chronicles of growing up.

summary: they went their separate ways years ago, but an impromptu trip to sin city is about to bring them back together.

a/n: things are about to get wild in this fic. i have a crazy plot bunny that won't go away. loosely based on the chainsmoker's 'closer', ataris' 'in this diary', and ed sheeran's castle on the hill. i'm not sure how long this will be yet, but i hope ya'll enjoy this slightly alternate universe. let me know what you think of the prologue.

prologue

12:27

Farkle watched the clock intently while pushing his food around his plate. He was sitting in a conference room. His coworker was going on and on about something that their client needed to know. He sighed knowing he still had an hour and thirty-three minutes before this meeting was over. He leaned into his hand, which was propped up

He hated lunch meetings.

"Farkle," he heard his father whisper. He quickly straightened up underneath his father's gaze. Farkle nodded graciously at his father and did his best to pay attention to the meeting. He was suppose to be the next CEO of Minkus International. He should really care about his work.

He should, but he didn't.

He was only twenty-three. He didn't want be networking with CEOs of other companies and hanging out at charity events on the weekends. He wanted to be going on lame dating apps dates and getting drunk with his friends on the weekend. To be fair however, he didn't have many friends left in the city. Sure he had college friends, but they're doing their own things trying to move up the business world themselves.

Riley did lived in the city... mostly. After a car accident claimed her parents and Auggie last year, she was a bit of a wanderer and would leave the city every couple months to explore. She had dropped out of college and moved back into her childhood home (which was fortunately paid off by Cory and Topanga) to run Topanga's with Katy. Yet every so often she'd pack her phone away and go an adventure on her own.

Isadora went to MIT and was never seen again, or in other words, she became an engineer, got recruit by NASA, and went to space (to never be seen again). She and Farkle still talked every once in a while, but since their break-up, they weren't as close as they were before.

Lucas left as well. His family fell into hard times after Pappy Joe's tractor accident. His Pappy and Nanny were forced to sell the ranch which caused his dad to move back to Texas to support his grandparents. The separation caused a huge strain between his parents which ultimately led to their divorce. It was messy and financially draining. By draining, his father depleted Lucas' college fund to pay for his divorce lawyer. He would've forgiven him if it wasn't for him leaving his mother in the first place for another women. Still without a college fund, Lucas was left with little choices to the fate of his future. So he joined the marines. He went off to deployment a couple of times and had reenlisted. He was currently stationed in southern California. It had been years since Farkle's seen the Texan, but they talked weekly.

Maya was gone. She deleted all her social media and disappeared after Josh went to jail. Farkle isn't sure if she's ever forgiven him. He wouldn't blame her if she didn't.

Zay still lived in the city. He worked as a dancer and choreographer for various broadway productions. He and Farkle had a falling out junior year in high school that they never really got over. He's thought about reaching out and mending the broken bridge, but when he remembers the incident, he gets angry himself and stops. He's not sure that Zay will ever get over it. Farkle sure hasn't.

Farkle felt is phone vibrate, but ignored it. Instead he stared at the big clock in the conference room.

12:45

Farkle sighed again. It's going to be a long day.

"5, 6, 7, 8, go!"

Zay snapped his fingers as he watched his poetry come to life. Standing in a cramp studio, he watched a group of adults dancing to his master piece.

'Lacey missed her cue... Ugh Justin's toes are flex...Theo's butt looks nice... OH COME ON FRANCIS GET YOUR SHIT TOGETHER...'

"Stop... Stop... STOP!" Zay bellowed turning off the music. "Jesus Christ guys, that was awful! What are we three year olds?! The show starts in three weeks and we haven't even gotten the choreo down yet!"

"Sorry Trump," Lorena, a skinny mestiza, scoffed. Zay turned and glared at her.

"Talk to me like that again, and you're cut honey," he snapped. He turned to the rest of the group. "Now before ya'll start calling me names. Go get lunch early and get all ya'lls fucking shit together! I expect all of you back by 1:30!" The group nodded and dispersed. Most of the kids (ha, Zay was still a kid himself) went out to the juice bar down the street. One of the dancers asked Zay what he wanted to come, but he declined. One by one, the studio clear leaving Zay alone.

He pulled out his phone and rummaged their his music. He needed to clear his head. Zay would be lying if he said that he wasn't feeling like himself lately. He was lonely, but then again, he didn't really have anyone to talk to.

