I have something interesting planned for the next few chapters! It is going to get a little intense and dramatic, but bear with me! I am kind of excited to take this new twist and shake things up a little bit. I hope that you all enjoy and let me know what you think!

Disclaimer: I do not own Girl Meets World or any of the characters

Chapter 20

"You have no idea where he could have gone?" Riley asked, sitting next to Claire at the bay window and looking sympathetically at her.

"None," Claire shook her head. She looked over at Lucas, who was sitting on Riley's bed and trying to think of where his best friend could be. "Do you have any ideas Lucas?"

"I don't know," Lucas sighed.

"He didn't break up with you, did he?" Riley asked, and then winced for even asking that.

"No," Claire whispered. "He said he just needed to clear his mind for a few hours."

"Did you know he had failed?" Riley asked.

"I knew that he was having trouble in the class but not that he had failed," Claire said. "I wish he would have told me. I could have helped him more."

"Zay has always prided himself on being able to handle his own problems," Lucas explained. "He has always hated dumping his problems on other people."

"I tried to tell him that he doesn't need to do that anymore," Claire sighed. "We are a team, I want him to be able to trust me."

"I don't think it has anything to do with trust," Riley insisted. "When Lucas and I first started dating, it was like pulling teeth to get him to let me help with his problems. We could always talk but he always felt like he needed to handle his issues on his own."

"How did you eventually start letting her help you?" Claire asked.

"I realized that she and I were on the same team and that I didn't need to handle it on my own anymore. I had someone who wanted to help me and I needed to let myself trust that she was there to help me," Lucas explained.

"So he's just going to have to come around to the idea of letting me help on his own?" Claire asked.

"Unfortunately I think so," Riley nodded. Claire looked between Riley and Lucas and smiled to herself. The two of them were not looking at each other or even talking to each other at the moment, but she could feel them communicating with the other. She could feel the love between the two of them and knew that was what she wanted with Zay. She wanted someone who knew how she was feeling without even having to tell them.

"Plus it's Zay," Lucas smirked as he thought of his best friend. "He loves the dramatic return."

"You may have a point there," Claire laughed. She decided to trust Lucas in that moment and believe that he would come around. If there was anyone in the world that knew and understand what Zay was thinking, it was Lucas.

GirlMeetWorldRucas. GirlMeetsWorldRucas. .

"Hey," Zay walked into Claire's bedroom later that day. She looked up from the book she was reading and widened her eyes when she saw her boyfriend at the door.

"Zay!" Claire exclaimed. She jumped off the bed and rushed over to hug her boyfriend. He caught her easily in his arms and held her close. "Where in the world were you today? I called you like a million times!"

"I was clearing my mind," Zay shrugged. He walked over to take a seat on the bed and pulled her to sit with him. "I'm sorry I just disappeared."

"Why didn't you tell me you failed?" Claire asked.

"Because then I would have to admit to myself that I failed," Zay admitted.

"Zay," Claire whispered.

"It's so embarrassing," Zay sighed before running a hand over his face. "My first semester in college and I'm already falling behind."

"I'm so sorry babe," Claire reached out and grabbed his hand.

"What if I'm not cut out for college?" Zay asked. "What if school just isn't for me?"

"Do you truly believe that?" Claire asked.

"What?" Zay asked, turning to fully face his girlfriend.

"Let me ask you this," Claire said. She turned to face her boyfriend and crossed her legs underneath her. Zay nodded for her to continue. "If you hadn't failed your class. Say you finished with all passing grades, would you still believe that school wasn't for you?"

"Probably not," Zay shook his head.

"Then I don't think you truly mean that," Claire insisted. "If you really believe that you weren't cut out for college, you would have had these doubts before."

"Claire," Zay whispered.

"You can't let one set back stop you from finishing school. You have to use this as motivation to keep moving forward and trying harder next semester," Claire said. Zay could not stop himself, he leaned forward and kissed his girlfriend. He pulled back and smiled at her.

"How could you still have so much confidence in me?" Zay asked.

"Because I know you, Zay. I know what you are capable of and I know how smart you are. I believe in you with my whole heart and will continue to believe in you," Claire promised. "Plus, if you decide that school is not what you want to do anymore, I will fully support you and help you find your next path."

"Really?" Zay asked. He looked at his girlfriend and could see just how sincere she really was. He knew that she truly meant every single word she was saying.

"Absolutely," Claire nodded. "What have I always said to you?"

"That we are a team," Zay smirked.

"Teamwork," Claire held out a fist. Zay smirked and bumped fists with her.

"Makes the dream work," Zay laughed. Claire laughed and leaned into his arms. Zay held her close and kissed the top of her head. "I love you, Claire."

"I love you too, Zay. I always will," Claire promised. She looked up and then leaned up to kiss her boyfriend.

GirlMeetWorldRucas. GirlMeetsWorldRucas. .

"Hey man," Josh greeted Lucas as he walked into Topanga's.

"Hey," Lucas nodded in return. "What's up?"

"Not much," Josh shrugged. He took a seat across from his friend and then let out a long sigh. Lucas raised an eyebrow because he knew there was something clearly on his friend's mind.

"So what's going on?" Lucas asked.

"I need your opinion on something," Josh said.

