subway, not talking. Come to think of it, they never really talked. The last time she remembered having a real conversation with him was in the window at the ski lodge.

Once they'd boarded a train, Maya couldn't take it any longer. "So... how's college?"

"It's good." He hesitated, seeming to realize she was expecting more of an answer than that. "Uh... yeah. I mean, it's kinda boring, but there's... uh... there's a lot of homework, I guess."

"Still roommates with Snoopaloop?"

"You kidding?" He laughed. "No, that barely lasted two weeks. He was as annoying as I thought when I first met him. Didn't wear off."

"Huh." The fact that she hadn't known that made her feel something she couldn't quite name. "So, who's your roommate now?"

"Oh, well now that I'm an upperclassmen, I moved off campus and got an apartment with some friends," he replied. "It's been so much better than the dorms. We can have whoever over, throw whatever parties we want to. It's great."

"How come I was never invited to any of those parties?" She asked the question with a joking tone, trying to tell herself she wasn't bothered by the fact that he had an apartment and she'd never seen it.

He seemed strangely uncomfortable given the fact that it'd obviously been a joke. "Well, you know, I was hosting. It's a whole different ball game. Wouldn't have been able to stick so close."

She made herself laugh. "In that case, I guess I forget you."

They fell back into silence, and she found herself unwilling to try to fix that again. Why should she always have to carry the conversation?

Luckily, it wasn't a long ride, and they reached their stop after another few minutes. As they headed down the street once more, towards the fraternity house where the party was being held, Maya glanced at Josh's hand. They'd held hands before. Yeah. Holding hands was okay.

As casually as she could, she grabbed his. He responded, but stiffly. It reminded her of Lucas and Riley when they were dating.

Yeah, that was not a good look.

But dropping it now would just make things even more awkward.

As they approached the house, the music blaring inside became audible. Once they got in there and started dancing, they would relax. Everything would be fine.

She held on as they mounted the steps, but fell back so he was leading her behind him. Suddenly, a pit of nervousness found its way into her stomach. She was fine. She had a college boy on her arm. She belonged here.

Her nose immediately wrinkled as they stepped inside and were greeted with the scent of alcohol and body odor and the unchecked sound of cranked R&B music. Okay, not exactly her scene.

But maybe it wasn't anybody's at first. Maybe she just had to get used to it.

"So, what do we do now?" she asked Josh, forced to shout to be heard over the music.

"We grab a drink, maybe find a game," he told her. He did seem a little more at ease now. "Relax, enjoy ourselves. Maybe dance a little."

She nodded and allowed him to lead the way to the kitchen, weaving through scantily clad girls and guys who'd gone a little overboard with the bloody makeup. Josh traded greetings as they went, saying hi and complimenting costumes.

He hadn't complimented hers.

Once they reached the kitchen, the rank smell in the rest of the house was replaced with that of pizza... and more alcohol. Maya searched the counter for any else to drink, and finally found a bucket of canned soda. She released Josh to go grab some, pulling out a Sprite for herself and looking back at him.

"What kind?"

He shifted a little nervously, glancing around the room. "Uh... Coke's fine."

She selected the red can and tossed it to him, opening her mouth to ask if she should grab him some pizza as well.

"Josh!" Another voice beat her to it, as a new face bounded into the kitchen, two girls trailing behind him. "What's up, Man?"

Josh greeted him with a handshake-high five like Lucas and Zay always did. "Sawyer! Not much, what's up with you?"

"Ah, ya know, the night's goin well so far." He not so subtly indicated the chics behind him, who giggled as Josh smirked knowingly.

Did they have no dignity?

But the smile faded from Sawyer's face when he saw the can in Josh's hand. "What is that? Come on, Man, don't tell me you're going all sober on me."

Josh rubbed the back of his neck uncomfortably. "Uh... you see..."

Maya cut him off, crossing the kitchen and grabbing that hand once more. "I'm his long game, his high school junior. He's staying sober for me."

"Ohhhh, the long game!" Maya's forehead creased at the look that passed between the two boys. "Well why stay sober? I know what you high school kids do at your own parties. You should both grab a beer."

