"Why do we have to sneak out of the house if we're not doing anything wrong until we sneak onto the subway?" my best friend, Riley Matthews, asked my other best friend, Maya Hart.

"You think you're ready to just walk by your parents?" Maya challenged.

"I think I'm ready," Riley replied. Maya and I shared a look because we both knew that wasn't true.

"Let me see your face as you walk by your parents." I requested. Riley gave us this scared and obvious expression.

"Why are you making that face, Riley?" I asked, pretending to be her parents.

"Because I'm sneaking onto the subway," Riley confessed.

"Out the window," Riley said, pointing out the window.

"Let's go," Maya said as she crawled out the window. Riley followed, but as I started to go out the window, they crawled back inside… with Riley's dad following them.

"Daddy, what are you doing here?" Riley complained.

"Being smarter than us." I stated as I rolled my eyes.

"How come you're always smarter than me?" Maya questioned.

We sat on Riley's bed listening to Mr. Matthews as he explained the situation to us. "Here's what I'm thinking: it's not your world yet. It's still my world because if it was your world, Maya and Ashlyn would have you on the subway already, thinking that you pulled something over me, but you didn't. You wanna know why? Look at you. You're right here."

"How long do I have to live in my father's world?" Riley asked. I felt bad for her, but at least her parents care.

"Until you make it yours," he said, putting one hand on Riley's shoulder. "Riley, do you know what I want more than anything? Go ahead, make it yours," he told us.

"I will and when I do, will you still be there for me?" Riley asked.

"Right here," a voice said. We turned to see Riley's mom leaning against the door frame with a smile on her face. She walked over and linked arms with Riley's dad.

"We'll be right here," she reassured us. Riley, Maya, and I all shared a look with each other before linking arms with each other and skipping out the door.

~Scene Break~

As soon as the three of us entered the subway, we heard drumming. We turned to the source of the noise and saw an familiar face.

"Weasel!" Maya exclaimed as we all made our way to him.

"Maya, Ashlyn!" Weasel greeted us before noticing Riley, "Who's the new chick?"

"Chick. Down here I'm a chick," Riley said excitedly as she leaned closer to us, "No wonder our parents don't want me on the subway." We started walking to subway train.

"You're slouching, Maya, Ashlyn," a lady told Maya as she and her friend walked past us.

"Thanks Gretchen," Maya and I said. Then Maya stood up straight with her hands on her hips and started strutting away. Riley and I looked at each other before Riley started following her, strutting as well. I just giggled and walked like a normal person.

Maya and I stood while holding on to the pole.

"Woah, Riley. You don't do lipgloss." I claimed surprised.

"Oh, what I forgot to mention is that I'm completely reinventing myself. I ride the subway now, I have kiwi lips now, and I'm just as cool as you now, Maya," Riley said.

"What about me?" I asked.

"Aw, you're not cool, you're adorable," Maya cooed, pinching my cheeks.

I whined playfully, "I'm not adorable." I guess that what Maya said could be considered true, but I never really thought about it.

"Too bad, you're adorable and your shyness does not help your argument," Maya said.

"Wow, look at those guys," I said suddenly as I noticed two really cute guys staring at us. I noticed that one of them was looking at Riley while the other looked at me. He smiled as he made eye contact with me. I gave him a weak smile before quickly turning my head away. I could feel my cheeks heating up.

I heard Riley giggle. As she turned back around to face Maya and I. Maya laughed, "Yeah, you're gonna need some lesson. Okay, let me show you everything you need to know about boys and girls. You should pay attention too, Ashlyn."

Maya walked over to the guy that looked at Riley. "Hi, I'm Maya. You're really cute. We should hang out sometime. You make me happy. You don't pay enough attention to me. This isn't working out. It's you, not me. We can still be friends. Not really."

Maya walked back to us, leaving the boy confused and the other boy looking amused, "He's available, we just broke up."

"Are you okay?" I asked her.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Riley asked.

Then Maya turned and smirked at us, "Do you still want to be like me?"

"Not really," I stated.

Riley, on the other hand, said, "I want to be exactly like you." Riley sighed before she continued, "I think too much and you don't think at all."

