A/N: Part 2 of this chapter. It's unrevised! I'm sorry!
Thank you for being so sweet! I appreciate the kind reviews! I thank you for the support and for reading this story! :3
Disclaimer: I don't own GMW but I do love me some good old angst.
"Alright Riley. You've been bouncing off the walls pretty much the entire time we've been here." Farkle said, to everyone's nods in agreement. "So spill. Why are you so excited?"
"We're throwing Charlie Gardner a surprise welcome back party tomorrow!" Riley exclaimed, no longer able to keep her plans to herself. "I have everything sorted out! This is just a small get together to welcome him back. My mom and dad are going out to dinner on Friday night and Auggie will be hanging out with Doy, but they said it was okay to have it as long as this doesn't get wild."
"Charlie?" Lucas' brows rose in surprise. "I didn't know he was at our high school."
"I'm pretty sure he's in Pre-Calc with us," Zay said in amusement, giving Lucas a raised brow. "Maybe if you stopped flirting with Blonde Beauty long enough to pay attention to what's going on around you in class, you would have noticed."
Farkle snickered as Lucas shot Zay a dirty look, clearly telling him to shut his trap.
"He moved back this week," Maya said, completely ignoring Zay's comment, her attention on the game on Lucas' phone. "Why are you throwing him a party, Riley?"
"I don't know." Riley shrugged, thanking the waitress as she picked up the empty glass of her pineapple mango smoothie. "I just want him to meet more people here. I feel like with his move, he hasn't had that much of a chance to get to know people and I want him to. No new kid should spend their time alone. Friends are important. So I wanted to throw him a party."
"Okay," Zay said. "I'm in. I'll be the DJ and supply the alcohol."
Maya shot her hand into the air excitedly, sitting up straighter with a grin. "Oooh! I second the alcohol. Hell, I'll bring some."
"No alcohol."
Riley and Lucas said simultaneously, giving them both disparaging glares.
"Need I remind you of the table incident on New Year's Eve?" Lucas pointed out, quirking a brow in Maya's direction. "And your birthday?"
"It's not like I flashed everyone. I had a bra on. Besides…" she smirked. "You certainly weren't complaining about the view."
Lucas' eyes narrowed in annoyance. "Maya."
"Relax Huckleberry." Maya laughed, giving him back his phone and stretching her arms above her head with a loud yawn. "I was just kidding about the alcohol."
"I wasn't." Zay muttered.
"No alcohol or I'll get in trouble with my parents and they'll never trust me again! Anyway," Riley drew out the word, trying to bring their attention back to her. "Lucas, can you bring snacks and drinks with Maya after her softball game tomorrow? I know you're going to be there, so if you guys could handle that, that would be great."
"Sure thing." Lucas replied.
"Zay, I want you to help me set up the party tomorrow night."
"What time is the party?"
"I was thinking it could start around nine since Maya's game will probably be over around six. So maybe if you show up around seven that would be great."
"You've got it, Bambi."
"And Farkle," Riley continued, "bring party goods and plates and napkins and stuff. You and Lucas and Maya should also come around seven with the things you need to bring. I don't think I need to tell you that this party has to stay a secret from Charlie. Everything clear? Have you got your jobs in order?"
"Yeah."
"Yupp."
"Great!" Riley grinned. "This is going to be the perfect party!"
"Maya." Katy hollered from across Topanga's, hurrying over to a table with drinks in her hand. "You're supposed to be working right now. Your break ended twenty minutes ago. Do you mind getting back to work?"
"Sorry, Mom! I'll get to it." Maya yelled back. She stood up, yanking her apron from the table to tie it back on. "See you guys later."
She picked up Zay's cleaned plate of cheesecake and Farkle's mug and hurried away before her mom scolded her again.
"So who else is invited to this party?" Zay asked. "Because I think I can make a strong case for the cheerleaders to be there. And of the cheerleaders, Alyssa Ferrari. She's all spice and nothing nice. Just my type."