He picked an old song by Ed Sheeran and started to listen to the beat. He felt his body and mind syncing seamlessly as the song went on.

"And I'm on my way,
I still remember these old country lanes..."

Zay spun around remembering his old high school days. He thought of him and Lucas sitting on top of Lucas' dad's old pick-up truck miles from the city. They talked about life.

"When we did not know the answers,
And I miss the way..."

He remembers the first kiss he had. It was with Sarah their freshmen year. He remember how anti-climatic it was, and talking to Lucas and Farkle about it afterwards. They couldn't explain why Zay felt nothing.

"You make me feel,
It's real..."

Then he remembers his first real kiss... That fateful night junior year... When shit went down... Those thoughts caused him to stop abruptly. He cursed silently. He should've known. Luckily the music paused because of an incoming text message.

"Wow, that was awesome," a voice called out think he was done. Zay looked up and saw Theo, a veteran dancer like himself smiling against the doorway. He was holding two smoothies in his hands.

"Thanks man," Zay nodded. Theo walked towards him holding out one of the drinks.

"I got this for you."

"Oh... thanks again," Zay whispered feeling a bit shy all of a sudden. He got up and looked at his phone. It was a messaged from Lucas. He put his phone away and focused his attention to Theo.

"Your dance, it was really soulful. I could really feel your emotions in it."

"My emotions huh? Like what?"

"There was a lot of passion in it, but towards the end I felt a lot of anguish."

"Well, I made that dance when I was in high school. It holds a pretty special place in my life."

"Well, I'd love to hear about it sometime."

"Maybe I'll tell you about it sometime."

"I'd love that." Zay smiled at the other man. The rest of the group began to trickle in, and the smile quickly melted off his face. "Alright guys! I hope ya'll's A-game is on point! It's time to do work!" He waited for his team to get into formation.

"A 5... 6... 7... 8!"

The rest of the rehearsal went off without a hitch. Zay was satisfied forgetting all about that missed text from Lucas.

Room 824

Maya stepped into her room exhausted. She had just finished a show. She had been working as an aerialist for Cirque Du Soleil for the past couple months. Ever since she left New York, she was a traveling vagabond. She had decided not to go to school and just to hit the road. She wrote a couple of articles for Shawn while working various jobs. It had been five years since high school ended.

Her room phone rang. She smiled knowing who was on the line.

"Hello Ms. Matthews," she smirked into the phone.

"Ew... that makes me sound so old."

"What can I do for you?"

"Well, the thing is I'm in California right now," Riley said shyly. Maya wasn't surprised. Ever since her family's tragedy, she's been hitting the road every chance she got. As she was the only survivor, she got her whole parent's estate. She split her ownership with Katy, who basically has been running the place since their middle school days. Riley never went back to school.

Instead, she worked non-stop at the bakery and would take time off for a couple months to travel. She had really taken to hiking, so she would research the best places to go backpacking all over the country.

"So what? You doing the Wild thing?" Maya joked.

"No actually, I'm in San Diego," Maya heard a hint of nervousness in her tone.

"San Diego? Isn't that where Huckleberry is?" Maya glared at nothing.

"Yeah, I'm with him right now."

"Am I on speaker?"

"No."

"Good, why are you there?"

"Well, he invited me out here."

"So you dropped your panties and flew out over there?" She could feel Riley roll her eyes. Riley and Lucas 'broke up' when Riley left for Yale and Lucas left for boot camp, but Maya saw through this farce.

"Well, not exactly. I've had this visit planned for over a year."

"So you visit hee-haw before me?"

"Maya, this is beyond the point," Riley said annoyed.

"I don't see why you won't visit me," Maya was genuinely hurt.

"Well, why didn't you visit me when my family died," Riley countered coldly. Maya glared at her phone.

"Touche," she surrendered.

"Anyways, this weekend is the anniversary of my family's accident," she said sadly.

"I'm sorry Riley."

"Don't be. I'm planning on celebrating life."

"How optimistic."

"Shut up," Riley snapped. Maya chuckled. "I need you to book me a room with two queen beds for Thursday to Sunday."

"Why two queen beds? I thought you and Huckleberry would share a bed," Maya teased.

"Oh please, you know I'm staying with you. Lucas is inviting some friends."

"Ooooh hot marine!"

"Down girl."

"Oh fine... Are you sure you wanna come here?"

"Yes."

"Alright honey, I got you."

"Thanks peaches. We'll see you soon."