"See, you get me so let's not think." Maya complimented before she forced Riley's hand off the pole. Riley landed in Maya's 'ex-boyfriend's' lap. The next I knew, Maya had pushed me and now I was on the other boy's lap.

"Hi," the boy said, smiling down at me.

"H-Hi," I stuttered, "my friends and I were just talking about you. Your friend used to go out with my friend, Maya."

The boy looked towards Maya and then turned to Riley and his friend, giving an expression of realization.

"I'm Lucas," he introduced.

"I'm Ashlyn," I said.

"Not to be rude, but are you usually this quiet?" Lucas asked.

I shook my head, "No. I'm just shy around new people."

"I see," he responded.

Then a lady came up to the four of us, "Perhaps someone would like to give their seat to someone older."

Lucas and the other guy raised their hands and started to gather their stuff, but I quickly stopped them, "N-no! It's okay. I'll go."

Riley begged, "Please don't make me move."

"Why thank you." the lady said, sitting down.
She turned to Riley and said, "I just got off a 12 hour shift and want to get off my feet."

"Uhuh." I nodded as Riley got up, and we walked back to Maya, "I can't believe you just did that to us!"

"You're welcome," Maya said.

"We're probably never going to talk to them again," I said, "So there was probably no use in doing that."

At the same time, Riley cried, "What if that was the best moment of my life?
What if nothing ever happens for me again?"

Maya got a mischievous twinkle in her eye before grabbing onto Riley and I and pushing us back to Lucas and his friend. I let out a scream and instead of landing in Lucas's lap, I landed in the lady's.

"I'm sorry," I mumbled. She smiled at me, amused, before putting me onto Lucas's lap.

"Hello, again," I looked down at my hands embarrassed.

~Scene Break~

After we got to school, we went to get stuff out of our lockers.

"Did you have trouble with the homework?" Riley asked after we closed our lockers.

"Nope," I responded .

"Piece of cake," Maya said.

"You didn't do it, did you?" Riley challenged Maya.

"I don't even know where my books are," Maya confessed.

"They're here, and they're heavy," Riley and I both opened our backpacks and handed Maya her textbooks. The bell rang for first period and we walked into class. "You have to do the homework, Maya," Riley urged, "This teacher's insane, a total nut job. I think there's something seriously wrong with him."

"Hi, honey," Mr. Matthews said, standing in front of us.

"Hi Daddy," Riley greeted with an innocent smile.

"You're late to your father's class."

"Oh, don't worry, Mr. Matthews. You wrote her a note," Maya said, revealing a folded note from her back pocket.

"I did?" he asked.

"You did," Maya said, giving me the note.

"You did," I said, giving it to him.

Mr. Matthews unfolded the note and read it out loud, "Riley is late. Deal with it." He looked at Maya, "Wow Maya, you got my signature down pretty good this time."

"Oh, it was easy. You write like a girl," Maya said and took her seat. Riley and I followed her. I sit in between Maya and Riley.

"Okay, let me get back to jamming some learning into your heads," Dad started as he began the lecture. "The Civil War."

"The Civil Bore." Maya mocked.

"Thank you, future mini-mart employee of the month," Mr. Matthews taunted.

"Would I still be making more money than you?" Maya retorted. He just glared at her before he continued on with the lesson.

"The Civil War... anybody?" He asked.

"A war we fought against ourselves," Riley answered.

"What, you actually studied this?" Dad asked.

"No, I'm actually living in it," Riley said, placing her head on her desk.

"People, people, are we here to learn or not?" Farkle, one of our closest friends since we were little, said.

"What do you mean, Farkle?" I turned to him. What's it going to be, this time?

"I've been in love with Riley since first grade… but I'm also equally in love with Maya and Ashlyn. Some might say that the great mystery of the universe is who's going to be the first Mrs. Farkle." Farkle said.

Maya turned to Farkle. "You don't want this," Maya glared warningly.

"Bring it on," he challenged.

"I always thought he'd end up with back-of-the-class-Brenda," I commented. We all looked at the weirder, female version of Farkle.

"Ew, yuck," Farkle exclaimed.

"Actually, the great mystery of the universe is how you could love three women the same, who could not possibly be more different," Dad informed Farkle.

