Chapter 7 No One's POV
Flashback
Things are not going well whatsoever. That son of a bitch actually left, walked out like they were nothing. He was so selfish for so long, and now he's gone to be the shadow of a man he always was.
"Mom. I know it sucks, but we don't need him in our lives anymore," he tried to reason with his heartbroken mother.
"I get it baby. I know, but even though I saw this coming for quite some time, it still hurts you know. Especially for him to leave you and your sister like you don't matter," she sobs.
"We never did matter Mama. While he was cheating on you, he was neglecting us. He ignored our presence except when he was drunk and wanted someone to blame. This isn't anyone's fault, but his own," he says getting more and more pissed at the situation. There wasn't a day since about the first year after the move that he didn't have some new bruise that he tried to hide. With his mother sick, and Lennox being so young, it was now up to him to make sure his family had all they needed. When that bastard finally left it was a sigh of relief, well in Lucas's case anyway. The only good thing in his life is the girl who stole his heart, Riley Matthews. Lucas and his family moved to New York the summer after 6th grade. He was sad to leave behind his friends and extended family, but his dad got a good job that paid more so they left home. He met his new friends and later girlfriend in the 7th grade when Riley fell into his lap on the subway. Upon arriving at school he learned they were in the same classes along with the blond he saw on the subway as well, and a kid with a weird name. Needless to say, those three really changed his entire life for the better. He and Riley started dating in 8th grade after a year of friendship and flirting. They've been solid ever since, and that is where his happiness lies, with Riley. Lately however, he has been incredibly stressed, neglecting his friends and finding no time to spend with his girlfriend of almost three years. Everything in his life has just been falling apart right before his eyes.
"Lucas? Baby why don't you go out for awhile. Go have fun with your friends, with Riley. Don't worry so much about me honey, I'll be fine," his mom says smiling weakly at him. He nods, understanding that she wanted to be left alone for awhile. Just as he is exiting her room, where she now spent most of her days, the doorbell rings.
"Hey baby," she smiles at him once he opened the door.
"Riley. What are you going here?" he asks clearly confused. Her smile drops a little at his firm tone.
"Well, uhm, you've been so busy dealing with whatever, that I wanted to invite you on an impromptu date. We can do whatever you want, I just miss you and wanna spend some time with you," she finishes. She didn't want to make him feel guilty, but was really nervous to say what she needed to tell him. He sighs in what feels like defeat and agree to go. He runs and says goodbye to his mom, his sister was at a sleepover this weekend, and his granny who moved in after Mama got sick was in her room. She smiles at him before lacing their fingers and walking to his car to leave. Maya and Farkle has her car for a date that they planned for themselves, so they dropped her off before leaving. They decided on a small cafe to eat and just catch up on everything.
"So what's been going on? I feel like I haven't seen you in so long," she starts, sipping her water.
"Nothing really. Just a lot going on."
"Oh, well anything I can help with?" He just shakes his head no before looking down at their intertwined hands.
"Lucas."
"Riley." They say at the same time that causes them to chuckle at the moment. She gestures for him to go first, seeing how her news was just out of this world.
"I've been thinking a lot lately... about us..."
"Really? What about us?" she smiles at him. He looks away from that knee weakening smile of hers, too painful to see fall when he says what he has to say.
"Well, I decided that the best thing for us right now is to... break up," he blurts. Things go silent and when he finally makes eye contact, he sees her staring at him in shock. She rips her hand away from his and just sit there, tears streaming down her face.
"W-w-why is that?" she stammers trying to make sense of what she was hearing.
"Look it's not you, it's me-" he starts, but she cuts him off.
"Don't give me that cliché bullshit! Just say what you have to say, so you don't waste anymore of my time," she seethes at him.
"Okay fine. I have a lot on my plate right now and-"
"That you can't tell me? That you can't confide in me about? I've been your girlfriend for almost three years, and your best friend for four. Why the hell do you think that I wouldn't be there for you if you needed me?"
"Listen, it's not like that. It's something I have to deal with on my own and you're just another distraction that I-"
"Oh, I'm a distraction now am I? Me loving you, caring about you, and being there for you makes me a distraction? Okay then Lucas, consider yourself distraction free. I'm out of here," she says grabbing her sweater and purse to leave.
