Riley waited for the text bubble to pop back up on her phone screen and when it didn’t she sighed heavily, plugging her phone into the charger and placing it back on her nightstand. To be fair she knew Lucas had practice super early in the morning and needed his sleep. Still, she wished she had someone to talk to. She knew if she called Maya there was no going back to sleep for her, Zay would kill her if she disrupted his beauty sleep and genius one and two both went to bed at a reasonable hour so they were already far off into dream land.
She tossed and turned in her spot, pulling the covers up over her head hoping it’d swallow her whole. Every time she closed her eyes she would picture her audition, how she stumbled up on stage and stuttered her first two lines. There was no way she’d get the part she wanted. She’d be surprised if they let her be a tree at this point.
15 minutes and 5 self-deprecating thoughts later she hears a noise at the window. At first she brushed it off, not wanting to spook herself if it was just a branch or a bird. But then the noise happened again and this time it was much more distinct. She hesitated and then another noise. She was sure it was knocking. She glanced over at her phone seeing it was almost 15 minutes till midnight.
Riley gets out of bed wishing she hadn’t closed her curtains before tucking herself in. She grabs the closest thing to her which happens to be a stuffed animal Lucas won her at the carnival, ready to use it to fight for her life.
As she gets closer she hears the sound of her window slide up and immediately stops in her tracks, completely frozen as the intruder fumbles through. Once he’s in she begins to panic, using the only thing in her grasp to defend herself she begins to smack him with the plush toy, whacking him over the head several times.
“Riley…RILEY!” Lucas whisper yells, trying to keep his voice low so her parents wouldn’t hear. He stops her final hit with his arm, his eyes widen in shock but his mouth curled up into a smirk. “Are you trying to beat me to death with Sir Wiggleton?”
“Lucas?” She whisper yells back, reaching over to turn on her bedside lamp. “What’re you doing? I could’ve killed you!”
Lucas raises an eyebrow, “With a stuffed monkey?”
“You leave him out of this.” She crosses her arms, “Seriously though, I mean don’t get me wrong I’m happy to see you but you kind of scared me half to death.”
“I’m sorry.” He chews on his lip, moving closer to her. “I wanted to surprise you.”
“Well it worked.” She chuckles, whacking him in the arm once more with Sir Wiggleton.
Lucas instinctively pulls her into a hug which takes her by surprise. Not because he was being affectionate but because that was exactly what she needed to feel better. He wrapped an arm around her shoulders and pulled her closer, gently rubbing her arm. Despite the heaviness in her stomach, it fluttered at the feeling of her body pressed against his. She sunk into the warmth of his embrace, appreciative of the simple gesture. His touch made the room warmer somehow and his strong arms seemed very protective when wrapped around her small frame. The world around her melted away as she squeezed him back, not wanting the moment to end.
“I really needed this.” She huffs, nuzzling her face into the space between his neck and shoulder. “I’ve had the worst day.”
“I know.” Lucas stroked her long brown hair and gently pulled her face up to meet his. “Why do you think I came? The second you said you needed me I was out the door. What kind of boyfriend would I be if I didn’t sneak into my girlfriend’s bedroom window when she was feeling down?”
“You’re amazing you know that?” She couldn’t help but smile up at the handsome boy whose arms were still snug around her waist. “How did I get so lucky?”
“I ask myself that every day that I’m with you.” He smiles, planting a soft kiss on her cheek.
“Will you do me a favor?” She asks, interlocking their fingers together. Lucas nods his head enthusiastically. “Will you stay with me? Even if it’s just for a little while?”
“If you’re comfortable with that, absolutely.” He smiles, following her lead to the bed.
Riley gets in first, fluffing up their pillows as Lucas kicks off his shoes and peels off his sweater before climbing into bed with her, wrapping his arms around her torso, hugging her close. She instantly feels relaxed as he molds to the shape of her body. Lucas nuzzles into her shoulder, feeling the rise and fall of her chest, the rhythmic noise slowing his own breathing.
With their fingers intertwined the calmative effect is irresistible, bringing sleep before either of them can mumble a heart fluttering ‘goodnight’.
From the moment she entered high school all everyone ever talked about was sex. Riley could clearly remember the first time she ever heard it be so casually discussed. She was sitting in the girl’s locker room, lacing up her gym shoes when two other 9th graders walk in. They were not so subtly discussing what they did over the weekend and the smaller of the two, a red head she recognized from her English class, was ecstatic that she had finally “lost hers.”
Once the two girls are out of sight she looks over to Maya and raises her eyebrows, “what did she lose?”
“I’m guessing her virginity.” Maya answers with a nonchalant shrug.
Nothing else was said about it. No further explanations or clarifications. Still, Riley had a hard time believing girls in her grade were already having sex. She was still getting over the fact that her boobs had come in and suddenly she was thrown into this new world where her classmates were having sex and drinking alcohol and she couldn’t help but wonder if her own circle of friends were worrying about the same things too. Better yet, if they were engaging in those activities and just keeping her out of the loop.
That night she couldn’t stop thinking about the overheard conversation from the locker room. So while her mother was stirring the pot of whatever stu she was making, Riley got up the courage to finally ask the question that had been burning a hole in her mind.
“Mom?” She hesitates, staring down at her homework. “Can I ask you something…personal?”
“Sure honey.” Topanga replies, not really giving it much thought. “Feel free to ask me anything you want.”
There’s a bit of silence between them until Riley decides its best to just get it over with. Rip it off like a band aid. “When did you lose your virginity?”
Of course her timing couldn’t be more off because the second she asked her question, Topanga was in the middle of tasting her concoction on the stove. Riley’s abruptness caused her to do a spit take and soon her mother’s wide eyes were staring at her with horror.
“Why?” Topanga narrows her eyes. “Are you…sexually active?”
Riley cringed at the word. She hated that term more than anything. She crinkles her nose up, “No. Of course not.”
“Then why so curious all of a sudden?”
“Well as it turns out…high school girls are a lot more experienced than I thought they’d be.” She admits.
“Everybody’s different.” Topanga smiles, still seeing the innocence in her daughter. “Your father and I waited until our wedding night but not everyone does that. Some people are comfortable and confident in their bodies at a younger age and decide they’re ready when the moment presents itself.”
“You guys really waited until you got married?” Riley was surprised, considering all the stories her uncle Shawn told her about how her parents were all “goo-goo eyed” over each other. “Wasn’t it...hard?”
“Only if you’re with the wrong person.” Topanga walks over and takes Riley’s hand in hers. “Look honey, you and only you will know if and when you’re ready. No one can make that decision for you. And if ever you’re with someone who tries to pressure you into changing your mind or even worse…doesn’t understand that no means no…then you’re with the wrong person – and you get out of there as fast as you can. Do you understand me?”
“Yeah, I do.” Riley smiles, feeling a lot better about the situation than she did before. “Thanks mom.”
--
The next couple of years of high school introduced a whole new chapter in her life. At the beginning of summer before junior year, she and Lucas broke off their year long relationship. With his sports and after school job and her clubs and internship they hardly ever got to spend time together and eventually they decided to just call it quits but ultimately stayed relatively good friends.
But now she was 17 and newly single and of course her best friend Maya couldn’t be more thrilled about it. She finally got to introduce her to the exciting world of casual dating. No commitment, no long term relationships, just having fun with whoever you want, whenever you want. It initially sounded horrible, but Riley eventually comes around to it, giving in to the peer pressure and the relentless begging from her bestie. Though, she soon learned that casually dating wasn’t her thing.
Instead, she lived vicariously through her friends who weren’t strangers to this exciting new world. She was there for Maya when she lost her virginity. The blonde climbed through her bay window that same night, giving Riley a play by play of what happened and how terrified she was the whole time. She was there when Zay admitted to losing it pretty early on and she unfortunately had to witness Lucas jumping from girl to girl all of junior year, not allowing herself to think about what he could possibly be doing with them.
And when she least expected it, she met a boy.
He was cute and tall with dark hair, pale skin but vibrant blue eyes. His name was Declan and he played the drums in her uncle josh’s band. She’d be lying if she said she wasn’t slightly intimated by him. He was a lot cooler than the guys she was used to. He was three years older, definitely more experienced but he was sweet to her and at the time she thought that was all that mattered.
Because he was a sophomore in college, he had his own dorm room and much to Riley’s dismay that seemed to be his favorite place to hang out. She’d start out sat on his desk chair but somehow she always ended up on his bed, half undressed with him on top of her. Usually when things got that heavy she’d make up an excuse about having to leave and she’d bolt out of there. The weird part was he never seemed mad about it whenever they saw each other again.
As she joined her group of friends at Topanga’s Café one day after school, she felt this undying desire to do something she had yet to do with any of her friends. Discuss her sex life. She was starting to feel trapped and unsure of what she had with Declan and as she looked around at the 5 of them she knew they were the right someone’s to turn to.
“Can I get your guy’s opinion on something?” She asks the second she walks in. The only seat open was the one next to Lucas so she plops herself down, giving him a small smile before giving the rest of the group her attention. “It’s about Declan.”
“Oh my god.” Zay chirps up, clapping his hands together. “It finally happened, Cotton Candy Face has joined the club.”
“What club? ACTUALLY, don’t answer that.” She stops herself once she remembers Lucas is sitting right there next to her. “Seriously though guys I’m kind of confused.”
“What happened?” Maya asks.
“Well, we always seem to be at his dorm room and lately things have been getting kind of…serious.”
“Serious?” Lucas raises an eyebrow, now completely facing her.
“You know, like – hot and heavy?”
The blond boy turns away from her, staring down at his hands as she continues.
“I always stop him before we go too far and by stop I mean run away, like I actually legitimately run away from him.” She admits and from the corner of her eye she swore she could see Lucas smirking.
“What exactly are you confused about?” Farkle chimes in, a look of confusion on his face.
“He never seems mad about it.” She continues, “Like he never brings it up and he never seems mad whenever we see each other again. I mean, wouldn’t you say something if your girlfriend ran away every time you tried to get with her?” She asks, directing her question to Zay.
“No, I would however, take the hint.” He answers.
“What do you mean?”
“He’s not mad because he likes the challenge, Riles.” Maya adds, “And you honey, you’re as hard to get as they come.”
“He thinks I’m playing hard to get?”
“How could he not?” Zay continues, “You’re beautiful but you have this innocence to you, you’re like a sweet little adorable mouse and he’s the cat.”
“And right now he’s having a hell of a time playing the game.” Isadora says offhandedly.
She lets their words sink in. She had to know if they were right. She had to know what the deal was, what he thought he was getting out of this with her. She had to know if he really liked her or if he just really liked the chase. “I have to go. I’ll see you guys later.” She stands up and walks outside.
To her surprise, Lucas follows her out, hot on her trails. “Riley?” He gently grabs her arm, causing her to turn around to look at him. “Do you have a second? I wanted to talk to you about something?”
“Can it wait?” She asks, right now she couldn’t concentrate on anything except the awful feeling in her stomach. “I promise I’ll call you later?”
“O-okay.” He nods and just like that she’s out of his grip and flying up the stairs.
When he turns back around he sees Zay leaning up against the wall outside of the café. “You tell her?”
Lucas sighs, rubbing at the back of his neck. “Not yet but I will.”
--
Riley’s feet don’t stop. She hails a cab, runs through campus and maneuvers her way around the dorms, until she’s in front of his room. And then and only then do they stop moving. She lightly taps on the door, waiting patiently as she listens to fumbling around and then within seconds the door swings open and a shirtless Declan appears, a wide grin on his face. “Babe.” He pulls her in for a hug, “What a nice surprise.”
Unable to put together a cohesive sentence she blurts out the first thing that comes to mind.
“I am not a mouse!”
Declan chuckles slightly, furrowing his brows together as he leans back on his bed. “Thank god for that.”
“I’m serious, Dec.” She pulls up the chair in front of him, holding his gaze as she speaks. “I’m not a mouse. I’m not a game and I’m certainly not some virgin conquest.”
“I never said you were.” He offers, sitting up straight so their faces were only inches apart. As Riley continues to talk he slides his hands down her arms, kissing trails down her neck.
“Declan no.” She breathes, trying to pry his hands off of her. “Declan, stop…I said no!” She finally snaps, shoving him away as hard as she can. “I am not going to sleep with you!”
“For fucks sake.” He huffs, “What the hell is the big deal? It’s just sex, Riley. Grow up.”