"We're not so different," Riley interrupted.

"May I overstep my bounds, sir?" Farkle asked as he raised his hand.

"You always do," Dad said, giving the floor to Farkle.

Farkle made his way to the front of the class and flipped the nameplate on Mr. Matthews' desk to his name. I had a feeling this was going to be interesting.

He made his way to Riley's desk and slammed his hands on her desk. "Riley is the sun. Warm, bright, and lights up my whole day," he stated. He then went to Maya and slammed his hands on her desk claiming, "Maya is the night, dark and mysterious, and the night has always been a mystery to me because I go to bed at 7:30.". Then he walked over to my desk gesturing at me, "and Ashlyn is the sunrise. At first she's very shy and mysterious, but as time passes and you get to know her better, you'll see how kind and inviting she is. She brightens up your day. How could I love these three different women? How can I not? Thank you, I am Farkle." He threw his arms up and returned to his desk as he finished his speech on why he can loves all three of us. Mr. Matthews went back to his desk to flipped the nameplate back to his name as continued with his lesson.

"So we were indeed trying to find who we were as people. Who am I? Who should I be? History shows us that bad things happen when you don't know who you are." He explained as the door behind him opened and revealed two familiar looking faces. "Who are you two? I don't know who either of you are." The boy walked over to Dad.

"It's subway boys," Riley whispered to Maya and I. I nodded. I tried not to show it, but i was thrilled to see him again.

"I'm Lucas Friar from Austin, Texas," Lucas told Mr. Matthews.

"I'm Chase Friar, his cousin, also from Austin, Texas," Chase said introducing himself.

"Oh, new students, Mr. Friars?" Dad asked.

"Yes, sir," they replied.

"Great, you're just in time for today's assignment. Have a seat," He instructed.

I smiled as Lucas sat in the empty seat behind me, and Chase took a seat behind Riley.

We made eye contact and stared at each other for a moment before returning our attention to the front of the room.

"Okay, so we-" Mr. Matthews was about to continue, but I guess he noticed Chase and Riley gazing at each other because he turned her head until she was facing the front of the class. "So I'd like you guys to turn to page 48." he instructed. We turned to the page. "Now I'd like you to turn to page 1." We flipped back to the first page. I had a bad feeling about this... "Now, I'd like to read from page 1 to page 48." We all groaned, except for Farkle. "Oh, too bad on you." Dad mocked. I guess I was right. "Okay, I'd like you to write an essay on anything, anything at all that you guys believe in so strongly that you'd fight for it," Dad assigned.

"That!" Maya shouted. This won't end . "I'd fight for no homework. I come here every day. Why can't you teach me everything I need to know while I'm here?" Maya challenged loudly.

"Whoo!" Riley cheered, pumping her fist in the air, before seeing her dad, "Not whoo."

"He gets our days, so let's take back our nights!" Maya shouted as she stood up. "No homework, more freedom. Who's with me?!" she rallied.

The class joined in by chanting, "No homework, more freedom," over and over again.

"This is it kid, if you want to be like me, stand up," Maya told Riley before she walked out of the class. I knew that she didn't bother getting me to follow because I'm not the rebellious kind. After conversing with her dad, Riley followed Maya by marching out of the classroom. Farkle, Chase, Lucas, and I were the only ones not following them. Farkle fainted trying to decide if he should stay or follow.

~Scene Break~

I entered my house and shouted, "I'm home." I walked into my room and sat down in front of my laptop. I started typing...

"Something I Would Fight For

By Ashlyn Carter

The thing I would fight for is individuality. I want us to all be happy with who we are without anyone trying to change us. We're all different, but that is what makes us special and amazing. We should never feel like we aren't good enough for the people around us because I believe that we all have a purpose. Individuality is what allows us to grow…"

I printed out my essay and stared at it in my hands. I wish that Riley could see how special she is.

~Scene Break~

"Aw, look at him, looking for a place to fit in," Maya said as I sat down.

"You think they'll sit with us?" Riley asked.

"Who?" I asked.

"Lucas and Chase," they answered in unison. Maya and Riley scooted down a seat, leaving a seat between me and Riley for Lucas and a seat to Riley's left for Chase to sit down, but first, Farkle joined us.

