Summary: Riley has a dream that made her breakdown. When she goes to school, she isn't herself and her friends are concerned and wondering what's wrong.

Where am I?

Why is it so dark?

Riley was walking in complete darkness with thick fog surrounding her. She didn't know where she was or where she was heading to.

She suddenly heard footsteps heading her way.

"Hello Riley." She turns around and sees Missy Bradford standing there with an evil smirk on her face.

"What are you doing here?"

Missy started to walk around Riley. "Just letting you know, Lucas would never like you. You don't deserve to be with him."

"Okay, but w-"

"She's right Riley." Someone interrupted.

Riley turns around and sees her best friend standing in front of her. "Maya?"

"You don't deserve Lucas. You're wasting your time by crushing on him when he is never going to like you back."

"Maya!?" Riley scream. She couldn't believe what her best friend was saying. "Why are you saying these things?"

"Because you need to hear the truth. Your crush on him is really pathetic."

"You're also too childish for him." Another voice said.

Riley turns around to sees many people walking towards her and making negative comments.

"You guys would make a boring couple."

"He's too mature for you."

"You're annoying. He would never like you."

"He deserves someone better then you."

"You both don't have any connection."

"There is no chemistry between you two."

"You're just a weird and an awkward girl. Why would he ever have a crush on you?"

"You're a loser Riley."

"You're annoying. Who would ever like you?"

Riley cover her ears. She didn't want to hear any more of these horrible and negative comments that people were saying to her.

"Please stop! Just Stop!" she scream.

But nobody listen. They continue saying hurtful things to her. They were also pointing and laughing at her.

She ran out of there. She didn't know where she was going, but she just had to get out of there, away from those people.

As she kept running, she bump into someone. She look up and saw a pair of green eyes that she adore so much.

"Lucas." She whisper.

"Oh hey Riley." He said with a blank expression on his face.

Riley imminently hug him. "Lucas I don't know what is going on but people are saying really hurtful things to me."

"Oh I know. I heard. And what they're saying is true."

She pulls away and looks at him with confused and hurt eyes. "What?"

"I would never like you Riley. You're just too childish for me. You're weird and a bit annoying. And you're just not the girl I would ever date."

Riley felt her eyes started to water. Her throat begin to dry. "But I thought-"

"What?" he interrupted, "That you would ever have a chance with me? That I would ever have a crush on you? Really Riley? How dumb are you?" he laugh bitterly.

"Y-You don't mean that." Her voice crack.

"Well I'm sorry, but it's the truth. I would never like you back. You should just forget about me cause you're wasting your time having this silly crush on me when I'm never going to return your feelings." He then disappear in the thick fog.

Riley couldn't believe what was happening. It felt like her heart broke into millions of pieces.

"We told you Lucas will never like you back." Riley slowly turns around and saw the same people that said those hurtful things to her, walking towards her.

"You're so stupid Riley. Did you ever think Lucas would ever like you back?"

"Look at you. Who would ever like an annoying and weird girl like you?"

Riley's tears started streaming down. She hated hearing these comments. She couldn't take it anymore.

"Just stop! Please, would you just leave me alone?" She cried.

"Aw poor baby. You're crying." Someone mocked and laugh bitterly.

"You really are pathetic Riley. No wonder Lucas doesn't like you."

"Leave me alone, okay!" Riley cried and collapse on the floor.

I don't want to hear any more of these comments!

Just make it stop!

Make it stop..

Soon everything faded.

…

Riley then found herself sitting in her room, breathing heavily.

It was just a dream. One horrible dream.

She sighed and ran her hand though her hair.

But what if it's all true? What if Lucas is never going to like me the way I like him? Am I really that dumb to think I will ever have a chance with him? What if he does reject me if I ever tell him how I feel?

Tears wear starting to fall from her eyes.

I guess I really am pathetic and a loser.

She started to break down and cried herself to sleep.