"Yeah, I don't go to those parties, and he promised my dad he wouldn't drink, so we're good, thank you." Maya replied with a forced smile.

"Suit yourself," Sawyer sighed, then looked at Josh like she hadn't indicated both of them in her statement. "What about you, Man? Just one beer can't hurt anything."

Maya pulled on his hand to go, but he applied the same pressure in the opposite direction. "I mean, he's got a point," he said, hitting her with some puppy-dog eyes. "It's not like I'm driving or anything."

"Josh..." She started, but he cut her off.

"Come on, Maya. I invited you here cuz you're mature. I thought you'd fit in with my people. Just one drink. Shawn won't know the difference."

She stared him down for a long moment before exhaling heavily. "Fine, go ahead, have one. I won't rat you out."

"You should try it too." He took the Sprite from her hand and returned it and the Coke to their bucket. "I mean, you're seventeen and you've never had alcohol. What kind of a bad influence are you?"

She sighed heavily. "Apparently not as good of one as you."

He laughed. He was really cute when he laughed. He turned around and chose two beers from the counter behind him, placing one in her hand. "Just try it."

He twisted his open while she stared at the bottle in her hand. Shawn knew high schoolers better than anyone. He probably expected this. And her mom? Honestly, as long as she came home in one piece, she didn't care. Plus, neither of them were going to find out. She'd come home in one piece, she'd be fine. Maybe she and Josh could both use a little help relaxing.

"Fine." She twisted the cap off and tossed it in a nearby trash can. "I'll try it."

"Yeah!" He swung their attached hands to place his arm around her shoulder. "I knew you'd be chill! Alright, we drink on three."

Maya swallowed hard and tightened her drip on the bottle. It smelled disgusting.

"One. Two. Three."

Not allowing herself time to think, she raised it to her lips and took a swig. She nearly choked the minute it hit her tongue, gagging once then swallowing with an effort.

The college students around her all chuckled as she gasped for air. "That's disgusting! Why the hell do you drink that stuff?"

"It's an acquired taste, Babe," Josh told her easily. "And once the feeling kicks in, it'll all be worth it. Trust me."

She sighed heavily, wrinkling her nose at the disgusting liquid she was holding. "Did you say something about a game?"

"A game!" Turning with his arm still looped around her, he headed into another part of the house. "Absolutely!"

They entered the dining room, where a group of college kids were sitting down, each one with a drink in their hand.

"Josh!" a blond in a Slave Leia costume created him. "Never Have I Ever! Wanna join?"

"That..." He pointed at her with his beer. "is exactly what we want to do. Thank you, Elle."

"Who's your friend?" she asked as they sat down, looking Maya up and down with a look she didn't appreciate.

"I'm Maya," she said with a forced smile.

"Maya is my niece's best friend," Josh explained, and as the people around the table gave him confused looks, shrugged. "It's complicated."

So much for being introduced as his Long Game.

Nevermind that. He hadn't meant anything by it.

"Alright, well, the rules here are simple," Elle announced. "We go around in a circle. Whoever's turn it is names something they've never done. If you haven't done it either, you don't do anything. If you have, you take a sip of your drink. Make sense?"

Everyone nodded, and she did the same. "I'll go first." She looked around the table, her eyes lingering just a moment on Josh, then on Maya. "Never have I ever... kissed someone who's name I didn't know."

Maya stayed still. Josh, along with several others around the circle, took a sip. Maya swallowed and looked straight ahead. They'd never promised to be exclusive while they waited for each other. In fact, he'd given Zay his blessing to go out with her. Of course, that had fizzled out as soon as Riley and Lucas broke up and Smackle moved to New Jersey so she could participate in an early college program offered by Princeton. Regardless, there was no reason him getting drunk at a party and kissing a stranger should bother her.

The girl next to Elle drummed her fingers on the table, thinking. "Never have I ever," she said at length. "Gone skinny-dipping."

This time, Josh joined her in not drinking. That was comforting.

