3. Girl Meets Feminist Matthews
It was end of September and Riley was going to be on her first weekend trip with her family as agreed with her dad 1 week ago. They would actually use the holiday in September to make a trip going to the Amish country and stop by Gettysburg.
"Hey Peaches", Riley said as she skipped over to her best friend. "What are you doing this weekend:"
"Riles we still have three more days of school before then" Maya said sighing. "Plus I don't want to think about this weekend at all."
"Why what's wrong:"
"Shawn got something in his head about having a family weekend, he wants to go camping upstate, and I get that he wants us to get closer but why camping: Who have him this idea anyway:"
"Yeah…" Riley looked down at her hands. "That might have been my fault"
"Riles:" Said Maya with that face, that said – what did you do:
"Well… after the fire I got to talk with my dad and suggested that once a month we have a family only thing, and well my dad must have talked to Uncle Shawn about it… so yeah".
"And now I have to go camping, Riles we've talked about this, any major changes you need to consult me". Maya said pulling Riley close. "But thank you, I guess it's a good thing that we do more family things, since he's now my father".
"Good for you". Said Riley with that silly happy face. "You deserve to be a family".
The school this year didn't made them share lots of disciplines together, so Riley and Maya part ways.
When Maya arrived the room all of the girls from the school were doing some joke and laughing at something, Riley couldn't resist so she asked about.
"Hi Sarah, What's going on?"
"The senior boys have just released their list of the hottest girls in school". "They ranked all the girl based on looks, outfits and overall hotness".
"Why did they do that?" Said Riley.
"Apparently it's tradition they do it every year and it looks like it wasn't supposed to leak it's like this secret thing between the boy, but someone found the notes in the trash and just put it at the head of the lockers".
"Even if it was secret, they shouldn't do that, Everyone is beautiful in their own way."
"Why would you complain", one of the other girls said. "You and Maya both are in the top twenty".
"I don't care, women haven't fought for equal rights for a bunch of boys to category them."
"Well Riley, this is high school, and we also always rank the boys between ourselves is not something intentional, they didn't planned to leak". Sarah said as their teacher walked into the room and asked them all to sit down.
When class was over she walked to her locker and felt that the whole school was looking at her. She didn't like any of this, until one of the cute senior walked by her and called her hottie Matthews, while the others whistled.
Riley saw he dad looking and her while she was heading to history class and he said
"I have a feeling this is going to change my lesson plan", He said when he saw the look on her face.
When they were entering the class Maya comes all powerful, walking making fun as she was a super model and singing
"tururutu,turrrururu"
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"What's blonde beauty?" said Zay coming to her.
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"What happened?" said Riley with a scary face.
"don't you know? – Maya's got the first place in the list"
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"Whattttt? – and you are proud of this Maya?"
"Of course she is, you also made top 20th Riley, What's wrong sugar?" – said Zay.
"Of course I am happy. I am the hottest chick on school" – said Maya doing fun with a funny smile.
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"You're are all wrong, you guys think it's okay to rank girls like that? We are human beings Zay, how would you feel if girls all got together and put you all on this list as if you were just looks?"
"Heeyy. Are you saying I am just looks?" – said Maya, she was already obsessed with the thing, she was talking doing faces at the hand mirror.
"No Maya."- "and stop looking at the mirror" – said Riley stretching to touch Maya's mirror.
"Don't you dare" – said Maya with a bad face, Riley backed out of fear.
The class started, Lucas didn't arrived at the class yet. He arrived after her Dad had already started to talk about Medium Ages times and women's right.
"where were you Huckleberry?" – said Maya.
"I got kind hold because of all this list thing?"
"Really?" – said Maya looking at him with debouche face – "Lucas Friar interested in beauty rank"
"What about you? I thought you were the thought one, but you are all girlly" – he replied.
"Ohhh shut up" – said Maya.
