A/N: NEW STORY! And I'm super excited about it. If you guys read my last story "Sometimes Love Is Hard" then you heard me talk about this story often. Well here it is finally up! I hope you guys love clichés because this story is filled with them! Enjoy!
This first chapter is kind of exposition so nothing really picks up until the next chapter… just fyi.
I don't own GMW, just the plot of this story.
Chapter 1: "Farkle's Problem"
9 days. Just 9 days and I would be starting classes at NYU. College was actually that close. It seemed unreal.
I sat at Topanga's, my legs propped up on the coffee table in front of the couch. Zay sat next to me, tapping away on his phone. Farkle walked around the back of the couch. He carefully balanced 3 coffees in his hands, passing them out to Zay and me before taking a seat in the chair.
"I cannot believe college starts in less than 2 weeks!" Farkle said, almost as if he was reading my mind. Zay and I shot an unbelieving look at each other.
"Don't remind me," Zay whined. He was a little more than nervous about starting classes. He wasn't going far but he was moving upstate for school. He didn't know how he felt about being alone. Of course we all tried to convince him that he would make friends and do great in school. Riley pointed out that he would have his roommate. But Zay never ended questioning what would happen if he and his roommate didn't get along. If was safe to say, he was losing it with his nerves.
"Oh come on Zay! You have to be at least a little excited," I tried. Zay nudged his head. I could tell he would be much more excited if he wasn't leaving for school.
But it's not like he was the only one leaving. "I, for one, am tremendously excited to start college," Farkle put into the conversation. "This is exactly what we have been working towards our entire school career so far."
Farkle was leaving to go to Harvard. Not that that surprised anybody. His parents were more proud than anyone. He showed no fear in leaving all his friends and family to go to school a couple states away. I could never figure out if he was actually not nervous at all or if he was just really good at hiding his fear. Actually pretty much everyone in our group was moving away for school. Just Maya and I were staying behind to go to school in the city. Riley had left just the day before to go to UCLA in California. Anyone who knows Riley, knows that she was not head over heels about moving across the country from everything she knew back in her home state. It took weeks for her parents to convince her to take the scholarship she received and take the jump to move. Maya sat with her for hours trying to convince her.
"You're not the least bit nervous?" Zay interrupted my thoughts. Farkle shrugged his shoulders indifferently.
"I guess there's just other things on my mind," he answered. My brows furrowed, curious. I could tell there was something weighing on Farkle for the past couple of weeks. Zay had noticed too, as did Maya. But we never asked him. I just thought it was nerves about school or something. At least that's why I never asked him. But if it wasn't school, then what was it?
"What are you talking about?" I wondered. He shook his head, sipping his coffee, refusing to answer. "Farkle come on! We're your friends!"
"It doesn't even matter anymore." Zay and I shared a worried look. We had never seen Farkle like this. He seemed genuinely upset or sad, not just worried like I had originally thought.
"Farkle stop being vague. What's going on with you?" Zay pleaded. Farkle's gaze stayed down on his coffee in his hands. I could see his eyes follow the liquid as he swirled it around in its cup. I had seen this look before. He looked distraught and confused and a mixture of just about one million other emotions. I couldn't exactly place where or when I had seen him before wear this same look.
"It's Riley…" he answer in a quiet voice.
Oh. That's right. I had seen him wear that look a dozen times before. I had never before mentioned it, the fact that I knew he had obvious feelings for Riley. That look found its way onto his face when she and I dated back freshman year. Then more when Riley started dating other guys throughout high school. As far as I know, Farkle had never made Riley aware of his feelings.
"I can't help but feel like I messed up. I know you guys don't have any idea what I'm talking about but I-" he continued. More than willing to let him go on, I remained silent. But Zay burst out laughing.
"Farks I don't know how discreet you think you've been over the years but I doubt it's as much as you think it is," he spoke through burst of laughs.
Farkle look confused. I had to give a sympathetic smile in his direction, shrugging my shoulders.
"Yeah sorry Farkle. But it's pretty obvious how you feel about Riley." It must have taken Farkle by surprise because he nearly dropped his coffee. "We've known for years."
"Does Riley know?" he asked quickly. I could see thoughts running through his head, must of them riddled with worry.
Both me and Zay shook our heads. I was almost positive Riley didn't have any idea Farkle felt this way about her. Riley was naïve, in a good way sometimes, but she never did catch onto Farkle's feelings. Sometimes I would ask Maya about it, but she just laughed and said the ball would probably always be in Farkle's court. She did have her suspicions that Riley liked Farkle as well as he liked her. Hell, we all had those suspicions, but the two of them had never discussed it.
"Why are you beating yourself up about it?" I asked. Sure he had had these feelings for years, probably before any of us, including him even knew. But I had never seen him this upset about it.