"Ladies," Farkle greeted.

"Farkle," we replied together.

"Interesting lunch-line dilemma: Sloppy Joe's, Chicken Pot-Pie, or Chicken Alfredo? Sloppy Joes? Chicken Pot-Pie? Or Chicken Alfredo?"

"Is that all you got?" Maya asked.

Farkle nodded. "Yep, same time tomorrow," he said as he left us.

"There he is," Maya said, pointing to Lucas and Chase, who were still looking for somewhere to sit. "Invite them to sit down," Maya told us.

"What do we say?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Hey Lucas/Chase, looking for someone special?" She suggested.

Riley shook her head, "We can't say that!"

"Hey Lucas/Chase, looking for somebody?" Maya said.

"Too straight forward," I argued.

"Hey Lucas/Chase," I suggested again

"Like we're on a first name basis?," Riley said.

"Hey," Maya simply said.

"Hey," Riley and I repeated back.

"Hey back." I turned around to see Lucas sitting down next to me and Chase sitting next to Riley.

"Hi... you're sitting here," I said.

"Is that okay? Am i making you uncomfortable?" Lucas questioned worriedly.

"Can you excuse me for just one sec?" I asked shyly. Lucas nodded, and I quickly turned around to Maya the same time Riley did. What do we do? Riley and I mouthed to her. Talk to him, Maya mouthed back.

"How ya doing?" Mr. Matthews asked.

"Dad, you have a choice here," Riley said, "You can either understand that this is just a boy talking to me in the cafeteria..."

"I'm gonna do whatever you say next," Dad interrupted.

"But this is so innocent," Riley gesturing to her and Chase.

"Honey, fathers don't see anything as innocent. We see it as…what's the opposite of innocent?" He thought out loud.

Maya raised her hand, "Right here."

"Please don't embarrass me," Riley pleaded lightly.

Mr. Matthews casually replied, "I'm just going to ask Mr. Friar a geography question." He turned his attention to Chase, "You know I've been to a lot of places. Never been to Texas though. What part of Texas is closest to Mexico?"

"That will be El Paso, sir," Lucas answered for Chase.

"Great, let's go right now!" Dad declared, grabbing the back of Chase's chair and pulling him away (to El Paso). Lucas and I shared a smile before he followed his cousin.

We stood up to put our lunch trays away as Riley asked Maya, "So did you do your homework?"

"No, I didn't do the homework," Maya responded, "The question is on everybody's kiwi lips is did you do your homework?"

"No. I'm one of the founding members of the homework rebellion. You think I did the homework?" Riley tried to defend herself.

"I think you did, and I think you did Maya's too," I told her.

"I did, I did, and I really liked it," She admitted proudly while nodding her head excitedly.

"Riley, don't save me," Maya told her.

Riley gave her a confused look, "What?"

"Let me be me," Maya ordered her.

I noticed Farkle had a tray with three desserts. "Oh, you got three deserts?" I asked him,

"Angel's Food Cake."

"Devil's Food Cake."

"And Red Velvet Cake?" I said, confused. Was that supposed to represent me?

"Let me guess who's who." Maya said.

"Hey, Farkle's just hungry. Not everything's about you," Farkle defended himself before walking away.

~Scene Break~

When I got to history, I noticed that Chase was already in there.

"I'm glad you're back," Riley whispered to Chase.

"Hi, me too," Chase replied back, smiling at her.

"I see your cousin found his way back," I noted to Lucas.

"Yeah, he didn't take us very far," he responded.

"Hi, apparently you have a better sense of direction than I anticipated," Mr. Matthews whispered from in between Riley and Chase. He stared at Chase. "You're a good looking guy," He said before walking back to the front of the classroom, leaving a confused Chase.

"Okay, so today we're going to find out if anybody here believes in something so strongly they'd fight for it," Dad said as he walked over to Maya's desk, "Maya."

"Yes sir?"

"Present your homework," Dad instructed her.

"Can't do that, sir."

"Why not?"

"That's what I'm fighting for, sir."

"Oh, this is going to go on for a while," Farkle said mostly to himself. He propped his feet on top of his desk and put on a sleeping mask before taking a nap. "Farkle, Farkle, Farkle, Farkle, Farkle." Farkle snored. I giggled. Even for Farkle that's strange.

