Chapter 3
The bitter January wind snapped at Riley's cheeks, leaving them pink and her face flushed. The brunette struggled to lift her congealed fingers to her throat so she could fasten the last snap of her jacket. It had been cold all day, but the temperature had dropped even lower that evening. Riley began walking faster, thinking of the warm interior of her house and how cozy that would feel. It felt like a million miles, but she finally made it to her apartment. She went inside and Lucas was there waiting for her, which made the living room feel warmer. "Hi princess." "What are you doing here?" she asked. She walked over to him and hugged him. "I have some news." "What is it?" "Well, you know how I applied to University of California?" "Yeah, Davis," Riley said eagerly. "Well, I got a letter from them." Riley held her breath as Lucas pulled out a rectangular white envelope from his jacket. "Open it!" Riley said. "Are you sure? You haven't heard back from Stanford yet. If they accept me, I don't want to say yes until I know you're coming with me to California." "Lucas, we're sixteen. College isn't for another year. Most kids haven't even applied yet. You just know now because you applied early. Don't worry about me. Just open it." Lucas smiled. "You're right." He sat down as he began to tear open the envelope and pull out the letter. Lucas scanned the paper. "What does it say?" Lucas handed it to her.
Dear Mr. Friar,
We thank you for applying to UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine. We regret to inform you that you have been rejected. If you have any questions, please contact our admissions counselor.
Riley was stunned. How could they reject him? He was a straight A student, won the Scholar Athlete Award every year since seventh grade, was on the Debate Team, did school plays, a star athlete, fluent in French, class president, and wrote a killer essay for the application. Not to mention that he was polite, kind, loyal, caring, brave, talented, charming, and had perfect social skills. He was awesome. "They were stupid to reject you. You're amazing. Don't beat yourself up." Lucas said nothing. He just hugged her, and she hugged him back. They both simply held on to each other. But Riley would have done anything for him at that point. She knew he was heartbroken, and hated it when he was hurt. She would do anything to make him smile again.
Riley called Maya and Farkle. She knew that if anyone could cheer him up, it would be them. The four sat together in the bay window as Riley explained the situation. When she was done, she waited expectantly for Maya or Farkle to react. But they did nothing. They said nothing. They just looked at Riley blankly. "That's it?" Maya said finally. "What do you mean?" Lucas asked slowly. It was the first time he spoke since he opened the letter. "What she means is that so what? I know you wanted to be a veterinarian Lucas, but there are other colleges. Sure, Davis is a great school, but so is Cornell University." "Or NYU," Riley pointed out. "Or Stanford," Maya added. "Lucas, you might not get to go to the best school in the world, but that doesn't mean you can't still live your dream." "There are other opportunities for you." "The world is bigger than Davis." For a few minutes, Lucas didn't say anything. He stared at the floor. Riley put her hand on his shoulder. "Lucas, I know this is disappointing. But you are an incredible guy. Don't forget all the things you have. You have your family, and you have us. We'll always be here for you." "Will you, Riley?" Lucas burst out suddenly. "What?" "Riley, you're an amazing person. You'll get into Stanford for sure. And where will I be? In a city college, stuck with a mediocre education. You're going to do great things, Riley. And what am I going to do?" "Lucas-""Don't Farkle. Don't start with me. You can't talk either. You're going to Yale, to study political science. And Maya's off to Julliard to be an artist. I'm not going anywhere." "Lucas, there are other schools-""Yeah, there are other schools. But if I'm not good enough for Davis, I'm not good enough to be a veterinarian. And if I can't live my dream, I don't want to go anywhere." "Lucas," Riley said softly. "I'm done. If I can't live my dream, I have nothing left." Lucas began to crawl out the window. "What about me?" Riley yelled. Lucas stopped. "I know this must be hard for you. But you can't just turn your back on everything. You can't just leave all your friends and family lying in the dirt, waiting for you to grow up! There are other places in the world, Lucas! Stop acting like a baby! You can still live your dream! So don't act like your whole life has shut down just because one school said no to you! Don't leave us to step on the broken glass you've thrown behind you!" Riley left the room and slammed the door. Lucas sat down at the window again. He didn't say a word. He just sat there. Maya and Farkle tried to talk to him, but he wouldn't speak. After an hour, the three left silently.
"Riley? Can I talk to you?" "Yeah, Dad. What is it?" "Do you know where Lucas is? He's been absent for a week and his mother won't pick up the phone." Riley took a deep breath. "I don't know where Lucas is. And honestly, I don't care." "Did you two break up?" "Sort of," Riley said. "Sweetie, don't ruin your relationship with Lucas just because you don't want to date anymore. You, Lucas, Maya, and Farkle are some of the best friends I've ever seen. You need each other." "Please. Remind me of one time when I needed Lucas before we dated." "Eighth grade. Class yearbook." "Oh boy," Riley said. "All of you changed because you wanted to please others. But Lucas didn't change at all. He stayed the same for you and your friends." Riley looked at her shoes. "If you want to break up with Lucas, fine. But you cannot let the end of your romantic relationship ruin your friendship. He needs you. And you need him." Riley looked into her father's eyes. "Dang it, Dad, why do you always have to be right?"
"Hi, Lucas" Riley said as the tall teenager sat down at her window. "Thanks for coming over." "So…you want to talk about the fight." "Yeah. I do." "I'm sorry. I was stupid and immature and you have every right to dump me. Go ahead." Riley cocked her head and looked at Lucas thoughtfully. "Lucas, I love you. You were the first boy I ever liked and my first boyfriend. You're everything I ever wanted, and I love being your girlfriend. And I'm not going to break up with you because of the fight." For a split second, Lucas looked relieved. "But you're still going to break up with me?" "Yes. I'm going to break up with you because after the fight, I wanted to shut you out forever. But I need you. I can't let something jeopardize our relationship. I need you in my life as long as possible. I can't lose you, Lucas." Lucas bit his lip. "I can't lose you either, Riley." "So we should stay friends." "If it means I'll always have you, then yes." Lucas and Riley hugged. "Just one last thing." "What?" "One last kiss?" Riley smiled. "Of course." Riley slowly pressed her lips to Lucas's. And then everything stopped. The fight, college, their whole relationship, everything that ever happened stopped. They put their arms around each other and kissed. They kissed for a long time, not thinking about anything, not doing anything. They simply kissed a kiss that would last eternity, a kiss that was nothing compared to any other kiss ever shared. A kiss that would always be remembered and cherished, a kiss that would forever be desired and loved. A kiss that made both Riley and Lucas feel so amazing that there was no word for it. There was no description for that kiss. There was nothing either of them could say later to their friends to describe what occurred with the kiss. The kiss was so perfect, so right, that it was the most magical thing that ever occurred and that ever would occur. The kiss Riley and Lucas shared that night was the best kiss that each of them ever had. That kiss was the best thing that would ever happen to either of them. That kiss was the definition of love.