It was then she remembered exactly what her mother told her almost two years ago. ‘And if ever you’re with someone who tries to pressure you into changing your mind or even worse…doesn’t understand that no means no…then you’re with the wrong person – and you get out of there as fast as you can.’
So she did.
Without as much as a word, she stands up and walks out of there with her dignity intact and her head held high.
--
It takes Lucas awhile to work up his nerve again after Riley seemed like she couldn’t be less interested. But eventually, after beating himself up about it, he finds her. She’s lying on her bed, flat on her back staring up at the ceiling while a song he didn’t recognize plays through her speakers.
Luckily for him, the bay window was already wide open, letting in the warm summer breeze. He peeks his head in, swallowing hard before making himself known. “Riley?”
The sound of her name catches her attention and she swiftly sits up, seeing that it’s Lucas on the other side of her window. “You can come in.” She waits for him to get all the way inside before she continues, “Is everything okay?”
“Honestly? No.” He answers, feeling the pressure getting to him. “I haven’t been okay for a while now.”
“What happened?” She asks, worry masking her face.
“You. You happened.” When he sees her face fall he quickly walks over, wanting to clarify. “It’s not how it sounds. Or maybe it is. I don’t know. All I do know is that I’ve been kind of miserable since we broke up.”
“You have?”
“At the time it made sense but not even a week later I was kicking myself for letting you go. The only reason I didn’t say anything is because I thought you were happy. You seemed happy and I didn’t want to disrupt that. I even dated around to try to get my mind off of you and me but it never worked. None of them made me feel even a fraction of the way I felt when I was with you. I’m at my happiest when I’m with you and I don’t know if you feel the same way or if --.”
He’s stops talking the second Riley pulls his face close to hers, kissing him softly on the lips. “You were rambling.” She whispers once their lips part.
“I know.” He can feel the heat set across his cheeks.
“I like it.” She giggles softly, still holding his face in her hands. “And I do feel the same way.”
Lucas wraps his arms around her, pulling her tightly against his chest and breathing her in. “I’ve missed you so much.”
“I missed you too.” She smiles, planting another kiss on his lips. For a second she goes quiet, eyebrows furrowed together once he pulls away. “But…if we’re going to be together again, for real this time, there is something we should probably discuss beforehand.”
“Oh?” He sits up straight, noticing her serious tone.
She takes a deep breath, preparing herself for the worst. “I’m not ready to have sex and I don’t know when I’ll be ready…it might not be for a long time.”
His deadpan face slowly transitions into a soft smile, one she didn’t see with Declan, one that made her heart grow a thousand times. “That’s fine by me.”
“Really?” She asks, completely in shock. “You’re not mad that I don’t want to have sex right now?”
“Riley.” He chuckles, taking her hands in his, “I want you in every sense of the word but I would never ever pressure you to do something you’re not ready for. I’d never want to jeopardize what we have. ”
She smiles her biggest smile and leans in as he places his hands gently on either sides of her face, and kisses her once more.
“What if I want to wait until I’m married?” She questions, just as the kiss ends.
Lucas smirks, caressing her cheek with his thumb, “Then we’ll wait until we’re married.”
Overview:In the middle of her freshman year of high school Riley Matthew’s mother gets a once in a lifetime opportunity to run her firms London Office. Much to everyone’s surprise her mother accepts the job, forcing Riley and her younger brother Auggie to leave behind everything they’ve ever known. Almost three years later the Matthew’s family moves back to New York and Riley comes to realize a lot has changed in the time she’s been gone.
Author’s Notes: Getting closer to finding out what happened in London that made them come home!!! Riley also finally apologizes to Lucas for how she acted in Texas.
Chapter Eight: “Don’t You (Forget About Me)”
Previous Chapters: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7
Word Count: 3,823
♡♡♡
Riley stared at her father in horror as he silently walked across the living room to her. He looked disheveled, his hair was more unruly than usual and his normally expressive eyes looked like they had sunken in significantly. She swallowed hard, now very aware that Sam’s hands were still holding her. She nudges him off, terrified that her father would chase him out of the building or kick him out and tell him to get lost but the closer Cory gets the easier it is to see that he was looking right through them.
He walks past the startled teens, not saying one word as he saunters over to the kitchen, pulling out a bottle of water and taking a large gulp before turning to face them again. He pinches the bridge of his nose taking a deep breath before he addresses them.
“How long are you here for, Sam?” He asks, now massaging his temples in attempt to relieve some tension.
Sam stumbles over his words for a minute, trying not to freak out as the father of the girl he was just kissing glared at him from across the room. “Um, just for the weekend sir. I’ll be gone on Monday.”
“Topanga know you’re here?” Cory asks, taking another big gulp of his water bottle.
“Yes sir.” Sam nods, “She made up the guest room for me.” He adds in, hoping that’ll put the man’s mind at ease. He didn’t want him to think that he and Riley were sharing a bed, or even a room.
“Why don’t you go on over to bed.” Cory motions to the door. “I need to speak to my daughter.”
Sam does so without any hesitation, only once he’s over by the archway does he shoot Riley a quick glance over his shoulder but even then it happens so fast that she practically misses it.
Riley watches her father rummage through their fridge and cabinets in search of something to snack on. He ends up grabbing a pop tart and walks over to the living room, instructing her to sit down.
“Your mother’s okay with him being here?” He asks once he’s seated next to her.
“She let him in so…I guess so.” She answers quietly, looking down at her feet as she spoke.
“Riley, I’m worried about you.”
“Why?” She tried to remain level headed as she listened to him. She could already feel her emotions getting the best of her and the last thing she wanted was to start an argument with her father and risk waking up Topanga. That would only make things worse.
“Well for starters I just came home to find you kissing in the dark with a boy you swore to me months ago was ‘just a friend’.” He shakes his head, “You keep putting yourself in these situations where you know you’re going to end up hurt again. Or did you not learn your lesson the last time?”
“It was just a kiss.” She snapped having an awful feeling wash over her once she realized what he was referring to. A single tear slid down from her eyes, followed by another one, and another one, until soon, a steady stream of salty tears flowed its way down her rosy cheek. She quickly wiped her tears away with the back of her hand before speaking again. “Why are you overreacting?”
“It’s my job to overreact. I’m your father.”
Before she could stop herself she blurts out the first thing to come to mind, “Some father you are.”
She could tell her comment stung. He said nothing just nodded as if he understood why she took such a cheap shot. They both knew she was speaking from anger but that didn’t make it hurt any less.
After what feels like forever he turns to her again, “I didn’t mean to upset you, Riles. And I didn’t mean to bring up what happened in London…I just don’t want you to get hurt again.”
Cory gently pats her back before standing up to walk to his bedroom. Riley watches him for a second waiting until he’s almost to the hall to speak. “Sam wouldn’t hurt me.”
Without stopping or looking back, Cory responds. “I wasn’t talking about Sam.”
--
Riley barely slept last night but since today was Saturday she planned to have a chill evening at home. She was currently sat on her bed, carefully painting her nails while her favorite songs from the 80’s played through her speakers. Sam was across the room, comfortably sitting in her chair by the window, flipping through her stash of magazines discussing his disdain for her taste in music.
Her phone, which was plugged in near her vanity starts to ring. Riley pouts staring down at her wet nails and sheepishly smiles at Sam as he takes the hint and gets up to get it for her. “It’s your candid friend.” He smiles, putting the phone on speaker as he answers, placing it next to Riley.
“Hey Izzy.” She calls out, hoping she could hear her well. “What’s up?”
“I was wondering if you had plans this evening.” Isadora asks.
Riley glances over at Sam who was sitting quietly, observing her from his seat. He shrugs slightly indicating he was up for whatever. “Not really.”
“Oh. Good. Would you like to join me for the end of fall festival tonight?”
“End of fall festival?” Riley chuckles, “When did New York City become Stars Hollow?”
“I don’t understand that reference.” Isadora says nonchalantly. “Perhaps you could explain it to me at the carnival tonight.”
“Little cold for a carnival, innit’?” Sam says offhandedly, picking up another magazine.
“Who was that?” The genius perks up.
Riley scrunches up her nose remembering she hadn’t told her friends Sam was staying with her. Not that it was really any of their business. Still, she didn’t want them to think she was hiding anything. “It was Sam, Izz.”
“Oh.” The disappointment in her voice was painfully obvious. Sam smirked to himself, silently laughing at her bluntness. “Well then, he can come as well.”
Riley giggles, feeling awkward for everyone involved now. “Alright, we’ll meet you there just text me the deets.”
Smackle hangs up and the room falls silent.
“She doesn’t like me very much.” Sam laughs walking over to where Riley was sitting.
“It just takes some time for her to warm up to people.” The brunette shrugs trying not to notice how close Sam was now. He sat next to her on the bed, their knees brushing as he scooted in closer.
“You know, we never finished our conversation last night?” He says in almost a whisper, tucking some of her loose locks behind her ear.
“I don’t remember much talking.” She admits, feeling herself blushing as he begins to lean in.
“Riley?” She hears someone call out her name. “Riles you home?”
She instantly pushes Sam back, jumping to her feet at the sound. Just as her feet touch the wooden floors her door opens. Her uncle Josh is standing in the doorway, eyes glued on the scene in front of him.
He wasn’t stupid, he could read a room and definitely tell when something was about to happen. He might be 3 years older than her but he still remembered how it was when he was a teenager, after all it wasn’t that long ago that he was one.
“Uncle Josh.” She smiles, jogging over to give him a hug. “It’s so good to see you.”
“Who’s the string bean?” Josh asks, rubbing her back but keeping his eyes locked on the boy in his niece’s room, sitting on her bed.
“This is Sam.” Riley quickly introduces the two and suddenly gets an idea. “Hey, we’re going to the end of fall festival tonight, wanna join us?”
“Sure.” Josh offers a tight lipped smile. “Why not.”
--
It was a considerably warm night for early November: perfect for the festival. It wasn’t so hot that everyone was sweating but it wasn’t freezing either, although Riley was glad she decided to bring her jean jacket with her to wear over her off the shoulder sweater.
The entrance could be seen in the distance and the long queues edged forward slowly. People were becoming increasingly excited and impatient as they took a few steps forward every so often. Faint music could be heard from beyond the tall gates with the occasional happy scream suddenly piercing the air. If you took a deep breath you could smell the food trucks which was always Riley’s favorite part about any fair or festival. Along with the sickly sweet smell of cotton candy and caramel apples there was the mouthwatering scent of fried dough and buttery popcorn.
The closer they got to the entrance the more the massive structures of the rides could be seen: a rollercoaster, a Ferris Wheel, a tilt-a-whirl. Haystacks and pumpkins lined the pathways where game booths and activities with giant stuffed animals hung up for prizes sat on either side.
Although initially she was dreading the evening, standing there now taking in the atmosphere Riley was happy she decided to come anyway.
“Bubbles!” Isadora’s personal nickname for her cuts through the crowd, immediately catching Riley’s attention. She spins around on her feet, trying to look through the overcrowded space for her petite friend.
“You guys go ahead.” She shoos Josh and Sam. “I’m going to go find Izzy.” Without waiting for a response she ducks away, happy to be ridding the boys. Josh wouldn’t leave her side and Sam insisted they needed to be alone to finish their discussion. They were both starting to drive her crazy.
“Riley.” She feels someone grab her arm and tenses up until she sees that it’s Isadora. The two girls embrace and make their way through the crowd till they find a less populated area.
“I thought Sam was going to join us.”
“He’s around here somewhere…with Josh.” Riley shakes her head, mentally kicking herself for inviting her uncle in the first place. She had hoped the awkwardness would subside once they arrived at the festival but so far, no luck.
“Josh is here too?” Izzy’s eyes widen behind her black square frames. “Sheesh. Any other surprise guests I should be mindful of?”
“Lucas.” She says in almost a whisper.
“You invited Lucas too?!?!” Isadora says a little too loudly. “Why on earth would you--.”
“No.” Riley cuts her off, gently moving the girls shoulders so she could see behind her. Lucas and Zay were standing by the cotton candy booth. She points them out. “Lucas.”
“Of all the nights.” Isadora rolls her eyes in frustration.
“Why exactly did you want to come here?” Riley asks realizing a weird pattern in her friend’s behavior lately. “First Charlie’s Halloween party and now this. I mean, as far as I know none of this is really your style. Is everything okay?”
