Summary: The four times Smackle gives a member of the clique a quick hug for defending her, and the one time she gives a long one. [Smackle-centric]
Pairings: Smarkle, Rucas (slight)
Genre: Friendship
Note: Hi everyone! I've actually posted this on Tumblr and well, I just wanted to share it with y'all here too. There are mentions of autism in this fic. If it has been used inappropriately, please please please let me know. Again, my apologies if the characters seem OOC. Still trying to get a feel when I write them.
1. Maya
Maya groans as she leans against the couch in Topanga's and closes her eyes, thankful for the short moment of peace before her other friends, sans Smackle who has already been there for the past hour, arrive for their daily study session.
She can feel Smackle looking at her, and she opens an eye to look at her friend. Smackle is frowning, her eyebrows creased as she watches Maya.
"What is it, Smackle?" Maya asks tiredly.
"You are overworking yourself," Smackle frowns and Maya waves her off. "Maya – "
"Smackle, I love you for your concern but could you maybe lecture me after I've taken my nap? Riley and Farkle already beat you to it in school, and I'm sure Lucas and Zay can join you when they get here," Maya opens her eyes to look at her pleadingly and Smackle shrugs.
"Okay, the facts will remain the same even after you have snoozed," the genius states and Maya snorts.
"Thanks, Iz," she blows the brunette an air kiss and goes back to closing her eyes. She is asleep in minutes.
When she comes to only a few minutes later, waking with an uneasy burn in her chest, she finds that they have company.
Sitting beside Smackle is a girl Maya recognizes from their school. Maya wrecks her brain trying to remember which class they have together, and remembers that the girl is from Smackle and Farkle's Advanced Calculus class.
The blonde startles when she notices Smackle's tensed shoulders, and realizes that it must be due to the invasion of personal space that the girl just committed. She is proven right when Smackle moves to sit on the floor, propping her hands on the coffee table. Maya frowns when the girl just follows Smackle to the ground, not getting the hint.
Marie is the name of the girl, Maya finally remembers. Marie is someone that Smackle does not like, and Maya is sure that Smackle has complained about her before.
"I see you're doing our assignment today. Do you mind if I join you?" Maya hears Marie ask, and is about to intervene when she sees Smackle opening her mouth to defend herself.
The blonde restrains herself, knowing that Smackle can handle herself.
"Marie, I actually do – "
"What did you get for number 2?" Marie cuts her off as she takes out her book and spreads out her papers.
Maya watches in disbelief as Smackle grits her teeth. She can see the frustration on the genius's face at the unwanted and unexpected guest.
She knows that Smackle has trouble interacting with people outside of their group. When she, Riley and Lucas had read up on autism a few years ago, they became aware of how undesired social situations could be stressful to an autistic person. It is one of the reasons one of the members of their clique always makes the effort to be with Smackle.
Maya opens her mouth to tell Marie to go away but Smackle beats her to it.
"I would like not to discuss anything with you," Smackle tells her classmate curtly and Marie's eyes widen at her bluntness. Maya leans back onto the couch, proud.
"I don't like you, Marie. You only come to me when no one from our class is around. The only reason you're talking to me is because you want the correct answers our assignment," Smackle says, and Maya represses the cheer she wants to let out for her friend.
Man, she really wishes her phone had battery right now because she would totally want to take a picture of Marie's stunned face.
"Damn, inside voice, Smackle," Maya pipes out, grinning, and Smackle shrugs.
Maya watches as Marie's eyes then narrow. The other girl scoffs as she gathers her things, her once pretty face turning ugly as she shoots Smackle a dirty look.
Smackle steps back when Marie slings her bag over her shoulder. Marie steps forward, her face inches from Smackle's and Smackle flinches. Maya stands up slowly, the amusement gone from her face at the threat Marie poses to one of her best friends.
"Freak," Marie spits.
Smackle's breath hitches at the familiar slur, but she gulps it down and holds her head high. If high school and her friends have taught her anything, it is that she has nothing to be ashamed about.
Marie gives her a final glare, turns and is stopped by a red-faced five-foot blonde.
Maya can feel her heart thudding, anger coursing through her veins as her blood boils. She glares at the rude girl in front of her.
Maya is easily a head shorter than Marie, but the taller girl still cowers as Maya shoots her a pointed stare.
"I'm sorry," Maya hisses dangerously as she steps forward. "I must have heard you wrongly because there is no way that you called my friend what I think you called her, right?"
She sees Smackle smirk as Marie steps back.
