A/N: Loved the shaken up reactions to Riley's failure to get a date ;)
Thank you for the reviews you guys! I'm really glad you guys decided to tune in for the sequel! I love you XD
Disclaimer: I don't own GMW, because if I did, crack ships would become canon ships... and I guess canon ships would become crack ships? Which I would probably then ship instead... and then make canon, but then the crack ships turned canon ships would become crack ships again and so I'd ship them but then because I would make them canon I would ship the newly crack ship ships which I would make canon... huh.
"So he had no reaction yesterday?" Maya asked, sketching the side of Riley's face in her book, "Not even like a hug or a kiss or something?"
Riley shook her head, coughing into her elbow briefly before swallowing a little tightly.
"I don't get it Maya…" Riley whined, pushing her lunch tray away from her and slumping down on the picnic table, resting her chin on the table, "Does he not want to go out with me anymore? Am I not worth it?"
"You're always worth it." Maya moved some hair out of Riley's face and then continued the sketch her profile.
"So then why didn't he want to go out with me? And just when my grounding got lifted. I was hoping I could commemorate it with a date…"
She coughed again, a thin, dry sound that made Maya's brows furrow.
"You okay?" Maya asked, a brow rising. "You've been coughing all day."
"I'm fine." Riley cleared her throat, rubbing it a bit to try to get rid of that scratchiness. "I just don't understand why he didn't want an exchange."
"I don't know, Riley." Maya sighed, setting her sketchbook onto the table and swatting some bugs flying around Riley's food away. "What did his face look like when he responded?"
"I don't know?" Riley shrugged dejectedly, "Scowl-y with a hint of a smirk and a dash of amusement?"
There was a snort behind them, and they both looked over their shoulders to see who it was. Justyn was standing behind them, shoulders shaking in amusement, an unlit cigarette in between her lips.
"Justyn." Riley blinked in surprise. "How long have you been behind us?"
"Long enough." She snorted again, bringing her lighter up to her cigarette and lighting the butt with a flick of the spark wheel. "You're talking about Brandon right?"
Riley's eyes lit up as Justyn sat across from them.
"Yes! We are! You're his friend. Why didn't he ask me out again?"
She shrugged, taking a long drag before letting it out slowly. "Beats me. No one really knows what goes on inside that head of his. He does whatever he wants, whenever he wants."
Riley's lips settled into a disappointed pout, and she sighed. That didn't help her at all. In fact, it supported her suspicions that he wasn't interested in her. If he did whatever he wanted, then that meant he had wanted to take her out back then. Which only made it more obvious that he wasn't interested in taking her out now.
"Maya Hart, right?" Justyn asked, "Saw that art project you did on the stigma on graffiti in the city and how it's no different than street art. Nice job."
"Thanks." Maya said before gesturing to the cigarette, "Aren't you worried about getting caught smoking on school grounds? This school doesn't take infractions lightly."
"Worst thing they'd do is suspend me." Justyn smirked, "I honestly couldn't care less."
Maya nodded, impressed, and then picked up her sketchbook to continue Riley's face.
"After our date, did… you know…" Riley said a little bashfully, "Did Brandon say anything about me?"
"You mean when he bothered to speak at all?" Justyn said amused, an eyebrow raised, "Yeah, he regaled us with saccharine words of how your beauty astounds him."
Riley frowned. "Justyn, I'm serious."
She chuckled, "He might have mentioned kissing you."
Riley's cheeks erupted in a blush, and Maya took her chin, turning her face towards her so she could capture that blush in the right light.
"He talked about kissing me? Did he say good things?"
"Riley." Justyn said, her eyes softening, "If you're so worried about Brandon, why don't you just ask him out yourself?"
Her eyes widened, slightly appalled at the notion. "I-I don't think I could."
"Look." Justyn stubbed out the bottom of her cigarette before sliding it back in her pocket. "You're headstrong; you're confident enough. It's a new age. Why wait for him to ask you out? Take charge and ask him out yourself."
Riley chewed on her lower lip, her brows furrowed uncomfortably. She couldn't possibly ask him out. She was too scared. What if he said no?
Justyn stood up, stretching noisily and then slipping her hands in her pockets. "Just go right up to him and tell him you're going out."
She waved nonchalantly as she sauntered off, and Riley sighed, turning back to Maya, her shoulders slumping.
"Maya…" she whined again. "What do I do?"
"Justyn's right you know?" Maya said, shading in Riley's lips with the sloped edge of the lead, "If you like him, then you should just ask him out yourself. It's just a question. It's just like asking him for a favour."
"But it's one thing to go out with him and a totally other to actually ask him out!"
"Riley. A few weeks ago, you walked straight up to him, told him you needed a favour, and just got it done. You need to be confident. You can do this."
"But that was different." she argued, "Back then, I was trying to get him to—"
And then she paused, her eyebrows rising as she realized what Maya had said.
"Wait… You're right!" Riley smiled widely. "I can ask him out! I've got it!"
"That's good." Maya said, finishing off the drawing and signing the bottom with the date. "So what are you going to say?"
"That's not important right now." She giggled nervously.
Maya's eyes narrowed as she scrutinized Riley, and Riley swallowed and averted her gaze, innocently looking at the group of boys tossing around a football near the parking lot of their school.
"Riley… Why does it feel like you're scheming?" Maya stared her down, a brow rising slightly, "Besides, you know what happens when you try to wing what you say. Tongue tied stuttering and then you babble. Do you really want that to happen when you ask him out?"
"I'll be fine Maya!" Riley said, her mood lifted significantly, "I know exactly what I'm going to say."
The bell rang signifying the end of lunch, and Riley grabbed her tray, standing up from the table with a flourish. Maya stood up with her, staring up at her with narrowed eyes, trying to figure out what she was hiding.
"Alright, Riley… If you say so."
"I do!" she said excitedly.
They headed back into the cafeteria, and Riley couldn't help but be excited for the end of the school day. Maya had been right. Asking Brandon out would be easy.
It would be just like asking for a favour.