Talk to Me

It's been a month since the nature club took their trip to the Mount Sun Lodge. It's been a month since the triangle finally came to an end and Lucas ultimately chose Riley. It's been a good month for the young couple, spending lots of time together, going on dates. They're all happy. Lucas and Riley are happy together. Maya's happy that she's playing the long game with Josh. Farkle, Smackle, and Zay are happy that things are back to normal within their circle of friends.

Riley's at her locker, gathering her books for her next class, history, which Cory teaches.

"Hi Riley," a familiar voice greets her.

Riley's eyes widen at the voice and quickly turns around to face the owner of it.

"Charlie!" Riley's face lights up.

Charlie smiles.

"What are you doing here?" Riley asks before wrapping her arms around him for a friendly hug. "I haven't seen you since middle school graduation."

Riley and Charlie decided to be friends at her New Year's Eve party earlier that year. They've been talking every now and again. He's a nice guy and Riley doesn't mind talking to him.

"I transferred schools," Charlie informs her. "I didn't like the other high school I was at."

"Well, I'm sure you'll like it here," Riley assures him. It took her and her friends a while to get used to Abigail Adams High as well, but they're all adjusting just fine now.

"I'm sure I will," Charlie replies. "Familiar faces make it seem like familiar territory."

"There's some time before the next class, why don't we sit and chat for a bit?" Riley offers.

"I'd like that," Charlie accepts.

Riley closes her locker shut and leads Charlie to the bench near the stairs. They talk about what they've both been up to since graduation.

"So you and Lucas," Charlie presses to get information out of her. It's obvious he still has some feelings left for Riley, but he knows he has no chance after Farkle blurted out that she still loved Lucas during the New Year's Eve party.

"We have an official thing going now," Riley answers proudly with a smile. She's thrilled to be telling people now that Lucas Friar is her boyfriend.

"Gardner?!" Lucas yells when he finds his girlfriend talking to the boy she used to be somewhat involved with. He has an annoyed look on his face.

"Friar," Charlie replies, acknowledging Lucas's presence.

"Lucas, I—" Riley tries to explain herself before she's cut off.

"I'm going to be late for class," Lucas announces softly before walking away.

"We have the same class," Riley mutters to herself.

Charlie turns to Riley to apologize, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to get in between you two."

"Don't worry, Charlie, you didn't," Riley reassures him. "I'll take care of it."

Without saying another word, Riley grabs her backpack and heads to her father's class.

"Riley, what did you do?" Maya whispers as Cory writes questions on the board for the class to answer.

"Me?" Riley raises a brow.

"Yeah, Huckleberry over there has been quiet since the minute he walked in here," Maya informs her best friend as she motions to the boy beside her. He's too focused on scribbling in his notebook to notice the overly obvious gesture made towards him. "And you didn't even look at him when you came in. You usually walk in together and make googly eyes at each other."

Riley sighs. She loves Maya, but she doesn't like how Maya sees right through her.

"Charlie's here," Riley says. She's reluctant to tell Maya this but she tells her anyway.

"Gardner?" Maya asks.

"Yeah, him," Riley confirms. "He just transferred here. He saw me at my locker. We were just talking and catching up on each other's life."

"No wonder Lucas looks pissed," Maya remarks. It's known that Lucas doesn't like it when Riley talks to other boys about life. It's kind of a Riley and Lucas thing. "Want me to talk to him for you?"

"I got this Maya," Riley rejects the blonde's offer. "He's my boyfriend now, I should be able to talk to him about things like this."

Riley goes straight home after school. She tells the others she can't make it to their weekly study date at Topanga's. Riley sits at the bay window alone, getting some homework done. She picks up her phone beside her and turns it on. No new messages. She texted Lucas earlier that she wants to talk to him, but he still hasn't texted her back. All she sees is her phone wallpaper, a photo of her and Lucas from the ski lodge. It's a photo Topanga took of the couple when she and Cory were informed of Lucas's decision. It's their first picture together as an official couple.

She debates whether or not she should go see him now or wait until tomorrow and confront him at school. She decides on the former because she won't be able to focus too much on homework without thinking about Lucas anyway. She knows he didn't show up at Topanga's either. Riley gets up and grabs a denim jacket from her closet. She informs her parents of her plans before leaving the apartment. She's a good daughter, after all.

The Friar residence isn't too far from the Matthews's apartment. It only takes Riley twenty minutes to get there. Lucas's parents answer the door and let her in. The Friars really like Riley, she's been having dinner there regularly since the two started dating.

"I thought you were a secure western hero?" Riley states as she opens the door to Lucas's room without knocking. A startled Lucas is sitting at his desk playing computer games.

"Excuse me, what?" Lucas turns to see his girlfriend standing in his doorway. He knows what she said, and he's offended to hear her say that.

"You heard me," Riley retorts as she folds her arms across her chest.

"I am," Lucas corrects her.

"If you're so secure, then why did you react the way you did when you saw me talking to Charlie?" Riley questions as she walks across the room to sit on Lucas's bed.

Lucas sighs in defeat. There's no use in trying to argue with the brunette. He turns off his computer to give his full attention to an interrogative Riley. He rolls his chair from his desk to his bed so he's sitting in front of her.

"Tell me," Riley demands with a determined look on her face. She wants answers, and she's not leaving until she gets them.

"It's Charlie Gardner, for god's sake!" Lucas throws his arms in the air for dramatic effect. "I've never liked him, Riley, and I don't like how he's been trying to throw himself at you for the past few years when he knew that me and you had a thing going on."

"He and I also tried dating for a bit when you and Maya were trying a thing," Riley points out.

"That's beside the point," Lucas replies. His voice softens, "It's always been you, Riley, you know that."

"So would you say… you're jealous?"

"I don't like it when you talk to other guys."

Riley giggles.

"What?"

"I already know that," Riley says. "May I remind you of the Evan incident?"

"No, you may not," Lucas replies. "It's been a month, let it go! You talked to him all night, what was I supposed to think?!"

Riley laughs. She explains to him the Charlie situation from today since she didn't get the chance to tell him earlier.

"I don't like that he transferred to Abigail Adams," Lucas says. "But I also don't like that you think you have to explain yourself when you innocently talk to other guys. I should know better. I'm sorry."

"It's okay. I forgive you," Riley tells him. "You know… you're kind of cute when you're jealous."

Lucas beams when Riley calls him cute, even if it's due to his jealousy. He gets up from his chair and plops down beside her on his bed.

"You don't have to get jealous when I talk to someone else, Lucas," Riley says.

"It angers me, Riley," Lucas declares. "I don't like knowing that there are other guys you like having deep conversations with. That's our thing."

"Even if I do have deep conversations with other guys, they don't compare to the conversations we have," Riley reassures him. She takes his hand in hers. "I love talking to you, Lucas. More than anything in the world."

Lucas brings up Riley's hand to his face and presses his lips against her skin.

"So then can we talk?" Lucas asks with a charming smile that Riley knows too well.

"Of course," Riley smiles back. "We can talk as much as you want."

Thanks for reading! Hope you all enjoyed! It's been a while since I've written fanfiction, so I apologize if I'm a little rusty. I really like how this turned out, though.

Please review!

- Trisha