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All evening the clock has been ticking but now, at least for everybody at Rileys party, time was standing still.
The words 'Riley still loves Lucas' were still left hanging in the air. Riley's eyes darted between Charlie and Lucas, who both looked equally surprised. It was Maya who stepped forward first. She stared at Riley, her eyes glassy, fighting back years she didn't want to show in front of the class.
"How could you lie to me Riley?" She blurted out and headed inside the apartment and out the door into the corridor. She slumped against the wall, letting tears slide down her cheeks freely, tired of having to hide how she felt. Her body was shaking, a mixture of anger and sadness running through her.
Why? Why now? Why not weeks ago when they were in Texas? Riley just could have told her the truth and Lucas never would have known how Maya felt about him. She could have gone back to normal, pretending she didn't feel anything towards Lucas, watching him and Riley get together and be happy while it slowly ate her up inside. She could handle that, however hard it was it was better than this.
Now everything was ruined. Riley and Lucas would get together, and they'd both be uncomfortable around Maya so they'd start to drift apart until eventually they'd do what everybody in Mayas life seemed to do; leave.
Farkle clearly supported the two of the together, so he'd leave Maya too and Zay was Lucas' best friend, so he'd stop talking to her. And just like every, every friend Maya had ever had would be gone.
She should have just let Lucas get on that stupid bull without ever opening her mouth.
Trying to wipe away her tears, Maya questioned if she could go home now. She still had all her things left in Rileys like her phone, but she didn't think she could face going back in there.
As she looked back at Rileys door she realised somebody had been standing there. The last person she expected to see. Lucas.
"How could you lie to me Riley?" Maya asked, walking away clearly upset. Riley looked distraught, she felt like she'd just ripped open her own chest. She never wanted to hurt Maya. She turned to leave but realised she still had two very confused boys waiting for her.
"Charlie, Lucas. I..." She had no clue how she could end that sentence.
"Riley, are you still in love with Lucas?" Charlie asked. He looked so worried, so upset. Riley felt like her chest was about to explode.
"No. Farkle got it wrong." Farkle didn't look like he believed her. She turned to him. "Farkle, I know you think I like Lucas, but I let you believe that because I didn't want to tell anybody the truth. I thought you'd hate me."
"What?" Farkle was now added to the list of people who were confused
"But Charlie, I'm sorry. I'm really, really sorry. I don't love you either. I thought I could. You're so thoughtful and caring and amazing. I wanted to like you so much, and I do. Just not in the way you want me to like you." She was finally telling the truth.
"Oh." Charlie nodded. "No, that's okay. You don't have to be sorry, you don't feel that way about me, you can't help that."
"I'm still sorry. I should have told you, but I thought things might change." Charlie nodded again and went round the other corner of the roof to have to bit of privacy.
Riley turned to face Lucas and explain herself to him.
"Lucas, I don't think of you as a brother. That's true. I just can't. I used to like you. Or...I used to like the idea of you. I fell in love with you the moment I saw you, but I didn't know you then. Now I do, and I love you but only as one of my best friends. There's a reason we tried being together and it didn't work. We're just not meant to be together. I've been holding onto this idea of liking you because everything is changing and I'm changing, but you seemed like something that could stay the same. But it's not. You like somebody else, and I'm so happy that you do because you two are so perfect together in a strange way. We are better off as friends. And I like somebody else." Now that was a surprise to everyone, including Riley herself who didn't think she had it in her to tell anybody.
"That's how I feel about you Riley. I didn't think we were brother and sister but you're right that I like somebody else. I really like her. I just didn't want to hurt anybody or cause any difficulties between the two of you."
"You won't. I've messed up with Maya, but I'll fix it. You should go talk to her. Its almost midnight." Lucas smiled, hoping that now Riley had given them her blessing he could finally talk to Maya like he'd wanted to since Texas. He could finally do what he wanted to do to her since the campfire. He went in the direction he'd seen Maya leave in, hoping he wouldn't have to go all the way back to her house to find her.
"Riley what's going on?" Farkle asked, and Riley realised this was the third bad conversation she'd been avoiding having.
"I need to talk to you." She said. "Please." Farkle agreed. Riley faced the rest of her party.
"I'm sorry about all that,please hang out and go back to enjoying yourself."
