There's a big difference between being "pretty" and "beautiful." Riley figures this out the hard way.
She's pretty. She's nice. She's sweet. She's unique. She's so darned unique that no one can quite pinpoint what exactly she is, but she's something. She makes people smile. Riley makes people happy. Lucas likes her.
He likes talking to her, with her, around her; she makes him feel safe. That's what Riley is -she's safe. There's no guessing with her; she likes Lucas, and that was that. There were no questions, no maybes, no playing hard-to-get. She's upfront and open and transparent, and she's pretty.
Riley's not stupid. Maybe a bit immature, but she knows how to be smart. And she can talk to people and make them feel smart. She's really too good at making people feel good about themselves. But she's not stupid, and she can see what's happening.
Pretty. Riley is pretty, in a tall with brown eyes sort of way. She's innocent, untainted. She's the day. She's sunshine. Lucas called her pretty. He also said she likes fixing people, and she does, because that's what pretty people do. Miss America contestants always say they want to save the world, and they're pretty; everyone likes them. Everyone likes Riley.
Is pretty enough? It's enough to attract Lucas, to make him look twice at her, to make him ask her out for her first date. He was her first dance. He wasn't her first kiss, but he was the one that mattered. Lucas is tall, and he's Texas, and she's pretty.
But Maya's beautiful.
Lucas said she was beautiful, when no one else but Zay was around. Maya was so beautiful he thought about her, more than once. The girl he'd never kissed, hadn't gone on a date with, hadn't even danced with yet. Despite all that, Lucas thought enough of her to call her beautiful.
He's not wrong; Maya is beautiful. Not just in a subtle way; everyone can see it. She's loud and obnoxious and broken and so dangerous, but she's beautiful. People want to fix her, and she still wants to push everyone away, and that's what makes her even more desirable.
Riley made Lucas look twice; Maya made him do a double-take. He's not sure how to feel about her, because he's just a Huckleberry on her radar,and that's what catches him. Those nicknames are like bait to him. Every poke, every insult, every snide remark - it's just another stolen glance between the two. It's not hard to see; they were voted "Best Couple," after all, even if they weren't officially a thing.
Maya is like a cat; she waits for him to let his guard down, and she pounces. She keeps him on his toes, and there's never animosity between them, not now, anyway. They smile as they banter, and it's as if the entire room has gone away when they do. Even Riley is gone; even Lucas can't seem to remember that Riley isn't done being there yet.
But that's the difference between pretty and beautiful. Riley is there; she's radiant and fun and full of life. Maya's an experience. She's got her charm, and her walls are up, and she takes people's breath away. She's sad, and her smile never reaches her eyes, and it's enough to drive Lucas crazy, because she's passionate about art, and he's passionate about her.
He'll be the one to make her vulnerable; Riley knows he will be. She can see it now, with the way Maya lets her gaze linger, the way her eyebrows lift, and the way that Lucas' mouth is just slightly slack when they've locked eyes for a bit too long . They're not guarded; they're just observing.
Lucas isn't passionate about Riley. He really isn't, not if he's being honest. He likes her, like a friend, mostly like he likes Farkle, but he's not crazy about her. She doesn't make him mad, or nervous, or anything but happy.
But Maya does, because she's beautiful, and he just wants to figure her out. He wants to get to know her, to understand her, and she's slowly letting him. Each time she pushes him away, her shove is getting weaker. Her world is opening up, and it's amazing to see, because Riley's always wanted to see Maya flourish.
Just maybe not with Lucas.
But Riley won't be bitter, though, because she's not petty. She's pretty. And Maya's beautiful.
A.N.: First time writing Girl Meets World fanfiction, and I'm too old to be Lucaya trash, but it's happening! Oh, well, I love Riley, and I love those two, and the whole show gives me fuzzy feels. I don't own GMW. Feel free to leave reviews and favorites!