…

Riley woke up the next morning and got ready for school. She wasn't her cheerful self like she always was. She didn't feel happy. She felt numb and hurt.

She texted Maya that she's not able to meet her at the train station because she told her dad to give her a ride to school since she wanted to go there early to work on something.

But that was a lie. The truth is, she didn't want to face Maya and especially not Lucas. After that dream she had, she didn't feel like talking to anyone.

…

On the way to school, Cory notice Riley has been quite the whole car ride.

"Honey, are you okay?" he asked.

Riley snap out of her thoughts and look at her dad. "Huh, oh yeah. Sorry. I'm just tired. I had trouble sleeping last night."

"Are you sure you're okay?"

Riley smile a little. "Yeah I'm fine dad. Just tired that's all."

"Well okay then." Cory still feels something is bothering his daughter.

…

Cory was getting his things ready for his lesson while Riley was reading Catching Fire. Even though she already read the book, she didn't care about reading it again because it's one of her favorite books.

A few minutes later, a couple of students started to walk into the classroom.

"Hey Riles." She look up and saw her best friend standing in front of her.

Riley gives her a small smile. "Oh hey."

"Reading Catching Fire again? You never get tired of reading those books huh?"

Riley chuckled a little. "No I guess not."

When Lucas walked in, Riley immediately went back on reading her book. She try to avoid eye contact with him.

Lucas frowned when he saw this. He then went to his seat. He was looking at Riley and wonder if he did something wrong.

Maya notice this and knew something was wrong with Riley. She always had this bright smile on her face when she sees Lucas, but today she didn't even said hi to him or didn't want to look at him.

During Cory's lecture, Riley try to her best to listen and take notes but sometimes she kept thinking about that dream.

Cory took notice on his daughter's behavior. Usually, she always participating in class or makes comments. But today, she hasn't said one word during his lecture and he knew something is definitely bothering her.

Her friends also notice Riley's behavior and started to feel concerned because she has never been this quiet in class before and she also look a bit sad.

"Riles?" Maya whisper.

Riley turns to face her.

"You okay?"

Riley nodded and went back on taking her notes.

When the bell rang, Riley quickly grab her things and left the classroom. She went to the bathroom and look at the mirror. She saw her eyes were a little red and saw tears in her eyes. She grab a paper towel and wipe her tears off.

Come on Riley, you're being ridiculous. It was just a dream. It didn't mean anything.

She sighed.

But it felt so real and the words that people said really hurt. Am I really that pathetic about my crush on Lucas? Maybe I should just move on. How stupid am I to think he would ever like me back.

She then heard the bathroom door open.

"Riley?"

Riley turns to see Maya walking towards her with a concerned look on her face. "Hey, are you okay?"

Riley give her a fake smile. "Yeah, I'm fine. I'm just tired. I didn't get enough sleep last night."

"Are you sure? Cause I feel like something is wrong."

"I'm fine. Don't worry. Nothing is wrong. We should get going before we're late for our next class."

"Okay, if you say so." Maya said. She doesn't believe Riley. She knows something is bothering her and she's going to find out what it is.

During the rest of the school day, Riley was still not herself. She barley talk in any of her other classes. She even skip lunch and went straight to the library.

School was over and Riley got her things out of her locker and walk out of the building.

As she was walking, someone called out her name. She turns around and sees Maya running towards her.

"Oh hey, what's up?"

"I could ask you the same thing. What is going on?" Maya demanded.

"What do you mean?"

"Oh come on Riles. You're not your cheerful self, you skip lunch, you barley talk today, and it seems like you were avoiding Lucas which I find strange cause you always talk to him or you always have a bright smile on your face when you're near him. So I know something is going on and I want to know now."

Riley knew Maya wasn't going to let this go. She had to tell her the truth.

"It's just… I had this bad dream last night, that's all."

"Okay? Well what was it about?" Maya question.

