Shout-outs: lalaland, momeeto2, cowgirlangel95, Angel1D98

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Author's Note:

And here we are to the regularly scheduled programming or posting. Whatever way you want to say it. From here on out, I will be only posting on Fridays until we get to the week of Christmas and I need to catch up on my posting because I already have too many chapters planned for the three weeks leading up to Christmas. It might even span into the New Year when "the Holiday" actually ends. We'll see. Now onto Chapter 2 and Riley.

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Chapter 2 Riley Matthews

One Week Earlier

"Charlie Gardner, I thought what we had was special. . . why did you cheat on me with Missy Bradford of all people!? You know she was my biggest enemy in high school!" Riley Matthews yelled.

"Riley, Riley that was high school!" Charlie answered. "Can't you put the past behind you?"

"No, I can't Charlie! Not when the past is in my bedroom, wearing my bathrobe!" Riley answered. "She's still ruining my life all these years later. We were supposed to get married on Christmas Eve, Charlie! That's in three weeks!"

"Baby, baby. . . we can still get married!"

"No we can't! You slept with Missy and don't try to tell me that it was more than one time either! I know it isn't true. Zay told me!" Riley ran her fingers through her hair and huffed in frustration. "Why did you do it? Is it because I wouldn't do it with you? Couldn't you just wait twenty-one more days!? Well, couldn't YOU!?"

"No offense Riles but you're kind of uptight and I have needs to, you know!" Charlie told her.

"I have needs too Charlie! I need to wait! You know important my virginity is too me! I was saving it for somebody special like my mom and dad did. I was waiting for marriage and you told me that you respected me for that!"

"Ha! You're so gullible Riley," Charlie said. "Guys only say that kind of stuff when they want to sleep with you. I don't know any guy who actually waited until marriage to sleep with their girlfriend!"

"My father and my Uncle Josh. . ."

"That's not normal Riles!" Charlie told her.

"Oh my gosh!" Riley said. "Well, neither is lying!"

"You are so naïve!" Charlie answered, shaking his head. "And why can't you be quiet? You do know Missy is in the other room!"

Riley lowered her voice to a loud whisper. "How long has it been going on!?"

Charlie sighed. "Do you really want to do this Riley?"

"I want to know!"

"A week before we got engaged," Charlie said. "The first night I asked you to sleep with me and you said no because true love waits. That's a load of bologna, Riles."

"Don't call me Riles!" Riley said as she took her engagement ring off and threw it at his feet. "You and Missy both better be out of here by the time I get back. You can leave your spare key with my neighbor across the hall."

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"He's an idiot Riles," Zay Babineaux said as he plied her with ice cream. "As the song says, you're the best thing he never had. Or something like that."

"I wanted to marry him," Riley answered through a veil of tears. "I loved him, Zay! Does that not mean anything?"

"Well. . ."

Riley sighed and dabbed at her eyes. "Maybe I should have slept with him. Maybe we would still be getting married if I had."

"Girl, you shouldn't compromise yourself. You're always telling people that. You don't believe it anymore?"

Riley shook her head. "Of course I still believe it! But I can't stop thinking about the what ifs, Zay!"

"What if, what if, what if!" Zay repeated, rolling his eyes. "Riley, you know Charlie and Missy always had an off-and-on again thing going on all throughout high school. Don't think about the 'what if's'! Think about how you missed a bullet! At least you found out he was cheating before you got married and had kids."

Riley released a deep breath and rubbed her eyes. "I feel so pathetic."

"Don't feel pathetic baby girl!" Zay said. "I called your mom and dad, they should be here soon to take you home. Everything's going to be okay in a little while. Weeping endures for a night. . ."

"But joy comes in the morning," Riley finished for him. "I know, I know but they never tell you how long weeping lasts, exactly."

"It'll be over when it's over," Zay replied. "That's when you'll know."

"Honey! Zay called us and told us everything!" Topanga Matthews said as she swept into the cafe, her arms outstretched. "I'm so sorry baby. Do you want to sue him?"

Riley fell into her embrace and sighed. "No, it's okay mommy. I don't think suing him will help anything."

"I could beat him up for you," her little brother Auggie offered.