“The truth?” She sighs. Riley nods her head.
“I’ve been hoping we’d run into Farkle.” The raven-haired girl admits, readjusting the glasses on her nose.
“Okay.” Riley was done being patient. She had to know what was going on with them. “What exactly happened between you two?”
The shorter girl struggled with her words for a second before mumbling out, “Feelings. Feelings happened.”
Past Izzy she could see that Lucas and Zay finally noticed the two of them standing there and decided to try to join them. Riley grabs Isadora’s hand and scurries them off, not wanting to interact with either of them, especially Lucas.
“What’re you – Riley! Slow down!”
“Walk and talk, Izz.” She hurried along her slower paced friend until *SMACK*. They both stumbled into someone. Isadora colliding head first with the tall lanky boy, knocking her glasses off her face.
“Are you alright?” The familiar voice belonged to a familiar lanky boy, the one Isadora so desperately wanted to run into. Riley couldn’t help but smile. The genius did say she wanted to “run” into Farkle and that’s exactly what happened.
“I’m fine.” Isadora huffs, brushing the dirt off her legs. “Super Klutz over here forgot how to--.” It isn’t until she puts her glasses on that she realizes she was talking to Farkle. “Oh…hello there.”
Farkle smiles and outstretches his hand. “Would you like to join me for a walk?”
“I’d love to.” Izzy smiles, “But..”
“No you’re fine.” Riley insists seeing the hesitancy in her friend’s eyes as she looks over to her. “You go, I’m good. I should probably go find Josh anyway.”
She watches the two geniuses walk off, hand-in-hand, smiling ear to ear. Riley takes a deep breath and stares up at the sky, seeing the big Ferris Wheel hovering above her. Needing just a few more minutes to herself she hurries over and gets in the surprisingly short line. When it’s her turn to board, the guy at the gate gives her a weird look. “Just you?” He crinkles his eyebrows together.
“Yeah, just me.” Riley smiles politely thinking he’d just accept it and move along the line. Instead he decides to mortify her.
“We’ve got a single rider here!” He calls out to the crowd around them, Riley’s face burning hot with embarrassment. “Single! Who’d like to join this lovely young lady for the ride?” He calls out again. “Single!”
“Oh my god.” She buries her face into her palms. “Please stop saying that.”
“I’ll ride with her.” She hears someone say. When she looks up she sees Lucas smiling at her as he climbs into the passenger pod, sitting across from her.
“You don’t have to--.”
“I want to.”
--
It was safe to say that Riley’s ‘avoid Lucas at all costs’ plan had failed. Miserably. She was already waiting to count how many times the Ferris Wheel rotates around by the time their pod reaches the top. Trying to look everywhere but the boy sitting in front of her was hard but she managed to focus on the pretty lights and the bonfire in the distance.
She could just barely hear the melody to Simple Mind’s ‘Don’t You (Forget About Me)’ is now playing on the ground beneath them. Once the song started she smiled softly not being able to resist the catchy tune.
“I love this song.”
“I love this song.”
They say in unison, followed by awkward nervous laughter.
When their pod meets the top the second time around it comes to a full stop. Her eyes growing wide once she realizes they’ve stopped moving.
“Did-did we stop?” She looks over the edge, through the bars, rocking their passenger car in the process. “Yeah.” Lucas smiles, “That happens. It’s to give the riders a view of everything around them.”
Thick silence falls over them. It was painfully obvious to Lucas that Riley was trying to avoid his gaze and Riley knew he knew what she was doing. It didn’t take long for him to mention it.
“Is there a reason you haven’t made eye contact with me this entire time?” He asks, fidgeting with his sleeve.
If it were anyone else she would have dropped her gaze, but with him she’s drawn in closer, always wanting more. But she couldn’t look at him without thinking about that night at Charlie’s Halloween party and everything his girlfriend said to her. Did Avery have a point? Would staying friends with Lucas be his downfall? Was it really in his best interest to leave him alone? To finally let him move on for good?
Then he says the words she needed to hear, "We're ok, you and me. Right?" Riley just nods, taking in every moment for her memory, knowing it’s the medication she’ll need to survive the rest of the year without him.
“I never apologized.” She looks up at him, knowing she’s playing with fire. If she wanted to, she could’ve told him about the conversation with Avery. Not that it was much of a conversation to begin with. More like she talked, Riley listened. But right now she didn’t care about her, if this was going to be the last time she spoke to him, their last moment together, she was going to make it about them, not Avery.
“Apologized for what?”
“For not saying it back.” She says, holding his gaze. She wouldn’t say it, that would be too hard. But she wanted him to know that she regretted not saying it, that if she could go back she would have said it and perhaps, if the circumstances were different she’d say it now. “I should’ve said it back and for that, I’m sorry.”
He didn’t have to nod or speak to show that he knew exactly what she was talking about. The upside to having an undeniable bond with someone was not always having to verbally communicate. Most of the time, a simple look was more than enough. And he couldn’t stop looking at her.
Before the conversation could go any further the ride comes to a stop. Her courage was already starting to dwindle as they climbed out of their personal fish bowl. It was like now that they were back on the ground, all confidence was shot. Riley hoped what was said would stay up there in the sky where it belonged. She put her feelings out into the universe, to him and now she had to step back and let him be happy. Even if that meant being happy with someone else.
Lucas had yet to speak as he watched the girl before him walk off into the crowd. Leave it to Riley to have him feeling breathless. It was a weird feeling, one he wasn’t familiar with. For some reason it felt final. Like in a way she was almost saying goodbye.
Back in Texas when he told her he loved her and she refused to say it back, it was hard not to take it personally. Even though he completely understood her reasoning behind it he was left with this unexplainable incompleteness. For weeks he racked his brain trying to figure out what felt so unfinished about it and ultimately he decided it was because he didn’t know for sure if she felt the same way. She was adamant about leaving their feelings for each other back in that lake in Texas but he realized he didn’t know what the extent of those feelings were, at least on her end.
A part of him always thought if he knew what she felt, if he knew what they had was real and that she reciprocated what he felt for her then maybe he’d be able to move on. He’d have the closure of knowing what they had was something beautiful even though it didn’t last. But now as he stood there watching her walk into Sam’s arms, as he stood there finally knowing that she did indeed love him too, he couldn’t just let her go. He thought this newfound knowledge would bring him closure but if anything it just made him that much more confused.
Zay pats him on the back, pulling his attention back to reality. “You okay, man? You seem flustered.”
“That’s one way to put it.” Lucas mumbles.
--
Riley, Josh and Sam end up calling it a night. Each of them exhausted for different reasons, all of them ready for the day to be over. They shuffle into the loft, peeling off their jackets and shoes. Josh plops down on the sofa, turning on the television once he’s comfortable.
Riley and Sam migrate to her bedroom but not without Josh reminding them he had ‘ears like a hawk’.
They settle back into their positions from before they left, Riley sprawled out on her bed while Sam occupied the window seat. There’s a bit of tension between them and she can’t help but feel like it’s all her fault.
“You disappeared tonight.” He comments, trying to seem unbothered by it.
“Yeah.” She eases up, “I went to find Izzy she was going through something.”
“Hm.” Sam purses his lips, rubbing at the back of his neck. She could tell he was holding back and it was just a matter of time before he said what he was thinking. “So how’d you end up on a Ferris Wheel with your ex-boyfriend?”
“It’s actually kind of a funny story—“ She starts.
“What am I to you?” Sam cuts her off taking the conversation in a completely different direction. “What are we?”
“What do you mean?” She frowns. “We’re Sam and Riley.”
“Yeah but I don’t know what that means.” He relents, standing up from his chair. “Am I just a distraction for you? Something to keep your mind off your ex?”
She tries to get a word in but he continues his rant, “I mean, I was there for you when that whole Oliver situation happened, we’ve had moments, I flew all the way here to New York because you were feeling sad and you still can’t tell me what we are.”
“I…don’t know what we are.” She admits, “But I do know that you’re one of my best friends.”
He holds her gaze for a moment before dropping it to the floor, “Is that all I’ll ever be?”
--
Sunday comes and goes and before Riley knows it it’s time for Sam to go home. She stands out on the curb as he hails a cab for the airport, the rain hitting her skin like it would go right through and the water washing the street like a river would rise.
Beneath the sound of the city traffic, Riley could hear the sound of her rain boots splashing in the pools of water by her feet. She was so completely wet and numb that did she didn't feel the splashing of the vehicles or the wind that blew so hard it caused her long locks to violently fly around her. She waited for his car to disappear around the block before she went back upstairs.
After their talk on Saturday night the mood never really went back to normal, they barely said two words to each other and if she were being brutally honest, she was happy it was time for him to go.
She had a plethora of reasons why she couldn’t and wouldn’t start anything with Sam but really all it came down to was that something was missing. It wouldn’t be fair to him or fair to herself.
Not seeing the point in changing out of her wet clothes since it was still pouring down she grabs her school bag and heads for the door.
To her surprise just as she opens the door, Lucas is stood right outside, hand outstretched in a knocking position. He straightens up at the sight of her, a bit speechless at first.
Overview:In the middle of her freshman year of high school Riley Matthew’s mother gets a once in a lifetime opportunity to run her firms London Office. Much to everyone’s surprise her mother accepts the job, forcing Riley and her younger brother Auggie to leave behind everything they’ve ever known. Almost three years later the Matthew’s family moves back to New York and Riley comes to realize a lot has changed in the time she’s been gone.
Author’s Notes: [Filler chapter.] Riley’s visitor has everyone wondering who he is but more importantly what he is to Riley.
Chapter Five: “Sam I am.”
Previous Chapters: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6
Word Count: 3,279
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Riley and Isadora sat on the floor of her bedroom, meticulously going over their shared notes for an upcoming quiz they had. Aside from Zay the only other person Riley didn’t have any weird tension or unresolved issues with was Izzy. And even though Zay is great she was glad to have some girl time even if it was just studying.
The two brunettes easily flowed through their study session and every so often the conversation would derail and they’d find themselves reminiscing or Izzy would ask Riley questions about London and for the duration of time she was there Riley felt as if nothing had changed. Back before her family moved away she very seldom spent any alone time with Isadora and that was mainly because the 6 of their friends were always together that there never really was a time when it was just the two of them. But on the rare occasion where it would be just them they always had a natural chemistry, nothing about their friendship felt forced or fake. If they talked they talked and if they didn’t they didn’t, but it was never weird.
Silence amongst her other friends, especially Maya, meant there was tension, something wasn’t being said which always led to an uncomfortable amount of silence but with Izzy silence just meant she was comfortable around you. She didn’t need to feel the void with mindless conversation, she was more than happy with just having the company.
“Did you hear about Charlie’s Halloween party?” Izzy asks, carefully highlighting a passage in her book.
“He invited me yesterday. I don’t know if I’m going to go though.” Riley speaks up, chewing on the cap of her pen. “It’s tonight and I don’t have a costume.”
“I’m sure you could throw something together last minute. You have a knack for fashion.” The bespectacled brunette replies offhanded.
Riley smiles to herself. Her friend’s ability to unknowingly compliment someone always made her smile. Even though Isadora could be brutally honest sometimes, there were moments where she was absent mindedly sweet, showing just how kind hearted she really was.
“Are you and Farkle going?” Riley asks, trying to keep the conversation going.
“I will be attending. I can’t answer for Farkle.”
Riley looks up from her textbook, not seeing even a glimmer of sadness or uncertainty in her friends voice and yet something about her remark seemed off. “Everything okay with you guys?”
“I suppose.” Isadora answers, this time her vulnerability shining through.
“Do you feel comfortable talking about it?” Riley knows when it comes to emotions, Izzy isn’t as in tuned as the rest of them. She didn’t want to push her too hard to open up.
“Not at the moment.” The small genius admits, “But thank you for asking.”
Riley gives her a genuine smile and nods her head, “If ever you do want to talk about it, you know I’m here for you.”
“Thanks bubbles.”
“Oh god, I forgot all about that nickname.” The two girls burst into laughter, successfully changing the mood back to lighthearted.
A knock on her bedroom door brings their giggles to a halt as Riley stands up and walks over to open it. She had a feeling it wasn’t any of her family members, usually they’d knock but then immediately barge in right after not giving her enough time to tell them to come in. This was a much more subtle knock.
