Riley Matthews knew that Maya and Lucas had something. She knew that the way that Lucas looked at Maya was completely different than the way he looked at her and that the teasing was undoubtedly qualified as flirting. She knew that Lucas could make Maya happy and that she could make him the happiest guy in the world. She knew that Maya was always better than her at everything but the thought never crossed her mind that perhaps, Maya would betray her.

Riley wished she could be that faithful best friend who would just be happy for Maya who had never really had anything to begin with but she couldn't. Riley couldn't say that she was okay with Maya and Lucas, half of her friend group, dating because she was so hopelessly in love with Lucas. Of course she wanted her best friend to be happy, but she had hoped all along that maybe Maya would make the decision she wanted her to make. She had been wishing the same wish every year since seventh grade, and now it was her senior year of high school.

Over the years, something had changed. Maya and Lucas suddenly became more forward with each other and more physical, and that itself made Riley want to curl up in a ball and scream in frustration. Aside from those two, the group dynamic and the individuals inside of it had completely evolved. Farkle had began to date Smackle, who now went by her birth name of Isabella, but he always made sure that he had time for Riley. Somehow, he had known just how hard it was on her to see Maya and Lucas so close.

As for Riley, she had became a fiery ball of potential. In eighth grade, she had developed her passion for gender inequality activism and had practically turned her life around from the dreary imagination it used to be. Her grades significantly improved as she began to make an effort, and by senior year she had already completed all her credits, qualified for sixteen volunteer hour and academic scholarships, was taking additional college credit classes to ensure that she would get a head start over other students in college, and was expecting acceptance letters the week after. Her activism created a movement as she spoke her opinions on her own blog and it became an important anonymous hotspot for those with access to internet. She raised money there and created projects overseas that she would set up to provide accessibility to girls in different areas. Riley's favorite project by far was setting up tablets in different refugee communities so that those looking for shelter could communicate with their loved ones as well as with her. Her talent of "fixing things" had somehow translated to an impossible talent of installing hope, optimism, and beauty into young girls who found their life miserable and hapless. So far, she had completed three overseas projects and was set to attend the United Nations Women's Conference as a speaker. In other words, she had become extraordinary.

But she didn't want to be extraordinary if that meant that her social life and the love of her life and best friend would be loss in the tangle. The worst part was that it already felt as if she had lost Maya.

Everyone loved Maya and no one ever cared about her. Boys had used her just to get to Maya and not once had Lucas nor her own best friend comforted her or assured her that she was perfect the way she was. They both seemed so distant as of late, and Riley had a sneaking suspicion of why they were pulling away. When it came down to it, Lucas would always choose what ignited him rather than the soft summer rain that loved him more than anything. Everyone chose Maya.

That led Riley up to this point. The point where her jaw was dropped with a million spikes of hurt tingling every part of her body because even though she had heard that Maya could possibly betray her, she never thought that the day would come.

She never thought that the day would come when she truly saw her perfect best friend kissing the guy that of her dreams.


Somehow she keeps tears from falling down her face and simply clears her throat. She wants her face to be happy and she wants to show that she's glad that they found each other but she can't even do that. All Riley feels is pain, betrayal, hurt, and the awful truth that no one will ever want her if they have Maya. The one guy who had actually wanted Riley for her own self turned out to be Lucas's enemy from Texas who he had made her reject and now, she had no one.

Lucas is the first to turn around. His eyes are wide and there is so much guilt and regret in them that she wants to forgive him in an instant, but she can't. Maybe if they outright told her instead of creeping around secretively, she would have felt less hurt but they didn't. What hurt the most wasn't the kiss but the fact that her best friend and the love of her life didn't trust her and they both were clearly acknowledging the fact that she wasn't wanted.

When Maya snapped around, her face was terrified.

The dream of going to NYU, all of the four of them, vanished into thin air, ripped apart by the fire that Lucas and Maya couldn't help but ignite.