The next player was pretty much the dictionary definition of a frat boy. "Never have I ever broken the law."

One of the other guys had the table guffawed. "Bull**** dude! You had your first beer at ******* twelve years old!"

Frat boy held up his hands. "Okay, okay... other than underage drinking."

This time, it was Maya who sipped, and Josh who didn't.

God, that stuff was disgusting.

"Ooooh, Josh," Elle giggled. "Got yourself a troublemaker, do you?" She turned to the girl in between frat boy and Maya. "Wendy, whatcha got?"

"Never have I ever..." Wendy hesitated. "Driven while drunk."

This time, only three people drank. Elle was one of them.

"You dumb," Maya muttered under her breath.

Then, she straightened, exhaling slowly as she thought. Don't be lame, Maya Hunter. Don't be lame.

"Never have I ever cheated on someone." Never had she ever been in a real relationship, but no one needed to know that.

Only one other person didn't sip. Maya turned to Josh in disbelief. "You've cheated?"

He shrugged, smirking like he thought it was cute. "I was fourteen. I didn't know how else to break up with her." He directed his attention back at the group. "Never have I ever kept a secret from my best friend."

Maya sipped with most of the table.

Was it growing on her?

No. It was still disgusting.

Who was Josh's best friend, anyway?"

The girl in the chair beside him giggled for no apparent reason other than the few drinks she'd obviously already downed. "Never have I ever had a job."

Maya took a sip, as did Josh and most of the others, while Elle and a few companions remained still. It took everything inside of Maya not to say something about Daddy's money.

Josh leaned closer to whisper in her ear. "You have a job?"

How did he not know this? "Yeah. The diner where my mom used to work." He nodded slowly, and a thought hit her. "You have a job?"

There was that smirk again. "No, but I used to mow Feeney's lawn every week."

She bit the comment back yet again.

They played for another thirty minutes and Maya finished half the beer. Maybe it was growing on her a little bit. Whether for the alcohol or the game spent with it there, she was beginning to relax against Josh's arm around her.

"Alright!" Elle announced as she downed the remaining contents of her plastic cup. "Who's ready to take some shots?"

Everyone except Josh and Maya chorused their enthusiastic agreement. Elle looked at him in shock. "Who are you and what have you done with Joshua Matthews?" she asked incredulously. "Don't tell me you are going to say no to shots."

"Well, I..."

"I'm sixteen," Maya stepped in, meeting the older girl's condescension with a little fire. "And he promised me he wouldn't get drunk."

"Oh come on!" she scoffed. "He took you to a college party! What else would you be here to do?"

Josh chuckled. "I mean, she's got a point, Maya."

"No!" He willed herself to pull away from him, but she somehow couldn't find it in her. "I already gave a little, but I am not going home drunk."

"Maya, your mom couldn't care less, and Shawn has no room to talk," Josh sighed. "Besides, they'll probably be in bed by the time we get home. I'll give you all my top secret methods for hiding hangovers."

"I don't want to have a hangover, Josh," she moaned.

"Yes, you do," he replied, grinning. "Trust me, being drunk makes it all worth it."

"Josh..."

"Maya, this is all Riley talking, and you know it," he said, then met her gaze with a pair of puppy eyes. "You're the troublemaker. Live a little!"

She hesitated, wavering in the face of his cologne and his arm and those pleading eyes. This was exactly what Lucas thought was going to happen.

"Maya, you haven't been to a college party until you've taken a few shots."

Maya groaned, her shoulders dropping in defeat. "Fine. But just a few."

"Trust me, Honey," Elle laughed. "That is all it takes."

Approximately ten minutes and two shots of tequila later, and Maya knew she had made a very, very big mistake.

Her vision swam for a moment before focusing to a point that she knew was not her normal level. For some reason, she wanted to laugh about it.

This was not good.

She turned to Josh furiously. "I though you..." Why did she sound like that? "I though you sai... said it would take four or... or five to get..." She swayed on her feet, steadying herself against the bar.

Elle laughed. "Honey, you tiny. I am not surprised that two is doing it for you."