As she pulls the door open she’s shocked to see Sam standing in the hallway with a big cheesy grin on his face and a bouquet of flowers in his hand.
“Sam?!” She smiles, leaping into his arms, “I can’t believe you’re really here!”
Isadora watches on as the tall handsome boy spins Riley around in his arms, laying kisses on her cheek once he plants her back on the ground. She clears her throat, afraid that if she didn’t something else she didn’t want to see would happen.
“Oh!” Riley spins on her feet, slightly flushed in the cheeks, “Sam this is my friend Smackle, Izzy this is Sam.”
“I’ve heard a lot about you.” Sam smiles, reaching for Izzy’s hand. The petite genius rises to her feet, shaking the boy’s hand in return. “Wish I could say the same unfortunately Riley has never once mentioned you.”
Sam lets out a burly laugh, shaking his head at Riley, “You were right. She doesn’t hold back.”
“I should probably head home.” Isadora says, feeling the awkwardness emerge as she begins to collect her belongings and shove them into her backpack. “I’ll see you tonight though, right?”
“Maybe.” Riley shrugs, helping her friend pack up the rest of her things. “Thanks for coming by Izz.”
“Any time.” She lugs her bag over her shoulder and without so much as a goodbye she exits Riley’s bedroom and the apartment.
“So.” Sam smiles, playfully nudging Riley in the arm, “What’s tonight?”
--
Charlie’s party seemed to be quite the talk of the town seeing as how almost the entire school was there. There was something about Halloween and booze that made everyone go all out.
October had almost evaporated into November and the air temperature was noticeably cooler. Halloween had fallen on a Saturday and the homes were more elaborately decorated for all the extra time and attention: garages had become demonic dungeons, severed limbs poked from closed doors and dire warnings to trespassers were pasted dripping red paint.
Lucas and Zay stood out on the sidewalk of the party waiting for Avery, taking in the decorations of the neighboring houses. They watched as people, they didn’t even recognize, waltzed inside. Most of which were already extremely intoxicated.
Finally Avery arrives, sporting her Sandy from Grease costume. Instantly her brows furrow together when she sees the two boys. She huffs over, a disdained look on her face. “What the hell are you wearing?”
“You said to pick any 80’s movie character.” Lucas defends, motioning down to his ensemble. If he was being truthful, yes it was a lazy attempt and it absolutely was obvious he waited last minute but he still technically stuck to her ‘rules’ of what he could go as.
“Yeah I was thinking Danny Zuko.” She rolls her eyes, “Why are you wearing fangs and a bloody letterman jacket?”
“I’m Scott Howard.”
“Who???”
“You know, Scott Howard, 1980’s version of Teen Wolf.”
The look on her face was comical, at least to Zay it was. She snaps her head over to the snickering boy, glaring at him. “And who the hell are you supposed to be?”
Zay smiles, looking down at his khaki pants, collared shirt, leather jacket, messenger bag, and fedora. “Indiana Jones.”
--
Once inside Charlie gives them all a quick rushed welcome before disappearing into the crowd. They recognize a few of their teammates out on the dance floor as well as Maya who seemed to be making herself comfortable near the drinks. Farkle was nowhere to be seen but they did spot Isadora who was standing by the front door when they came in.
“Hey Smackle.” Zay gives her an awkward high-five. “Where’s thing two?” He asks, referring to Farkle.
“How should I know?” She says bluntly, glancing out the window.
“You waiting for him?” Lucas asks.
“I’m actually waiting for Riley.” She sighs, checking the time on her watch. “And her gentleman friend from London.”
“Gentleman friend?” Lucas raises an eyebrow, glancing out the window as well. Avery scoffs and yanks on his jacket, “Lukey.” He ignores her and turns back to Isadora, “What gentleman friend?”
“All I know is that his name is Sam. They seemed to be rather close.”
Lucas and Zay raise their eyebrows in unison. It didn’t surprise either of them that Riley made lasting friendships during her time in London, however it did strike them as odd that a guy would come for a visit all the way across the ocean, at the end of October for just a friend. Who was this guy? Was he and Riley really just friends? Why did he feel like he was losing her all over again when she just came back?
“How do you mean?” Zay asks, noticing the tautness radiating off of his best friend.
“She leaped into his arms on sight, he spun her around and gave her a kiss on the – oh look.” She stops mid-sentence. “They’re here!”
Lucas and Zay share a look as they brace themselves for what’s about to happen. Riley and Avery were about to come face to face for the first time. Riley avoided her the entire time at her party a few weeks back and on top of that, apparently Lucas would be meeting whoever this Sam fellow was. The guy who could potentially be stealing Riley’s heart. The tension was palpable to say the least.
Before anyone could move, in walks Riley with the unfamiliar boy on her arm.
His eyes fell on the boy first. He wore a pair of dark skinny jeans, a black leather jacket with a plain white tee underneath and his hair was slicked back. He instantly recognized him from the framed photo in Riley’s bedroom.
When his eyes gaze over to Riley, he has to take a deep breath. She’s wearing a short black bodycon dress, knee length black leather boots, a bright red lip and her long dark locks were straightened to perfection underneath the red hooded cloak she wore over top. It didn’t take a genius to figure out she had gone as Little Red Riding Hood and she looked absolutely stunning in her costume. Though he couldn’t ignore the irony of her being little red riding hood and himself dressing up as a werewolf.
“Riley!” Isadora smiles, “you look great.”
“You really do.” Zay smiles, not able to keep himself from checking her out which of course doesn’t go unnoticed by Lucas. The blond shoots him a dirty look and returns his attention back to Riley.
“I like your costume.” He smiles at her before dropping his face completely when he faces the mysterious guy.
“Thanks guys, this is Sam by the way.” Riley introduces him, “Sam you already met Izzy, this is my friend Zay and Lucas…”
Sam gives Riley a knowing look, he had heard a lot about her friends but the one that she seemed the most torn up about was Lucas. She talked the least about him but whenever he was brought up there was this noticeable shift in her mood. Luckily her friends back in London picked up on it rather quickly and refrained from bringing him up altogether.
“Nice to meet you.” Sam shakes their hands before his eyes land on Avery who had been standing idly by, “and who might you be?”
“I’m Avery.” The pretty blonde smiles, “Lucas’ girlfriend.” The slender girl looks over to Riley whose eyes were locked on the floor. “And you’re Riley right? I don’t think we’ve officially met.”
Riley’s eyes flick up to the girl standing before her, Avery’s insincere smile plastered against her fair skin. “Yeah, it’s nice to meet you.”
Almost immediately their group disbands, Riley, Izzy and Sam going one way and Lucas, his girlfriend and Zay in another. Every so often she’d link eyes with Lucas and whenever she did Avery would take that as her cue to snake her arm around his waist, or pull him in for a passionate kiss. Eventually she gets tired of it and leaves the room completely, wandering around the party.
She ends up at the booze table, not at all surprised to see Maya sitting there. She does her best to ignore her, pouring herself a cup of what Charlie described as ‘amped up jungle juice’. She takes a big gulp of it, feeling the need to spit it out the second it touches her tongue. From the smell alone she could tell it had several different liquors in it but the actual taste of it was vile. She scrunches her nose up in distaste, placing the cup on the counter and grabs a beer instead.
“Not a fan of the jungle juice?” Maya muses, slowly sipping on the drink in her cup.
“It’s actually pretty disgusting.” She admits, the aftertaste of it burning her throat.
“I’m pretty sure McCheese just threw every liquor his parents had into a bowl and topped it off with cranberry juice.” Maya continues.
“Sure tastes like it.” Riley says flatly.
The two girls stare at each other, both having plenty to say but neither of them knowing where to start. Maya opens her mouth to say something but Riley is too busy downing her beer to notice. She finishes it off, grabs another and walks away.
Even though she knows its freezing outside she quietly slips out onto the back porch, hoping no one would notice or follow. Unfortunately just a few minutes after she steps out she hears the double doors open and close behind her. Riley takes a deep breath, trying to steady her breathing and mentally prepare herself for whatever confrontation was about to happen. She was almost positive it was Maya but she held her emotions in and turned to see who had joined her anyway.
To her surprise she sees Avery. The tall blonde hesitantly makes her way over to her, avoiding eye contact completely. Her blue eyes concentrate on the darkness in front of them, building up the tension as she taps her perfectly manicured fingers against the railing of the porch.
“I’m not blind.” She finally says, catching Riley off guard. “I’d be an idiot not to notice the way he looks at you.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking abo--.”
“Don’t play stupid Riley.” She interrupts her, “Allow me to make myself very clear…Lucas is mine and we were happy before you resurfaced.”
“Lucas and I are just friends.”
“See that’s the problem.” Avery turns her attention to the olive-skinned girl before her. “I know how broken he was when you left, it took forever for him to be okay and now that he is you’re back and it ruins any chance of him finally moving on. If you care about him or his happiness at all, you’ll stay away from him.”
Before Riley can even utter a word in response the girl leaves. Soon after Avery leaves, Maya walks out, handing Riley another beer. “What was that about?” She inquires, knowing there was a good chance Riley would just ignore her and walk away.
Instead, the brunette shrugs her shoulders, “oh you know, the typical ‘stay away from my boyfriend’ chit chat.”
Maya smiles softly, nodding her head, “You going to listen?”
“I haven’t decided yet.” She answers honestly.
“So aside from the Lucas drama, everything okay?” Maya asks, taking a chance.
As much as Riley tried to hold it in, the pain came out like an uproar from her throat in the form of a whisper. She had yet to talk to anyone about it. Not even Sam knew about her father or how she’d been miserable ever since she got here or that she finally started to feel at home again that night she spent with Lucas just for his girlfriend to demand she leave him alone. All of her emotions were starting to overflow and brick by brick she came undone.
“My dad left.”
A single tear slid down from her warm, butterscotch eyes, followed by another one, and another one, until soon, a steady stream of salty tears flowed its way down her tan cheek, releasing the sadness and sorrow that has been held inside of her for all this time but still she did not make a sound.
The tears flowed unchecked down her cheeks and dripped from her chin. She was too sad to cry out or wail, she just stood there as still as a statue while the magnitude of her life change swept over her.
“What?” Maya was obviously just as shocked as she was, she stepped closer, instinctively pulling Riley into an embrace. “What do you mean he left? Matthews would never do that.”
“Well he did.” Riley sniffed, wiping the tears off her face with the back of her arm. “I’m surprised you didn’t know. He’s staying at Shawn’s old place.”
“No one tells me anything.” Maya sighs, wiping the mascara stains from the brunettes face. “Look at me Riles, you are going to be okay. I know it’s hard, trust me I know how hard it is but you are going to be okay. You’re strong, stronger than I ever was. You’re going to get through this.”
Riley takes a deep, shaky, breath and does her best to pull herself together. “Thanks, peaches.”
Just then Sam walks out, concern on his face once he sees how distraught Riley is. “Is everything alright, love?”
“She’s just had too much to drink.” Maya lies, trying to get the unknown boy to back off. “I’ve got her.”
“No it’s okay.” Riley assures her, “Maya this is Sam, one of my friends from London. He’s staying with me for a few days.”
“Oh. Sorry I thought you were a creep.” She says bluntly, still holding onto Riley’s shoulders.
“You ready to go, Ri?” Sam steps in, linking his arm around her. She nods her head and walks with him back inside but not before sending Maya a grateful glance over her shoulder.
Things would always be a little broken between the two of them, but no matter what neither one of them could imagine their lives without the other. Riley knew this to be true now more than ever, as she walked away thankful Maya cared enough to walk outside.
As they left the party she couldn’t help but notice the way her friends eyes followed them, they all shared the same expression. A mixture of confusion and concern etched on their faces.
--
By the time they get home Riley is exhausted. She didn’t know if it was the alcohol or the unexpected emotional breakdown but whatever it was, it was getting the best of her.
The moment she comes through the door she clumsily yanks off her heeled boots, and unties her red cloak so it falls to the ground. She’s so lost in her own little world she doesn’t notice that Sam is still standing in the dim lit living room area, eyes locked on her.
Eventually her eyes fall back on him and a smirk replaces the furrowed face she was pulling. “I’m sorry about earlier. As you can see my life is kind of a mess.” She laments, walking over to where he was standing. “I’m sure you can’t wait to get out of here.”
His hand reaches her face, tucking a stray strand behind her ear, “No need to be sorry. I get it.” He whispers. His thumb finds its way to her bottom lip, gently skimming over it.
