(A/N: Hello everyone! Thank you again for the reviews, favorites, and follows! I am loving the response!

Please bear with me for a rather extensive Author's Note…But I feel this is quite important…

WARNING: This chapter is going to really start to get a bit more in-depth into Riley's thought processes It is kind of going to get deep rather fast (not so much dark, but the texts are going to start to get crueler). Hence the T rating for safety.

Please know that while this is fiction, I do not wish to underestimate the struggles of those victims of bullying – past or present, and unfortunately future. With that, I also hope this is, at least to a point both within the spectrum of Girl Meets World, and real life, a realistic telling…

Again, I am taking liberties because it is fiction, but I also want to continue that real-life aspect.

For further chapters, I will allude to certain things, but not necessary directly imply address them by name. I don't wish to scare myself or others, or speak of something that I do not know too much about…

Thank you in advance for your understanding, consideration, and (hopefully) continued reading! And now…Here's another update! I don't know if I'll be able to update next weekend, so this is also an extra long chapter; about 8 pages, rather than the typical 3-5. Please review! ~TRP~)

Chapter #4 – Lucas & Riley

Lucas' POV –

I saw the look Farkle gave Maya and I.

I didn't like it.

My protective instincts were high for Riley, but I had Mr. Matthews as a conscious in the back of my mind telling me to handle things the right way.

And I could.

And I wanted to.

But the fact that Riley was feeling horrible made me really want to just take care of everything for her.

I shook my head ever so quickly to get the thoughts out of my head and focus on what Harper was discussing.

We were reading The Odyssey; the epic poem by Homer, of Odysseus and his 10 year journey back to his home.

I glanced towards Riley...Maybe this was her journey...

After all, Mr. Matthews did talk about growth last week...Friendship, growth...Then?

I guess we'll have to wait and see...Like Mr. Matthews had suggested.

But could Riley's bully be compared to one of Odysseus' obstacles or struggles on his way home?

Was her bully jealous like Billy? Was she mysterious, yet got a bad rap like Boo Radley did in To Kill A Mockingbird?

Much like I'm sure Farkle was, I thought back to the assignment Riley's dad gave us. I had to figure out if bad things do happen to bad people...

I'm not sure if he did want us to analyze if and why bad things happen to the good or vice versa – I suppose that was more on Maya and Riley's topics, but still...I couldn't help but think of those two aspects more...

Probably because it was happening now - bad things happening to the good.

Harper's review question brought me back to the present discussion. "Why has Odysseus done what he did to the Cyclops?"

It took me a minute to refocus. Did she mean physically, or outsmarting him with telling him that his name was "Nobody."?

Luckily one of the other students, a girl named Alyssa I think, asked for me.

"Both."

I raised my hand.

"Lucas?"

"To survive – Woah."

"Lucas?" Harper asked, as my friends turned around and looked at me, confused.

"Oh, oops. Did I say that out loud? Sorry, just survival. Odysseus and his men just wanted to survive, nothing more."

"Have an epiphany there, Huckleberry?" May asked, glancing at me.

I looked at her, stared her straight in the eyes without saying a word. She smiled at first, but then I think the intensity of my gaze got to her, and I think she realizd I was thinking about iRiley.

"Oooohhhh" she shuttered, before turning back around, and glancing at Riley.

Riley seemed...detracted today. I think this'll be the first time Maya has to take notes for Riley...

Nah, Farkle's probably on that. Ha!

But my mind went back to Riley...

She's just trying to survive...

Trying to survive
Trying...Survive

To Survive
...Survive.

My own words kept echoing in my ears...

If she's just trying to survive this...How much worse has it possibly gotten that's Riley hadn't said?

I don't want to wait to see how much more Riley can handle...

I don't want her to break, there's no way...

But it was like a root canal to get Riley to talk about her bullying...

I've battled stuff before...But back in Texas...Well, my temper typically got the better of me, especially when it came to Zay, Asher, and Dylan.

And I feel he same way when it comes to Riley, Maya, and Farkle (and Zay too now that he's here).

'The right way, Lucas' Mr. Matthews' voice cuts into my stream of thought once again. 'The Right Way.'

