Chapter 10: This is Goodbye

Riley's POV:

I walked back into the stadium, with tear stains from my eyes. I could barely walk, my heart had just been shattered all over again. I felt like I was going to fall over any minute. Maya was the first one to notice. "Riley, what's wrong?!" she asked as she ran over to me. She caught me before I was about to fall down to the ground. "Is she okay?!" Josh said as he joined Maya's side. Farkle soon came after. They took me out of the stadium and to the food court tables. My world was black again. My heart was destroyed. The one I love, broke my heart once again. Why did I let him do this to me? "Lucas." I managed to get out. "What happened?!" Maya asked. "There's no happy ending for us." I said. "What did he do?!" Josh asked. He was furious. Farkle came over with a bottle of water and I took a couple sips before I was able to talk about what had just happened. They all gathered around the table. "Lucas's dad wants him to move back to Texas and he agreed to it. I thought we meant so much to him." I said. "Why does he want to stay in Texas?" Farkle asked. "Because he thinks it's going to be awkward with everything that we have been through this summer. You know the kiss, the drama that followed." I said. "It's not going to be awkward. Lucas and I went back to being the type of friends we were before the kiss happened. It's not going to be awkward." Maya said.

"But what about you guys? What about last night?" Josh asked. "I guess it didn't mean as much as it did to me. I mean he said he was going to come down to visit but I told him it wouldn't be the same." I said. "Where is he?" Farkle asked. "He's probably sitting outside." I said. "In the rain?" Maya asked. "Probably." I said. "I'm going to go talk to him." Farkle said as he walked out.

Farkle's POV:

I walked out into the rain and I saw Lucas sitting with his head down on the bench. "Lucas, what're you doing it's raining out here?" I asked. Lucas remained in his spot. He shook his head. "I don't care." He said. "What happened?" I asked. "Why are you even talking to me?" he snapped. "What?" I asked. "Shouldn't you be mad at me for staying in Texas?" he asked. "Lucas, I'm still your friend no matter what you decide to do." I said. He looked at me and then looked back down. "Just when things are going good, something like this always has to happen." He said. "But see you had decisions this time, and you chose to stay in Texas." I said. "You already know why I'm choosing to stay in Texas." He said. "I do, but what I don't understand is why." I said. "Riley may have forgiven me for what I did. But I still haven't been able to forgive myself for it. I don't think I could ever forgive myself for hurting her." he said. "So why didn't you tell her that? And can we get out of the rain? Because I don't want to get sick." I said. We got up and walked to the truck. "I couldn't tell her that, it was already difficult enough to tell her that I was staying." He said as we got into the truck.

Riley's POV:

"I don't know why I'm acting this way." I said. "Because you love him." Maya said. "Were in high school, we shouldn't even know what love is. Maybe this is just lust." I said. "It's not lust Riley, I know love when I see it. "Maya said. "All Lucas and I have been doing is waste time. We're juniors in high school. I thought when I forgave him I thought we were going to become diamonds. But we just became dust. So maybe there isn't a happy ending for me and Lucas." I said. "Don't think like that Riley." Maya said. "There is a happy ending for you two." She said. "How do you know that?" I asked. "Because I know you and Lucas. You guys always overcome every obstacle that is thrown your way and you always come out stronger." She said. "I just want to go home." I said. "4 more days, kid. Just hang in there." Josh said.

Lucas's POV:

"So you're staying in Texas because you've broken Riley's heart enough?" Farkle asked. "Yes." I said. "Lucas, you're breaking her heart by staying in Texas. She had her heart set on all four of us graduating together. She had her heart set on you." Farkle said. "On me?" I asked. "Yes, on you. You told her you were worth it. Prove it." Farkle said. Before I could say anything else, Riley, Maya and Josh got into the truck. "Well the rodeo got cancelled because of the rain." Maya said, "Looks like were all staying in tonight." Josh said. I looked at Riley through the rear view mirror, my heart ached. She just stared out the window and didn't even bother to talk. I didn't blame her. I continued to focus on the road as we drove back to the ranch. No one talked. All you could hear was the sound of the rain, sad songs on the radio. It was over. Everyone's story was over. Except for two.