"Riley. Homework. Present it. Now." Dad ordered Riley.

"I didn't do my homework either," Riley said.

"Oh, really?" Dad questioned her.

"Yeah. Maya and I are the same now. I don't believe in homework," Riley told him.

"Guess what, Riley. That doesn't make you the same as Maya at all," Mr. Matthews told her.

"I have something to say." We all looked to see Maya raising her hand.

"Wow, I don't know what to do. I've never seen this before. The floor is yours, Ms. Hart," Mr. Matthews said as he stepped aside to let Maya to take over.

Maya walked to Farkle's desk and woke Farkle up, "Get up, Farkle. You're gonna wanna be awake for this."

"Is it our honeymoon?" Farkle instantly asked when he woke up. What is going on in that head of his...

"No, you missed that. It's time to hand in our essays," Maya said.

"Oh! Farkle goes first, Farkle always goes first!" Farkle shouted as he ran to get his project.

"All right, everybody who did their homework. Put it on your desks," Maya instructed. I did as I was told.

"Careful there, Ms. Hart," Dad warned her.

"Are you sure about this?" I questioned worried about her taking this too far.

"I got this," Maya reassured me, but I wasn't reassured at all. I know Maya.

The door opened and Farkle came into the room with a huge diorama in his hands.

"The burning of Atlanta led to the end of the civil war and peace. I believe that peace is worth fighting for," Farkle explained.

With everyone's essays she in her hand, she took one of the sparklers from Farkle's project.

"Hey! That's a vital part of my diorama!" Farkle protested. Maya ignored him and plucked another sparkler. "And there goes Virginia," Farkle muttered.

Maya stood up on her chair and held the sparklers and essays separately up in the air. "The burning of the homework led to the end of the homework rebellion because there was no more homework," She declared as she went to set the essays on fire with the sparklers.

"Maya! Don't do it!" I shouted in an attempt to make her stop, but I knew it was too late.

"Alright, alright, that's far enough, Maya. I get it!" Mr. Matthews yelled at Maya and grabbed the essays from her hand.

Maya continued by raising the sparklers to the ceiling and began chanting, "No homework, more free..." Maya was cut off by the the fire alarm going off, turning on the water sprinklers. The class started screaming as the ice cold water rained down on us. Everyone ran out of the classroom, leaving only me, Maya, Riley, Lucas, Farkle, Chase and Mr. Matthews in the classroom.

"Is this part of the presentation?" Farkle asked in his panicked state. I felt the water stop and saw that Lucas was holding his jacket over both of us. I moved closer to Lucas so I would be completely covered.

"Thanks. This means a lot to me," I smiled at Lucas. I then realized that Riley was in a similar situation with Chase.

"Why didn't you stop your friend?" Chase asked Riley.

"That's not what I do anymore," Riley replied.

"You're better than that!" Chase said, "I mean Ashlyn tried to stop her."

"Ashlyn's that kind of person. I'm just letting Maya be her," Riley told him.

I saw Farkle climbing on to Mr. Matthews. "Ms. Hart you have detention. The principal will determine if it goes farther than that," Dad told Maya angrily. He turned to me, Riley, Chase, and Lucas. "Ms. Carter, please leave. Mr. Friars, please leave as well," Dad ordered us.

"I deserve detention, too!" Riley protested.

"No, you don't. You didn't do anything, and because you didn't do anything, your best friend is in very deep trouble!" Dad scolded her. Riley huffed before storming out of the room. I followed after her.

~Scene Break~

I closed my locker as Mr. Matthews ran up to us with an angry look on his face with Farkle still on his back.

"Down, Farkle," Dad ordered. Farkle got off.

"You're looking at us pretty hard there, Matthews," Maya said playfully.

"Riley and I just want to stand by our girl," I said smiling.

"Riley, you missed the moment to stand by your girl by not doing the best thing you could do for her: be yourself," Mr. Matthews said, disappointment was clear in his voice. Riley looked down ashamed. "Ashlyn, Riley, take Farkle for a walk," Mr. Matthews ordered. Riley and I led Farkle down the hallway. Before we were out of sight, I gave Maya a smile of encouragement.