Riley looked like she wanted to cry still, and from what Farkle silently said, she got another text…

I just wish Haroer would notice, send her out, and then I could follow her…

Riley's POV -

I tried desperately to listen to Harper's review on The Odyssey, but my head just kept going back to the text message that I knew I got…It was like Edgar Allen Poe's Tell Tale Heart and not because I lied about anything (like when I snuck out with Maya to NYU's freshman party so she could see my Uncle Josh). I just knew I had it waiting for me.

I had to figure out how to read it without the others following me…Maybe if I went to the bathroom…No, Maya might follow…

Could I wait until I got home?
Well I could, but how many more would I get in the meantime?

Heck, I didn't even know what this one said and I'm already a mess over it.

Just a few more periods of class…I can do this…

I just knew it was going to be bad…My stomach churned like Charybdis, with riptides and roaring seas that Poseidon controlled….And I felt like a teeny bath toy smack in the middle of it all, barely hanging on…

…And yet, I thought back to Scout, and how the world could be so cruel, so unjust…

I feared this would never stop.

I wondered what the bully wanted so desperately in order to get her to stop.

I'm not hungry for lunch that I know Geralyn worked so hard to make, even if it's good for the whole school…

Maybe I'll save it, or give it to Maya.
I just want to go home and go to sleep.

And cry.

I just feel like crying.

All. The. Time.

How can one single person completely throw your self-esteem down the tubes, when you have way more people around you, who do believe in you?

Just how does that work?

I know my friends are going to check up on me. I love them for it, but I really don't want it. I just want to take care of this on my own like I was doing before (my track record for that, and doing a decent job up until last week not withstanding).

I just want it to stop, to go away

I want to have hope again.

If this keeps up, I'm scared I never will…

How do I do this?

What if the bully is the only one to see the truth?

How do I just stop or start believing something, anything for that matter?

I quickly think of my dad's assignment, and that just makes me more queasy…

I'm done. I can't focus on Harper anymore…

I lay my head down on my desk, not caring who else notices.

"Riley? You okay?" I hear Harper ask.

The lights start to hurt my eyes. I'm just so tired.

I didn't lift my head. "I'm not feeling too good."

"Do you want a pass to the nurse?"
'Yes please!' I think. Yeay, yeah, I know running won't solve anything, but if I can go home, maybe I'll be better apt at dealing with all of this tomorrow.

"Yes, thank you."
"Can I take her?" I hear both Lucas and Maya pipe up at the same time.

"I'm only going to send one of you with her." Haper replied. Even in the darkness, I a just know Maya's aiming with the puppy eyes.

"Lucas, Please take Riley to the nurse, and return."

"Yes, thank you." He replied, as we both got up to get ready to go; with me grabbing my books and backpack.

"Thank you…And Maya?"
"I know, I know…I need to be here…" She pouted.

"That's right, because we know you can do it, and we want you to prove that to yourself, as much we want you to prove it to us. "(We, referring to Harper herself, my dad, and the other teachers. (I noticed Harper said this more privately to Maya, as she leaned in closer to her as to not possibly embarrass her.

I turned my head away at that point.

I didn't hear Maya reply, but gathered she just nodded her head as she watched Lucas and I leave.

As Lucas escorted me to the nurses office, he started talking.

"Are you okay Riley?" I held onto his arm, letting him lead me to the nurse. I kept my eyes downcast; the floor being the only thing I can temporarily focus on without my eyes hurting further...

"Eh, not really. My stomach is upset, and the lights are bothering me."

"What did the bully say this time?"
"What? No, I don't know." I said quickly, falling over my words.

"How did I know?" Lucas asked.
I dared to look at him. He gave a half smile in response.

"I saw the look on both your, and Farkle's faces. You looked upset, and Farkle gave a look as if to say you got another message. So what did it say?"

"I don't know, I never actually read it."
"So…would you mind reading it now?"
"No, I don't want to."

"Can't you just delete it?"
"What I don't know, won't hurt me? I could, but something is telling me to keep them. I don't know why, but it's just something I have to do."