“Sam…” She whispers back as her heart begins to pound in her chest. It was a feeling she had never felt before. It wasn’t excitement or fear but it manifested itself as pure unadulterated anxiety. She knew what was going to happen next and she couldn’t decide if she wanted it to happen or not. Before she has the chance to make up her mind his lips crash against hers, firmly pulling her body in closer.
When their lips part it takes a second for her to catch her breath until she looks past him and sees a familiar face standing in the opened doorway, a mortified expression to match the way she was now feeling inside. Her heart drops to her stomach.
[ Part One - Part Two - Part Three - Part Four - Part Five - Part Six - Part Seven - Part Eight - Part Nine - Part Ten - Part Eleven]
Prompt: After damaging $1000 worth of private property on a dare Lucas needs a quick way to make the money to pay the guy back. When Charlie Gardner suggests a bet Lucas takes him up on his offer. And what is the bet? Get into the pants of Riley Matthews, the schools very own goody two-shoes princess.
Word Count: 2,623
Chapter: 12 (Final Chapter)
AN: Trigger Warning! This chapter does include graphic description and does mention death. HOWEVER I do promise it doesn't end as sad as it starts.
♡ ♡ ♡
Riley wasn't stopping for anything and she sure as hell wasn't waiting around anymore. Her eyes stayed glued to the back of his head as he darted through the house and out onto the sidewalk where Zay was standing while the party blurred into a cloud of red and white lights.
The hiss of the tires over the smooth tarmac was lost under the pounding bass of the house music. But the second her foot left the door frame she barely had time to scream before the oncoming car slammed into Lucas as he pushed Zay out of the way. She watched his body hit the hood of the car and let out a deafening scream as his torso and head smashed up against the windshield while his arms and legs were flailing, searching for somewhere to hold.
Her screaming felt never ending as her lungs contracted with such force that she was afraid they would fold in on themselves. “No!” was all she was able to say as she ran through the crowd of party goers all huddling around to see what had happened. Zay wrapped his arms around her, trying to keep her away from his lifeless body that now laid limp in the middle of the cold, wet street.
All she could hear was the distant sound of herself screaming, she knew it was incoherent, she knew no matter how hard she tried nothing that came out would make any sense. She was in shock, her body trembled as Zay held her tight against his chest, trying to hold back his own tears as Riley sobbed into his chest. She heard someone yell ‘call 911’ and felt hands on her body, attempting to restrict her but nothing could keep her from him anymore.
Riley broke free of their grip and hurled towards the battered boy. When she finally reached him she could see very shallow breaths escaping his lips as his eyes fluttered around. He was covered in glass and had copious amounts of cuts and scrapes covering his body.
“Lucas.” She breathed, pulling his head onto her lap. “Hey it’s going to be okay, everything’s going to be okay.” He opened his mouth to speak but she shook her head, keeping her eyes locked on his. She feared what he might’ve said, she wasn’t ready to say goodbye. It was too soon.
“Riley, I’m sorry.” He grabbed hold of her hand, his voice raspy and barely a whisper. “I’m so sorry I hurt you.”
Her bottom lip quivered as she used the back of her hand to wipe the blood away from his mouth. “I know - I know you are. Lucas, I forgive you.” She smiled weakly at him, he was able to smile back for a brief second before his eyes slowly shut. “LLL-Lucas…did you hear me?” Her voice was shaking, “I need you to open your eyes – Lucas, open your eyes!”
His once vibrant emerald eyes are a dull almost black color as he looks up at her face again, he nods his head, trying to regain his strength, “How’s Zay? Is he hurt?”
“He’s right over there. He’s fine.” She let out a deep breath, trying to steady herself. “Y-you saved him.”
Another smile creeps up on the boy’s face and a soft chuckle escapes his lips, “At least I did something right.”
More tears surface in her eyes as she takes in the sight of him. She wasted so much time being angry, she refused to believe this was how their story ended.
“Shh, its okay.” He assured her, wiping the tears from her cheeks. “It doesn’t hurt. Besides, you’re here with me. That’s all I could ever want.”
“I’m not going anywhere.” She promised him, “I won’t leave your side.”
She interlocks her fingers with his and caresses his hand with hers, watching as he slowly drifts away. “Lucas…” She whispers knowing deep down that he wouldn’t answer. With a heavy heart and lump in her throat she strokes the hair out of his face, leans down and gently kisses him on the cheek.
The flashing lights of the ambulance are blinding as they pull up in front of the house. The medics race over to where Riley and Lucas were and immediately they begin to ask her to leave. “Miss, please you have to give us some space.” One of them pleaded, nudging her away from him.
“No.” She protested trying to fight her way back to him. “You don’t understand I promised I wouldn’t leave him.” In a split second Zay is at her side again, attempting to comfort her to the best of his ability.
“Riley,” He grabs her face in his hands, forcing her attention on him, “You have to let him go. They’re trying to help.”
“No!” She slams her fist against his chest but he doesn’t budge, “I didn’t even get the chance to tell him.” Her heart breaks into what feels like a million pieces as the realization sets in. She never got the chance to tell him that she felt the same way. That she loved him in spite of everything.
“I didn’t get to tell him, Zay.”
Silence.
She snaps her head around, noticing everyone around her was gone. The paramedics, the party goers, Zay and Lucas. All of them were gone.
All that was left was this loud noise. It sounded like the horn of a juggernaut. Blaring. Unceasing. Crippling her thoughts and assaulting her ears.
“What the-“
Riley’s eyes flew open as the rambunctious blaring of the small alarm clock jarred her out of her sleep and jolted her up, smashing the snooze button as hard as she possibly could. “It was just a dream.” She said to herself, a sense of relief flooding through her body.
Slowly and reluctantly, Riley uncovers her face. She blinks, closes her eyes, and blinks again, wanting to make sure she was in fact awake. She needed to make sure that awful memory replaying in her head was only a sick nightmare devised to shake her to her core. Streaks of sunlight penetrate the window and the morning light trickled in through the blinds.
Shedding herself of the remaining glimpses of a dream, her eyes were still shut as she soaked in the warmth of her covers before letting her brown eyes see the sun's early morning rays. She sits up, drags her feet off the bed, and rubs her knuckles into her eyes.
She was officially awake and had one thing and one thing only on her mind. She had to see Lucas.
--
“Come on Babineaux, you’re making it easy on me!” Lucas teased, effortlessly maneuvering around the boy as he made another basket.
Zay had stayed over last night knowing if he went home as drunk as he was his parents would’ve had a fit. They both had just woken up and Lucas thought it would be a good idea to challenge him to a game of hoops. He knew Zay was too hungover to play well but he also knew Zay was way too competitive and would never step down from a challenge.
“You’re forgetting I’m hungover.” Zay huffed trying to steal the basketball away from the tall blonde.
“Sounds like a personal problem.” Lucas laughed checking him the ball.
Zay took his shot, barely making it in the basket. He does a goofy dance around Lucas causing them both to burst into laughter. While Zay’s distracted Lucas steals the ball, swiftly passing his best friend and making several shots before turning to see why Zay had given up so quickly.
The dark haired boy stood with his back to the basketball court staring out towards the front of the yard where someone was approaching, a small smirk playing on his lips.
“What is it?” Lucas asks, not able to catch a glimpse. Zay purses his lips together and grabs the basketball from his hands, “I’ll give you two some privacy.” He winks before jogging over to the back door, disappearing into the house.
Lucas furrows his brows together confused as to who could be visiting him at such an early hour. His parents were working and the only real friend he had was already there at his house. He walked closer, willing to meet the unknown person half way until she finally appears from around one of the trees.
AS he realized who it was he was suddenly very aware of the fact that he was not only shirtless, but sweating profusely. He picks up his t-shirt from the ground and uses it to wipe the sweat off his face, tossing it back to the floor once he was finished.
Lucas took her in, he took in how soft her features seemed. He couldn’t help but wonder how he never noticed how she had the kindest pair of coffee brown eyes he had ever seen. Only 24 hours since he last saw them and still he was completely mesmerized that it was impossible for him not to be held prisoner by them. They were trimmed by long gorgeous lashes and somehow they always held a tiny warmth within them. The closer she got the more out of breath he felt.
The deep curve of her lips makes his world stop around her. She smiles that kind of smile that brings back a million memories in the blink of an eye. When she smiled at him it was like for a split second everything stopped and her smile pierced through all the bad in his life and all was well again.
“I want to move past this...” She steadies her breathing as she walks closer, “together.”
“That’s all I want.” He smiles, meeting her half way. “You are all I want.”
“You’re the first boy I’ve ever had real feelings for. That’s a big deal for me.” She pauses, “Are you worth it? Tell me and I’ll believe you - I want to believe you.”
“Believe me when I say I will do everything in my power to show you that I’m worth it.”
Finally they’re face to face. Neither one of them saying a word but she reaches out first, intertwining her fingers with his. Lucas stares down at their hands afraid to say or move out of fear she’d pull away.
Riley moves her head closer to Lucas as he stands frozen, from both fear and excitement. She leans in, so her forehead rests against his. They close their eyes. Both their breaths are shaking. "I love you," she says in barely more than a whisper.
"You do?" He replies, his voice low and husky. She nods her head slightly, unable to peel her eyes away from him.
"You have no idea how much I love you.” His voice wavers, exhilarated from the tension between them.
Riley gently leans in and kisses Lucas’ warm lips. They pull apart, taking shaky, shallow breaths.
He kisses her again and the world falls away. It was slow and soft, comforting in ways that words would never be. His hand rested below her ear, his thumb caressing her cheek as their breaths mingled. She ran her fingers down his spine, pulling him closer until there was no space left between them and she could feel the beating of his heart against her chest.
“Lucas.” she whispers slowly, prolonging each letter as if to savor them. He smiles, his heart fluttering at her voice as he clasps his hands on either side of her face, “Riley.”
“About the bet…” Her voice trails, a small smile playing on her lips.
“Yeah?”
“What exactly were the terms…”
--- [Epilogue] ---
Two Months Later...
“Are you sure about this?” Riley asks, biting down on her lip as she secures Lucas’ bow tie. “I wouldn’t mind if you lied.”
“A bet is a bet.” The green eyed boy smiles back, kissing the stunning brunette on the cheek. “Although I have a feeling Mr. Matthews isn’t going to be too pleased with my attire.” He chuckles, placing the lilac corsage on Riley’s wrist.
“We better get going, you don’t wanna be late for your big entrance.” She teases, walking towards the door with her clutch in hand.
“One last thing,” Lucas calls out, spinning her back into his arms, she raises her brows expectantly. “You look beautiful.” He smiles, leaning in to give her a soft kiss. “Thank you for being my prom date.”
“Thank you for being worth it.” She smiles back. “Now let’s go!”
~~
As they pull up in front of the restaurant where senior prom is being held Riley can see the anxious look on Lucas’ face. His fidgeting and nerves disappear the moment she grabs his hand. “You ready to face the music?” She gives him a playful nudge.
“With you by my side? Absolutely.”
Once they’re out of the limo, the faces of the employees outside helping with the event are a mixture of amusement and horror. Riley and Lucas could tell they were unsure of what to say, surely it wasn’t every day that a guest turned up wearing nothing but a bow tie, boxers and dress shoes.
Riley can’t help but giggle as wide eyed glares are tossed their way. She pulls Lucas forward, pushing through the double doors where they come into view of the entire senior class.
The music was so loud that it made her skin tingle and his lungs feel like mush. Over the roar of music, a distant, hazy chatter could be heard. Neither one of them could make out any words, but laughter rang in their ears and wouldn’t seem to stop.
Zay is the first to approach them, hunched over hugging his sides to help sustain his laugh. “Oh my god you really did it.” He cackles, pulling the taller boy in for a hug. “You actually showed up to prom in your underwear. Holy shit dude.”
Charlie walks over, Annette under arm, a big smile on his face. He and Lucas came to agreement that although there would probably always be some tension between the two of them, they liked each other a lot more when they weren’t beating the shit out of each other. “Didn’t think you’d actually show, Friar.”
“And miss the chance to dance with my beautiful girlfriend at our senior prom? Not a chance.” Lucas smiles.
“What can I say? You’ve got balls, man.” Charlie laughs, offering a friendly handshake.
“Figuratively and literally.” Zay chimes in causing everyone to burst into laughter.