"Because if that was true, then you and I are going to be having a problem, Marie," Maya's voice is falsely sweet. "And well, you know you don't want to have a problem with me."
"Maya's a fighter. She is small but she is freakishly strong. Marie, you don't stand a chance," Smackle quips and not for the first time, Maya is thankful that Smackle does not filter her thoughts at the most opportune time.
"Thanks, Is," Maya beams at her, the smile she sends Smackle's way so much more genuine than the dangerous one she gives Marie.
"So here's what you're going to do, Marie. You're going to apologize to my best friend for being rude and you're going to learn from this," Maya's tone is feral as she regards Marie and the bully steps back. "Because the next time you ask someone for help, you are not going to be an entitled spoiled brat about it. You will ask politely, and if they say no, you will accept it and walk away."
Marie gulps and nods. Satisfied, Maya smiles sweetly, "Now, I think you owe Smackle an apology."
"I'm sorry, Smackle," Marie says timidly and Smackle nods at her. Marie looks to the ground as she walks out of Topanga's and Smackle holds out her arms.
"I would like to hug you for being a good friend," Smackle states and Maya laughs as she hugs her friend, letting go the moment she feels Smackle tense just a little.
Smackle gives her a soft smile, and sits back down. She does not give Maya the lecture she promised earlier, but she does look happy and peaceful throughout the rest of the day and Maya feels good too, knowing that she is the reason her friend feels safe.
2. Zay
Zay plants himself across from the genius, a delighted smile on his face as he puts his tray onto the table. Across from him, Smackle looks up from the work she is doing, gives him a nod of acknowledgment and goes back to completing her work.
"You know, lunch time is for lunch," Zay teases and Smackle waves him off. The baseball player rolls his eyes, and pushes the extra juice box he always takes on Wednesday to Smackle's right.
He is ignored as she continues with her calculations, and Zay knows he is not going to get through to her anytime soon when she is in her zone. This is their routine every Wednesday since it is the day that they have different lunch periods from Lucas, Riley and Maya. Farkle has the same classes as Smackle does, but he is sick and resting at home.
Usually, it is Farkle (and only Farkle) who can get her out of her zone. By now, Zay knows that it is impossible to get Smackle out of doing whatever genius thing she is doing because nothing else matters to her except completing her task.
So he continues eating, scrolling through his phone as he does so, and giving her the silence he knows she needs.
He is about to put his tray away when the loud bang echoes through the cafeteria. Cheerleaders somersault into their school cafeteria as basketball players roar and hype out the crowd around them. Zay grins as he cheers along with the rest of the student population, stopping only when he catches sight of the state his friend is in.
Smackle is covering her ears with her hands, her eyes shut so tightly that Zay can see the wrinkles at the side of her eyes. There are creases on her forehead as she frowns, and she is rocking herself back and forth, mumbling under her breath.
Zay gets up and walks over immediately, careful not to touch her because he is sure touching her would only make things worse.
"Smackle?" he calls gently. She does not seem to hear him as she continues muttering under her breath, words said too softly for him to hear. He moves slightly closer to her and tries again, "Dora? Hey, it's me."
She does not open her eyes, but her rocking slows down.
Zay continues, "Just focus on my voice, okay? It'll be over soon, I promise."
She nods at him, and he breathes out a sigh of relief when she stops swaying. Slowly, she opens her eyes and brings her hands down, looking at him with panic in her eyes.
Zay gathers their things, draping both their bags over his shoulders and motions to the door. He does not offer his hand, unsure if she would feel comfortable at the contact, but instead leads the way out of the cafeteria. He is mindful of the route he chooses to take, making sure that they walk as far away from the chaos as possible.
He is not ignorant of the stares and whispers that follows them as they leave, but chooses to ignore them because he has a more important task at hand. He needs to make Smackle feel better.
He bites back an affectionate smile when he feels her gripping his plaid shirt from the back. It feels nice to know that she trusts him enough.
When they are in the clear, he turns to her, "Better?"
"Thanks," she says softly and Zay waves her off. He hands her bag over to her, and the short brunette smiles thankfully at him.
He frowns when he notices a couple of girls whispering as they leave the cafeteria, and glares at a few others who give Smackle condescending looks. His friend does not seem to notice as she starts to walk away, but Zay does, and he will not let them talk about one of his best friends that way.
"You got something you want to say about my friend?" he snarls at a pair of his schoolmates. Embarrassed at being caught staring, they shake their heads and walk away faster from him and Smackle.