We reached the Nurses' office. Lucas hesitated before we entered.

"Are you sure you don't' want to read it now, with me here? You won't be alone."

Lucas' POV –

"Thank you, Lucas, but yes. I'm sure." Riley replied, as she opened the door to the office.

I gave a small sigh, frustrated and followed behind her.

The nurse asked Riley some basic questions, and had her lay down.

I offered to get Mr. Matthews, but the nurse declined, saying I should go back to class, and would talk to Riley's' dad herself.

I gave one last look at Riley, saying I would take notes for her, as she rolled on her side, her back now facing towards me.

Before I left, I thought I heard a barely-there "thanks" come from her.

This was going to be a very long day…Maybe even longer week.

Riley's POV –

For as much as I was glad Lucas offered to read my text with me, these were texts that I didn't want anyone seeing.

Once I knew he was gone, and the nurse was around the corner to let me sleep and on the phone with my dad, I took out my phone and glanced at the newest message.

"Stop thinking you're so special. You're a failure! The only reason you're doing well, especially in history is because wittle Wiley's Daddy is the teacher…You'd never survive in the real classrooms!"

Ugh! Why did I read that? Lucas was right, I should have just ignored it…But what if it's important…What if my family or friends are in some kind of trouble because of her?

I just can't not read them…

I willed my stomach to stop its waves. Luckily, the nurse also turned off the light above my head so help with my headache.

"Riley? Riley, wake up, honey." I heard my dad's voice, with him gently shaking me.

"What? Where am I?"
"Nurses office. Lucas brought you in…Come on, I'm on my lunch, I'll take you home."

"What time is it?"
"It's 6th period. You missed lunch, but the nurse said you were nauseas, with a headache."

"Yeah, I'm not hungry."

"Okay, come on. I'll drop you off, make you a sandwich, before returning."
"You can't stay with me?" I asked. I'm not sure why I wanted my dad to stay...

"I'm sorry honey, but I've got 2 more classes to teach for Advanced Placement, and they have a test tomorrow."
Dad ran his tests differently in the AP classes; it was a way to keep the students on their toes...

"Okay." I replied, disappointed.
But I was happy to be going home.

I know further avoidance isn't necessarily the smartest or effective strategy.

True, I could only avoid my bully for so long, especially unil the next text message came along.

But it was working for me for the moment.

"Do you need any books form your locker" My dad asked.

I thought quickly of what other classes I had – at this point it was math, music, and study hall.

I nodded my head, as I went to my locker to grab my math book knowing we'd have homework. I'd ask Farkle later.

I saw the note from earlier, and made sure my dad did not. I placed it in my math book, and placed it in my backpack as I closed and locked my locker, and we headed home.

Being Dad, he did make a sandwich in case I wanted it later, and left a can of soup by the stove for me. He said he'll swing by the cafeteria to see if Geralyn has any leftovers in case that was more appealing.

Coming back from my room after putting my backpack down, I told Dad I loved him, as he went back to school.

I sat on the couch, contemplating what I should do next. Obviously, lay down was the first thing on the list, so I got comfy on the couch with some pillows and blankets.

Did I want to watch TV? Hmm, the show about two best friends going through their ups and downs in school and life were on the DVR…It was a classic my parents apparently used to watch. They even said it reminded them of themselves.

Or there was that newer-older show about the girl who spoke to God….

Or the medical show about a doctor out on Long Island…

My stomach reminded me I wasn't feeling good and my head decided to send a sharp pain to my forehead and over my eyes too…Maybe sleep was my best option.

My phone buzzing startled me just as I was about to fall into a heavy sleep.

"Awww…Where did Riley go? Is she sick and needed her Daddy to take her home? Suck it up, be a big girl – You'll be fine! Oh, and I wouldn't miss school tomorrow – At All. You wouldn't want Farkle to take your place otherwise..."

'Oh no…" I groaned out loud. Tears pooled in my eyes, but I did okay in holding them in.

Well I guess I know where I'll be tomorrow…No avoiding school for me…

I buried my head in the dark corner of the couch, and fell asleep.

(A/N: Please Review! ~TRP~)