Farkle Minkus grabbed the boxes underneath his bed, preparing for the day he had planned. While he wasn't sure if the girls got him anything, he certainly never forgot to get them something. The event was the day the day the three of them, Riley, Maya, and him, had become friends. They were going into 12th grade soon so he decided to get them gifts he thought may help. Giddy, Farkle slips the boxes into bags as he makes his way out of his house.
It's Halloween and instead of trick or treating he is going to spend the day with Maya and Riley. His two most loved people. He didn't care what he was missing, the parties he was invited to. Because this is what was important.
As Farkle is in a cab (which he had to sneak into, because his dad still didn't trust cabs), he is hit with the strong emotion of sadness. Now, Farkle had always known he loved both Riley and Maya, though he thought he would eventually fall in love with one of them, except he hadn't. He had fallen in love with both of them, and he was sure they weren't in love with him. Would that even be able to work, the three of them?
Riley Matthews ran around her house, looking for the last bag that had Maya's gift in it. Her dad had said he had moved it but didn't remember where, and she was freaking out. The gift was Maya's big gift and she needed it now. Luckily as she ripped through the spice cabinet she found it. Her first thought was 'Finally' her second was, 'The spice cabinet?' Deciding its location wasn't important Riley moved the bag to her room and waited for the other two to arrive.
Today was one of Riley's favorite days, right there with Maya and Farkle's birthdays and her parents' anniversary, the day she had met Maya and Farkle. She smiled as she thought back to the past years, all of the birthdays, movies, and most of all just the time spent together. The times Farkle had shared with them moments of vulnerability, the times Maya had shown them parts of herself no one else knew, the times the she herself would pick them up even if it meant she broke down a little bit more.
She sighs and wonders how she is going to solve her problem. The problem being that she loves Maya and Farkle, in the same way, the same amount. That she wants a relationship with both of them, but knows that can't happen, one would get hurt, right?
Maya Hart frowned as she looked at the two paintings sat on her bed. They were Riley and Farkle's gifts for their anniversary, 'Friendship anniversary' she reminded herself. Were the paintings going to be good enough? She had poured her soul into both so she hoped they loved them. Nodding her head, she picked them up and slipped them into the bag she used to carry all her supplies or paintings.
Today was special, the day she found the two people she couldn't live without. She didn't often think about what her life would be if she hadn't met them. She was a better person because of them, and for that she loved them. She loved how much they cared, how they both were the reason she still pushed herself, and how they made her care. As she opened up her window to head up to Riley's she frowned again, the thoughts of love were back. She had to ignore them, there was no way they could all be together and happy, impossible, right?
Riley squealed as Maya slipped through her window carrying her canvas bag, and Farkle came through her room door with multiple bags and boxes. She was met with two pairs of arms hugging her, the two hugging each other as well. The hug lasted for too short a time in Riley's opinion but that was okay.
They all sat on Riley's floor, their gifts for the other two sitting next to them.
"Can I go first?" Riley asks in excitement, just like she does every year.
"Of course," Both Farkle and Maya say in union, just like every year.
Riley squeals again as she grabs each of their small gift and hands them off, "So I just want to say that today makes me so happy. We have been friends since kindergarten, made it through middle school together, and now we are almost done with high school guys. I know that we have a lifelong relationship ahead, and may we always stay connected," She finished and her eyes nearly watered at the twin looks of adoration of her friends' faces.
She watched intently as the two opened their gifts, first she had gotten Farkle a planner, and she had gotten Maya a new set of paint brushes. Her face split into a giant smile as both of them lit up.
"I've been needed new brushes for forever Riles! Thank you so much," Maya said placing the brushes back into her bag.
"Planner for all my school stuff and college plans, this rocks Riley," Farkle aid with a soft smile.
"Okay okay, so I got each of you one more thing," Riley says giving the both the bags with their name in her handwriting.
Maya opens hers first, and she gasps when she pulls out the coloring pencils and paint inside. Namely a very expensive and great brand that she had wanted but couldn't afford. "Riley, you didn't!" She says reaching over to give Riley a quick but tight hug. Riley's heart nearly skips a beat and she wishes it had lasted longer.
Riley just shrugs and smiles in response, and the both of them turn to Farkle. He reaches inside a tad nervously and pulls out a set of beakers and chemical bottles. "This is everything I need for my experiment!" He exclaims and looks at Riley, open mouth smile, and honks. Both her and Maya laugh, her heart fluttering at his adorable habit.
Maya loved her gifts, though it made her a bit worried for her own. She was going last, like every other year, which made her nervous. She ignored the thoughts as she turned to Farkle.
