A.N.- Second story up. This story idea wouldn't leave me alone, so you guys get two stories from me at once. This is mainly a Rucas story, there is some Joshaya/Markle in this as well. So warning this is starting at T but will be moving up to an "M" fic later on. Just so you know the gang is roughly 23/24 and juniors in college.

Crashed on the floor when I moved in
This little bungalow alone with some strange new friends

"No," Riley was starting to wonder how many times her best friend was going to ask her to come.

"Come on Riles, can't you just imagine, the ocean in front of you; all your troubles melt away? You need to unwind before your last year, otherwise it will affect your studies." her brows furrowed knowing that she was right to a certain extent. Riley had been having trouble sleeping recently and she figured that it was just stress related. Even when she visited her parents during the summer, it still seemed to follow her out of the dorm room.

"Is it really that obvious?" She thought she was hiding it well, but if Maya could pick on it there was a good chance that everyone else could to. She had to admit the picture that Maya painted sounded good right now, but she didn't want the blonde to pick up that she was caving.

"Maya, I don't know"-

"Alright fine Riles, I didn't want to do this, but ring power!" As the two aged they had both promised to only use ring power when they saw a dire situation for each other; in this case Maya saw that Riley needed to get away for a while.

"I hardly think this qualifies Maya," she scoffed, but Maya stood her ground.

"Ring power Riley." The brunette shifted the phone to the other ear, her resolve quickly fading.

"I'll pack my bags."

"I'll be there 15, there are a few things that I have to pick up from the store." Riley rolled her eyes and hung up the phone.

"Like she'll convince Dad to let me," She muttered. Sometime her best friend could be so stubborn but that was one of the traits that she loved about her. She grabbed the suitcase from her closet and opened it on her bed; she turned back to the closet her mind swirling on what to pack.

"Not going to happen." Riley had to smile at the Deja vu, she was her father's daughter after all.

"With all due respect Mr. Matthews, Riley needs this." Despite her height disadvantage, Maya stood her ground against the older gentleman. A silent conversation was had between the two of them in the form of a stare off, one which Maya ultimately won.

"Fine." The girls didn't know whether the tone was because he didn't like the idea of his daughter going on a vacation or the fact that he lost the argument to a 23-year-old.

"You know my rules Hart, no alcohol, no drugs, and no boys." Maya seemed unmoved by his requirements maybe because she already knew that she would break them anyway.

"And don't do any I wouldn't do." Maya crossed her arms in defiance.

"Shawn told me stories." The sentence was a threat to spill all the secrets that Shawn told her.

"Don't do anything that Topanga wouldn't do," he corrected himself. Riley ran and hugged each parent tightly and promised to stay in contact. Maya grabbed her suitcase knowing that if they waited too long Mr. Matthews may change his mind another time bringing them back to square one

"Freedom!" The blonde exclaimed climbing into her car.

Both girls hopped into the car and they were off to Farkle's vacation home. Maya had been bothering her for weeks about spending some time in the home because his parents offered. Maya told her that Farkle had some things that he had to accomplish before meeting us there.

At first, they blared the radio when the car hit the freeway, it was just one of those things that they felt like needed to be done. There was karaoke at the top of their lungs. Riley let out a laugh at how foolish they must look to other drivers, the only thing that stopped them was the line of commercials after the songs. Maya smiled at her best friend and then returned her eyes to the road.

"It's good to see you like that." Riley pushed some hair behind her ears looking anywhere but her friend.

"Like what?" She was hoping that if she ignored what Maya was insinuating then maybe the subject would be dropped completely.

"Happy, I haven't seen you that happy since"- Maya stopped midsentence sensing the slight awkwardness in the car, but unfortunately, Riley didn't need Mays to finish the statement to know what the blonde was going to say.

Since she was with Lucas.

It wasn't that things ended poorly with Lucas, because that's not how everything played out. It was their senior year and it seemed like the world wanted them apart. Between classes, other social circles they didn't have nearly as much time for each other. At first, they tried to make it work, but every encounter it seemed like there was this wedge between them and neither could figure out how to take it away. It was her idea to break up in the first place but it was Lucas who had told her that he needed time apart after a couple months of acting like nothing happened, but in truth he wasn't the only one thinking it, just the one brave enough to speak it. She gave him the time, in the back of her mind she always said that she would give him the space that he needed and he would come back. Because they were Lucas and Riley, and he had assured her so many times that by getting into a relationship it wouldn't destroy their friendship. But in the end, it seemed like it was a promise that Lucas couldn't keep, because he never came back.

They never forced their friend to choose between them, because that wasn't fair to either party. But regardless the group grew apart anyway. Zay slowly started not coming around to their gatherings, it was assumed that he was with Lucas. Riley had pushed down all the thoughts down, because she had at least her two best friends in the world. Farkle had went to another close by University so the trio could keep in touch, he had confessed that he still had contact with Lucas and Zay.

"Maya, we agreed." They promised each other that they wouldn't bring it up until Riley was ready to talk about it.

"I know, I just figured,"-

"If you are going to bring up him, then I get to bring up Josh." It was a low blow because she knew that was the last thing that Maya wanted to talk about. Maya huffed a 'never mind' and turned up the radio to try and ease the attention. Riley's gaze went out the window to the things that passed by. Maya had never opened up to what happened with Josh with anyone to Riley's knowledge. Whatever it was the tense whenever the two were in the same room, one of the two of them would have to leave. Josh wasn't much help on the issue either no matter how many times Riley had asked him. The constantly questioning only led to distance between her and her uncle.