He unclenches the fist he had unknowingly clenched earlier, and turns to find Smackle smiling at him brightly. The tension in his shoulders leaves him when she steps forward and gives him a quick hug. His eyes widen in surprise.
"Thanks," she says again, the grin not leaving her face.
Zay is pretty sure that the smile on his own face is mirroring hers. He takes the juice box from his bag and hands it to her, satisfied when she pokes the straw in and sips from it.
"C'mon, I'll walk you to class while you try to explain to me what you were missing lunch for," he tells her.
He might not understand a majority of the babble she goes on, but he does try to listen and attain the gist of it.
It is a testament to their friendship that she does not scoff at him or wave him off, deeming it a waste of her time to explain something so complex to a person like him. Three years ago, she might have, and he would have retorted about not really being interested anyway. But a lot has changed in three years.
He is her friend now, and she is his.
3. Riley
She hums her favorite tune as she brushes her hair, smiling happily at her reflection in the bathroom mirror. Just three more lessons and she would be able to meet Lucas and they could go on their date. Today is going to be a good day.
Riley stops humming and goes into the bathroom stall, wanting to adjust her skirt. She hears the bathroom door open and decides to mind her own business, humming in her head as she adjusts what she needs to. It is at the end of the song that she hears the conversation outside, and she freezes.
"Have you heard? Amanda Pratt asked Farkle Minkus to the Sadie Hawkins dance but he turned her down."
"Well, of course he did. Isn't he in love with Riley Matthews?"
Riley's eyes widen at that question. What?
"Wait, isn't he with Isadora Smackle? And isn't Riley with Lucas Friar?"
"Well, yeah, but c'mon. How long is that supposed to last? Beside, Farkle and Riley have been best friends since they were seven. Feelings are bound to pop up eventually. And seriously, Isadora Smackle?"
For the first time in a long while, Riley feels anger course through her veins. She clenches her fist, letting the two gossipers continue saying stupid things she will set straight.
"I totally hear you. I mean, Farkle really got hot since middle school," Riley hears the speaker sigh dreamily and she rolls her eyes. "He could do so much better than a no-filter, ugly, socially awkward nerd."
"Urgh, you took the words out of my mouth, Elle. And she hangs out with Hart, Friar, Babineaux and Matthews too! I really don't see what is so special about her."
That is it.
She slams the door open, glaring at the two girls who turn around to stare at her, eyes wide. Riley forces herself to channel her inner Topanga, imagining the way her mother would have handled haters at her age.
One of them is a girl she recognizes from her Chemistry class, but Riley does not recognize the other. She does not care who they are though. They have just said awful things about one of her best friends in the world, and she is not going to let them walk out of the bathroom with the wrong facts.
"So, apparently I am in love with Farkle?" she questions them, eyebrows raised as she taps her hands on her hips. The two girls gape at her as she comes in between them, calmly washing her hands.
"Oh, c'mon, Riley. There has to be something going on between the two of you. You and Farkle make sense," the girl she recognizes, Marie, says. "Everybody sees it but you."
Riley turns off the tap and regards the girl steadily, not breaking eye contact.
"Well, it doesn't matter what everybody else thinks, does it? What matters is what me, Isadora, Lucas and Farkle think so let me set the record straight, Marie, and then you can set the record straight for everyone else," she grits through her teeth. "Farkle Minkus is in love with Isadora Smackle. She makes him happy. He trusts her and she trusts him. He loves her the way Lucas and I love each other. And for someone who is a 'no filter, ugly, socially awkward nerd', she seems to understand that love has nothing to do with looks or self-image. She understands that it has everything to do with the heart, and she is beautiful inside and out for that."
Marie and her friend look down, pink tinges in their cheeks.
"Isadora Smackle is one of my best friends and I am lucky to have her in my life. So if you're going to talk about her, you better be telling the world about what an amazing person she is," she hisses.
She should feel bad for making them feel embarrassed, but she does not. They had said nasty things about her friend, and they deserve every bit of shame that they feel.
Marie's friend apologizes, takes Marie by the arm and drags her out of the bathroom. Riley lets out a deep breath, frowning when she realizes that her good day has stopped. Her hands are still shaking from the anger she feels, and she splashes the water onto her face into an effort to calm down.
Her breath hitches when the door of a bathroom stall opens, and out steps the one person she does not want to have heard the conversation.
Smackle shoots her a sad smile as she washes her hands, not saying anything. Silence reigns between them. Riley really does not know what to say but she knows she has to say something.