Farkle and Riley headed into her room. She felt more comfortable having an awkward heart to heart conversation in her safe space.
This was going to be difficult.
"Lucas?" Maya asked, hurrying to wipe the tears away from her cheeks and fix herself up a bit. Crying in front of Lucas was the worst possible thing she could do here. She was already going to make him uncomfortable.
Lucas stepped towards her, a look of determination of his face.
"I'm not in love with Riley." He said quickly. "I haven't been for a very long time, and I'm not sure I ever was."
"What are you talking about?"
"Falling in love with the idea of a person, what you think they're like might feel real, but it's not. I liked Riley before I even knew anything much about her. Before I knew who she was."
"But..."
"Hang on. You've been forced to say a lot of things to me recently and I've wanted to say so many things to you and I haven't been able to. So please, let me tell you how I'm feeling."
"Okay." Maya agreed, still uncertain as to what he was saying.
"I liked this girl who was good. You know Riley, she's perfect. But she's not perfect for me. The real me." He wasn't making much sense. "She didn't even know me for a long time, and I wasn't acting like who I really am. I was pretending to be some moral compass, a goody goody guy. And Riley was the prefect girl for me to like. Safe."
He took in a deep breathe. This was harder to say than he thought.
"But I'm not perfect. I fell for this crazy girl who reminded me who I really was every day. She didn't think I was perfect, she kept me grounded while improving me without even knowing it. I would have been expelled a long time ago if it hadn't of been for her."
"What are you talking about?" Maya had to ask.
"You never let me forget about Texas. You never let me forget who I was. You keep me on my toes, you're always making me laugh and you make me happy to be who I am. You stopped me from hurting Billy, I would have been expelled if you hadn't jumped on my back and told me not to be that person."
"But...how do you even remember that?" Maya had even forgotten about that.
"Because it was the first time since moving here I felt like I was in control. Like I wasn't about to explode at any minute. I wasn't scared, I was finally happy." Lucas grinned. "I always feel like that around you."
Maya looked down but Lucas used his finger under her chin to gently bring her her head to look at him.
"You make me laugh, and joke around. I love that you tease me and I love getting to do it back. I love every single little name you call me because it's something you gave me. That's why I let you call me names, because they could never bother me. I think you're beautiful and amazing. You're so kind, and the best friend anyone could ask for. You're so talented at your art, and at your singing and even if you don't like showing it at school, I know how extremely intelligent you are." Lucas rambled.
"Lucas stop..." This was too much for Maya.
"I want to tell you everything I've wanted to tell you for the past... I don't know how long. You've been through so much, and you're still this incredible girl. I admire your bravery, and your strength. And I'm so glad you're in my life." It felt so good to be telling her all this. "And I'm so sorry I haven't been able to tell you this before. The last thing I ever wanted was for you to lose your best friend, and I promise I had no idea at all that even felt remotely the same about me. Finding out I had a chance with you was the scariest moment of my life. I wanted to make sure I did everything right because I couldn't stand the idea of losing you, but I treated you badly after we got back from Texas and I know that. I just wanted to make sure you'd still have your best friend."
"I can understand that." Maya managed to say, she was a little lost for words.
"I just spoke to Riley. She doesn't like me Maya, and I told her I didn't like her."
"But Farkle..."
"Farkle got it wrong." Lucas said. "First time for everything." Even thought they were both teary, they laughed a little.
"I have something I've been meaning to give you." Lucas said nervously and pulled out a red envelope from his back pocket. "I wrote this to you. But you were already going through so much with your dad I didn't want to make things worse." A forgiveness letter? What had she done?
She ripped open the envelope and pulled out the paper that was inside. She felt her stomach flutter as she read it.
'I forgive you for making it impossible not to fall in love with you. I know you can't help it.'
"Oh Lucas...." Maya couldn't even think straight. She was more than she could have ever imagined would happen and she had no clue how to handle it. She suddenly heard the uproar from Rileys apartment.
"10...9...8...7...6" the class screamed in unison.
"I love you Lucas." Maya burst out and watched his face light up.
"I love you too." He said quietly.
"3...2...1...HAPPY NEW YEAR!" The class were celebrating but Lucas could hardly focus on anything but Maya. He leaned down and let their lips touch gently, before his hands held both her cheeks and he could capture her mouth probably with his. It took her breathe away, and Maya could feel sparks from her toes to the top of her head. She wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him downwards and bringing them closer together.
