Chapter Twenty Five: Girl Meets the New World
"How long are we avoiding this?" I asked my sister. "Not avoiding nothing. Just life moving on beyond that thing that happened between me and Austin." Riley replied. Maya started making a kissing noise. "I know what it was, you do not have to fish-face at me." Riley told her. Maya continued to make the noise and she squished her cheeks together and I decided to join her. "Maya and Caroline, other things are happening. Life got over. Why can't you?" Riley asked us.
"Life isn't over it. Haven't you noticed everything stopped?" Maya asked her. "Nothing is happening." I added. "Everything's happening!" Riley exclaimed in retort. "Riley, until we talk about," Maya made the kissing noise again, "nothing's ever happening again." "Oh, that's the talk of a kook." Riley told her. Everything was silent. I looked over at Maya and she shrugged her shoulders before sighing.
"Ladies." Farkle greeted us as he leaned in through the window. "Yay!" Riley cheered giving Farkle a hug. "Well that's settled then." Farkle stated. "Are you here for a reason, Farkle?" I asked. "I've got two tickets to a concert, but there's four of us. So, who do I take?" he asked. Riley turned to look at us. "You see, that right there is a very original situation. There will be many twist and turns that no one will see coming." Riley told us. "I like the way you hugged me, Riley. I'm taking you." Farkle told her before he left. "I did not see that coming." Riley told us.
"So we're back. Subway car, you lock eyes, you fall into his lap, you grab Austin by the face. You start moving toward him and…." Maya was interrupted when the door to Riley's room opened and my mom and dad walked in. "Riley and Caroline!" my dad said. "Yay!" Riley cheered. "Did Caroline and I do something? Are we grounded? Does she have to leave and Caroline has to go to her? You have to leave." She said to Maya. "And you have to go to your room." She told me.
"No we're glad you three are here. We need you to babysit Auggie." My mom said. "They need us to babysit Auggie." Riley repeated. "Been there done that." Maya and I said in unison. "Things could happen twice." Riley told us. "Unless it's an emergency, we don't want to hear from you." Mom told us. "What could happen? I'll tell ya. We'll put too much soap in the washing machine, and then we'll find a puppy and say, "can we keep him?" And then his owner will show up. It'll be this hot guy that Maya will totally like." Riley explained. "Yay!" Maya cheered. "But then he will move away because Maya can never be happy." Riley continued. "Boo!" Maya booed. "Then Lucas will come over to visit Caroline and they will cuddle while watching a movie." Riley continued. "Yay!" I cheered. "Boo!" my dad booed. "But then Lucas will have to move back to Texas." Riley added. "Boo!" I booed. "Yay!" dad cheered.
"You see, we have a lot going on today." Riley said directing it towards me and Maya. "Tomorrow." Dad stated. "Huh?" Riley questioned. "Yeah, we need you to babysit tomorrow." Mom said. "Today we got nothing." Dad told us before they left the room. "So, you got Austin by the face and…" Maya started again, but Auggie interrupted walking into the room. "Help me!" he said. Riley got up and ran over to our brother and picked him up. "Yay! Auggie do you have any problems that I can help you with?" Riley asked while moving back towards the bay window and sitting down with Auggie.
"Well, I made a new friend at school. What if mom doesn't like him? What if she picks him up and puts him in the hallway? Like Ava! What if no one is ever good enough for mommy's little boy?" Auggie questioned. Riley brought Auggie closer to her. "This is a thing." She told me and Maya. "Eh, not a whole thing. We check back on this twice tops." Maya replied crossing her legs. "I would be involved in it." Riley told her. "Completely our mother's thing." I told her. "Yeah, scram." Riley told our brother. "Mom." Auggie called as he walked out of the room.
"So that's everybody we know, huh?" Riley asked. "Not quite, you got two more friends that have a problem you could get involved in." Maya told her. "I do? Who?" Riley asked. Maya and I raised our hands. "Oy yeah. My troubled, misunderstood friend and my slightly crazy, happy, go lucky sister. People love your problems. You're a mess!" Riley exclaimed. "Thanks." Maya thanked. "Our problem is that we have a best friend who doesn't want to talk about the most important thing going on in her life, and we don't know what to do." I explained. "Can you help us please?" Maya asked.
"I kissed Austin." Riley finally admitted. "You don't say." Maya and I said in unison. We turned to look at each other. "What happens now?" Riley asked us both.
"The new world." Dad started in class later that day. "People who lived their whole lives in a certain place travel to a new land of new feelings," Riley stopped writing and looked up at her dad, "and new opportunities." I'm guessing that since Riley looked up then Austin did too and I was right because they looked at each before looking back at dad. "Having no idea how to behave in this brand new society." "Austin, what did you tell him?" Riley asked quietly. "Nothing, I am also uncomfortable." Austin said stiffly.