"She's gone. I've had years to tell her. How hard can it be to just say the words? And I didn't do it. And now she's gone! I lost my chance…that could've been it. The real thing… and I screwed it up by not taking my chance," he said.
The sorrow in his eyes was blinding. I could understand what he was saying. It must be horrible seeing your chance to be with the girl you love fly by. Riley was all the way in California.
"Then don't miss your chance," Zay suddenly said into the silence that filled our circle. Both Farkle's and mine eyes went to Zay, eyebrows arched.
"Zay she's in California. I think my chance has passed," Farkle insisted. He set his half empty coffee cup on the table and leaned back into his chair to mourn. Zay was my best friend, but even I didn't know where he was going with this.
"They can't exactly be together. Hundreds of miles of separation don't usually do well for a relationship," I smirked.
"Doesn't mean he can't be honest with her," he insisted, now leaning forward in his spot, looking right at Farkle. I made a point to say that this isn't the type of thing you typically want to tell a girl over the phone. I let out a small chuckle, but Zay was standing firm on this topic. "Then go to her!" This really got Farkle's attention. "You have a couple weeks until school right?" Farkle nodded. He looked open to the suggestion our friend was giving, but skeptical. After all, this was a complete trip across the country he was talking about.
"Maybe it's not the worst idea Farkle," I suggested. It took a moment for me to swallow Zay's suggestion. "It's better than worrying about it for god-knows how long." Silence remained, Farkle thinking it all over.
As his friend, I didn't like seeing him like this. He was worried and feeling the world crash on top of him. What if Riley met someone else in California? Then he really would have missed his chance. That was something he would always regret. So why not tell her now. So they can't be together at the moment, it doesn't mean that she doesn't have the right to know. Even if she doesn't feel the same way, those two were best friends, they would get past it without a scratch.
"I can't you guys."
"Give us one good reason!" Zay said, not taking no for an answer.
Farkle shrugged before answered. "What if she doesn't feel the same way? Then it's a huge waste of time and I'll confuse her. And not to mention I'll be heartbroken!" All valid points.
"Look Farkle if you feel about her the way I think you feel about her, then it would never be a waste of time telling her that. And maybe she will feel the same," Zay convinced.
"The point is you won't know until you try," I continued for him. "Maybe now is your real chance. And you have an opportunity to not miss it."
It felt like a long time of sitting in silence. Farkle buried his head in his hands, probably making mental lists and pros and cons charts. Zay and I occasionally shifted our glances back and forth to each other and then back to Farkle. We knew he was frustrated and confused on what to do, but if there was anything I really knew, it was that even if Riley didn't feel the same way, their relationship would not suffer. Not a bit.
Finally Farkle looked up. "Ok I'll do it," he announced with a smile. "But it has to be perfect," he continued. He paused, giving me and Zay a moment to prepare ourselves for his suggestion. "Road trip." I heard Zay next to me nearly cough on air from surprise.
"Why the hell can't you just fly there?" he asked.
"No! I know Riley and she will think this is way more romantic!" Farkle explained with a smile. That was true. It was a total rom-com move and Riley would love it. "Also I have a bit of a favor to ask. Will you guys come with me?" That was a surprise…
"Why would you want us to come?"
"Not so much 'want' as much as I 'need' you guys to come," he said, before noticing that our expressions just got more confused. Suddenly Farkle was trying to make his romantic road trip into a boy's trip? "I need you guys there as moral support! I know if I have no one there to talk to me, there will be nothing to stop me from over-thinking and turning the car back around."
If there was one thing Farkle was good at, it was over-thinking. Now was our turn to be in deep thought while Farkle waited for an answer. We did have time before school started. And honestly after the fuss we just pulled trying to convince Farkle telling Riley was the right thing to do, how could we say no to his simple request. All he wanted was for his best friends to keep him company and tell him things were going to be okay, just tell him turning the car around without seeing Riley was a bad idea. It seemed simple enough. Plus, hey, it was a trip to California before school started. It would be fun. Without waiting for Zay, I turned to Farkle.
"Count me in Farks." Both of us turned to Zay. Pressure was on him, the one who spear-headed the 'send Farkle to tell Riley' campaign. His face was blank and I honestly thought for a minute he would say no. But a smile soon grew in its place.
"How could I say no? I'm in!"
And just like that, Farkle's romantic cross-country road trip became a boy's trip. Farkle went straight to work, pulling out his phone and looking up maps and different routes to take. He had to plan it perfectly to make sure we were back in time for school. He kept thanking me and Zay. I couldn't help but think about how perfect this could all turn out. Riley wanted a prince, always did. It was part of the reason we broke up, I couldn't be what she needed. But Farkle: Farkle might just be exactly what she needs.
A/N: Like I said, slow exposition first chapter. But next chapter is completely Lucaya so look out for that! I went a little wild with the rom-com inspired cliché moments in this fic so be aware of that lol
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