After a while the shock of it all wares off and Charlie agrees to let Lucas throw on at least his blazer. Riley and Lucas spend the entire night on the dance floor in each other’s arms, under the shimmering lights, swaying back and forth to the music.
“So, how does it feel knowing you lost the bet?” Riley teases, linking her arms around his neck.
“I couldn’t care less about losing the bet…losing you however, that I wouldn’t be okay with.”
Riley caresses his cheek, grinning from ear to ear.
“So I was thinking” Lucas starts, pulling her closer to his chest, “We should make a bucket list of our own. You know, of things we want to do together.”
“Oh yeah?” Riley giggles, “Like what?”
“Liiike go to prom together.” He muses.
“We’ve already done that.”
“Okay, how about graduate together?”
“That’s right around the corner.” She plays along.
“Okay, fine…” His lips press against hers with love and affection as his warm hands roam over her bare arms leaving a trail of sparks in their wake. “Let’s fall madly in love.” He whispers so she feels his warm breath in her ear. Riley wrinkles her nose in protest.
Prompt: “Sometimes what you’re looking for is right where you left it.”
A/N: Rucas fic inspired by the movie ‘Sweet Home Alabama.’
Chapter Two: “Jellybean.”
Previous Chapters: 1 |
Word Count: 2,033
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His soft lips stretched into a smile but didn't quite reach his usually vibrant eyes. They were lit with sadness, and the forced expression of the contrary on his mouth would have looked comical to her if it didn't make her heart feel so heavy. Her smile died faster than a flame after the candle had been blown out. For a few moments Riley stared at him, almost sure his expression mirrored hers.
It had been years since she laid eyes on him and much to her dismay, the very sight of him still hitched her breathing. He still had the kind of face that stopped you in your tracks. She could remember plain as day how the girls at school would flock to him and how much they all hated her once she and Lucas got married.
He might’ve had the looks of an eternal bachelor but despite all the opportunity that came his way he was a one-woman-man who prized genuineness and thoughtful conversation above lipstick and high-heels. He was handsome alright, but on the inside he was beautiful.
She always knew that to be true about Lucas Friar. Before anything else, he was her best friend. Her confidant, her go-to whenever anything went wrong. And now she was standing on his front porch, after 7 years of separation, after walking out on him, asking him for a divorce.
“Well, it’s nice to see you too.” He keeps his eyes on her as he moves past, walking into the house. Riley, quick on her feet, takes that as an invitation to follow him inside and to her surprise everything looks exactly how it did the day she left.
She watches him walk over to the liquor cabinet and pull out a bottle of whiskey, pouring himself a glass. He sips it slowly, eyebrows furrowed together as he concentrated on her. “Who’s the guy?”
“Excuse me?” She crosses her arms across her chest, knowing very well she didn’t have the right to be defensive. After all she was asking for a divorce, it made sense that he would assume it was because there was someone else.
“You come back home after 7 years, demanding I give you a divorce – there must be a new guy in the picture.” He pours another shot of whiskey, downing it like it was apple juice.
“New York is my home now and I have sent you those papers multiple times over the years and you always sent them back unsigned. Most of them weren’t even opened.” She huffs.
“So my initial question still stands. “ He smirks, “who’s the guy?”
“That’s none of your business, Lucas.”
“No?” He squints his eyes, clearly amused at their banter. “If there’s some guy out there trying to marry my wife I think it very much is my business, Riley.”
“You’re not going to make this easy on me, are you?” She sighs.
“Not a chance.”
--- Seven Years Ago ---
The front porch stretched the entire frontage of the house. Riley could smell the rain as it hit the pavement of the street. She loved to sit there no matter what the weather was doing. For the days she couldn’t clear her mind she’d sit on the steps and stare out into the open fields. Nothing but grass and trees in front of her. She could sit back and watch the endless rain for hours. She could watch the world pass her by and that’s exactly what she did.
The sound of Lucas’ pickup truck pulling into the driveway breaks her train of thought, catching her attention. She watches him slug out of the truck, solemn look on his face as he grabs his bag from the seat and trudges over to her. The rain is so heavy he doesn’t notice her sitting there until he’s about a foot away. He stops in his path, lugging his bag onto the porch, crouching down to meet her eye level. “There’s a storm coming. What’re you doing out here?”
When she doesn’t answer he reaches out and places his hand on her knee. “Riley?” He uses his other hand to gently raise her chin, forcing her to look him in the eye. “What is it?”
Without uttering a single word she digs into her pocket and pulls out an already opened envelope. She hands it over to him, studying his facial expression as he slowly opens it and reads what’s inside. She watches his face go from confused to intrigued to distraught in a matter of seconds. And just like she feared, he doesn’t say anything. He walks past her, leaving her there on the porch.
She gives him a few minutes before following him inside. Standing by the door, she watches him plop down onto the sofa, running his hands through his hair in frustration. After what feels like forever, he looks up at her and angrily throws the envelope on the coffee table. “Why didn’t you tell me you were applying out of state?”
“I didn’t think I’d get in.” She admits although it was only half true. In reality she wanted to spare his feelings because in her mind there was no way she would get accepted into an Ivy League university, especially one all the way in New York City. In her heart of hearts she felt she was destined to stay on that small ranch in that small town, never to venture out or leave. That’s what happened to everyone there. They all had false hope of one day leaving that small town and finding something better but no one actually ever did it. She knew she wasn’t the exception.
“But ya did.” He replies, a hardened look on his face. “So what now, Riles?”
“Well I checked and Cornell has an amazing Veterinary Medicine program, maybe you could transfer or apply next year.” She walks over feeling hopeful but the second his eyes meet hers she knows the conversation isn’t going to end well.
“Me? In New York?” He lets out a harsh laugh. “Riley I just barely got into A&M. I just started there. You want me to just up and leave?”
“Not if you don’t want to…”
“So then what exactly?” He stands to his feet, “You go off to Cornell and just leave me behind? We just got married.”
“I can’t stay here!” She snaps, her voice louder than she intended. “I want to do something with my life, I want to be somebody.”
“I want that for you too.” He defends, “but I also want you, Riley. I want us to work.”
“Why can’t we work in New York?” She crosses her arms, walking towards him.
“Because I don’t have the means to do that.” He drops his stance, bringing his hands up to gently caress her cheeks. “I can’t move to New York baby.”
She refused to look away, even as his lips trembled unwilling to back down. Her dark lashes brimmed heavy with tears as she reached up and softly pulled his hands away from her face.
A lone tear traced down his cheek as she said held his hands in hers until finally she said the words he feared she would one day utter. “I can’t stay.”
...
Lucas fell asleep on the couch that night, hoping that when he’d wake he’d see Riley dancing around in the kitchen like she always did every morning, or he’d hear her enthusiastically singing in the shower, the scent of her vanilla shampoo stuck in the air, but no. Instead he woke up to a cold empty house, no lights on, no music playing… just an empty feeling in the air and her wedding ring on the coffee table.
Underneath the ring was a bright pink post it note with only nine words scribbled across it.
‘I have to do this for me. Please understand.’
----
As she’s standing there she feels something soft rub up against her leg causing her stroll through memory lane to come to an abrupt end. She stares down at her feet as the small grey fur ball leaps up in front of her, making itself comfortable on the couch.
“Jellybean.” Riley smiles, bending at eye level with the cat, gently caressing the space between its pointy little ears. “Looking good for a cat your age.”
“That’s –“ Lucas pauses, when Riley meets his gaze again he sighs, “That’s not Jellybean.”
“Well where is h --.” She looks around until realization sets, “Oh…I’m sorry. He was a good cat.”
“He was mean as a snake.” Lucas chuckles softly, “Only ever really liked you.”
“When did he pass?” She asks feeling a pang of guilt throbbing through her chest.
“About a month after you left.” He answers quietly, “He was old when we got him…” He reminded her, knowing if she was still anything like the Riley he married, she would blame herself for the cat’s death. And he was right.
She did her best to hide her emotions but deep inside she hated herself for not being there for him. Jellybean was a scraggly little thing that followed her around like a puppy. Lucas would lock him out of their bedroom at night because whenever he left the door open he’d jump up on the bed and make himself comfortable between them, somehow hogging Riley to himself.
Lucas was sure the cat was pure evil but from the way it purred with delight whenever Riley would cuddle him she was positive he was an angel. Truth be told she thought about taking him with her that night, she knew Lucas and Jellybean didn’t get along but in the end she ended up leaving him there with him. A small dorm room was no place for a cat especially one that was used to the big acre of land it lived on. She knew the best thing for Jellybean would be to leave it there but that didn’t make it hurt any less.
“Seriously Riley.” Lucas speaks again, noticing her heartbroken expression. “He was just old. It wasn’t your fault.”
She clears her throat, feeling ridiculous for getting worked up about an animal she hadn’t seen in almost 8 years. “Um…so who’s this little guy then?” She smiles weakly at the small cat curled up in a ball on the sofa.
“No name.” He shrugs, “Just started showing up here about a week ago.”
“And you haven’t named him yet?” She raises an eyebrow, “I’m betting he practically lives here.”
“He comes and go as he pleases.” Lucas smiles but it quickly fades as the next sentence leave his lips, “Besides, you did the naming, remember?”
Riley stood up straight, exhaling a deep breath she hadn’t noticed she was holding in. She didn’t have enough patience to keep going back and forth with him. This had gone on too long and she was finally there in person to put an end to it. “What do you want Lucas?”
“Pardon?”
“Let’s negotiate.” She gets closer to him, feeling a surge of energy pulse through her body as they stand less than a foot away from each other. “I need you to sign the papers so I can go back to my life in New York so tell me what it is that you want.”
Lucas wanted to answer truthfully. He wanted to say ‘you, you’re what I want’ but he knew it wouldn’t make a difference. Riley had made her mind up about him and her life there in Texas long ago and he had to respect that.
“This is really what you want?”
She hesitates longer than she should have. There was something about his eyes that made her feel unsure but she pushed that aside and stuck to her guns. “Yes.”
“Okay, fine.” He grabs his bag and keys off the counter and heads for the door. “We’re throwing your grandparents a surprise anniversary party this Sunday. That’s only three days from now. You stay and show up for them, I’ll sign your papers and you can be on your way.”
Overview: In the middle of her freshman year of high school Riley Matthew’s mother gets a once in a lifetime opportunity to run her firms London Office. Much to everyone’s surprise her mother accepts the job, forcing Riley and her younger brother Auggie to leave behind everything they’ve ever known. Almost three years later the Matthew’s family moves back to New York and Riley comes to realize a lot has changed in the time she’s been gone.
Author’s Notes: [As always the text in italics are flashbacks & Please check the tags for any trigger warnings.]
Chapter Five: “Mr. Perfect.”
Previous Chapters: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5
Word Count:
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“We should totally go out for wrestling.” Zay says offhandedly, throwing a baseball in the air as he laid on the floor of their room.
It was a month into their sophomore year and the two boys were trying to decide which sports teams to try out for since freshman year was a flop. Last year they both got killed during football tryouts but they did manage to get a spot on the baseball team, even though it was just junior varsity. Lucas was determined to find a sport he was good enough for, especially now that a certain pretty brunette was across the pond. He needed something to distract him. He needed something to take his mind off Riley and what better way to do that than some healthy competition?
“Seriously?” Lucas crinkles his nose. “Wrestling?”
“What’s wrong Mr. Perfect? Scared everyone will see your junk in those oddly skintight jumpsuits?” Zay teases. “Come on man, you’re strong as a horse, remember? Put that to good use.”
“I guess so.” He shrugs, leaning back in his chair to shake hands with Zay. “Looks like we’re trying out for wrestling.”
--
“You invited Farkle?” Lucas questions as the three boys approach the gymnasium where tryouts were being held. “If I blew hard enough he’d fall right over.”
“Hey!” Farkle smacks him on the arm, “don’t mistake my slender figure for weakness, my friends. I’ve got muscles baby don’t you worry.”
“Oh yeah?” Zay laughs, “Where are you hiding them?”
Farkle makes a face, flipping Zay off before returning his attention to the coach.
Coach O’Donnell was a burly man, standing at about 6’5”, he was coach for most of the less popular sports like wrestling, lacrosse and tennis. He looked super intimidating but was notoriously known for being a super cool and laid back teacher.