"Oh yeah?" Lucas asked. "What's that?"

"I got a job offer right out of college," Josh said.

"You did? Congrats man!" Lucas said. "Doing what?"

"It's to work as an intern at a newspaper," Josh explained. "It would be under one of the journalists who work there. I would be writing some pieces and they might actually publish one of them."

"That's awesome man!" Lucas exclaimed. "That sounds like a great opportunity."

"Yeah it is," Josh nodded.

"Why do you not seem really excited about it?" Lucas asked, raising an eyebrow. "Most people would kill to have a job opportunity right now of college."

"It's in Boston," Josh said.

"Oh," Lucas widened his eyes. He was starting to realize what the problem was.

"And I haven't told Maya that I got offered the job yet," Josh added. Lucas winced because he knew that his friend was going to be really upset when she found out. "I would have to move right after graduation."

GirlMeetWorldRucas. GirlMeetsWorldRucas. .

"Hey," Riley smiled when Farkle crawled through her bay window later that day.

"Hey Riley," Farkle greeted and then dropped down next to her.

"What are you doing here?" Riley asked.

"I didn't know it was a crime to come and visit you," Farkle raised an eyebrow.

"It's not," Riley laughed. "I just wasn't expecting you."

"I just wanted to come over and see how you were doing," Farkle admitted.

"I'm okay," Riley said.

"Riley," Farkle raised an eyebrow. She knew he was talking about her pregnancy scare and that Smackle must have told him.

"I'm guessing Smackle told you?" Riley asked, a sigh escaping her lips.

"She did," Farkle nodded. "Are you okay? That must have been scary."

"I'm better," Riley nodded. "It just made me realize that at any given second our lives can completely change."

"How are you and Lucas doing?" Farkle asked. "You seemed really good the other day."

"We are much better," Riley smiled. "Things were really tense between the two of us at first but we have definitely moved past it."

"You could have called me," Farkle insisted.

"I know," Riley nodded.

"I'm always here for you, Riley. Just because I have been going through a lot myself, doesn't mean I'm not here to help you. I never want you to think otherwise," Farkle said.

"I appreciate that, Farkle. I really do," Riley smiled.

"We really are dealing with some adult issues now, aren't we?" Farkle asked, a sigh escaping his lips.

"I think so," Riley nodded.

"I wish we could go back to high school when our biggest issues were crazy love triangles," Farkle smirked.

"Oh my gosh!" Riley laughed and shook her head. "That feels like forever ago."

"That is definitely something I think we would all like to leave in the past," Farkle laughed.

"Along with Donnie Barnes," Riley teased. Farkle just laughed and shook his head. Riley smiled at her friend and laughed along with him. It always felt easy between the two of them. No matter where they were in their lives or how much time passed, they always fell back into rhythm with each other easily.

GirlMeetWorldRucas. GirlMeetsWorldRucas. .

"So you want me to see your art studio, for what reason?" Riley asked.

"I just want you to see where all the magic happens," Maya said.

"Are you even allowed in there?" Riley asked, walking along the campus of NYU with her best friend. "Isn't school closed?"

"They keep the art building open to art students," Maya said. "Plus, I want to show you a project I was working on with Eric before the semester ended."

"Is this the guy that Josh got really jealous over?" Riley asked.

"He's the one," Maya nodded.

"I'm assuming that Josh has mellowed out since?" Riley asked.

"Completely," Maya said. "He isn't jealous at all anymore."

"Well that is always a plus," Riley laughed. Maya swiped her student ID to let them into the art building and Riley looked around at the art studio. She then looked at her best friend who looked like she belonged here.

"Welcome to my home," Maya opened her arms and smiled. Riley smiled in return and followed the blonde to her easel. "This is mine."

"Only yours?" Riley asked.

"Yup," Maya nodded and took a seat on the stool. "We each got our own easel."

"Can I sit on this one?" Riley asked, gesturing to the one next to it.

"Sure," Maya said. "That's where Eric usually sits."

"He is very neat and organized," Riley laughed.

"Too neat," Maya laughed. Riley noticed something peeking out of his easel but knew it was rude to go through his stuff.

"So what were you two working on?" Riley asked, trying to distract herself but something was nagging at her gut.

"Here let me go get it," Maya said.

She got up to walk to the other side of the art studio and Riley decided she was going to be nosy because it was really bothering her. She reached into Eric's easel and felt her face pale. There was a whole folder filled with pictures of Maya. There were ones of her smiling at the camera and then ones of her looking away. He had candids of her from around campus. There was even one of her with Josh, cuddling on the grass. Riley counted at least twenty pictures of her best friend and she felt like she was going to be sick. The top of the folder read Maya Hart.

"Here we go," Maya walked back over but stopped when she saw the look on her best friend's face. "What's wrong, Riles?"

"What is this, Maya?" Riley asked, holding the folder up.

"What is what?" Maya asked, walking closer and seeing the folder with her name on it. She quickly took it from Riley and looked through and felt her stomach drop to the floor.

"Peaches," Riley whispered.

"Why the hell does Eric have a folder filled with pictures of me?" Maya asked, dropping the painting she was holding and then the folder filled with pictures. She looked up at her best friend and Riley's heart broke at the look on her best friend's face. It was filled with pure fear and was pale.