"Riley! Riley, wait. At least let me take you home," he says running after her.
"Fuck you. I can get myself home. Goodbye Lucas!" she says power walking down the street. He stands there calling her name, but she remains looking forward. What the hell did I just do? He thinks to himself, watching her as she disappeared from his life. Suddenly he feels a hand on his arm and turns around to face the person with no boundaries.
"Hey, I saw that. Looks like you're in need of a good time. Interested?" she says caressing his arm still.
"Uhmm, no I'm not Missy. Goodbye," he says walking inside to pay their bill before heading to his car to go home. Seeing how summer was fast approaching, he spent less time at school and more time at him tending to his mom. The first couple of weeks, he called and texted Riley constantly to try and fix things, but she ignored him. After that he gave up completely avoided her and their friends at school and then all summer. All he had was his best friend Zay who moved to New York during the 8th grade and eventually a very persistent Missy. The more Riley ignored him, the more Missy paid attention to him. She was calling, texting, and bumping into him at the most random of places. Eventually when he decided Riley wasn't coming back, he agreed to one date, and he's been with Missy ever since. He's not happy, far from it, but he did what he did and it came to the ultimate price of losing the one person he loved more than anything.
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Riley's POV
Flashback
I don't even know where I was headed, I just wanted to get as far away from him as I possibly could. Feeling a little tired, I decided to go into a near by store and call Maya to come and get me. I feel really bad about breaking their date, I just wanna go home.
"Hey Riles," she answers a little too breathless for my liking. Now I feel really bad mixed with a little disgust.
"Hey Peaches. Uhmmm, I'm sorry to interrupt what I hope to be a normal fully clothed date, but can you please pick me up?"
"Sure, but what happened to your boyfriend? Why not have Ranger Rick take you home?" she questions curiously.
"Well, uhm, see he's not my boyfriend anymore," I say feeling myself getting choked up once more.
"Why? What happened?"
"I'll tell you later. Can you please just come and take me home? Please?" I am begging at this point. I quickly give her my location and sit on a nearby bench to wait for her. Ten or so minutes later and I see her and Farkle pulling up in my car. I quickly leave the store and climb into the backseat feeling a little more than exhausted at this point.
"What happened Riles?" asked Farkle this time.
"I honestly don't know. Just please take me home," I whisper, leaning into my seat trying to figure everything out. We finally make it to my house and I immediately dash for my room. As I expected, my best friends didn't go anywhere, but stayed right there with me. I have no more tears left to cry, I just feel so numb right now. I really have to figure out what I'm gonna do before it's too late.
"Talk to us Riley! Now," I will never understand how Farkle can be sweet yet firm when things get serious. I sigh deeply before telling them everything that happened up until the point they had to come and pick me up. When I'm done, I feel emotionally, physically, and mentally drained. I collapsed on the bed and dosed off to a restless sleep.
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No One's POV
While Riley's asleep a fuming Maya and a pissed off Farkle are talking in their sleeping bags on the floor.
"I can't believe he did that! What the hell has been going on with him lately anyway?" she whisper-shouted at her boyfriend, not to wake Riley.
"I have no idea. He's been avoiding pretty much all of us. When I tried to talk to him a few days ago, he made up an excuse and left. My concern though is Riley. She's been really sad lately and just not her usual happy self," he says looking over at his best friend, who's fast asleep.
"Well she did just get dumped," Maya seethed. "Next time I see him, I'm kicking his ass."
"That only explained today, not the last few weeks.." he trails off. "Hopefully she tells us what's going through her mind in the morning," he says before cuddling up to his girlfriend and dosing off to sleep.
The next morning, Riley was the first one up. She yawned and stretched ready to get her day started. She stood up from her bed, almost tripping over what appeared to be her two best friends. Confused, she wondered what in the world they were doing there, until she remembered. Her okay mood turned into a complete downer. She flops back on her bed and pulls the covers up over her, just laying there and thinking. She began to cry for what felt like the hundredth time in just two days. Her soft sniffles were just loud enough to stir Maya awake, which she didn't notice until she felt the dip in her bed. Not even caring who it was, she rolled over into the embrace of her best friend since she was 5 years old and just cried her little heart out.
"What's going on with you Riles?"
"You're all g-g-gonna hate me," she sobbed.
