Resolution of the love triangle

Riley had seen enough! She had pulled herself together enough to decide that their sitting and talking wasn't going to deter her from going into Topangas to get the smoothie she had been thinking of all afternoon. She resolved that if this whole nightmare of a triangle was over and Maya had won, she would put on a smile for her best friend, gather up her dignity, and walk into the cafe head-held-high. That was until every ounce of resolve left her when she arose from her perch and walked back to the door just in time to see Lucas and Maya no longer sitting, but standing hand-in-hand. Then it happened, he pulled her in for what appeared to be a hug of some sort as he rubbed her hair! "What was it with this guy and her best friends head!" she wondered as she ran from the door as fast as her feet could carry her. When she reached her house, she marched directly to her room and laid across her bed finally letting the well of emotions overflow in a sea of tears.

The next thing she knew, she was waking to the sound of her best friend opening the bay window. Riley turned her body away from the window and then laid perfectly still hoping that Maya would see that she was sleeping and leave. She wasn't ready to deal with this yet. But it was no use. Maya walked over from the bay window tickling her toes. "Wake up sleepy-head! I need to talk to you! I have great news!" Maya exclaimed.

Riley let out a huge stretch, followed by a huge yawn. "Hi Maya."

"Hey honey! Did you hear me? I said I have great news!" She said, just as brightly.

"I heard you." Riley responded flatly, hoping that the sleepiness covered the sadness in her voice.

"It's about Lucas! Sit up, you need to hear this, I need to tell you!" Maya almost shouted, pulling on Riley's arm.

"Ok,ok!" Riley whined. "I'm up." She said sitting up straight. "And I already know about you and Lucas. Congratulations." She said, feeling a fresh round of emotion rising to create a lump in her throat.

"You do?" Maya questioned, not so excited anymore. "How?"

"I do." Riley responded. "I saw you two at Topangas this afternoon. It looks like you guys are finally able to talk to one another. I'm guessing you're here to tell me that you figured out this whole triangle thing. That Lucas has made his choice. So, congratulations Maya! I want you to be happy! Both of you! And I'll find a way to be happy too. I just need a day to process this. So, could we please just talk details tomorrow?"

"But Riles, you don't understand..."

"Maya, please" Riley pleaded with her.

Maya sighed. She could hear the tiredness in her best friends voice. As if this whole situation were draining her completely. Still, she had to try again. They couldn't go another day wallowing in this mess. So she decided to take a different approach.

"Riley, honey. Look at me." Riley complied lifting her eyes to meet her best friends. "Am I your best friend?" Maya asked.

"Yes, of course you are. I already told you nothing would change that."

"Good!" Maya exclaimed. "And would I ever do anything to purposefully hurt you?"

"No, of course not."

"Right! So, please hear me out. There's something we need to talk about and it can't wait another day. It can't wait another second!"

"Ok, fine." Riley sighed.

Ok. I'm your best friend, you are mine! We have been locked in this weird place with Lucas for far too long now. None of us would move because we were afraid to hurt the others. I would NEVER do anything to intentionally hurt you... But I do want to start by apologizing for how my confusion has unintentionally hurt you...Hurt us. I'm sorry for not telling you right away when I thought Lucas was like your brother. I should have told you sooner that I was confused about where Lucas fit in our lives...she began to explain just as she had earlier that day that it was her fault for opening the door to dishonestly between them... And I'm sorry for not noticing that you were lying about your brother feelings for him, falling on your sword for me. I'm sorry I caused you pain!"

"Of course I forgive you Maya. I'm sorry for lying, I just thought..." Riley started.

"... I know what you thought. And thank you, but there's more I need to say." Riley nodded for Maya to continue. "We are best friends. We are supposed to be protecting each other in this world, not hurting each other. We have to keep learning who we are so that this would doesn't tell us who we are. If the world tells us, we hurt each other. Even if we don't mean to. No matter what people say, no matter what they think, or do... You are Riley...I am Maya... and together we are the best friends on the planet! That means we decide! And if we are ever confused, we don't keep it in! We talk about it and stay close to the people we love until we figure it out, but we decide! Ok?"

"Ok." Riley answers, slightly more lifted.

"And you are right. Lucas and I did finally learn how to talk to each other this afternoon. It was weird at first, but I see why you like it so much."

"Oh." Riley sighed, feeling deflated again. "Yeah, he's one of my favorite people to talk to. He's great." She admitted, but even saying those words caused the lump to return in her throat.

Maya continued "Yeah, he's pretty ok to talk to. So, we talked today. And I told him all about all of the confusing feelings I've been sorting through... She continued recounting the entire discussion for Riley.