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"Even you?" – said Riley. "We should all ignore the seniors opinion, we can forget about this stupid list, we can fight for everyone to be considered equal" – She said walking to the front full of confidence.
But no one payed attention, actually the windows of the class were full of people, looking at Maya. Everyone wanted to know who was the blonde one that got first place in the list, even the older girls wanted to know.
"Oh my God. This is going to be hard" said Riley.
The bell went off and they left the class.
In the hallways, Riley was thinking about how to break that list thing, but Maya was just taking advantage of the situation taking pictures with older girls.
"Look Riley, we ourselves some tickets to a party at the leaderships team" – Said Maya.
"Really?" –said Riley jumping and touching the tickets."
"Yeah mama"- said Maya.
"No we can't"- said Riley with typical regret face pulling her face away from the tickets.
"Maya we need to stop this, this is not good for the other girls"
"Riley, even if the list wasn't published everyone is judge on looks, guys too" – "Remember how you first went to Lucas on the train? We noticed him because of his looks, it's normal, even if the list is not on, people will still make judgements in their minds".
"I want your help Maya" – said Riley holding Maya's hand.
"Okay Honey, as much as I am having fun because of it. I will help you"
Riley started to think, in a way to teach everyone a lesson and as she was walking the hallways to change rooms she hear someone talking.
"Did you heard?" – said a girl
"what?" – it looks like Maya got first place because Lucas suggested to the futebol team.
"Really?" "but I thought he was dating the Riley girl."
"So apparently, the seniors didn't knew so much about Maya, but after Lucas showed them her, they decided she was really first place".
"Yes she is. I hope he and Riley are not dating, they are clearly not a good fit, they look so boring when they are together."
"Yeah. I always thought he was into Maya, but one day I saw Riley holding his hands"
"Maybe it was just a friendship thing?"
"Well, I guess with this list thing it's pretty sure he is into Maya"
"Didn't you hear? Everyone is calling her the Blonde Beauty now, because that's how he talks about her and the nickname sticked"
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Riley walked mad to her home. She had to think on how to end this thing and now she had to think about this. Why did Lucas saw Sabrina as the most beautiful girl? If you love someone, don't you see another person as the most beautiful? Was Lucas so superfluous that he loved Riley but saw more physical beauty in Maya?
At night, Riley couldn't resist so she went to the cheerleaders party, with Maya and all of her friends. That was the condition.
Lucas and Maya were all around, it happens the girls also made a guy's list as revenge, and Lucas? Lucas got the first place so he was acting just like Maya.
They were all together dancing with a lot of people near them, Riley was sitting in the desk.
Lucas started
"Maya have you ever felt this power? I am so hungry"
"I feel you ranger rick, I am also feeling the power" – said Maya walking in his directions both acting like powerful.
"And it's not kind a regular type of power right" – he said
"no no this is deep. We must take advantage of it."
"oh no guys, I have seen this talk before" – said Farkle "are you two gonna lose your heads and start another conquering the world thing? I like itt".
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"Oh no guys you are not doing this" – Said Riley.
Lucas and Maya started walking together towards the center of the party.
"Oooh come on" – Said Riley.
"Riley no one wants to end the list, it's super fun" – said Maya.
"Maya, it's fun for those who made it to the top"
"Riley did you look the list? There is no classification after number 20th, they didn't made a ugly rank is a BEAUTY rank". – Said smackle. "But it's kinda upsetting I didn't made it to 20th"
"see? We have to change this" – said Riley.
"Noo… I have to get more sexier" – Said Smackle starting to make her hair looks better and putting her shirts up.
"that's my girl" – Said Maya.
Maya, Smackle, Farkle, everyone was dancing, unless Riley.
"See Riley that's why until today I can't choose between the two of you. Ahahah you are to serious and Maya is to crazy. A balance is needed". – Said Farckle.
Maya was above the table, everyone cheering for her. Farckle was enjoying way to much.
