A/N: I do not own any of these characters or locations. They are the creations of Michael Jacobs et al.

Chapter 1: What Happened Last Night

Most of the time I live in Rileytown. It's a wonderful place filled with unicorns, talking puppies and Pluto. I love Pluto. Pluto is the little-planet-that-could. Sunshine and rainbows surround me in Rileytown. There is never a dreary day. Darkness invaded Rileytown once, slowly creeping over it, casting shadows over the sugary-sweet filled world of hopes and dreams I had created. With the help of my friends I managed to banish that darkness.

It's been over a year since I managed to exile the specter of doom and gloom from my special place. Yet, everyday I was becoming more and more aware of another threat to my happy existence. The trouble this time is that I don't have a friend to turn to, not really.

Let me go back to the beginning.

High school didn't start well for my friends and me. We got through it- we may even be stronger people for it- but it knocked me off balance. It made me question my very essence and worth as a person. It took me less than a day to tear my group of friends apart. Even now that we are all friends again, I feel undeserving.

At least I'll always have my Maya.

Maya stuck by me. She didn't care that those seniors put us in a hole without explanation. She didn't abandon me when Lucas and Zay left or when Farkle and Smackle left. She hung in there because she is my person. She and I will always be there for each other.

She's my Peaches and I'm her Honey and nothing and no one will ever change that.

Maybe that's why things don't seem right with Lucas and me.

The day at the ski lodge when Lucas asked me to be his girlfriend was the best day of my life. Rileytown and reality melded together in that moment and I was truly living in a land where magical things such as unicorns coming to life and puppies having conversations with me were possible.

Prince Charming picked me. I am his princess. We are so much alike it's perfect between us.

At least, that's what I thought before.

I looked at my mother sitting next to me in the bay window. It is my safe place: Maya's and my safe place. I could tell my mom was trying to hide her excitement at being invited into my inner sanctum. She was also worried about me. My mom always knows when something is wrong.

"I need you to stay quiet and let me get everything out, okay?" I demanded of my mother.

"Okay Riley, whatever you say." Topanga was happy that her daughter wanted her advice. It seems like Riley is always going to her father for life lessons and it's good to know that Riley still needs her mom.

Riley took a deep breath and the words poured out of her mouth in such a rush that it was as if the Hoover Dam was breaking and a deluge of water flooded through.

"Farkle and I almost kissed last night. I've never felt anything as strongly as I did when his perfectly moist, smooth lips were centimeters from mine. I've never had sparks like that with Lucas. Farkle and I didn't even touch and I felt fireworks exploding between us. The energy was literally pulling us towards each other. I don't know what this means, Mom. Maya and I have been in this weird triangle thing with Lucas for, like, a year. Then Maya and Josh decided to wait for each other and Lucas picked me. Everything should be perfect and now I'm ruining it because, because, because. I don't even know why I'm doing this or why I feel like this or what is real anymore. Help me, Mom. Please?"

I can feel the tears dripping down my face, lacing my cheeks with moisture that reveals the true me, the me that exists under the façade of make up I've been wearing since starting high school. After what seems like an eternity I look at my mom. She looks sad. I knew this would disappoint her. I'm a failure. I ruin lives. I ruin friendships.

"I know I've ruined everything, Mom. I'm such a failure. I don't even deserve to have you and Dad as parents. I should know better. After everything you've taught me. I should know what to do with my feelings."

My mom's arms are around me and she's stroking my hair before I can say another word.

"Shh, Riley. It's okay. It's all going to be okay. Maya didn't develop feelings for Lucas to hurt you and you aren't developing feelings for Farkle to hurt Lucas or Maya or Smackle or anyone. The only thing you need to figure out is whether or not you truly do have romantic feelings for Farkle."

"I can't do that though!" I wailed, flinging myself onto my mother's lap. "I have a boyfriend and Farkle has a girlfriend! I don't want to come between Farkle and Smackle. I don't want to be the cause of Smackle's unhappiness. I don't even know if Farkle likes me! I need you to help me move past what I'm feeling, Mom. I need to go back to living in my real life Rileytown where Lucas is the prince who chose me to be his princess and where Maya is happy with Josh's promise to wait for her. If I like Farkle, if he's the one I'm supposed to be with then this whole triangle was a giant waste of time and energy and I'm the reason so many people will be unhappy!"

"Oh honey, none of that is true. Feelings are complex. They're hard to master. You and your friends are young. It's rare for anything to last forever at your age. Your friends know you, Riley. They know you would never purposefully hurt them. I think the first thing you need to do is talk to Farkle and see how he feels about what happened. If he feels the same way you can figure out how you want to move forward together. If he doesn't, at least you'll know and then you can figure out if your feelings for Lucas are strong enough to keep you together."

"I'm scared to talk to Farkle, Mom. He ran away from me after it happened. He hasn't answered my calls or texts since and he wasn't in school today."

"You're very lucky, Riley. Your friends always come to you. This bay window has been your friends' safe place as much as yours. Maybe it's time you go to your friend. Go to Farkle's house. Show him he means so much to you that you're willing to seek him out."

"You think that's what I should do?"

"Riley, I know it's what you should do. I love you sweetheart. I have faith that you will be able to work this out."

My mom put her arm around my shoulders and guided me up and out of the bedroom. She walked me to the living room, hugged me and held the door open for me as I walked out, intent on having a talk with the boy I think I may have been in love with since I was seven.