Josh shrugged a little. "Yeah, you're just small. That affects it. You said the first one felt good."

"That one did!" She closed her eyes as the world swam around her. "This one does not!"

It almost did, but she refused to accept that.

"That's cuz you're barely drunk," Josh replied as he accepted his third shot and passed another to her. "Take one or two more, and you'll love it."

"No!" Part of her... a lot of her... wanted to, but the other part refused to let. "No, no, no. You're not drunk right now. While you're not drunk, please walk me home. I wanna go home! Then you can come back and... and do whatever the hell you wanna do." She was uncharacteristically emotional, and she knew it, and she hated it.

"Maya..." He moaned. "I told you, you just gotta relax. I'm not taking you home. Take a few more shots, finish your beer, and you'll feel great."

She heard herself scream in fury, saw herself throw the shot he handed her back in his face, and felt herself storm away.

One glance over her shoulder, and he was turning back to the bar after one half-hearted, "Maya..." muttering how she'd be back in a minute.

The stench of the house was suddenly too much for her, making her feel even more sick than she already did. She shoved desperately through the mass of dancers and drinkers and people making out until she reached the door and was bursting out into the fresh night air.

She gasped it in, hitting her knees on the front lawn and starting to cry.

This entire night had been a disaster, and now she was three-quarters drunk and all emotional and felt like ****, and she had no idea what to do.

"Hey, hey, hey." She looked up sharply to see a guy dressed as Wesley from The Princess Bride approaching and kneeling beside her. "What's the matter, Sweetheart?"

He was cute and his tone was gentle, but she was not in the mood.

"I'm not your sweetheart," she muttered. "Leave me alone, I'm fine."

He reached out and cupped her face, but she jerked away sharply. "Did someone break your heart?"

"No."

Maya got up and took a step away, but as soon as she did, the world was tilting around her again.

"Hey, don't be like that." A few steps, and he was in front of her. "I'm just trying to be nice."

"It would be nice to leave me alone," she snapped.

His hands found her arms, remaining there when she tried to shake them off. "Come on. I just wanna talk."

"Then why do you keep touching?" She tried again to shake him off, and when it still didn't work, gave him a hard shove away from her. "Now I said leave me alone."

His jaw tightened, and his eyes flashed with anger. "Okay, you know what, you *****? **** off!" He grabbed her arms again and shook her a little. "I wasn't gonna ******* hurt you. I was just trying to be nice." His nails began to dig into her arms through her sleeves. "Didn't realize you were just another ***** who assumes the worst one of everyone." Then, he shoved her chest hard, sent her world spinning, and stormed away as she landed on the ground hard.

Maya closed her eyes and desperately tried to stop crying.

What did she do now? She had no idea what she was supposed to do now.

"Whoa, are you okay?" A new voice was accompanied by new hands, sliding under her arms and pulling her to her feet.

She turned around sharply to see a guy in a Deadpool costume.

No sooner had he released her than his hands were on her shoulders, rubbing a little. "There you go, you're okay."

She flinched away. Maybe he didn't mean anything by it... maybe the other guy hadn't either. But she just didn't like it when they touched her.

"Yes, thank you, I'm fine."

"Where's your group?" he asked. Hand on her arm again.

She shoved it off. "I... it's..."

"It's okay, Babe, you can chill with me." And just like that, his arm was around her shoulder.

Despite her foggy mind, her half-joking training with Lucas kicked in. She elbowed him hard in the stomach and jerked away again. "I don't want to chill with you! I..." He reached for her hand. "Stop touching me!"

His mask was covering his face, but she saw in his body that she'd managed to piss him off too. "Wow, okay. No touching, got it!" Then, he shoved her, she fell, and he walked away, muttering colorful names for her under his breath.

This time, she didn't wait around for another wannabe Prince Charming to show up, stumbling to her feet and towards the sidewalk. With half a block between her and the house, she dropped onto a bench and cried.

Okay. Not even sure what exactly that was. It's the first part in what I'm planning on being a three-part series, so stay tuned, and please as always, let me know what you think.