lmao lucas dies rip lucas friar

There weren't many things in this world that Riley Matthews couldn't fix. She fixed the warped view of bullies. She fixed inconvenience in the subways of New York City. She even fixed Farkle every time that he couldn't slap himself back to English when he would get too upset. She fixed every challenge she'd ever faced right up until the point that Lucas told her his dad got transferred home and he was leaving them their sophomore year of high school.

"I got it!" Riley piped up, her arm reaching in the air like she was in a classroom. Lucas and Farkle groaned in response. All they'd been hearing since the doomsday announcement were those three words from Riley's mouth with a useless idea afterwards. "Let's just tell your dad no!"

"Riley, I'm leaving in like ten minutes for the airport," Lucas sighed to her, "I came here to say goodbye." He had a frown on his lips that didn't suit him as he glanced between the brunette's teary eyes and Farkle's hung head. The only one missing from the bunch was Maya with Zay's dad being the first to transfer back last month, and she said that she would be at Topanga's almost ten minutes ago.

"I don't want you to say goodbye..." Riley wiped her eyes and sniffled, grabbing her scrapbook that she'd made and handing it to him slowly. "I made a present for you just in case, though. Maya helped, but she'll deny it if you ask."

"Where is Maya anyways?" Farkle questioned, and as if on cue the blonde entered dramatically, clad in all black.

"We gather here today to mourn the loss of one Lucas the Good Friar," she announced, a Halloween bouquet tossed at the boy in subject. He smiled a small grin, one only used on her, before rolling his eyes.

"I'm moving, Maya, not dying."

She only hushed him in return, moving closer so that her hand could fly to his face to muffle his words. "Heaven gains a cowboy today as he do-si-dos to the rodeo in the sky. May we bow our heads in silence."

Maya's face remained melancholic with each stride around the boy and eulogic word. When she finally finished, she snatched the decorations back from his hands and he gaped in false offense. "I will visit your grave, but Halloween's always right around the corner and my mom would kill me if I just let you leave with the shop's decorations," she explained with a smirk, tapping his face with the object.

"Shortstack, Halloween just passed. It was literally last weekend."

She gasped to him and her hand slammed to her heart dramatically. "Ranger Rick. How many times do I have to tell you that it is never too early for skeleton memes?"

He grimaced at the nickname. "Pulling out all the oldies for today, aren't we?" His arms found their way around her waist, the farthest site from a platonic goodbye, but they would've told you different. Their game had only grown since middle school, and though they were purely best friends in their minds, there was no doubt to anyone that had eyes that Lucas was Maya's and Maya was Lucas's. They were easily the closest pair in their group, even surpassing Riley and Maya on some occasions.

"Only for you, Hopalong." Her nose scrunched at him cutely, and her dimples showed in a smile because once she glanced up to his eyes, everybody else faded away and all that was left was them. He tapped her nose and called her 'Other One' for old time's sake just in time to have to be walking out the door to catch his flight.

"Promise that you won't forget me," he whispered to her, their other friends ordering some treats to ease the bittersweet goodbyes while Maya walked him to the door. He'd given her his subway pass, a cute little piece of their first encounter as a farewell gift after whipping out his old nicknames. Crystal tears filled crystal eyes and Lucas wondered if that was what heartache truly felt like.

"Of course, I'm going to forget you. Larry who?" She returned softly, a small kiss pressed to his cheek right after. She decided to give him a little spider from the Halloween bouquet as a memoir of her existence. "Take this little guy to be your only friend besides Zay because you're such a softie now."

"I'm a softie? You're the one about to cry."

"Who says that it's over you?"

His phone broke their moment with an obnoxious tone Maya had set weeks before. It was some old western theme, one Lucas didn't even known of despite Maya's persistent insisting of his classic southern knowledge.

"That's my dad."

"Looks like it's time for you to go be a Huckleberry in the big leagues, Ranger Rick."

"Looks like."

"Promise that you won't forget about us little folk in the big city."

She stopped at the doorway causing Lucas to turn on his heel and face her. "Of course I'm going to forget you." He chuckled away a sob, the pad of his thumb wiping away a tear that had slipped down her cheek as he mimicked her. "Mariah who?"

She laughed through her tears, pushing him out the door. She had to force herself not to step through and pull him back. He was leaving. He was practically already gone. The last thing she would ever hear from him would most likely be the quiet, "Bye, Pancakes," he gave her before taking the first step towards the waiting car.

Another tear fell while she gave him a weak wave. "Bye, Cowboy." The warmth of Riley's arms wrapping around her from behind set her cries free as she curled to her best friend's touch.