Background: Junior Year at John Quincy Adams High School. It's Riley's Junior Prom and she doesn't have a date? Although, that won't be the case if a certain bestfriend has anything to say about it.

Monday, during Lunch Maya is pressuring her to get a date before Saturday Night's Junior Prom.

"Please, Riley will you just consider Charlie's offer to take you to the Prom?" Maya continues the conversation as they make their way to their seats. Riley is beginning to get annoyed by Maya's constant persistence to go to the Prom. She knows she would like to go, but she really doesn't want to go with Charlie. After several failed attempts of a relationship, she just doesn't want to keep leading him on. It's not fair to him and it is really not fair to her either.

"Peaches," a smiling and slightly annoyed Riley begins, "I already said that I am fine not going. I told Charlie that if he really wants to go, he should ask someone else because my answer isn't going to change. Plus, AP exams are two weeks away and I am going to need all the study time I can get, since Farkle isn't around anymore." Riley's expression changes only so slightly but Maya manages to see it.

"You really miss him, don't you?" Maya asks.

"I miss him as much as anybody would miss a friend that is on the other side of the world," Riley says to Maya. She knows she is lying to herself but without Farkle to drag it out of it, it doesn't matter. After he was able to see that Riley really did have feelings for Lucas, Riley began to rely on him more and more. She needed time and space to get over Lucas and to allow Maya's new relationship to flourish. It took some time, some crying, some late nights at her bay window, but she wasn't alone. Farkle was always there lending his shoulder to cry on, his warm embraces and his words of comfort.

She remembers one particular rainy night, it was during their Freshmen year of high school and she had just gotten home from the homecoming dance. She had decided to go with Charlie after an elaborate proposal on his part. She had a nice time but that's all it was, nice. No sparks, no heat, no passion, no sense that they could ever be the great love stories that filled her bookcases.

She was sitting on her bed, kicking her heels off when there was a knock on her window. She knew who it was before she even lifted her head. But as she lifted her head, she saw an extremely wet and shivering Farkle. As she opened the window, a baffled Riley said, "Farkle what in the world are you doing? You're soaking wet! You're going to catch pneumonia!"

Riley helped Farkle through the window. He had changed so much in such a little time. He was no longer the 5'3 7th grader that would process his undying love for her whenever he had the chance. He was over six feet tall now, with broader shoulders and a more toned and athletic physique. He had spent the summer at an astronaut training camp that was no joke.

"It's fine. I am fine. Don't make such a fuss about it," Farkle said. "I just wanted to come and check on you after dropping off Isodora. I saw that you weren't having the best of times at the dance."

Riley was getting some towels out of her closet so Farkle could dry himself off. However, as she walked to hand him the towels, he smiled and shook his head vigorously which got her all wet.

"Farkle" Riley yelled, "if the pneumonia doesn't kill you, then I am going to finish you off myself!"

"Watson, what would you do without me?" he smirked as she handed him his towel and Riley rolled her eyes as per his usual smugness.

"Well Crick, for starters I wouldn't be all wet. Now, get out of those clothes before you get sick." As Riley made her way out of her room, she said "I am going to get you some change of clothes from the laundry room. I think I still have some of your sweats and a Pluto t-shirt."

She knocked on her door, "Farkle, I am going to hand you the clothes so come to the door."

"Oh Riley, I don't mind if you see me," Farkle said through the other side of the door.

"Well, I mind," Riley exclaimed.

After about a minute Riley entered her room and made her way to the bay window where Farkle was sitting. Looking at the wet suit on her floor Riley said, "You know you are never going to get your security deposit back, right?"

Farkle shrugged, "You lose some, and you gain some. And since we are on the subject, how are you with your loss of Lucas and gain of Charlie?"

"Honestly Farkle, I am doing really well. I am beginning to realize that it's okay that it didn't work out with Lucas. The world didn't end. I didn't go into an abyss of depression and darkness. The world is still rotating on its axis," Riley laughed. "You were right"

"Woodward, you're going to have to narrow that list," Farkle smirked.

"Bernstein," Riley rolling her eyes, "You were right about it not hurting anymore. That as the days went on and the clock continued to click, it would hurt less and less. That one day the pain would just simply not be there. I don't love Lucas as a brother. I love him as a friend. Someone that I can rely on and turn to in my times of crisis."

"Thank God!" Farkle said, "My job is finally over. Well, Ace, it's been nice knowing you but I am going to skedaddle on out of here." Farkle got up and began to make his way to the window.

"You're a jerk," Riley jokingly said. "You know what I mean. I no longer feel like I need to distance myself from Maya or Lucas. I can finally accept their relationship and embrace it. I can finally say that I want them to be happy."

"Well I am glad, Riles," Farkle said. "I know how hard it has been for you these past couple of months. And I am really sorry for leaving you for the summer. I wanted to stay, I really did, but I just couldn't pass up the opportunity."

"Farkle, you have apologized a hundred times already," Riley said, "and I already told you that you didn't have to apologize. I would never forgive myself if I was the reason for you not following your dreams. It was an incredible opportunity. You had to take it." They exchanged small smiles.

