Girl Meets Love
Disclaimer: I do not own Girl Meets World
Riley and Lucas- Rucas
"Bye Farkle! See you at school, Isadora!" Riley waved to her friends as they walked away, hand in hand. Riley was so happy for Farkle. She loved him like a brother, and she had always known that he was in love with her, but even before she started liking Lucas she knew that he would never be that way to her. So it was really nice to see that Farkle had found someone who loved him. Riley practically bounced up the stairs to her apartment. She knocked and her little brother opened the door. "Hi Riley." His lips spread into a wide-mouth smile, revealing his missing two front teeth. He fastened his little arms around his sister's legs. Riley hugged him back. "Hey Riley. Did you have a good time with your friends?" "It was great, Dad." "Well that explains why you were out so late." "About that. I did that on purpose. I am a bad girl. Deal with it. " "I was joking; you're curfew's not for another hour." "I know. I am very rebellious." "Again? No, this already happened. We're not doing this again." "Fine," Riley said, walking to the refrigerator. "So, how's Farkle doing?" "He's good. Smackle and he couldn't be happier." "How about you?" "What about me?" Riley's parents exchanged a knowing look. "What?" Riley asked. "How's Lucas doing?" Auggie asked from his spot at the coffee table, where he was drawing a picture for Ava. "Huh?" Riley asked. "Wow, Auggie. You're smarter than you look," Cory quipped. "I'm still this many," Auggie said, holding up six fingers. "Wait a minute-what do you mean 'how's Lucas?'" "Riley, remember when your father made you give up your cellphone? Remember when I told you that it's your father's job to give you little tests?" "Of course I do. Lucas taught me how to be a real friend that night." "Well, it's time for another little test." Riley groaned. "Come on, Dad! Can't you wait until school? That's when you're supposed to teach us some historical event that somehow coordinates with my life! You're not supposed to make my life miserable at home!" Cory smiled and walked to his daughter. "Keep this in mind. You told Farkle to go understand love. You might want to give it a shot." "But when Lucas and I dated, it was too much pressure. We're not ready for dating yet." "I didn't say you should date yet. I said you should go understand love."
"Romeo and Juliet. By William Shakespeare." Farkle slammed his hands against his desk. "You're not supposed to teach us English!" "Just accept it, Farkle. Mr. Matthews over here wants us all to learn about whatever is going to help us later in life." "Be quiet, face!" "Hey, Farkle. Over here. If you be a good little genius, I'll let you have a Belgium flag!" Cory said, waving a red, yellow, and black banner in Farkle's face. "Is this what our lives have come to?" Maya asked. "Everyone direct your attention to the front of the room. Romeo and Juliet. It was a story about two people so passionately in love that they died for each other." "But that doesn't make sense," Lucas shouted at Cory. Riley looked at Lucas. "What do you mean?" "Love shouldn't end in death. If they really wanted to be together, they would have stayed alive to be with each other. Instead, they lost each other. If I lost Ri-"Lucas stopped. He put his head down. Everyone else turned away from him and looked back at Cory, but Riley knew him better. She looked at him, and saw red warmth spread like wildfire across his cheeks. He was embarrassed. For the rest of the day, Lucas wouldn't speak a word to anybody. Riley tried to call him, but he wouldn't pick up. He didn't meet her at Topanga's. It wasn't until that night, when Riley was about to put on her pajamas, that Lucas talked to her again. "I know that we decided to just be friends, but I have something for you." Riley walked over to the bay window and sat down next to Lucas. "What's up?" Lucas handed Riley a small square box. She opened it. It was a charm bracelet. A bunny, a rose, and a baseball mitt charm lined up side by side. "Lucas…I love it. Thank you." Riley put the bracelet on. Lucas stared at her. Riley inhaled the scent of pine trees. But this wasn't like the tacky pine fresheners dangling from taxi mirrors. This reminded her of when she went camping for the first time, and first saw the stars. In the city she never got to see them, but upstate, the sky was sprinkled with silver pinpricks every night. She'd always loved that memory. She loved that Lucas reminded her. "Hey Riley…do you want to go someplace?" "I have to ask my parents…" Riley started saying. She stopped herself. Her father was giving her a little test. He wanted her to go understand love. "Sure. Let's go."
"Wow. It's beautiful," Lucas said. They were looking at Van Gogh's masterpiece, Starry Night. They decided to go to an art museum, and had spent over an hour looking at the priceless works of art. Riley had been having a perfectly normal time until she looked at this painting. She stared at it. She looked deep into it. She was never particularly an art fan, but since Maya learned she could paint, she began dragging her to art museums. Riley had learned to think about art differently. She applied that thinking here. "Riley…what are you thinking about?" And she finally understood. Her parents. The bracelet. The memory. Lucas's embarrassment. She was even surprised that she hadn't realized the Romeo and Juliet reference before. Lucas and she had played Romeo and Juliet in the school play, hadn't they? It was all clear. "Riley?" "I love you," Riley said. She was still looking at the painting. "What?" Riley faced her Lucas. Her Lucas, the one who she fell into his lap on the subway. Her Lucas, who had taught her that friends talk, but real friends listen. Her Lucas, who had rejected the pretty Missy Bradford for her. Her Lucas, who she danced with at her first school dance. Her Lucas, who had ridden on a white horse with her. Her Lucas, who had she had went on her first and second dates with. Her Lucas, who had told her he, was worth it. Her Lucas, who was always there for her and always listened to her and always, spent time with her. Her Lucas, who had asked her father for permission to go on a date with her. Her Lucas, who smelled of pine trees and reminded her of her favorite memories. Her Lucas, who she loved. "I love you. I have seen thousands of paintings since Maya discovered she could draw, and none of them has made me realize what this has. This is art. And so are we. We are art. I love you, Lucas." "I love you too, princess." Riley leaned in and kissed him. Lucas kissed her back. Lucas put his arm around his girlfriend. "What do we do now?" "What we always do." They talked. They went back to the bay window and talked for hours. They stayed up the whole night and fell asleep in class. But Cory let them. He let them because his daughter finally understood love. His daughter had discovered what he had when he saw Starry Night. Love.