Girl Meets the Unknown

A/N: Don't own GMW

"Riley still loves Lucas" Farkle exclaims as Riley tries to head for the door. Riley stops dead in her tracks.

Reactions are swift and varied.

Yogi grabs Darby and heads for the door…followed quickly by the rest of their classmates.

Charlie picks up a sleeping Auggie and reluctantly heads towards the door. He so desperately wanted to start the New Year with Riley. He thought he had proven himself worthy of her. Looks like it was always going to be that damn cowboy.

Within seconds, it is just the 5 of them. Riley, Lucas, Maya, Farkle and Smackle

"I did the right thing. I hope you all can forgive me. Happy New Year" Farkle tells the remaining group on the roof as he grabs Smackle's hand. Smackle is taken aback by his announcement but realizes that this was not the time or place to discuss it with him.

He tries in vain to catch Riley's eye but she has not looked up from her feet.

His feelings are all over the place.

He feels bad for just shouting it out but SOMEONE had to protect Riley. He's not quite sure what her "sister" is thinking but he knows her first thoughts are not about Riley. They couldn't be. There is no way Maya would have "bought" the brother story if she was thinking clearly. Isn't there a girl code that you don't date your friend's crushes or exes? There is definitely something going on with Maya and after Riley is back to being Riley, he will help Maya any way he can. He knows there is no way the group functions without Riley. She is the glue that holds them all together. The artist, the cowboy jock and the genius only came to be because of the dreamer. She was their conscience, their joy, their never ending hope, how could he not worry about her first knowing that she is thinking of everyone, but herself? He knows that he has potentially affected his friendships with them but he also knows that they would have fallen apart without her. He hopes they can forgive him but is prepared if they don't. Yes, it would hurt if he loses their friendship but he knows that it would have killedhim to see Riley as just a shadow of herself.

Maya is stunned into silence.

She wonders what she's missed. How did she not know that her "sister" still loved him? She's mad at Farkle because his sacrifice only makes her realize that she has not been paying attention to Riley. She's mad at Riley because how could she not tell her that she doesn't see him as her brother. She's mad at herself when she realizes that she wants what Riley has…stability. She wants the stability of a happy home life, the stability of her friend circle and the stability that comes with having feelings for the same guy since the day you met. She wants someone to look at her, the way Lucas looks at Riley…the way Corey looks at Topanga. How could she not want the epic love story The Matthews shared? The one that looked like Riley was going to repeat? And as unfair as it may be, she's a little annoyed with Lucas. He has not had much to say since they got back from Texas. If he didn't think they were siblings, like he indicated at the campfire that night, why didn't he fight Riley's proclamation harder?

Lucas is torn between being ecstatic and being angry.

Ecstatic because he still has, has always had, strong feelings for Riley. He's angry with them all. Farkle for just announcing Riley's feelings in front of everyone and for not telling him what he knew. Maya for not realizing what Riley was doing, he counts on her to help him make sure Riley is protected. Riley for blindsiding him with the brother talk and for expecting him to just accept her decision without protest. Mostly, he is mad at himself. He knows he should have made them official a long time ago. He knows that he is changing, for the better, because of her. She is the first thing on his mind when he wakes and the last thing on his mind when he drifts off to sleep. His day doesn't really begin until he sees her smile or hears her laughter. He knows that he went along with everything to make her happy because he would do anything for her, even sacrifice his happiness. He knows, now, that he should have paid more attention to the things that made her doubt what he felt for her. Looking back now he realizes that things started to change around the time of the semi-formal. He should have known that she was feeling insecure about their relationship when he saw her reaction to the yearbook superlatives. The fact that something so unimportant could change his sunshine so dramatically should have been a clue. How could he not realize he was losing the most important person in his life? How could he not fight with everything he had to make sure she knew how vital she was to him? Now, he hopes that he is given the chance to do it all again, the right way… to make sure she never doubts his feelings again.

Riley is certain that her world has just gotten turned completely upside down.

She never expected Farkle to follow through on his threat. Deep in her heart she knows he did it for her. Just like she gave up Lucas for Maya. Isn't that what she was supposed to do? Sacrifice herself for her best friend, her "sister"? She had the ability to make Maya happy, how could she not do everything in her power to make it happen? Sure, looking back now, she never really took his feelings into account but things had been rocky between them for a while. She convinced herself that he didn't know how to tell her that his feelings had changed. She was convinced they had to have changed and that has to be why he didn't ask her to the dance, why he didn't push harder for the class to understand that he & Maya weren't a couple, why he never made them "official". So, she did what she was certain was best. She let him know that she didn't see him the same way anymore so that he wouldn't worry about how to tell her that he felt differently. She made sure he knew that she always wanted him to be a part of her life and she let him go. Maya and Lucas would be happy together, she was sure of it. So she cried herself to sleep every night and got sick to her stomach every time she saw them together, but she tried with all her might to stay Smiley Riley. She knows she lied to Farkle, she had no intention of telling them how she felt. What she failed to realize is that Farkle knows her just as well as she knows herself, that he would do everything to make sure she was protected, even from herself.

No one knows what's going to happen next.

They all know in their hearts and minds that they need each other to face what lies ahead.

They all feverishly hope and pray that this has not destroyed their group.

That the friendship bond between the artist, the cowboy jock, the genius and the dreamer are strong enough to weather this storm.

That by trying to be everything to everyone, they haven't totally lost sight of who they really are.