"Farkle, I noticed that you didn't dance with Isodora. Why was that?" Riley asked.

"It's her Asperger's," Farkle said. "She just didn't feel like dancing or being touched that night. It's kind of a give and take. Sometimes she wants to and other times she doesn't. I am trying Riles, I really am but maybe I am not what she needs right now."

Riley rested her head on Farkle's shoulder, "Well isn't this an interesting turn of events, Steve. You're the one coming to me for relationship advice."

Farkle retorted, "Don't get use to Slim."

Then suddenly Riley turned and locked eyes with Farkle. "Farkle, I can't believe this is the first I am hearing about this. This whole friendship thing works both ways. You don't have to carry the weight of the world on your shoulders. I am here for whatever you need." Riley was relentless, refusing to brake eye contact. She knew that it was the only way she could get Farkle to tell the truth.

Finally braking eye contact, Farkle said, "You're right. I shouldn't have kept this to myself. I just sometimes forget that I am a real boy. That I too have feelings and emotions that need to be dealt with. It's just with you and the whole Lucas/Maya thing, I didn't want to be a bother."

"Farkle, I want you to get this through that big brain of yours," Riley took a deep breath, "The last thing you are to me, is a bother." At that moment Riley, had a great idea. So she got up, walked over to her iPod and searched for the song that she was looking for, Fire Escape by Matthew Mayfield.

"Riles, what are you doing?" a puzzled Farkle asked Riley.

"Well, I feel bad that you got all dressed up and didn't get a dance tonight. Plus, Charlie's mad crazed moves didn't leave much time for a slow dance. So, don't you think that we both deserve one good dance tonight?"

"I knew you couldn't keep your hands off me, Bergman," Farkle said with a smirk.

"Don't flatter yourself, Bogart. I am doing this for you, not for me," Riles retorted. Extending her hand, "Now, Farkle Minkus, would you do me the honor of joining me for this song."

Farkle grabbed her hand, "It would be my honor."

And so Farkle put his hands around Riley's waist and Riley put her hands around his neck and they began to sway to the music. Being this close made both of their hearts race a million beats per second. It was no mystery that the time spent together had changed things between them. Their countless classic movie nights, their 3am night star gazes, their morning coffee runs; it had all began to add up.

Riley still could not get over the fact that she had to look up to Farkle now. And so she did. She loved how his hair got, right before it dried up; just the right amount of messy. She loved his bright blue eyes. She swears that she could see the ocean if the light caught them at just the right angle. He looked down and smiled.

"Farkle," Riley whispered, "I am really glad that you came by."

"Anytime, Riles," Farkle whispered back.

And that's how it was. That's how it was going to be between the two of them. These moments of pure, unadulterated love because they both were scared of what was between them. They were both terrified of losing oneself in another person. So, it was decided, without either of them actually deciding, that this was the best option for each other. To live in these small moments and then step back into reality. It was a sacrifice but a sacrifice they were willing to make. After all, Farkle had Isadora and Riley was not going to do anything to mess that up. So it was enough for both of them.

"Earth to Riley," Maya waved her hand in front of Riley's face. "Are you in there girl?"

"What?" a dazed Riley asked.

"You went all George Romero zombie right now. I thought you were going to take a bite out of me," Maya joked. "You were thinking about Farkle, weren't you? It's okay if you were. I miss my little genius like crazy too."

"Maya," Riley quickly recovered, "I was not thinking about him. I was thinking about APUSH and how I need to memorize 500 years of American history. Speaking about that, I need to see my dad about some stuff concerning the exam. Say hi to Lucas for me." Riley quickly got up from her seat and ran out the cafeteria before Maya could say anything else.

Right after Riley left, Lucas showed up and he quickly saw the look on Maya's face. "What's wrong? And was that Riley I just saw running out of here?"

"Oh Huckleberry, you know me all too well," Maya says. "I think we need some time apart." Maya smiled and so did Lucas.

"She just refuses to talk about Farkle's absence. It's like he never even existed. Every time I bring up the subject she just redirects it or changes it or leaves," Maya said.

"It's her way of dealing with it, Maya," Lucas said. "I mean, it can't be easy when one of your best friend's parents decide to move to Tokyo at the end of your sophomore year. He told us that his parents gave him the option of staying here, but Riley told him that it was an amazing opportunity and that he should take it. That she would support him with whatever decision he chose. We all told him that. So, he moved there and my guess is that a part of her wishes that she should have told him to stay."

"I know," Maya said. "I just want to see my best friend happy again. That's why I want her to go to the dance so badly. I just want her to dance and be happy, even if it's with Charlie."

"No luck convincing her," Lucas guessed.

"She would not budge on the subject," Maya said.

After a moment of silence Maya began, "It's not fair. They were so close. Isadora had gotten into that International Student Program where she would travel all of Europe for the rest of high school. Charlie and Riley had finally decided to call it quits. It was finally going to work out between the two of them. No more obstacles standing in their way. They were just so close."

Lucas pulled Maya into an embrace, "I know, it's not fair."