"So, I always worry that I'm going to lose you two, even if I know that thought is silly, so this year, our 13th year makes me overjoyed. Like Riley said, I'm in it for the long run," He tells them giving them both two boxes wrapped in purple and yellow wrapping. "The small boxes are actually the big gift, so open those last," He says, smiling and pointing to the small boxes.
Riley nods and Maya dramatically rolls her eyes. Still she moves the smaller box aside and grabs the larger one. She lets Riley go first, who rips off the paper and opens it up to find an entire box of candy from other countries. It's a bunch of smaller packages with the countries names on it. She squeals and rips open the package labeled 'Britain'.
"I know you love candy so…," Farkle says laughing with Maya as Riley already has half a candy bar in her mouth. She just nods and tries to smile in response.
Maya opens her box up after tearing of the paper and slips out another box that has gift cards for art companies and she is shocked that the inside is a new canvas, small, around 12 inches x 15 inches, but a new canvas none the less.
"Yay Maya!" Riley says finishing her candy bar.
"This had to be so much to get these gift cards Farkle," Maya starts but is stopped by Farkle giving her a firm look.
"I have more money then I need. I want to spend it on people I care about," Farkle tells them, putting one of each hands on one of the girls'.
Maya whispers ok, trying to ignore the way her heart is beating faster than it was before.
"Now the small box," She says pulling her hand away from Farkle, which she is hit with a pang of regret at
"At the same time!" Farkle tells them.
Maya makes sure she is in time with Riley as she pulls her yellow wrapper off of the item. She is surprised to see a jewelry box. She slips the lid of and her eyes widen at the necklace inside. It's a silver chain with a sapphire gem, which looks like it is rough and uncut and so real. Her birthstone in a necklace, which is so much prettier than the average fake, cut stuff from the mall. She looks up at Farkle and gives him a watery smile. She can guess that Riley's is tanzanite, her birthstone.
"Thank you so much Farkle," Maya says happily and Riley hums in agreement.
"Can you put them on us?" Riley asks him holding out her necklace to him. After he is done with Riley's, whose skin feels like it is warming up with a blush just because Farkle put a necklace on her, he takes Maya's.
Maya pulls her hair up in her hand and her skin feels like fire in the places where Farkle's fingers graze to put the necklace on. When he is done she looks to Riley who is looking at them in sadness and worries she is upset or if she likes Farkle. If Riley and Farkle ever wanted to be together, she would step back and let them, because she loves them.
Farkle is so nervous when he puts the girls' necklaces on that he almost drops both. Luckily that doesn't happen and he doesn't have to go wither away in embarrassment. He knows when Riley and him get Maya's gift he is going to be done for.
"So I didn't buy you guys anything, instead I made something. A painting for each of you. I just want you guys to know that…," Maya says and Farkle leans forward a little bit as she gets quieter near the end of her sentence, "I love both of you so much."
Farkle's heart nearly beat out of his chest when she said that, even if he knew it was just platonically. He looks over to Riley, who has the same look as him and wishes it weren't.
"We love you too," He and Riley chime in time together. What he doesn't know is the 'in love' is left unspoken and unheard.
Maya blushes and she pulls out two canvases, both wrapped in brown paper. Farkle takes the one she reaches to give him and waits on a cue to know he can unwrap it. Riley and Maya nod to him at the same time and for a split second he forgets that they aren't all together. He shakes his head a bit and slowly pulls off the wrapping. The painting is of him. He is painted in the center, in shades of orange, surrounded by all of the things he loves.
The background is sectioned off, subtly, each section being a part of his personality. There is science, a brain, smiles, hearts, a crown, and he's holding a beaker. He wipes his eyes before the tears slip down his face.
"It's who you are," Maya explains with a small smile, she looks worried.
"I love it, it's amazing. I never knew you were so… good at capturing people," He tells her, trying not to let anything slip because he so over emotional right now. "Unwrap yours, Riley," he says, wanting the girls' attention off him.
Riley looks at him, then to Maya, and then back to him again and nodes. He watches as she unwraps hers and gasps out when she sees it. It's like hers, Riley, painted in the center in shades of purple. Around her are key parts of her personality, hearts as well, purple cats, sunshine, and overall her silhouette was holding a heart.
"You guys are so wonderful, what did I do to deserve you," Riley says, and that's when Farkle notices that she is crying and he moves in to hug her.
It ends up being a three person hug, Maya had the same idea apparently. Now at this time, Riley is crying, and Maya and Farkle are hugging her tightly. All three are wishing this hug could have a different meaning.
Farkle feels like it never will.
Maya is sure neither like her like that, and like each other.
Riley, on the other hand, is already planning on bringing it up to them the next day.