He raises his thick brows as the three boys approach him, big hopeful grins on their faces. “Surprised to see you here Minkus.” He smiles, looking him up and down.
“Sports look good on college applications.” Farkle answers like it was obvious.
“Alright boys.” Coach blows his whistle, “First we’re going to weigh in, see where you guys are at and then from there I’ll pair you off with someone in your weight class. Babineaux!” He points Zay out, “You’re up first.”
Zay nervously steps up on the scale, praying he’d be in the lower ranks. He wasn’t as strong as Lucas but he wasn’t a wimp either. Unless of course he had to go up against someone as strong as Lucas, then he wasn’t so tough anymore.
“126.” Coach says out loud. “Not bad.” Zay hops off the scale and runs back over to the lineup while Mr. O’Donnell jots down some notes. “NEXT!”
A few more students are weighed, all in Zay’s range or a bit higher and then it was Lucas’ turn. He reluctantly walks over and steps on the scale staring down at the numbers. He watched as the coach moved the weight along, passing Zay’s weight class by at least 20 pounds.
“149.” Coach announces. “You’ve got some meat on those bones, Friar.” He chuckles, gently pushing Lucas off the scale calling up the next student. Lucas tried not to think too much of it but the coaches’ comment was ringing in his head.
By the time its Farkle’s turn he’s already figured out that aside from Yogi he’d be the smallest in the class. The coach’s face turns up in a wide smile as Farkle steps on, sliding the weight all the way to the end. “You sure about this kid?” He whispers low enough for only Farkle to hear. Farkle nods his head and O’Donnell lets out a sigh before calling out his weight class. “115.”
Lucas looked down at his body. Did he really weigh 34 pounds more than Farkle? He looks around the room noticing he was a lot bigger than a lot of the guys there. He tried to take into consideration that he was a year older than the other sophomores and had a bit of a growth spurt in 8th grade but still that didn’t stop him from feeling unusually insecure about himself.
“Friar you’re with Ross.” Coach pats him on the shoulder, snapping him out of his thoughts. “Show us what you got.”
The two boys take the floor, circling each other before Billy Ross attempts to take Lucas down. They struggle for a minute or so until Billy is able to pin him down, almost too easily.
Coach blows the whistle ending their match. He calls Zay and Dave to the floor and pulls Lucas to the side to speak to him.
“You let him win that round?” O’Donnell raises an eyebrow, confusion masking his face. “Zay said you were as strong as horse but all I saw out there was a Chihuahua.”
“I’m sorry sir. I guess I’m not as strong as I thou-”
“Look.” Coach stops him, “If your heads not in it let me know now. You’re a great kid Lucas but I don’t like people wasting my time.”
Lucas sits on the sidelines for the rest of tryouts, trying to clear his mind of the negative thoughts that seemed to be consuming him. Even long after it’s over he stays in the gym, watching the varsity team come in and practice. He notices their star player, Chad Malkovich, looks about the same size as Lucas but is in a smaller weight class, easily beating his visibly smaller opponents. Lucas waits until their practice is over and finds Chad in the locker room to ask him for some advice.
“Malkovich?” He addresses him, standing in the doorway of the locker room.
“Who’s asking?” The tall boy doesn’t bother turning around as he applies deodorant and pulls on his shirt.
“I’m Lucas Friar. I just tried out for the JV team.” He answers feeling like he was in a job interview.
“JV huh?” Chad perks an eyebrow in Lucas’ direction. “What’re you a sophomore?”
“Yeah.” Lucas nods. “And I was wondering…”
“How is it that I’m in a lower weight class than you when our bodies are almost identical in height and size?” Chad chimes in, laughing at Lucas’ surprised expression. “You’re not the first JV coming in wondering how they can lower their body mass.”
“So if you don’t mind me asking…” He trails off.
The older boy turns away from Lucas, rummaging through his bag before turning back and tossing a small paper box in his direction. “The hard way takes time, lots of proper diet and exercise…but my way’s a lot quicker.”
Lucas looks down at the small blue box in his hands, reading the label over and over to make sure he understood what the guy was saying. “Laxatives?”
“When I first tried out I was 155. Already stronger than everyone in my weight class so Coach put me up against people bigger than me and I got my ass kicked. Cutting weight allows us to compete at a lower weight class, facing lighter opponents. The advantage is gained when the wrestler loses only water-weight and fat-weight, but retains lean body mass. Then we re-hydrate after weighing-in but before competition begins.”
“Isn’t that cheating?” Lucas asks, prompting a hearty laugh from the senior.
“No, Friar.” Chad shakes his head. “That’s winning.”
--
The entire way home Lucas replayed the conversations he had earlier over and over again in his head. Chad let him keep the laxatives in case he changed his mind and it felt as if they were burning a hole in his pocket. Zay and Farkle were pretty pleased with themselves, both making the team. They excitedly rehashed the day as Lucas sat quietly to himself, staring out the window until they were at his stop.
The best friends say goodbye to Farkle and walk upstairs to the apartment. They shed their jackets and backpacks, heading straight for their bedroom.
“Boys.” Mrs. Friar stops them, “Dinner’s ready.”
Zay smiles and quickly redirects his way to the kitchen but Lucas stops in his tracks. His mother notices, furrowing her eyebrows together, “Aren’t you going to eat, sweetie?”
Lucas swallows the lump in his throat, trying to fight the voice in his head but in the end he gives in to it, knowing it was wrong. “I’m actually pretty slumped.” He lies. “I’m just gonna hit the sheets.”
“Don’t worry Mrs. F, I’ll eat enough for the both of us.” Zay jokes.
He waits for them to walk into the other room before closing his bedroom door. He slides under the covers and pulls out his phone. His thumb hovers over Riley’s name in his contact list. He knew that of all people she’d be the most understanding, she’d know exactly what to do. But he promised himself he wouldn’t hold her back anymore.
So instead he forces his eyes shut, and does his best to fall asleep on an empty stomach.
--
Zay, Lucas and Avery sat on the sofa at Topanga’s café. They were supposed to be going over their plans for Halloween but Lucas would be lying if he said his mind wasn’t on Riley. He couldn’t get their dance at the masquerade ball out of his head. He tried to convince himself it was innocent enough, after all it was just a dance. Right? But he knew the truth. In that 3 minute dance with Riley everything he thought went away came rushing back all at once.
It amazed him how his eyes immediately fell on her when she walked into the gym that night. Somehow, no matter where they were or how long it had been, his eyes would always find her. He told himself he wouldn’t act on those feelings, he’d suppress them to the best of his ability but they always made their way back to the surface.
He sips on his black coffee as Avery talks on about who they should go as for Halloween. Insisting they do a couples costume. Zay, not wanting to feel like a third wheel, suggests the three of them go as the three musketeers but Avery doesn’t seem as amused by the idea as Lucas is. She rolls her eyes so hard the boys swore they were going to fall out of her head.
He and Avery started dating last summer and at first he was happy. She was the complete opposite of Riley in every conceivable way and that’s exactly what he was looking for. He wanted someone who didn’t look like Riley or talk like Riley, he wanted someone to help get his mind off of her and Avery was that girl. She was beautiful albeit conceited but she does care about Lucas and he cares about her. And that was enough. For now.
Zay returns to the seating area after grabbing some baked goods for the three of them. He places them directly in front of Lucas who was sitting in the middle and gets settled back into his seat.
Lucas nods absent mindedly as his girlfriend continues her rant, but as he reaches out to grab a donut she smacks his hand away. “Do you know how much sugar is in that?” She raises an eyebrow. Lucas shakes his head no. “More than you can afford.” She adds. “Baseball season is right around the corner, Lukey.”
Before he can say anything else she stands to her feet. “I’ve got to go check out some stores for our costumes so I’ll call you later once I decide.” She gives him a quick peck on the cheek and rushes out the door.
“Lukey?” Zay mocks, scrunching his nose up in disgust. “You know if she wasn’t so hot I’d tell you to dump her crazy self.”
“She’s not crazy.” Lucas defends, “She just has my best interest at heart.”
“You sure about that?” Zay gives him a concerned look.
Their conversation is cut short when Riley walks in. The naturally tan brunette has her long dark locks tossed up in a messy ponytail, sporting a hoodie with the logo of her old high school back in London right on the chest. She has her bag thrown over her shoulder and a stack of notebooks in her hands, clearly prepared to study.
“Speaking of best interests.” Zay says under his breath causing Lucas to smack him in the arm.
Riley spots them almost immediately, a shy smile curved on her lips. “Hey guys.” She waves awkwardly.
“Hey Jellybean.” Zay grins, standing up to give her a welcoming hug. “You tutoring a group of 20 or something?” He motions to the large stack she’s grasping.
“Hm?” She looks down, “Oh! No, I have a big French final coming up and Smackle was nice enough to lend me her notes.”
“That explains it.” He chuckles helping her set the books down on the table. “You know, Lucas took that class last year.” Zay smirks, a lightbulb going off in his head. “He aced the midterm, too. He could help you study.”
“Oh that’s okay.” She swats at the air, “I’m sure he has better things to do.”
“I don’t mind.” Lucas chimes in, finally speaking. “It’s no problem at all really.”
Riley hesitantly takes the space next to Zay, sandwiching him between her and Lucas. For the first 10 minutes or so there’s nothing but silence until Zay decides to quickly stand up and bring his plate back over to the counter.
“I just remembered.” He stammers, “I had a thing to do at…you know…the thing.” Before either of them can get a word in, he darts out the door, leaving them to themselves.
Riley chuckles at his antics, allowing herself to get into a more comfortable spot on the sofa. “He hasn’t changed at all, has he?”
Lucas can’t help but smile, “I think he’ll be that way forever.”
“Good.” She smiles to herself.
“Hey…about the Maya thing.” He starts up, “I just want you to know I had no idea why she was doing what she did. I would never intentionally try to hurt your feelings.” He stares down at his hands.
“I believe you.” She smiles halfheartedly.
“And about the masquerade ball…” He continues.
“It was nothing.” She interjects. “Just a dance…right?”
“Uh…right…yeah.” There’s a thick silence between them as they sit there, eyes locked in a gaze. “So --” He reaches for the textbook and flips it open. “French.”
“Right, yes. French.” Riley snaps out of it, scooting closer to the coffee table. “I’m having a hard time retaining everything I learn. I guess foreign languages have never really been my strong suit.”
“Well what do you remember?”
She purses her lips together and in her best French accent she says with a smile, “Bonjour Lucas.”
Lucas lets out a soft laugh, “Oh come on. You have to remember more than that.”
“Honestly? I really only remember the words you taught me in 9th grade.” She admits, shrugging her shoulders bashfully.
“Okay.” He nods his head slowly, knowing exactly what night she was referring to. “Let’s start there.”
Lucas was sat at his computer desk in his room, trying to get a head start on his paper that was due in a weeks’ time. Now that he was dating his teacher’s daughter he knew he had no room to make mistakes.
Theres a knock on his door and he calls out for them to come in without giving them a second glance.
“Homework?” A familiar voice reaches his ears. A big smile crosses his face as he turns around to see Riley standing there, a FroYo bag in hand.
“What’re you doing here?” He asks pulling her in for a hug. “It’s a school night.”
“Yeaaah I know but…I missed you.” She says shyly as he pulls her onto his lap. “And I really wanted some Frozen Yogurt.”
Lucas kisses her softly on the cheek, closing his laptop to give her his full attention. “Hope there’s enough for me in there.” He jokes, inspecting the bag.
“Of course.” She giggles. “I got you your favorite.” She pulls out a cup and hands it to him. “Salted caramel for you and a triple chocolate for me.”
The night went on and somehow they end up sprawled across his bed, legs draped over one another as they fed each other bites of their frozen treat. It was by far one of his favorite things in the world. He loved his friends and always had fun whenever he and Riley hung out with all of them but nothing could beat the way he felt when it was just the two of them, held up in his room, talking for hours.
“So how do you say chocolate in French?” She asks, tapping the plastic spoon against her lips.
“Chocolat.” He smirks, helping himself to her froyo.
“Oh.” She laughs, “That one’s easy…what about purple cat?”
“Hmm. I think it’s ‘chat pourpre’ or something like that.”
“Jellybean?”
“I’m not sure there is a word for Jellybean, Riles.” He smiles down at her as she pouts.
She’s silent for a minute before turning back to him, “Peut-être un jour nous irons à Paris ensemble.”
