Its 7 o'clock and Maya comes to the window to pick Riley up for school.
Maya: Hey Riles.
Riley: Hi
Riley: Can I talk to you for a minute?
Maya: Sure
Riley: Maya, how do you know?
Maya: How do I know what?
Riley: That it's not right with you and Lucas
Maya: I just know.
Riley: Things are still different between us, I can feel it. I wouldn't feel like this if you were telling me everything.
Maya: You don't want to know.
Riley: Please tell me.
Maya: Okay... we kissed.
Riley: Oh.
Maya: It didn't mean anything. We just wanted to see if we'd feel something and we didn't.
Riley: Maya. Don't step back for me.
Maya: I'm not. I promise. I'm not.
Riley: You put a timer on this. I've had almost two years to figure out my feelings and you've had two weeks.
Maya: You're making this too hard.
Riley: And you're making this too easy, Maya. That's what we do. I think too much and you don't think at all. That's why I want us to take the time to see how we all feel, so that at the end of the day, I don't lose you.
Riley: Lucas and I can be friends. We can just be friends. It could be something else, but I NEED my best friend. I know how we work. We're not some idea in my head. We're us and I need us.
Maya: If we start it all up again...
Riley: It's going to be messy, but I'd rather it be messy for a little while than it to be like this between us forever.
Riley: I'm glad you want to protect me, but if you and him both push down your feelings for mine then this won't just be something we remember. It could be the thing that changes us or worse breaks us.
Maya: (Maya nods repeatedly). Okay.
(Maya and Riley hug. They grab breakfast and head out to school. Neither girl can concentrate all day at school. They don't really talk to Lucas all day. When school is out, everyone goes to Topanga's).
Riley: Hey Lucas. Can I talk to you for a second?
Lucas: Sure.
Riley: I don't really know how to ask you this, but how did you know it wasn't right when you and Maya kissed?
(Lucas just stands there, not really knowing how to answer).
Riley: I know that was kind of out of nowhere. You were probably expecting me to be thinking it, but didn't think I'd ask out loud.
Riley: I know you didn't want to think about it, but you knew she'd tell me.
Lucas: Yeah. I knew she would.
Riley: This is awkward. We can't make it not be awkward, but once we get it out in the open and close it out the right way, it will just be a memory. Right?
Lucas: I guess. I mean yeah. Yeah.
Riley: So... how did you know?
Lucas: We went for a walk and when we got far enough away from everything, Maya kissed me. I liked the kiss, but then I started to think of you.
Riley: Why do think that was?
Lucas: Because you're the one I want to be with.
Riley: Are you sure that's how you feel or is it maybe that you don't want to hurt my feelings?
Lucas: I care about you.
Riley: I believe that, but I also believe that you have some feelings for Maya.
Lucas: Of course I have feelings for Maya, we're friends.
Riley: Only feelings like friendship?
Lucas: Yes (he said weakly).
Riley: Lucas. I don't want to be the girl you pick just so you don't hurt my feelings. Then you hurt my best friend's feelings and you hurt yourself.
Lucas: What do you want me to do?
Riley: I don't know, Lucas. I can't say that I've liked you since we met. I thought you were cute because, well, because I can see.
Riley: That's how I got to know you, but then that day in the library we started to talk to one another and I started to get to know you and you're pretty great.
Riley: You're better than you look. Then we went on our first date and I kissed you and I worried because I kissed you and maybe you were just being polite because you're that kind of guy.
Riley: When we were a couple for one day I was the most scared I've ever been in my life. It felt forced between us. It's never been forced.
Riley: I thought that we needed all this passion like they think you and Maya have and up until I knew how she felt about you, I convinced myself that fires burn out quickly, but good ones can take forever to build.
Riley: I thought we were like that. A slow burning fire. I thought we didn't need each other. We just wanted each other and I always knew I wanted it more, but now I don't know how to feel or who to root for.
Riley: I'm sorry. I don't know where all that came from.