"Auggie!" Topanga scolded. "What have I told you about fighting? Violence is never the answer!"

"I wouldn't mind giving him a black eye," Riley's father, Cory said.

"I wouldn't either," her Uncle Josh added.

Riley started to cry all over again, her family's rallying around her was enough to move her to tears.

"I already started to call the guests to tell them the wedding is canceled," Zay told Topanga. "I figured we should get a head start on it since the date is so close."

Topanga smiled at her daughter's friend and nodded in appreciation. "That was very thoughtful of you Isaiah, thank you."

"I'll start sending the presents back tomorrow," Josh offered. "Don't worry about it, you won't have to do a thing Riley."

Riley tried to smile at them, she was thankful. She really was but it felt like her world was falling apart.

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"I can't stay here anymore," Riley told her family. "Not during the holidays, not when my wedding was supposed to happen on Christmas Eve! I'm going away, I put my apartment on this website where you can trade your house with somebody for a couple of weeks. If anybody bites, I'm going to take them up on their offer."

"But Riley! You shouldn't be alone during the holidays, especially since you're feeling so blue."

"Oh come on mom, it isn't like I'm going away to kill myself!" Riley protested. "I'm going away so I don't have to be here on what was supposed to be the most important day of my life!"

"At least let us go with you," Cory tried.

"No! I mean that would be nice but I really want to be alone. If you're all there coddling me, I don't think it would help anything. I promise, I'll call you every day and let you know that I'm okay."

"Well, you are over eighteen now," Topanga said. "It isn't like we could stop you even though we would like to."

"But. . . but. . . but. . ." Cory sputtered, catching Topanga's look and sighing. "Okay. If you think it'll help then I guess you should go."

"Thanks guys!" Riley said in relief. "Besides, it's been up for a couple of days already. It might not get any attention."

"If it does, we'll all try and cope without you!" Topanga told her as she gave Josh, Auggie and Cory her most authoritative look.

"Right!" Josh said, as he pulled some masking tape over the last wedding present he had just finished boxing up.

"Right!" Auggie echoed.

"I guess I'll try," Cory said.

"Good," Topanga replied. "Very good."

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One week had gone by when Riley got the E-mail notification that somebody was interested in renting her apartment. She opened it eagerly and scanned the brief message.

Dear Miss Matthews,

My name is Maya Hart and I live in Nashville, Tennessee where I am a songwriter. I am interested in trading places with you because you live in an apartment where as everybody else on this site lives in a house. Since I'll only be there a short time, I have no interest in keeping up anybody's house for them.

I have a very important song to work on for a big name singer whose name I cannot mention because of confidentiality agreements I have signed. Even she said I needed to go away somewhere and "get happy".

I have not been very happy since I found out my boyfriend was cheating on me and has since gotten engaged to the girl he had an affair with. Not that I should be writing to you about those things, since we are strangers and I am only interested in trading spaces with you.

I hear New York is beautiful during Christmas.

Hopefully we can work something out.

Sincerely,

Maya Hart

Riley was attracted to her request right away and not because she had been the only person interested enough to stay in her apartment but because their stories were so similar. She logged onto the website and typed up a reply, telling her that she was more than welcome to have her apartment for the holidays.

A few seconds later, she was in a chat session with the other girl.

M - Just a quick question. You don't know many single men, around there do you? I don't want anything to do with men right now.

R - No. Well. . .

R - My brother and uncle are single but don't worry about it. They won't bother you. Auggie has an understanding with his friend Ava and my uncle is a widower, he isn't interested in ANY girls right now. I swear!

There was a long pause and Riley thought Maya Hart had left the chat. But a few seconds later there was another ping.

M - Sounds fantastic!

TBC. . .

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Author's Note:

Well, as Norah Jones once said the stage has been set for a play. I hope you will see this story through. I'm sure you have a bunch of questions by now. I promise that I will answer them all in the chapters that follow. Unless something that comes up that I'm not going to address, then I will send you each a personal message to answer you. More to come soon! In the meantime, I hope you'll tell me what you thought of this chapter. Just click on the little box below!

Until Next Time!

Lots of Love,

Holly, 12/4/2015_