Lucas moved his face away just long enough to say something. "I wanted to kiss you in Texas. Next to the campfire. That's why I did what I did. I never got a chance to tell you that, I'm sorry."
"You don't need to say sorry Huckleberry." And she kissed him once more, never wanting to let go again.
"What's going on Riley?" Farkle asked as they stepped into her room and sat down at the bag window.
"You were right about me not seeing Lucas as a brother obviously. But you were wrong that I'm in love him. There are lots of different types of love Farkle."
"Why didn't you just tell me that then?" Farkle asked. He'd just almost ruined any chance Maya and Lucas had at a relationship. He'd been such an idiot. If he'd just stopped for a minute he might of thought about how Maya must feel right now. He felt terrible.
"Because then I didn't have a reason not to date Charlie."
"You don't have to date anyone Riley. We're still young, you need to be in love with anybody."
"That's easy for you to say, you have Smackle." Farkle bit his lip and avoided looking Riley in the eye. "What?"
"I knew you'd feel bad. Smackle and I are no longer together. She left earlier."
"I just assumed she had to leave." Riley said.
"Not exactly. I haven't been the best boyfriend. I spent the whole night paying attention to you instead of her and...well truthfully I always do. She didn't like it anymore. She accused me of still having feelings for you."
"That's crazy." Riley laughed, but she could feel her heart go faster in her chest.
"Riley....I couldn't tell her I didn't." Farkle admitted and Riley tried to process that information.
"So you two broke up?" Farkle nodded and Riley moved forward and hugged him. Then without thinking she moved slightly away and kissed him. His lips were cold after being outside, but he warmed Riley up. She felt this pleasant warmth surround her, like she was exactly where she was supposed to be. Like everything finally made sense, and she didn’t have to worry anymore. It wasn't until she felt Farkle kiss her back, and move his hand up onto her shoulder, did she realise what she was doing and broke away.
They stared at each other in silence.
"What are we doing?" Farkle asked.
"We were kissing. I kissed you." Riley replied quickly. She wasn't quite sure who was more shocked, Farkle or herself.
"Yes I know that, but why?"
"Because I wanted to." Riley told him truthfully. "Because I've wanted to for a long time."
"But..what...why...when?" Farkle stuttered out. "Since when did you?"
"When I looked in the yearbook and you became Donnie Barnes. You became someone else and I realised just how much I missed the old you. And how much I liked the old you. My weird, nerdy, goofy Farkle. `I never thought about you in that way until then. And I realised that I really liked that you."
"But I'm still that Farkle." He reasoned.
"Which is why I still wanted to kiss you. Donnie Barnes just reminded me how much I like you. But I thought I was just imagining how I felt. I kept telling myself I liked Lucas because that's what I was familiar with. Liking you was new and I didn't know how to handle it." She played with her hands, not sure what to do with herself.
"But this doesn't make any sense. You were upset when you knew Maya was in love with Lucas." Farkle shook his head, like he was trying to calculate something. He had the same look of concentration now that he had when he was in class.
"I thought I might lose my best friends. You were with Smackle, and I thought she would make you happy. And I was glad you were with her, but I was afraid I was going to be left alone."
"That's why you agreed to go out with Charlie."
"Yes and no. I liked Charlie, he's great. I thought I'd like him eventually. But then you came along and tried to tell everybody I still liked Lucas and you were confusing me. I couldn't tell you the truth and I didn't know how I felt so I just let you guess. I assumed you'd figure it out eventually. I mean, you guess the plot of every single movie we watch. I just thought you'd guess this one too." She’d thought Farkle had known, but it wasn’t until Texas when she realised she has no idea. It was sheer panic that had made her behaviour like she’d done, but she knew now that she’d been selfish and inconsiderate to Maya and Lucas. They deserved to be with each other and she had no right to do anything that would get in the way of that. She had a lot of explaining and apologising to do.
"You thought I'd figure out that you liked me? I never would have guessed that in a million years." Farkle was still trying to process what was happening. His head was still spinning from the kiss. Something he’d always wanted, but now it had happened and he could hardly concentrate.