~Scene Break~

"Riles?" Maya asked

"Yeah?" she replied.

"If we can't hang out with each other as much anymore, don't worry about it," Maya said.

"Wait. Why wouldn't you-" I started to ask.

"He's going to make you end our friendship," Maya cut me off.

"He said that?" Riley asked.

"He wouldn't say that," I gasped, "He wouldn't."

"He's really upset with me," Maya said.

"He loves you!" Riley and I said in unison.

"I don't think so anymore," Maya sulked, "I just want you to know that I get it wouldn't be any of your faults."

"Beautiful!" We turned to see the lady that I accidentally landed on yesterday talking to us. "You three little bumblebees got a sweet thing going on! But where's your hunk?" She asked, looking around. I assume she was referring to Lucas and Chase. "If you ain't got no hunk, you ain't got no story!" She said.

We turned our attention back to each other. "I haven't been that good a friend," Maya said.

"You are our best friend!" I protested.

"You're best friends! Best friends are important. I got a best friend. We aren't talking now," the lady said, interrupting our conversation again.

"I go too far. I don't think that's gonna stop. I'm bad for you," Maya said.

"Did he say that?" Riley asked.

"He will."

The subway stopped. "This is your stop," Maya said to Riley. "Don't be me. You don't go as far as me," she said, taking her hands off the pole.

"No, no, no!" Riley shouted, trying to get back to us.

"No! Do not push them off the train! You do not push your best friends off the train!" The lady said.

Riley stuck her hands through the gap and forced the doors open.

"Oh, they're back!" I heard the lady cry out, "That little girl opened those doors with the power of love!"

Riley walked over to Maya and I. "You are not allowed to push away our friendship! We would never do that!" Riley yelled at us. "Ashlyn, how could you just let her push me away."

"Riley, I'm pushing you away because I'm not good for you anymore," Maya told her.

"I thought that maybe this is what's best for all of us… but maybe I was wrong" I said as I stared at my feet sadly before smiling at Riley..

"Only I decide that. Do you know why?!" Riley questioned Maya.

"Because, if it is my world now, the first people I'd want in it is you two," she informed us.

"You are gonna save me, aren't you?" Maya asked.

"We are," Riley and I confirmed in unison, grabbing Maya's hand and pulling her off the train to Riley's house.

~Scene Break~

"Where is he?" Riley shouted when we entered her house. Auggie and Mom pointed at Mr. Matthews, who was sitting at the dinner marched up to him.

"There is no way I'm going to let you break up my friendship with Maya and Ashlyn!" Riley shouted.

"Is that what you think I want, Riley?" Dad asked us.

"No, what you said you really want from me is to make the world my own," she remembered.

"And to do my homework," Riley added. "Well, I'm doing it right now," Riley started. "Here's what I think is worth fighting for," she said, slinging her arms around my and Maya's shoulders. "Maya and Ashlyn are my best friends. Maya's going to get us into trouble and we're going to get her out of it. And we did, because here we are. Look at us, dad. We're right here. Our civil war is over, dad, I won," Riley stated. We smiled at each other.

After a moment, I finally asked, "What happens now?"

I stood with Riley and her family, Maya, Lucas, Chase, and Farkle at the subway station.

~Scene Break~

Mr. Matthews announced, "Friends, family, and all you other subterranean mole people, we're here to celebrate Riley being Riley." I smiled proud of Riley for being who she is. "Now some may call these New York City subway passes, but you Riley, you can consider this as your ticket to the world," Mr. Matthews said as he gave her the card.

"You think she's ready?" I asked him.

"Riley showed us that she is. I've already met the world. It's your turns now," Dad told us.

Riley, Maya, and I walked away from the group and onto the subway.

"So where do you want to go?" Maya asked us.

"Don't know," I started.

"Big world," Riley finished.

"Ours now?" Maya asked.

"Yeah, but dad did say I have to be home by 5:00," Riley informed us.

"Don't worry. He wrote you a note," Maya said as she held up a note with Mr. Matthews' signature. We all laughed as the subway door closed. This was the start of the beginning of our adventure in the big world.