"No. Not Alyssa. If she hears of this party, everyone in the grade will be there," Riley said in concern. The last thing she needed was the rest of the cheerleading squad finding out and then the whole football team coming to the party. She wanted to keep it quaint. Maybe she didn't know Charlie very well at the moment, but she had a feeling he wouldn't be a huge fan of a giant, crazy party. He honestly did seem like the quiet, chill type. "Let's keep it on the down low, okay? Everyone invite a few of your friends and of course the ones who hung out with Charlie in middle school. But no one else can know. We have only tonight and tomorrow to get everyone who's coming clued in before the party in the evening, so we have to handle it as soon as possible."
Farkle stood up. "In that case, I'll head out and get the stuff tonight since I have debate tomorrow afternoon."
"I'll come with you," Zay said. "I need to check out some speakers at an appliance store."
"I'm going to a grocery store," Farkle said as he made his way towards the door, frowning as he stared at Zay.
"Yes, but you have a car. Drop me off on your way."
Farkle rolled his eyes, grumbling under his breath as he and Zay headed out of Topanga's.
"Ae you leaving any time soon?" Riley asked Lucas as she placed her planner back into her school bag, preparing to leave to head to Charlie's.
Maybe she could catch a ride with Lucas since Charlie didn't live particularly close to this area.
"No, uh…" He rubbed the back of his neck, glancing briefly at Maya serving a table their pastries. "Maya's mom is doing inventory tonight so I was going to wait until her shift was over to give her a ride home."
"Oh. I see." Riley's lips pulled up into a wide grin.
"You see what?" Lucas asked warily.
Riley giggled and stood from her seat, moving over and plopping onto the one next to Lucas. He leaned a little bit away from her, looking incredibly nervous all of a sudden.
"So." Riley asked slowly. "What's going on between you and Maya?"
He stared at her, clearly surprised by her question, but she caught the sudden apprehension in his gaze. She'd definitely caught onto something. He was trapped.
"What?"
"You and Maya, Lucas. Why aren't you dating?"
"Because we're just friends, Riley."
"No you're not." Riley frowned. "You're still interested in each other. I can tell. So why haven't either of you made a move?"
"I have made a move. Several. It's not like I accidentally make out with her." He ran a hand through his hair, sighing in defeat. "She keeps giving me mixed signals. Half the time, she reciprocates and I feel like she wants to be with me too. The other half… well, you've seen her punch me."
"I think Maya is just scared, Lucas." Riley responded. "She wants to have the relationship with you, but after the whole fiasco back when we were younger, I think she lost a lot of hope for it. And then freshman year was kind of tense and awkward at times. I think she's trying to hold back because she doesn't want to possibly end up hurt again."
Lucas stared at Maya as she rang up someone's order at the counter. She briefly glanced up and saw them both looking at her. Trying to hold back her smile, she stuck out her tongue playfully before turning to give her customer their change.
"…There's really no way to get her to open up if she doesn't want to." Lucas finally said.
"She'll come around. She won't listen to me, but you just have to show her you still want to pursue and that your feelings for her are one hundred percent genuine."
"What makes you think if her best friend can't get her to listen that I'll have any luck?"
"Because I believe in you, Lucas. And I believe that Maya likes you too. And I believe that you and Maya are meant to be together." Riley smiled. "But it's also because you're the only person who can get through Maya's thick skull."
Lucas snorted, rolling his eyes in amusement. "Thanks, Riley."
"Good luck." She patted his shoulder as she snatched her bag from the ground and stood up. "Don't you dare forget to get snacks and drinks tomorrow, or I'll get mad at you both."
"No offence, but you guys always complain about the snacks I like and say that they're too healthy. Why do you have me on snack duty?"
"That's what Maya is for. She'll dictate what to bring. You're buying."
"So I'm just being used to pay for all the stuff." He deadpanned.
"Precisely." Riley giggled. "Anyway, I'll see you later. Don't be late tomorrow!"
She hurried out of Topanga's to get to Charlie's, excited about what was to come the next day. She couldn't wait to see Charlie's face when he walked into his party.