"I do like you Farkle. You're always there for me. You know me so well, and you make me happy. I always have fun when I'm with you. You teach me things and make me a better person. You’re caring, and lovely and the smartest person I’ve ever met. I think you're extraordinary. You're...Farkle." Farkle took hold of Rileys hand and threaded his fingers through hers.
"I've liked you since first grade Riley. You're the kindest and sweetest and weirdest person I've ever known. You've got no idea how much it means to me that you like me back."
"10...9...8...7...6..5" The class cried out in unison. They both looked out the window, realising what was about to happen.
"Hey. You, me, earth. Lets do this thing." Riley said to him. He smiled and brushed a strand of hair away from her face. Beautiful. Farkle was always afraid he wouldn't understand love, but Farkle knew know that how he felt for Riley was love. He'd wanted to think that it wasn't. He wanted how he felt with Smackle to be love, but it just wasn't. This, this sensation of fondness, excitment, familiarity and joy, was the exact way he’d always imagined love would feel like. Maybe because his idea of love always somehow related back to how he felt about Riley.
"Sounds wonderful." Farkle said.
"2..1...HAPPY NEW YEAR!" And this time, Riley was expecting a kiss. He was gentle, his lips soft and careful as he moved them over hers. It was perfect. Just like him.
"You need to talk to Riley." Lucas said. He and Maya were sat on the floor of the hallway, hand in hand, and talking about what they could do for a real first date. It had started off simple, dinner, a movie, and had progressively gotten more ridiculous. They were now planning hand gliding over the Amazon rainforest.
"I guess." She said, but she was was dreading it. Lucas kissed her forehead.
"You can do this, you two just need to talk things out." He stood up and still holding her hand, took her into the apartment with him. Luckily everybody was still outside.
Riley stood in the living room, she was coming to talk to Maya. They looked at each other for a moment.
"Maya, I have no idea how to tell you how sorry I am. I've been selfish and not thinking clearly and worst of all I've been lying to you and it's been killing me because I feel terrible about it. But it wasn't right and I'm so sorry." Riley explained, tears falling onto the floor as she didn't even try to wipe them away. Maya could see how badly Riley felt.
"I just don't understand. If you didn't like Lucas then..."
"I was too afraid to admit anything. I wanted to like Lucas because I used to and I didn't want to let go of the past. Everything been changing and we're going to high school soon and I didn't want to lose anybody. I thought maybe if I kept liking Lucas, it wouldn't feel like I was going to lose anybody."
"You'd never lose me Riley." Maya rushed forward and hugged Riley, holding her friend tight.
"I'm sorry Maya." Riley said into Mayas shoulder. "I'm so happy for you and Lucas, I really am. You two are so good together and I'm sorry I didn't see it before."
"Hang on." Maya looked at Riley. "Lucas told me you didn't like him, but you also didn't like Charlie. But you like somebody...Who?" Maya spotted Farkle behind Riley and her eyes shot open.
"Um.." Riley started, but knew Maya would have already guessed.
"Farkle?! You like Farkle?!" Riley nodded. "Why couldn't you have figured that out years ago?!"
"What?" Riley asked and Maya laughed.
"He's been in love with you forever. If you'd just figured out that you liked him ages ago, we could have avoided this whole mess." Maya was still trying to wrap her head around it. She never would have guessed.
"Hang on, what about Smackle?" Lucas piped up from behind Maya.
"She broke up with me earlier tonight actually." Farkle said.
"Well I'm happy for you two, but I'm sorry about Smackle . " Maya said.
"She'll be fine." Farkle was positive of that. "And Maya I wanted to talk to you. I'm sorry about how I behaves before. I've been inconsiderate about your feelings, and I should have stopped to think. I just didn't want Riley to be lying to you, or anyone any more so I acted irrationally. But I'm sorry, and I acted like a terrible friend. Can you forgive me?"
"Of course I can Farkle, I know you had good intentions." Maya said, bringing Farkle in for a hug with her and Riley. Riley glanced at Lucas and gestured for her to join them and so he did. The four of them hugged, grateful for such good friends and that everything had worked out perfectly.
The door opened and they broke apart to see a very smiley Zay walk through the door.
"Hey guys, just managed to get away from my parents for a bit. Sorry I'm late, what did I miss?" He said, and didn't quite understand the laughter he got in response.