Riley just shook her head slowly, the absent smile turning into a pained one. She knows that she should have never gotten her hopes up and that her belief in humanity is the most screwed up and miserable thing that's ever been because if she can't even trust the loyal Texan and her best friend, why should she have faith? Why does she have to smile even if she doesn't feel happy?

More than anything, Riley just felt numb and that realization pains her. It was as if every cell in her body was expecting the betrayal except for her own brain that had refused to let the idea seep in.

"Riley, I-," Maya tried to move to her but Riley just took a step back. The two most loyal people she knew...they deserved each other and she shouldn't get in the way but didn't she have the right to be mad? "Please, Riley, we're best friends."

Maya pleaded, her voice wavering and begging, but none of the pain registered on the scale that Riley felt. "Best friends?" Her voice was filled with disbelief and suppressed hurt. "I didn't know bestfriends kissed the other's crush of years. I didn't know that best friends gave false advice to let go just because they were selfish and pretentious people that only cared for herself."
"I didn't know bestfriends used each other the way you played me." Riley spat, her voice cold. She didn't even recognize her own self nor the words that she was spewing from her mouth. The worst thing was that the words were true and none of the three kids in that lonely hallway would contradict her.

Lucas just stood motionless, his expression pained and his eyes bearing into Riley's. Maya looked at him expectantly as if wanting him to speak up, and his mind scattered for words to say. He couldn't protect Maya because he frankly couldn't even protect himself from Riley's hurt face. He couldn't help but feel guilty that he had done this, he had hurt the girl that he loved more than his girlfriend. His girlfriend made his heart race but the girl that used to smile every hour of the day...she made him feel amazing and as if he could do anything. She had fueled the best in him and this? This was far from the best. His emotions were running high and somewhere along the conversation he just wanted to become the victim again, not the perpetrator. His next words weren't even true, but he just wanted to lessen the pain he himself was feeling.

"Don't talk about Maya like that."

Riley's eyebrow raised challengingly. Her body was already shaking badly and it was obvious that she was trying to hide her emotions, something she had gotten really good at after she had met Seth, Lucas's longtime nemesis.

"What are you going to do about it, cowboy?" He couldn't recognize Riley and he knew that he was a part of what made her turn into this creature here, hellbent on hurting everyone around her. That channeled the fuel in him and burned anger into him in a way only she could.

He moved forward until he was almost right in front of her. "What do you want to know? That Maya and I have been dating for the last three weeks and that even Farkle knew but he didn't tell you? That Maya and I have a passion for each other that's undeniable and something we never had?" He knew that his mouth should stop talking because at this point, all he wanted to do was hurt Riley, but he couldn't. "Stop playing the victim in this and admit that you're insufficiency led us up to this and that the only reason why we didn't tell you was because we knew that poor stupid Riley who can't do a single thing right would be hurt."

Riley's eyes widened and the cold facade she wore cracked. Lucas knew all of her insecurities, and he was exposing each and every one of them in front of her. For once in her life, she was terrified of Lucas.

He wanted to stop right there and his heart clenched at the sight of Riley's eyes, but the Texas Lucas tended to come out at the worst points. Without Riley to control him for the past few weeks, him and Maya had spiraled out of control.

"Lucas-," Maya said from the back of the hallway, her tone horrified, but he cut her off as he advanced to Riley, jabbing a hard finger at her. He pushed her back and back until she was practically scrambling to just get the hell away from him.

"Well let me tell you this. Maya is better than you ever will be. Those five or so guys that wanted to date you? All of them wanted to get to Maya because no one will ever like you. You're just a step and you'll get trampled on so many times because you will never be good enough, pretty enough, or smart enough. Go to hell, Riley Matthews."

The angry hold on Lucas faded away and he immediately reached out apologetically with apologies stammering in his mouth, but he stopped as he saw Riley. He saw the flash of terror in her eyes, the fear of him, and watched her quickly hide it. When had she ever gotten that good at hiding her emotions?

"I'm already there."