Epilogue-ish

College, work, friends. It looks like a short list, but it's not. Those are just categories, and within those categories are reasons why life is worth living despite all the struggles that tie each of us together. Riley moved in with me, so I have my sister back again. Farkle tutors me, so I see him often. I act as a referee in Zay and Billy's competition, and sometimes I play against either one of them. And Lucas. It doesn't matter what we do because I just love being with him. I love him. (But I bet you can figure out what we do anyway.) When we're all available, we go out to Retrogrand and just talk about anything, whether serious or funny, random or intellectual, because we know the most important thing about our conversation is that we're together.

Today we're going to have a picnic at the park nearby, the place where I saw the sun set with Lucas. I bring my sketchbook with me just in case I see something worth drawing. Then again, each moment with my friends is a moment worth capturing. We walk to the park, and I love that we choose to walk because it makes time move more slowly, and I learned to drink in every second of this short life. The guys lead the way, and Riley and I stay behind with linked arms. The boys laugh at something Zay said, but I'm focusing on only Lucas. I watch the way his sea-foam green eyes dance in mirth, the way his crooked grin widens to brighten his face, and I smile to myself.

"He's really something, isn't he," Riley says. I used to feel apprehensive every time she brought Lucas up, but she told me she moved on from him for the most part, and I believe her. Her demeanor around him has gotten friendlier and less tentative, and she seems truly happy for me.

"He really is," I say. Then I turn to her and smile. "But so are you."

She flips her hair with her free hand and says, "Well, of course I am." She's joking, but I know she's gotten more confident over these past two months, so I say with a smirk, "When did you grow from that insecure girl I used to know?"

She nudges me with her shoulder. "When I found out that Maya and Riley are indestructible. Despite distance and hardship, we'll always come back to each other."

I grin and pump my fist into the air. "RING POWER," I shout at the top of my lungs.

"RING POWER," Riley joins.

The guys turn around and smile at us.

. . .

The guys grab each corner of the blanket and set it down, but Farkle is OCD, so he keeps telling them to "attack the wrinkles." Eventually, Billy says, "Oh my God, there's no such thing as perfection. Let it go, man."

Farkle huffs, but does as he's told. Riley and I get out the food and hand it to everyone, and we settle down. Lucas is next to me, so I lean into him, and he wraps his arm around my waist to support me. Riley takes her camera out of her bag and snaps a picture of Lucas and me to which I blink and ask, "What was that for?"

"For memories," she singsongs.

Zay holds up his juice box and says, "For memories!"

I laugh and roll my eyes, but I do the same. "And for every moment that makes Now so special."

"To us!" Farkle adds enthusiastically.

"To us," Billy agrees.

"To us," Lucas finalizes.

We chug our drinks, and I am overwhelmed with the feeling that this friendship is truly something worth years of pain and loneliness if it means finding each other again.

Lucas leans his head closer to me. "How are you?"

I look up at him with a smile. "I've never been better."

"Then my work here is done."

I raise my eyebrow. "Does that mean you're leaving me?"

I was teasing him, but he answers seriously. He touches his forehead to mine and says, "Never."

"Don't change my mind, Huckleberry."

He kisses me, long and slow. "I think I already did."

I hear what he's saying loud and clear. Before Lucas, I was broken. Lost. Confused.

Hopeless.

But with him in my life, I grow everyday and learn that life isn't always dark. The world is wild. Bright. Colorful.

Beautiful.

So right before I kiss him again, I say, "You did."

A/N: And that wraps up my first fanfic! Thank you for all of my loyal readers; I love you all so much. I will see you soon! Very, very soon...