“You remember that, huh?” He rubs the back of his neck, cheeks flushed.
“I looked it up that day after school.” She leans back, “You were one smooth talking 7th grader.”
Without a word, but with a smile on his face, he gently cups her cheek and leans in, kissing her softly on the lips.
“Hey Lucas?” She whispers once their lips part.
“Hm?”
“How do you say ‘I love you’ in French…you know…for future references.”
He wondered if she could feel how fast his heart was beating as he leaned in to her, lips pressed to her ear as he whispered, “Je t'aime.”
After an hour of studying Riley stands up to stretch, not realizing how tense she was until she got up from her chair. Without saying anything she walks over to the counter while Lucas is looking over her grammar.
When she returns she has a big slice of chocolate cake on a plate with two forks. “Brain food.” She offers, placing it on her lap as she joins him back on the sofa.
“Thank you for this by the way.” She says with a low voice. “I know it’s weird, me being back and all.”
“A good kind of weird.” He assures her.
“Oh my god.” She lets out a soft moan after taking the first bite of the cake. “I forgot how good their cakes are.”
“Yeah.” He clears his throat, ignoring the warm flush on his cheeks. “It looks incredible.”
“I got it for us to share.” She hands him the second fork and holds the cake up so it was closer to their faces. “I know you’re more of a salted caramel kinda guy but this was all they had left.”
“I don’t think I shou--.”
“Oh I’m sorry.” She shakes her head. “I should’ve gotten you your own piece. I didn’t mean to make it weird by suggesting we share it, I just thought it--.”
“No.” He cuts her off, “It’s not that…you’re actually the one person I like sharing with.” He smiles weakly. “I’m just not very hungry.”
“Well there’s plenty if you change your mind.” She smiles, placing the plate on the coffee table across from them.
They settle back into their study rhythm feeling more and more comfortable around each other as the hours pass by.
“Hey Riley?” He peaks up at her over the textbook.
“Hm?”
“I didn’t get the chance to tell you before but…I’m really happy you’re home.”
She glances over at him, her dimples deepen at the corner of her lips as she smiles, “You know, for the first time since I got here I’m actually happy to be home too.”
His heart pounded in his chest as he looked her over, grinning ear to ear. And without thinking he leans over, cuts a sliver of cake with his fork and pops it into his mouth.
**end note: special thanks to the anon who suggested a more serious storyline with lucas i.e body dysmorphia. As someone who’s suffered with eatings disorders her entire life I know how sensitive a topic it is and I just want to reiterate that I am in no way trying to lessen it or make it seem like its not a big deal because it very much is. I also think its important that its Lucas (a guy) who’s suffering with his body image in this because there’s this stigma around it. Also hence the name of this chapter ‘Mr. Perfect.’ In future chapters I’ll cover more about how he feels like there’s a lot of pressure on him to be perfect all the time and be a winner and unfortunately he kind of just crumbles underneath it all.
ANYWHO just wanted to add this bit at the end. Please let me know your thoughts on this arc for our darling angel boy Lucas.**
[ Part One - Part Two - Part Three - Part Four - Part Five - Part Six - Part Seven - Part Eight - Part Nine - Part Ten]
Prompt: After damaging $1000 worth of private property on a dare Lucas needs a quick way to make the money to pay the guy back. When Charlie Gardner suggests a bet Lucas takes him up on his offer. And what is the bet? Get into the pants of Riley Matthews, the schools very own goody two-shoes princess.
AN: The next chapter is the final chapter.
Word Count: 2,015
Chapter: 11
♡ ♡ ♡
How things have changed in just a few short weeks. It was a sunlit day of early spring, and the sky held a soft blue glow. Spring Break was finally here and Riley walked barefoot on the weed filled front lawn, looking for wild flowers she loved. She was never much of a rose person, not that she didn’t appreciate its beauty, it’s just that she was more in love with meadow flowers, with forget-me-nots and buttercups. The flowers people often overlooked due to the hype of the rose.
The scratchy green grass was warm under her bare feet and she was glad to be free of the confines of her running shoes. Who needed to run when walking felt so blissful? She stopped and closed her eyes so she could capture the moment of the sunlight on her skin. It was like a kiss of summer but without the fiery heat or beads of sweat. She opened her eyes and let the daylight flood back in, bringing the warm April day right back into focus.
To say she was glad winter was over would be an understatement. She loved the way snow looked when it found itself a home on trees and building tops but nothing made her feel more at peace than the calm slightly warm breeze of springtime. Which was exactly what she needed.
Lately, her mind had been beating itself up trying to figure out what to say to Lucas. She would get up the courage, march right over to him, open her mouth – and nothing would come out. It happened so many times this last month she was convinced she lost all ability to speak to him.
She couldn’t figure out what was holding her back. Farkle and Isadora made sure to put in their two cents, offering that maybe she was being prideful or maybe she was still harboring anger towards him for the mistake he made. But deep down Riley had her own inkling of what it could be. Plain and simple? She missed him. Missing him meant she was vulnerable, and the last thing she wanted was to open herself up once more, let him in again just to have her heart shattered into a million little jagged pieces.
She sighs as she flops down onto the grass, squinting up at the sky, watching birds above her fly back and forth without a care in the world. She envied that.
The smallest of the birds spiraled over her before disappearing into a tree. “Show off.” She mumbles under her breath.
A husky chuckle breaks her daydream and her eyes dart to the side, trying to see who the person was. Her Uncle Josh stood by the fence, duffle bag thrown over his shoulder with his disheveled hair tucked into his signature beanie.
“Picking fights with the animals, kiddo?” He laughs, joining her on the grass.
Riley smiles and gently nudges him before returning her attention to the sky. “Do you ever wish things were different?”
Josh lets out a deep breath, drumming his slender fingers along his chest. “Yeah, all the time actually.”
“Really?” She perks an eyebrow up at him. “Why?”
“Because life can be really hard sometimes.” He shrugs, “sometimes it’s too much.” He glances over at her, taking in her solemn look. “But given the opportunity I wouldn’t actually change anything.”
Riley playfully rolls her eyes, “You’re not going to give me that ‘everything happens for a reason’ mumbo jumbo, are you?”
“Hear me out.” Josh laughs, “You never know how changing things would affect you. Who’s to say that horrible experience you went through didn’t help you to be the person you’re meant to be? What if changing even the tiniest of details completely alters who you are? It’s a ripple effect so to speak.”
“Yeah…I get that.” Riley sits up, pulling her knees to her chest. “I guess I just wish things weren’t so complicated.”
“Guy troubles?” Josh smirks, sitting up as well. “College has made me wise, Riles. Lay it on me.”
“I started falling for this guy…” She hesitates, looking behind her to make sure her parents weren’t eavesdropping. “But then he kind of broke my heart and at the time I thought it was simple enough. I thought well obviously I’m not going to continue to have feelings for a guy who hurt me, but I avoided him just in case, and I stayed angry but…”
“It didn’t work.” Josh adds. “You thought your feelings would just go away but they didn’t, did they?”
She shakes her head no. “I’m conflicted. A part of me knows he’s a good guy who made a mistake but the other part of me is terrified that he might do something like that again. I think it means something that after all this time I still think about him and I still miss him. I think I’m scared to love him but I think I’m even more scared of walking away from him.” She lets out a long sigh. “What if I open myself up to him again and he lets me down?”
“Sounds to me like you’re letting yourself down.” He holds her stare. “Do you want to look back 5 years from now and talk or think about what could’ve been? No. No one wants that, Riley. You want to be able to look back 5 years from now and talk about how fear tried to cheat you out of something amazing, but you didn’t let it. You have to be willing to take a chance, Riles, because you never know how perfect something could turn out to be.”
After what felt like a years’ worth of silence, Riley smiles. “I think you were right…college has made you wise.”
Though she had a smile on her face she couldn’t help the unsure feeling in her chest. Deep down she knew falling for Lucas Friar would be like jumping out of a plane. It would be either the most exhilarating thing that ever happened to her or the stupidest mistake she’d ever make.
--
Lucas sat on the steps of his front porch, every so often glancing at his watch. Zay was supposed to have picked him up 15 minutes ago and had yet to arrive. He huffs angrily, pulling out his phone to shoot his best friend a passive aggressive text about his tardiness when the boy pulls up in front of his house.
He reluctantly gets up and walks over to the car. He didn’t really know why he was going in the first place. After being to a hundred and one of these parties the effect was starting to ware off. You’ve seen one party, you seen them all. Still, he promised to be Zay’s wingman and sober buddy for the night so he tagged along anyway.
By the time they arrive at the party, everyone already seems super drunk, he does his best to find a parking space across the street and the two boys wander around aimlessly, trying to find something fun to do.
About an hour into the party, after some lack luster conversation, Lucas gets up to grab a drink and on his way into the kitchen he spots a familiar silhouette across the room. Immediately his eyes go to her and he’s surprised to see she’s already looking at him. She wore a fitted navy blue sun dress that fell just above the knees and her hair, which was now a lot shorter, laid perfectly on her bare shoulders.
He secretly hoped he’d see Riley there but he knew the odds of her showing up to one of these parties after what happened at the last one was slim to none. Her two genius friends stood by her side, the three of them like wallflowers on the other side of the room.
Lucas flashes her a sincere smile and to his surprise she smiles back, not breaking eye contact as she brings the plastic red cup up to her lips.
As the night progresses, they share a few more intimate moments from a distance. His stomach turns somersaults every time her beautiful hazelnut colored eyes stared into his, and the sound of her laugh stands out to him in the crowd and blocks out every possible distraction each time he hears it. He needed to speak to her. In that moment, it had become as necessary to him as air.
Somewhere along the way he loses her in the crowd, her friends are still holding up the wall but she has seemingly disappeared.
“Hey guys.” He greets Farkle and Isadora. “Any idea where Riley went?”
“What makes you think we’d tell you?” Farkle replies, looking completely unbothered by his presence.
Isadora nods her head but then her eyes flicker to the ceiling, slightly motioning towards the upstairs. Lucas catches on rather quickly and hastily ducks away, darting up the stairs. And sure enough, he sees her sitting in a window seat looking out at the dark sky. The sunny April day they had earlier turned into a foggy, rainy mess. Not that he was complaining. The weather felt fitting for the situation.
“Riley?” He catches her attention but she doesn’t move, she just glances over at him and then back out at the window.
Lucas decides to take a chance and joins her at the bay window. He knew there was a big possibility she’d tell him to get lost, but he wanted more than anything to have a face to face talk with her.
“You never give up do you?” She chuckles softly, still staring down at the street.
“Nope.” He smiles, eyes boring into the side of her head. “I am very persistent. I never give up on the things that I want.”
A pale blush covers her cheeks but she still seems to be more interested in the road than whatever he was saying.
“Please tell me how you feel?” He asks, hoping to steer the conversation. For a second she peels her gaze away from the window and locks eyes with him, practically shaking him to his core. He almost forgot how warm her brown eyes were up close. “Don't think about it; just answer. Tell me what your heart wants to say and not what your head keeps trying to make you believe.”
“I feel…” She lets out a deep breath. “Like I don’t know if I can do this.”
“Do what?” He treads lightly, not wanting to rush her.
“Let you in.”
Their eyes are still holding each other and he bites his lip, thinking of what to say next. “What it will take for you to let me in, so I can do just that.”
“Honestly?” She waits for him to nod yes. “Maybe a little more time.”
“Okay. I’ve got nothing but time.” He smiles. Not wanting to ruin their night by being pushy he decides instead to just leave before he says anything he would later regret. “I better go find Zay though, make sure he’s staying out of trouble…I’ll be seeing you, Riles.”
She watches him stand up and walk away but not before noticing he left a small folded up piece of paper where he was sitting.
“Lucas!” She calls out after him, “You forgot something.”
Unfortunately he’s already out of earshot. She hesitantly unfolds the paper, revealing his bucket list with his one and only bullet point being ‘Tell Riley Matthews I’m in love with her’.
Suddenly it didn’t seem so hard. That’s what it was all along. A part of her didn’t believe her mother when she said Lucas admitted to falling in love with her, she tried to ignore it, to deny what she had heard but seeing it before her, in his own handwriting, there was no denying that. She was always scared there was a chance he wouldn’t still love her, but now that she knew he did, there was nothing stopping her.
In a swift motion she jumps to her feet and races down the stairs, “Lucas!”