As Riley sat and silently listened to her friend finally put into words all that she had been processing over the last several months, she felt as if she were on an emotional roller coaster ride. Joy from the good memories like falling on Lucas that first day on the subway, and at the thoughts of Farkle her life-long, faithful friend. Sadness for all that Maya had been through that made it so hard for her to hope. Excitement that she was finally learning to look for the light in the world. Frustration and anger as she recalled the places where things got so messed up with that stupid yearbook and Texas.

And finally... Maya continued. "...that is when I realized that I liked as Lucas friend. That's how he fits in to our world. He is my friend. I actually like Ranger Rick." she shrugged. "I care about him and it feels good to know that he cares about me. We are not just connected by our friendships with you and Farkle. We have created our own bond. But it's not like you, me, and Farkle. He doesn't love us equally, like Farkle. He likes us differently, and that's okay. He likes me as a friend. And he likes you..."

"... How? How does he like me!?" Riley asked, the final emotion she had missed so much breaking through to the surface and forming the beginnings of a smile on her face.

"He likes you..." Maya starts again.

"As more than a friend...definitely not like a brother! My feelings for you haven't changed Riley!" Lucas finished the sentence as he climbed through the bay window startling both of the girls who were so deep in conversation they didn't hear him climbing up the fire escape.

That was it! The final emotion! Happiness! Riley's smile spread wide across her face and the lump in her throat gave way to tears of joy as she looked at two of the people she loved most in this world! "Hi!" She exclaimed through her tears.

"Hi!" Lucas smiled back, taking a seat between them with the air feeling clear for the first time in a long time.

"Anyway," Maya continued. "As I was saying before the Huckleberry interruption, he may even like you as a girlfriend. But the point is that we realized today that it's a good thing that we like each other as friends. Because we will always be an important part of your life. I've always known why Lucas would have a reason to like you, but now I also understand why you like him so much. And that makes it easier for me to really step back and allow you two to become whatever you will be to one another. I know I can trust him with you. He'll do almost as good a job as me at taking care of you. And he knows, like Farkle, that you love me most!"

"Oh, he does?" Riley laughed.

"For now..." Lucas thought, but he didn't bother putting that into words. "I do, as it should be." he reponded.

"And what makes you think I need to be taken care of?!" Riley exclaimed.

"Oh, you need to be taken care of!" Maya and Lucas responded as the group laughed.

"But so do we." Maya conceded.

"People change people" Lucas added.

"Secret of life!" Riley finished the phrase. "I love you guys!" She exclaimed.

"And we love you!" Lucas responded.

"We sure do!" Maya added. "You break her heart, I break your 'freak face' Ranger Rick! HaHurrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!"

"Good one Maya!" Lucas laughed as his hearing readjusted.

"Told you I'd get you back for that nuggie when you least expected it!" She said with pride.

"Yeah, you did." He laughed.

"Wait, what nuggie?" Riley questioned.

"Oh, I gave her a nuggie earlier today. Figured I was due for some payback for the millions of huhurrs I've endured over the years." Lucas explained.

"Oh, well that's a losing fight. Maya is the best at payback. I should know. I was washing ice cream out of my hair for like 3 hours." Riley laughed, thinking back to her "duel" with her best friend.

"Yeah. Well, speaking of payback, I owe you this..." he playfully tapped her lightly on the shoulder. "Haheeeeeeee" he exclaimed leaning in close to her face, their eyes locked.

Riley's breath hitched in her throat and her heart began to race at the reality of him being so close again. "Ahem, I thought the rules were I get to hit you but you don't get to hit me back?"

"Well, I changed the rules. I never liked that particular set of rules anyway. But how about no more hitting from now on? We are even now and we can come up with all new rules?"

"Sounds good." She smiled.

"Alright, I'm gonna leave you two alone now." Maya said, retreating as she had entered. "Don't get caught in here, Huckleberry. You've gotta be running out of shoes by now."

"Hey Maya," he called after her.

"Yeah?"

"Thanks for coming up to me on the subway that day, and thanks for pushing Riley into my lap! Because of it, I got to meet two of the greatest girls I know!"

"It was my pleasure." She waved through the window before climbing down the fire escape.

He turned back to Riley. "Now, about those new rules..."

"Riley, dinner is ready." Topanga called from the kitchen.

"Coming mom!" She responded as she and Lucas walked over to the bay window.

"Let's talk about them tomorrow. Figuring out stuff like that should be easy now that we know who we are. Now that we know that we decide." She said as Lucas prepared to climb back out of the window.

"Ok, but whatever we decide, let's do so considering the fact that I really like you, Riley Matthews!" He said before leaning through the window, tilting her chin, and giving her a sweet kiss. It was even better than the first and somehow Riley knew, as she danced down the hall for dinner, that it definitely was not the last.

The end.