Riley's POV:

Once we reached the ranch, I quickly got out of the car, walked right upstairs and closed my bedroom door. I went into bed and brought my knees up to chin, I put my head down and cried. I cried as hard as I could, but my cry was silent. Like it's always been. I heard everyone's bedroom door close. There was sadness building up in the air. I pulled myself together and laid down. I pulled out the plaid shirt that Lucas gave me when we got into a mud fight the day before the whole campfire incident. I smelled it and it smelled just like him. I held it close to me and forced myself to sleep so that I can avoid the pain of today.

The next morning, I woke up to complete silence again. I didn't even bother to go downstairs. I stayed in the room. I didn't eat or talk to anyone. The only time I left my room was to use the bathroom. After a few hours of laying, in bed reading. I looked over at the clock and it was already 2pm. "Riley?" Maya said as she knocked on my door. I stayed right where I was. I didn't want to see anyone. "Ring power." She said as she knocked again. I rolled my eyes and opened the door. "Well good morning, sunshine." She said as she walked in and closed the door. "Lock it." I said. She locked it and walked over and sat on my bed. "Haven't seen you all morning, I brought you some food." She said as she held up a plate of pancakes, with eggs, sausage and bacon on the side. "Breakfast in the afternoon?" I asked. "Well you haven't stepped foot out of the room and the guys were pigs." She said. "Thank you." I said as I took the plate from her.

"So how are you feeling?" she asked. "Like how I'm always feeling. Numb." I said. "Aww honey, don't let this affect the rest of your summer. Don't spend the rest of summer hung up on Lucas." she said. "Maya, were still in Texas. I have no choice." I said. "Were in Texas but you don't need to be around him. Come on, get dressed. Let's have a Riley and Maya day." she said. "I don't know…" I said as I put the plate on my dresser. "Ah, ah, ah. Yes we are." Maya said as she pulled me up. "But I just want to stay in today, I mean it's raining outside." I said. Maya looked out the window. "When did that happen?" she asked. "Fine. We can stay inside. Do you have your laptop?" she asked. "I do." I said as I pulled it out. "Let's watch a movie." She said. "Ooh the notebook." She said. "No." I said. "Um, the Best of Me?" she asked. "No." I said. "The titanic?" she asked. "Are you trying to kill me?" I asked. "Okay, what about mean girls?" she asked. "No. That has a love story as well." I said. "John Tucker Must Die." She said. "Yes." I said immediately. "That has a happy ending too." She said. "Yeah, but they try to kill him first." I said with a smile. "Alright." She said as she played the movie.

Three days later:

Lucas's POV:

The last three days flew by so fast and Riley never spoke a single word to me the whole time. I just wanted to hear her voice again. It was killing me. I mean I heard her laughter when she was chatting with someone and that someone wasn't me. I feel like I'm making a big mistake staying in Texas. But this was for the best. I went downstairs to say goodbye to everyone but Riley was nowhere in sight. "Don't lose touch, Lucas." Maya said as she gave me a hug. "Don't worry, I won't." I said. "I hope this isn't the last of you." Farkle said as he gave me a hug. "It's not and you know it." I said. "Where's Riley?" I asked. Farkle shook his head. "She doesn't want to see you." he said. "But I want to say goodbye." I said. "I'll tell her you did." He said. "Okay." I said. I walked out to the porch and I watched my dad pull out of the ranch and drove them off to the airport. "Bye Riley." I said to myself as I walked back inside.

Riley's POV:

I knew it was wrong of me to not say goodbye to Lucas. But I just couldn't face him again. We almost reached the town and the guilt was coming over me. "Stop the car!" I yelled. Lucas's dad stepped on the brakes. "What is it?" Maya asked. "I didn't get to say goodbye to Lucas." I said. His dad smiled and nodded at me and he turned the car back around. He parked the car outside of the ranch once we got there. I walked up to the house and knocked on the door. Lucas opened the door and his entire face lit up. "Riley." He said trying not to smile.

To be continued…