"We could never hate you," comes the voice of a groggy Farkle.
"You will. When I tell you, you will," she whimpered, moving herself closer to Maya.
"Honey, not matter what happens, we aren't going anywhere. No matter what you say to us, we will always be right here. Ring power remember?" Maya smiles holding up her hand with the matching promise ring that Riley got them for her 14th birthday. This makes Riley half-sob and half-chuckle before intertwining their hands. By now, Farkle is laying on the other side of the bed, casing Riley in-between two of the most important people in her life.
"Guys... I'm p-p-pregnant," she manages to stammer out. The young couple share a look over their best friend's head, not really knowing what to say.
"How? What?" Maya is the first to comment.
"I think you know how. I found out a few days ago. Yesterday, I confirmed it at the doctors that I was indeed almost three months pregnant. I wanted to tell Lucas right away, so I had you guys drop me off before taking the car. I was gonna tell him, until he dumped me," she sniffles, a few stray tears still falling.
"So what are we gonna do?" Farkle asks.
"We?" Riley says looking at him.
"Yes we. You can't think that you are alone in this. We are all in this together. Whatever you decide, we are right there with you," chimed in Maya.
"I love you guys so much," Riley says as the tears once again flow. Goddamn this hormones! She thinks.
"Well, we'll just all have to get used to them," laughed Farkle.
"I said that out loud didn't I," Riley chuckled.
"Yeah, you tend to still do that a lot," Maya says. They all burst into laughter, the first for Riley in a few weeks. She had no idea what she was gonna do, but she knew with these two in her life, she could do just about anything.
Lucas's POV
"What are you doing here?" I hear myself ask the girl I've loved since I was 14 years old.
"Oh my gosh. Lucas I am so sorry to hear about your mom, I didn't know you were the guy. I mean we heard shouting and everything, but we never saw a face, well your face. H-h-how, how is your mom?" she asks looking very very concerned and my heart swelled. After everything I've done, after pushing her away, abandoning her and our friends, and dating Missy, she still seems to care.
"She's, I mean she is," I sigh in frustration. "It's not looking too good for her." Her eyes water with unshed tears, and my already broken heart, breaks just a little more.
"I'm so sorry. Can I see her? Please? I know I haven't been around a lot, and I know she probably hates me, but can I please just see her for a little while?"
"Riles, she doesn't hate you," with that I stand aside and let her in followed by Maya and Farkle. "She's been in and out so don't be offended if she seems incoherent." Riley nods in understanding as Maya and Farkle just stand off to the side.
"Hi Mrs. Friar," Riley smiles down at my mom. My mom turns to face her and what I thought to be her needing me in case things went bad, a big smile appeared on her face.
"Riley! Hey honey! I've missed you," she says with a weak tone, but strong voice. Riley hugs her gently, I'm assuming not to harm her.
"I've missed you too Mrs. Friar," she's now sitting at her bedside in the chair I once occupied.
"How many times have I told you, call me.."
"Rachel, I know. I didn't know if the same rules applied," she chuckled which kind of made me ache more. I ruined their relationship in the process of ruining mine.
"Always dear, they always apply." She then spots Maya and Farkle and greets them as well. It's crazy to think that these are the same people, along with Zay, that I used to associate with. They kept me grounded, and my mom, Lennox, and grandma all adored them. They have always been there for me, even when I stopped being there for them. They all sit around and chat for a bit until Riley's phone goes off. She quickly stands and heads off to the corner to take the call. When she finally hangs up, she has a strange look on her face. She smiles half-heartedly at my mom.
"That was my dad. They found some stuff out and we have to go now," she says to Maya and Farkle who just nod in understanding. "It was great to see you again Rachel. I will definitely be back soon," she kisses my mom's cheek and they all walk towards the door. Curiously, I walked out with them, just in time to see Mr. Matthews jog up to them.
"She just came out of the examination room, and the doctor said that we could see her, but we wanted to wait for you," he explained. Who was he talking about? Why were they here?
"Is she okay? Please tell me Leyna is okay," Riley pleaded wanting to know that much.
"The doctor didn't say, but she didn't look as if she had really bad news. We'll just have to go and see sweetie." They three teens nodded at that last statement. Just as they were turning around to leave this wing, I couldn't help but ask.
"Who's Leyna?"