After some time passed I the car, Riley decided that she couldn't take it anymore.

"I'm sorry," the words sliced through the tension between the two. Maya threw her an apologetic smile, the two couldn't stay mad at each other for long.

"It's alright Riles." Her smile was pressed like at the very name of Josh it brought back memories. The two turned up the radio to fill the silence and at the next song the two were back to singing along.

The house was almost daunting as she got out of the car. Farkle's family sure knew how to pick a gorgeous house, compared to the surrounding homes it stuck out from the street in color and size. She could only imagine the stories and the secrets that the house had seen over the years.

"It was nice for Mr. Minkus to let us use the house over the summer." She closed the door of the car and picked up her suitcase.

"It's not like they were using it." Maya pulled out the key that she was given. The two headed towards the front door and with one quick motion the door swung open.

"Wow." Was the only word that they could manage walking in. There was a lot more windows and open spaces than Riley pictured. They put down the suitcase and ran up the stairs in a hurry wanting to lay claim on the best room before their third guest would arrive. Apparently the two girls though a like because they both ended up racing up into the same room; Riley slowed her pace when she saw the view. There was two that led to a balcony overlooking the ocean.

"Are you sure that it's ok that we stay here?" Maya jumped back onto the bed.

"Of course, I'm sure Riles, will you just relax already?"

"Why don't you go explore the house, I'm going to unpack everything." Riley opened her mouth to protest, but the blonde stopped her.

"No, Riles, you need this, I got it; I promise." Riley took her words to heart and nodded headed down the stairs. The rooms felt so open, Riley spun around and took it all in. The view was spectacular, so much so that it almost seemed to call her. Once her feet left the stairs it immediately hit the sand. The wind brushed the dune grass in the breeze. The ocean seemed to captivate her attention, one of the first things that was on her to do list.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" The male voice caused her to jump and let out a gasp. She turned her head to see this guy standing there with his hands up in a defensive pose; he had brilliant blue eyes and a mop of brown hair on top of his head.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you; my parents own the house next door, I thought it would be a total drag this summer with no one my age, then I just saw you standing there." His eyes sparkled and it was a mirror image to the sun shining on the sea.

"I'm Jordan, and you are?" She shook his hand with one hand while pushing the hair behind her ear with the other; it was a nervous habit of hers.

"Riley."

"Riley," he parroted like he was committing it to memory. A light tint of pink began to spread across her cheeks with the way he was looking at her, it made her stomach start to twist in knots; a feeling she hadn't felt in a while.

"My friends and I are staying up at his house for a couple weeks, kind of like a stay-cation."

"Well he's a lucky guy to have you in a paradise with such a beautiful girl."

"He's not my boyfriend," the words just flew out of her mouth before she could stop them, she didn't even know why she felt prompted to tell him the truth. Immediately she saw his body perk up at the information his blue eyes captured her own.

"Then maybe we can hang out sometime, you know so I won't lose my mind with just my parents."

"Sure." Her lips tucked up in a shy smile.

"Jordan!" His entire posture changed as he forced Riley to crouch down hiding her in the dune grass.

"I'm over here." He shouted

"It's time for lunch Jordan, come on inside." Even though Riley couldn't see her she had no issue hearing the over-the-top perky voice.

"Be there in a minute." He shouted and it seemed to be enough to appease the Mother as she returned inside.

"Sorry about that, I wait till we hang out at least once to meet my mother, she's a little intense." He held out a hand to help her out of the sand. Riley tucked the hair that had gotten displaced, her heart rate still beating from the slight adrenaline.

"She seems nice."

"Well if I don't go in then she'll come out and track me down, but I hope to see you soon." He started the trek back to his home, but not before turning back to Riley.

"Don't tuck your hair; you're much prettier with it flowing in the wind." His words caused a new shade of pink to spread.

The blush spread across her cheek at his flirting watching him head back inside. The words were touching, but it was not behavior that she was used to from guys, she spent most of her time in the student quad studying with headphones blocking out the noise. She was focused, and for that she was on track to graduate near the top of her class. She went on a date of two but nothing seemed to stick, eventually she concluded that she could focus on the male population after she got her career in place.

Her eyes drifted back to the ocean, the tide crashing against the shore and rolling back to the start and she felt peace flow through her system. She was glad that Maya had dragged her out here despite her initial protests; maybe taking the time over the summer was exactly what she needed. She headed back in the direction of the home seeking her best friend.

"Maya?" The house was so big, she could see why Farkle's family liked to stay here during the summer.

"Be down in a minute Riles." She heard the faint muffled voice of the blonde, knowing her she was probably changing in her bathing suit. Riley headed to the kitchen and pulled out a bottle of water to quench her thirst, only to be interrupted by the doorbell.

"I'll get it." The brunette shouted headed towards the door.

"Riley, wait, there's something that I need to tell you." The blonde's words did not deter her as she reached to open it for the guests.

"Farkle's not alone." But it was too late, Riley opened the doors and was met with a pair of haunting green eyes that she thought she would never see again. The breath left her lungs and she felt helpless just standing there looking foolish. All emotions that she desperately shoved down came flooding back overwhelming her rendering her speechless for a minute, but it was ok, because their eyes did all the talking. Riley finally found the courage to speak not knowing exactly where this bravery came from.

"Hello Lucas."

A.N.- What's a first chapter without a cliffhanger? I already have the next chapter basically done, so I'm so excited for this story. Let me know what you think! Till next time.