(Lucas hugged Riley close. It's the longest they've ever been this close. He wants to kiss her, but he can't, not right now. He just kissed Maya yesterday. He didn't know what to say, so he didn't say anything. Maya saw them from the window and she looked away quickly. Farkle went to Maya and tilted her head to his shoulder).
Farkle: It's going to be okay.
Maya: It's not going to be okay. It's me and Riley and nothing get between us, but this is getting in between us.
Farkle: Do you want to be with Lucas?
Maya: Yes.
Farkle: Why?
Maya: He's a nice guy.
Farkle: He's not the only nice guy you know. Why Lucas?
Maya: He's kind of us.
Farkle: What do you mean?
Maya: He and Riley believe in the same things and can talk about the things they like together, but when he feels like his friends are in trouble he's something else.
Maya: It's raw and it's angry. It's like me.
Farkle: So the one thing you like about him is the one thing he doesn't like about himself?
Maya: It's not that. I can't say what it is.
Farkle: Can I ask you one more thing?
Maya: Go ahead.
Farkle: Do you still like Josh.
Maya: I don't know.
Farkle: I think I know what you like about Lucas.
Maya: Well, since nothing I'm saying is right, you tell me.
Farkle: You see the way he looks at her.
Maya: What?
Farkle: Every time you tell Josh how you feel he fights any sort of response to you.
Farkle: He thinks you're gorgeous. The things you say make sense. He has literally run from the possibility of liking you, but with Lucas, you see him get to know Riley. You see the way he looks at her and you want that for yourself.
Farkle: When you need him, you see the way he looks at you. Like he believes in you and all he wants to do is protect you.
Farkle: That's real. He really does feel that way about you.
Farkle: I think he really feels that way about her too.
Maya: What are we supposed to do?
Farkle: I don't know. These feelings are new to all of us.
(Lucas finally ends the hug and walks Riley back inside. Maya sits up and away from Farkle, when they come back in).
Maya: Riley, can we go?
Riley: Sure. We'll see you guys later.
Maya: See ya.
(Maya and Riley get to Riley's apartment).
Riley: Why'd you want to come here?
Maya: Because I don't feel like we're closer to figuring all of this out and more than anything I just want some time alone with my best friend.
Riley: Wanna sleepover?
Maya: Duh
(Back at Topanga's, Zay walks in, right as Farkle is heading out).
Zay: Hey man. What did I miss?
Lucas: Nothin man.
Zay: Yeah, I guess that's why you're looking like you're dog just died.
Lucas: Zay, I don't know what to do.
Zay: Yes you do.
Zay: Which girl did you notice first?
Lucas: It was Maya. She walked up to be on the subway and I thought she was insane.
Zay: You told me she was beautiful.
Lucas: What? She can't be both?
Zay: Touché.
Zay: What was the first thing you liked about Riley?
Lucas: She's beautiful too, more now than she was when I met her, but I don't think she knew. She just looks for the best in everybody, so you know she's bound to find it.
Lucas: She still likes me, but the first thing she did when she thought Maya had feelings for me, was put her own feelings to the side.
Zay: Didn't Maya do the same thing?
Lucas: Riley said that. Maya never has.
Zay: What do you and Maya talk about?
Lucas: We don't.
Zay: I see you talk all of the time.
Lucas: We have had about three one on one conversations ever.
Zay: And Riley?
Lucas: So many.
Zay: Take away Farkle and Riley and me. What do you want to talk about with Maya?
Lucas: I want her to talk about her art. I'd like us to have a conversation where she's not insulting me, but it's more than two minutes long.
Zay: And you've never had that?
Lucas: No
Zay: I know what you like about Maya.
Lucas: She's a great girl. What's not to like?
Zay: She's a mystery. You and Riley know so much about each other, but with Maya, you have so much to learn.
Lucas: You are not helping me.
Zay: What do you want me to say?
Lucas: I don't know. Something helpful.
Zay: Pick Maya.
Lucas: Why?
Zay: Because I'm curious to see what that'll be like.