Riley took a deep breath and told Maya everything that occur in her dream. From those people who was bashing on her saying she's a loser and pathetic to ever think Lucas will have a crush on her and that Lucas appear and in her dream saying to forget about him because he will never return her feelings.

"I know it was just a dream but it's just those comments really hurt me and I don't know, maybe I really am stupid to think Lucas will ever like me more than just a friend." Riley's voice crack.

"Aw Riles."

Riley couldn't hold it in anymore. Tears were beginning to fall from her eyes.

Maya gives her a hug. Riley hugs back and sobbed on her best friend shoulder.

Little did they know, was that Lucas heard the whole thing. When he saw Maya demanded Riley what was wrong, he stood by the corner of the school building, and listen to their conversion.

Lucas couldn't believe what he just heard. How does Riley think he will never like her? Of course he likes her. He likes her so much that he gets nervous when she's near him.

I got to do something that will show her how much I care about her. I will never reject her. I will never do anything that will hurt her. She's too important to me.

He then had an idea on a way to show Riley how much she means to him.

That's it. I know what I'm going to do.

…

Riley was in her room working on her homework. Her parents came to her room earlier telling her if something was bothering her. Riley just explain that she was tired and kind of having a bad day but she's a lot better now.

She was kind of telling the truth. She did felt a little better since she had a talk with Maya about what happen in her dream. But she's still a little upset because that dream really did hurt her.

As Riley was working on her History homework, her phone started to buzz. She grab her phone and saw that Lucas texted her.

-Hey Riley, do you think you can meet me at Central Park? I really want to tell you something and I can't say it by text.

She sighs. She knew she was eventually going to have to face him.

-Yeah, I'll be right there. She replied and got off from her bed.

She left her room and told her parents that she was going to Central Park for a little bit.

Central Park wasn't that far from her house so she was able to walk there.

Riley enter the park and was looking for Lucas. She finally spotted him sitting on a bench. She started to walk towards him. When Lucas saw her, his face brighten. He then stood up.

"Hi." She said with a small smile on her face.

He smiled back. "Hey, I'm glad you came."

"Thanks so um what did you wanted to tell me?"

"Oh well um.. I short of overheard you talking to Maya about that dream you had."

Riley's eyes wide. Oh no. Now he must really think I'm pathetic.

"Y-You heard all that?"

"Yeah I did." He said softly.

"You must think I'm kind of pathetic huh?"

"What? No, I would never think. Riley.. I like you a lot."

She shakes her head, not believing him. "You don't have to say that. I don't want you to feel sorry for me-"

"Riley," he interrupted and place his hands on her shoulders. "Please listen to me. That dream you had would never mean anything because I really do like you and I truly care about you. No one can understand how important you are to me. And to prove that, I want to show you something that I wrote.

He reach for a piece of paper in his pocket and give it to Riley.

Riley open the folded paper and read, "Reasons why I like Riley Matthews." She look at Lucas with a confused look and he give her a shy smile. She then continue to read the paper.

She's sweet, kind hearted, funny, beautiful, adorable, and a good friend.

I like her smile, her amazing energy, her laugh, and the way she tries to fix things and always sees the good in people.

We may be young to understand what love is but I planned on falling completely and insanely in love with her because she is worth is.

Riley's heart begin to beat fast. She wanted to cry. She couldn't believe what Lucas just wrote about her. She look at him with watery eyes and a warm smile.

"Its… this all true?"

Lucas just smile and nodded.

"But I-"

She wasn't able to finish her sentences because Lucas place his lips on hers. They kiss softly for a couple of seconds and then pull away.

"I wanted to do that for a long time." He whisper.

Riley couldn't help but giggle.

"Can I ask you something?"

She nodded.

"Would you… go out with me?"

Riley smile widely. "Yes."

"Good." He said and stroke Riley's hair. "And I really miss that smile today."

Riley stared to blush. He smile lovely at her and took her hand. They then left Central Park and he walk her home.