"Smackle – "
Riley is cut off when Smackle wraps her arms around her waist tightly. Almost automatically, Riley hugs her back. She is glad her response is immediate because Smackle pulls away quickly, giving her a bright smile.
"You're a good friend, Bubbles," Smackle grins and her happiness is so infectious that Riley finds herself grinning too.
As Smackle leads them out of the bathroom, Riley is sure that this is one of the moments in her life that she will never forget.
Ah, so it is going to be a good day after all.
4. Lucas
He laughs fondly at the robot dance Smackle and Farkle are dancing in front of him, almost losing it when he sees Zay and Maya shaking their heads disapprovingly at their friends from the side. Beside him, Riley giggles as she leans her head on his chest. He wraps his arms around her, feeling so content with life right then.
"Today is perfect," Riley says and he nods, pressing a kiss to her hair. She looks up and smiles at him softly before her eyes widen and she pulls away from him. She looks around frantically, and he calmly takes her by the shoulders, silently questioning her.
"I think I left my clutch in your car," she confesses and he laughs. He is used to her dramatics by now, and is happy that he knows her too well to have been alarmed by her antics.
"I'll get it for you," he tells her. When she opens her mouth to say that she will go with him, he cuts her off, "You promised Maya the next dance, Riles. I am not getting in the way of that."
"Damn right you're not, Ranger Rick," Maya cuts in and Lucas rolls his eyes. The blonde drags his girlfriend and Zay to the dance floor, and Lucas laughs when they ignore Zay's protest.
He makes to leave when Smackle tells Farkle that she needs to use the bathroom.
Lucas grins as he holds out his arm to her, and the genius raises her eyebrow. Beside Smackle, Farkle mock glares at him.
"C'mon. I'll walk you to the bathroom on the way," he offers.
"You really have to stop – "
"Flirting with you. Yeah, yeah," he rolls his eyes and she smiles at him cheekily. She turns to Farkle, gives her boyfriend a quick hug, and then loops her arms through his.
"Shall we, Madam?" he asks and Smackle giggles at his silliness.
"He's right behind us!" Smackle blows an air kiss to Farkle. Lucas laughs as they walk out of the school gym, and drops her outside the girls' bathroom.
"Wait for me to get back, okay?" he asks her, not liking how dark the hallways looked.
The genius raises her eyebrow at him, giving him a critical look that he is most familiar with.
"Statistically speaking – "
"Please," he cuts her off, knowing that if she starts with her statistics and facts about safety in schools, he will not be in time for his last dance with Riley.
Smackle just scoffs and nods reluctantly. Lucas grins, salutes her and walks as fast as he can to his car.
He almost reaches the girl's bathroom on his way back, walking as fast as he can when he hears them. The taunting laughs of the football players, along with a whimper that sounds so achingly familiar. His eyes widen and he runs towards the group, seeing red when he sees the scene he comes to.
Smackle's back is pressed against the wall, though there is not a hint of fear in her eyes. Instead, she is looking at the football players with disdain, as though their presence is a burden to her.
One of the football players is holding her glasses into the air, and Lucas snarls, "What the hell is going on here?"
The players around Smackle turn at the sound of his voice, and he feels a sense of satisfaction when he sees a few of the boys gulp at the sight of him. Smackle, though, does not regard him and instead speaks to Dawson, the leader of the small group that is bullying her.
"Do you seriously have to be such stereotypical jocks? If you would just use your brains for something other than – "
SNAP!
Dawson grins as he breaks the glasses in his hands and Smackle stops talking, mouth agape. The other players laugh at her reaction.
That is when Lucas loses it.
He strides towards Dawson, grabs the football player by the lapels of his jacket, and slams him against the wall. He then grabs Dawson by the neck, eyes flashing dangerously. Dawson's lackeys hush up, and not for the first time, he thinks of what cowards they are. They do not even try to help Dawson because they know how strong Lucas is.
"Are you crazy?" Lucas growls. Dawson's eyes are wide with fear, and Lucas grips his neck tighter. "That belonged to my friend, you asshole."
He glares at Dawson, ready to strike the piece of trash for the way he had treated Smackle when he feels her soft hand on his arms.
Smackle is looking at him appreciatively, but she is shaking her head at him. Lucas lets out the breath he is holding. He knows that she is right, and that he should let go of Dawson. If he gets into a fight, he can kiss his scholarship to NYU goodbye.
He turns back to Dawson and snarls, "You will get her a new pair."
Dawson nods, and Lucas lets go. The group of three gives them one final look before they walk away as fast as they can, and Lucas turns to his friend.