"Lucas?" – said Riley.
"Riley. We never do party. Let they be"- he answered.
Riley couldn't accept she could be wrong so she started to search for a girl that didn't got to the list to ask their opinions. But all the girls said it was fun and that they were just trying to get to the list next year and saying how lucky she was for being one of the 20th and friends with the 1st.
The party was getting even more crazy with Lucas and Maya, they were doing some games enjoying their power, like everyone wanted their approval.
"Maya! You and Lucas should kiss" – Someone shouted.
"Yeaaaah Best couple"
"The ultimate, best couple of High School"
"The beauties"
"Ohhh no, the triangle again no." – said Farckle.
"aahah. I would like to see that" – said Zay
"Oh I wish it was me" – said Smackle. Farckle pocked her.
"I am kidding" – she said .
"kiss, kiss, kiss, kiss" the crowd shouted.
"Okay okay, don't get to worn out guys" – Maya said walking around Lucas. They were kind drunk and just having fun. Lucas didn't said anything but came near to Maya.
"Oh let's see how brave you are Maya" – he said.
Maya pulled Lucas shirt to her.
"Are you questioning my courage pap along" – she said.
"Okay… I always tell you this. But again you are calling me these names in group. With our popularity it now they will kill me" – Lucas said.
"Owwnn. And what would you like me to call you?" – Maya said with baby voice.
"I like you to call me mad dog" – Lucas whispered.
All the friends started to laugh because they had seen that before, it was the same situation as in Middle School detention day.
"You don't seem like a mad dog to me" – she said. All party was paying attention.
"What do I seem like to you?" – said Lucas
"you know the sheep?" – Maya
"I don't like where this is going again" – Lucas.
Farckle came in between:
"Back away from each other. The triangle has ended"
Maya pulled him close just as she did with Lucas.
"I still want to be batman" – he said. The group laughed again.
When they were laughing Maya fall from the table…. Lucas grabbed her. She fell with the lips together in his. They froze, for luck, the party was so crazy, in the middle of so much people no one noticed. But they did. They immediately separated feeling shame.
"Are you okay?" – he asked touching the back of his neck.
"Yeah…. You always lose your temper around me hun" – said Maya touching her hair pretending to be shocking about something that actually was serious to them.
Riley arrived at the time, after giving up changing the list. At least for now.
The next day was Saturday, after recovering from the party, Maya went to Riley's house.
When she arrived there, Riley was still sleeping but Mr. Matthews was there.
He simple told Maya.
"Maya remember how I told you the secret of life?"
"People change people" – she said.
"Yeah. How do you keep from being change by popularity and others opinions? What is the difference?" – Mr. Matthews said
Maya: "do you know about anything?"
Mr. Matthews: "just think about that"
Maya was to worried to think about it now, she was thinking about what happened with Lucas. She decided she would never tell Riley. It was unnecessary; after all, it was not in purpose. It doesn't matter if her heart almost got out of her chest, her first kiss, just confirming that she still likes Lucas as much as she is pretending not to, what is quite easy after so much time doing it. None of them could no, the triangle was over just as Farkle said and she was the one that decided to ended it, with the most perfect lie supported by Josh's idea. Before she was confused, she thought really she was that way with Lucas because she was becoming Riley, but with this accident, it became clear it didn't had anything to do with it. Maya wasn't becoming Riley at all.
They had a good weekend.
Riley talked with the school, she had the idea to paint in people's body their qualities and things that made them beautiful except for physical appearance. The m onday was awesome; everyone was taking part of it. "Strong, powerful, smart" were words you could see in the girls. That was really good, now the school was ranking people based on their characters and not physical, the Riley idea created a new list, the good people's list, the top position were composed by people that acted as nice as possible to others, this list incentives the good in school.
"You will change the world you know?" – said Maya to Riley.
They were really best friends. Both of them were having intellectual debates, but that did not affect the way they connect with each other.
