A/N: A somewhat introduction to Farkle's role in this chapter. Anyone got an idea?

Also, I live for cute Rilaya bantering, so you know I had to include that at the end.

Chapter 3

2 February, 2016.

8:54 a.m.

Riley's POV.

An early spring was steadily approaching on the West side of Miami, and Palm West sure was feeling it. The sun would beam into the classroom windows, and students would daydream about the beach- only 10 minutes away, mind you. I sure was. Sometimes, I'd catch myself in History daydreaming about Lucas and I taking drives to the beach and having a picnic by the ocean, until that became a reality.

"Hey babe," Lucas said to me this morning, kissing my cheek and handing me my regular coffee- iced, 2 splenda and extra cream. I smiled.

"You know I love you, right" I would say daily, blushing and trying not to look like a complete fool in front of him.

"Of course I do."

After that night, contrary to your typical aftermath awkwardness, things between Lucas and I were surprisingly more comfortable than ever. A few hours after I'd left, he called me and apologized for his mother's behavior, which at the time I completely brushed off, and every so often we got together to get coffee. Increasingly, these "coffee get-togethers" turned into "movie nights", which then turned into "bowling alley hangouts", and finally a real dinner date. It was wonderful. As Maya liked to call it, it really was that "puppy-dog-love-at-first-sight" crap. But I couldn't have been happier.

"Ah, my favorite couple," said Maya, coming in as if she were qued. Breaking apart our hands, Maya wrapped her arms around each of us, and we walked together in our big, warm, happy embrace.

"How have my two lovebirds been?"

Lucas, ignoring the question, broke off and went to his locker, while I replied with the more important question,
"The real concern is yours. When was the last time you heard from Josh?"

Maya's face drooped a bit, and her eyes fell to the floor. She was clearly upset with any mention of Josh lately, but she just wouldn't open up to me.

"Maya?"

"Let's just, not talk about it. Okay?"

Now very clearly pissed off, Maya walked away from Lucas and I, and Lucas watched as she sped down the hall.

"Do you know what's up with her?" I asked him.

"Not lately."

He slammed his locker shut and began to walk with me.

"Why not?"

"It's just different now. It's not that we got into a major fight or anything, I've just grown up a little."

My eyebrows furrowed at the boy, completely unphased by what he just said.

"Grown up? From what I've heard, you two spent your entire childhoods together."

"That's an exaggeration."

"No, you're just being a stubborn asshole."

He stopped and turned around.

"Lucas, talk to me."

He took a deep breath.

"There's nothing to discuss. C'mon, we're gonna be late to Chemistry."

Around 10:02 a.m., one of the most horrifying announcements had been made over the intercom.

"Riley Matthews to guidance"

Thoughts circulated my mind, trying to figure out what exactly I could have been called down for. I timidly stood up, grabbing my bag and shuffling through the papers on my desk as everyone in my AP Calculus watched.

Exiting the classroom, I realized I had literally no idea where the guidance office was, never mind who my guidance counsellor was. Eventually, my desperation prevailed the meek pride I had left, and I stopped a janitor with a unibrow to ask for directions.

"Down the hall, first door on ya left," the raspy man replied, ignoring my "Thank you!" and continuing to push his cart filled with buckets of detergents and soaps down the hall.

I found the guidance office and sat in the waiting room, twiddling my thumbs and restlessly bouncing my leg.

Finally, a woman of austere manner approached me, her reading glasses on her nose and a clipboard secured in her arm. She yelled out, "Riley Matthews," despite me being the only one in the waiting room.

Awkwardly, I followed the woman back into her office, and sat in the designated seat across from her desk. She played around on her computer, typing in characters and scrolling through various pages, occasionally leaning back and squinting to read, until I finally had to ask,

"May I know what I've been called down for?"

The woman slowly looked up at me, her cold eyes making me want to crawl under her desk, and then slowly returned her glance back to her computer.

"Well, you've got bad news and good news," she began, obnoxiously licking her lips, "says here you don't have enough credits to graduate, but the good news is you can. Eventually"

"Pardon?"

"Volunteer work, missy."

She slapped a pile of brochures and paperwork in front of me, titled with corny catchphrases like "Great Volunteering Opportunities For Great Kids!" and "Be A Helping Hand… Get Involved!"

I cringed, picking up the first brochure and slowly ticking through the pages.

"I would recommend the South County Animal Shelter. There's tons of open positions and the trainer is actually in the same grade as you are."

As I was trying to comprehend my near future, all I could do was nod, and managed to sputter out a, "Thank you," despite the fact Mrs. Maxfield had quite frankly just ruined my life.

"The Animal Shelter?"

"The Animal Shelter!"

Maya, upon hearing the news of my horrid fate, was just as disgusted as I was. Not that animals weren't totally adorable and everything, but I just wasn't into wasting my time at a place where I don't care about the people there and they sure as hell don't care about me.

"Considering I have had a solid 3.8 GPA since grade 9 and I am president of the National Honor Society, I just don't see how this can be. What else could I have possibly done to ensure my spot at a great college, nevermind just get my GED!"

Maya sighed into the telephone.

"I don't know what to tell you, peaches."

An awkward silence followed, as a tapped my fingers on my window-side table and watched as a couple of blue-jays fought to death over a french fry on the street below me.

"So, how's things with Josh?" I finally said.

"Just because we're talking on the phone doesn't make it okay for you to ask me things that I'm not comfortable speaking on," Maya snapped, quickly and swiftly, leaving me dumbfounded and almost speechless.

"I'm just concerned, Maya. Clearly, something is wrong, considering every time I merely mention his name you freak out on me."

"Well aren't you a smart cookie," she retorted.

I groaned.

"You know you can tell me anything."

"Yes, I know."

"Then why are you refusing to open up to me?"

"Because I don't want to."

"Maaaayyyaaaaaaaaa"

"Rileyyyyyy-"

"-Maaaaaaaayyyyyyaaaaaaa!"

"Fine! I- I think Josh may be cheating on me. But I'm not sure. So don't say anything"

"How could you come to that assumption?"

"I may or may not have been snooping on a certain colleague's instagram, and I may or may not have stumbled across a picture of a very drunken Josh with his arms around some platinum blonde."

"Maya! What did I tell you about snooping?"

"This was way too important to pass down. When you catch yourself in a situation like this one day with a boy, you'll understand how it feels to be on the short end of the stick. You get desperate and lonely. I don't think Maya Hart was cut out for this long-distance relationship crap."

"I think trust is the most important part of a relationship. If you're going to make this work, you're going to have to trust him."

Maya grew silent.

"Maya, do you still love Josh?"

"Of course I do. But not like this. Not this Josh."