"How long?" he asks, and Smackle shrugs. He makes to grab her shoulders but she steps back, giving him a warning look. Lucas raises his hand, not wanting to seem more threatening than he already looks. "Smackle, how long have they been disturbing you?"
"This is the first time that they have cornered me alone," she tells him and guilt creeps into his chest, making him feel as though he is going to throw up. He knows what guys like Dawson are capable of. He should have been faster. He should have been with her earlier. He should have just waited and –
His eyes widen in surprise when she steps forward and hugs him, but he does not even have time to hug her back before she pulls away. She gives him a fond look and says, "Thanks for being a good friend, Lucas."
Surprised, he chuckles and holds out his arm again. She winds her arm through his, and together, they walk back to their friends.
5. Farkle
"My parents are transferring me back to Einstein Academy, Farkle."
He continues writing into his notebook, the numbers on the book getting blurry as tears cloud his eyes. He blinks them away but to no avail.
"Their reason is that I'm not performing to my fullest potential here."
He wipes them away, choking back a sob. His chest hurts so much, and he feels as though he cannot breathe.
"Do you want to leave?"
"Of course not, Beloved. But I do not have a say in this and throwing a tantrum is just going to prove them right."
"Oh, Farkle," he hears Riley gasp and just as expected, feels her arms around his neck. He leans into his best friend, and looks up, not at all surprised to also see Lucas in his room.
"I don't know what to do," he admits and Lucas scoffs. At the unexpected gesture, the two friends look at the baseball player in surprise.
"You know exactly what to do," Lucas tells him, eyebrows raised as though he knows something Farkle should. "What did you do the last time, Farkle?"
"What?"
"How did you convince Smackle's parents the last time?" Lucas repeats somewhat impatiently.
He sees Riley grin beside him as she regards Lucas. The brunette lets go of Farkle and stands beside her boyfriend, donning on the same stance.
"What did you do the last time?" she asks the same question Lucas did, and Farkle feels a hint of annoyance creep into him.
What the hell were they on about?
He is about to retort when he remembers exactly what he did. He shoots Lucas and Riley a thankful smile as he stands up and strides to the door. He knows exactly what to do.
–
Isadora's mother open the door, greets him politely and lets him in. Farkle takes in the guarded look she has in the same eyes that Isadora has. It is not too long ago that Isadora's eyes reflected that same glint.
"Isadora told me that the reason you're transferring her back to Einstein Academy is because you think she is not fulfilling her potential at John Addams," he carefully threads and Isadora's mother nods. "Well, you're wrong."
"Excuse me?"
"You're wrong," he repeats confidently.
Isadora's mother looks taken aback as she regards him. She crosses her arms around her chest and points to the couch. Farkle sits down beside her, hands tapping his knees before he resumes.
"Isadora is the most intelligent person I know," he says. "And it's just not because of her academic achievements, Mrs Smackle. It's because she learnt to be a good friend despite how others have treated her. It's because she shows me everyday hot it feels to be the number one person in someone's life because she chooses to be with me. It's because she has the greatest capacity to love I have ever seen, and I am lucky to have had her in my life."
He does not see the tears on Mrs Smackle's face as he gets up to pace.
"Taking her away from us, from the people who love her no matter what, is a big mistake, Mrs Smackle. They won't value her heart they way we do. Please, don't take her away from us. Don't take her away from me," he pleads softly.
He is about to turn around when a smaller body collides into his. His eyes widen at the way Smackle clings on to him, her arms wound tightly around his waist as she buries her head into his chest. He brings his own arms around her, closing his eyes as he hugs her back just as tightly.
"I love you," she mumbles into his chest. Farkle smiles and kisses her hair.
"I love you too," he tells her and she pulls away. She grins at him, and his heart does somersaults like it always does.
"Well, Isadora, it looks like you haven't told Farkle the news," Mr Smackle chuckles as he puts his arms around his wife's shoulders.
Farkle looks at his girlfriend in confusion, "What news?"
"Smackle and Mr Matthews managed to work out a schedule so that she doesn't have to be transferred to Einstein Academy," Mrs Smackle tells him. "She will have more on the plate with her extra academic commitments but she is willing to put in the extra effort if it means that she stays in John Addams with you."
He looks at her with love shinning in his eyes and she squints her eyes at him affectionately like she always does. Her arm is still around his waist, and his is on hers. He does not think that he will let her go anytime soon.
"Well, if there is anyone who can do it, it is her."
A/N: Let me know what you think :)