"Wait, Mr. Matthews doesn't know Riley kissed Lucas?" Farkle asked quietly. "No." Maya answered with a smile. "So everything he says is making them uncomfortable?" Lucas asked quietly. "Uh-huh." I answered. "Shall we take advantage of this?" Farkle asked. "How could we not?" Maya asked back. "I will begin." Farkle told her. Then he slowly started to stand up. "So, Mr. Matthews, tell me, after you've had the courage to close your eyes and take the face of the new world in you trembling hands…" Farkle started.
"What are you trying to say, Farkle?" dad asked. "Are you supposed to be a couple next or what?" Farkle asked. "Huh?" dad questioned. "What?" Riley asked. "Huh?" Austin questioned. "Oh you don't understand my question? Perhaps my dear friend miss Maya Penelope Hart could help me out." Farkle said. "Penelope." Sarah said leaning over towards Maya. I had to admit that Maya's middle name did not suit her well. "Farkle." Maya said darkly. "It came out. It just came out. It came out. It just came out." Farkle defended himself before he sat back down.
"Penelope?" Austin questioned. Maya turned to look over at Austin. "Really, Huckleberry #2? You want to play with me right now?" Maya asked him. "No." he answered. "Cause you've done quite enough, haven't you?" Maya asked and she did a little kiss. "Maya." Austin said. "Maya." Riley repeated. Maya turned back around to look at my dad. "Mr. Matthews, I think what Farkle is trying to say is once you've kissed…" Maya started. "Yeep!" Riley yelped. "…the shores of this new world I bet your friends from the old world would want to hear about how the new world is, and if you don't tell them, well that's just selfish." Maya continued.
"What are you trying to say, Penelope?" dad asked Maya. "Are you supposed to be a couple next, or what?" Maya asked. "Alright, what's going on here, guys?" dad asked walking in front of us. "Nothing! Could we just please, for once, read from the book?" Riley asked before she opened the book. "The boy and the girl had no idea of the changes they would soon be facing. Everything was different including their own bodies…" Riley stopped reading. "What the…" "You're reading your health book." I told her. "Word of warning page 73. I don't understand. It makes no sense. It looks impossible." Farkle stated.
"Riley, what is going on here?" Dad asked Riley. "Farkle kissed my hand." Maya blurted out. "You did?" dad questioned. "It was glorious." Farkle commented. "It was. I went home and questioned everything." Maya added. "Okay, Caroline where were you?" dad asked me. "I was with Lucas." I told him. "What were you doing?" he asked. "That's for me to know and you to dot, dot, dot." I told him. "Fine." He said. "Riley, where were you while all of this hand kissing was going on?" dad asked her. "Nowhere, with no one doin' nothing with nobody." Riley answered nervously.
Dad looked at her before he moved and went to Austin. He looked at Austin and Austin smiled at him before he got up. Then he quickly climbed over the desks and out of the room. Dad came back to Riley and looked at her again. "Auggie now." Riley demanded. "I don't see where else we could go." Maya replied.
I was standing in the hallway with Riley and Maya. Riley and I closed our lockers and turned around to see all of the girls from our class standing there. I thought that they were going to ask Riley, but what Sarah asked wasn't directed towards Riley. "So?" She questioned. "Yes?" I asked. "How long have you and Lucas been together?" Darby asked. "Why do you think we're together?" I asked. "It's obvious." Sarah answered. "Fine we've been together after we kissed on the subway." I told them. "Aww." All the girls awed.
Since they got their answer from me they turned and stared at Riley. "Everybody stop looking at me." She told them. "Tell us." Sarah ordered. "I don't kiss and tell." Riley retorted. "Did you kiss?" Darby asked. "Yes." Riley answered. "Tell." Darby ordered. "And take your time." Sarah added. "Nothing happened. Back me up, Maya." Riley ordered. Maya turned around and did that make out thing. "That inaccurate. Care, please help me." Riley begged. I squished my cheeks together and made a kissing noise. "Yeah, that's pretty good." Riley said and I stopped.
"So are you guys boyfriend and girlfriend now?" Sarah asked. "What are ya?" "What are ya?" Darby also asked. "I don't know. Do we have to be something?" Riley asked. "Well you did kiss him." Sarah pointed out. "What are ya?" Darby asked again. "Look, it just happened. She's not really sure what it all means yet." Maya told them. "You guys are meant to be together. Like me and Yogi. Yogles!" Darby exclaimed as Yogi jumped in her arms and she walked off. "Will Austin and I ever have what they have?" Riley asked. "Boy, I hope not." Maya and I replied in unison.
"You know, Riles, they do have a point. I mean you like him. He likes you. There was a kiss." I told her. "I will not act under peer pressure. Unless you guys think I should." Riley said, whispering the last part just to me and Maya. The girls moved and pushed Riley into the middle of the hallway toward the boys and Austin who was being carried by Farkle and Darby. "What are ya?" Darby asked.
"What are we?" Riley asked Austin. "Are we boyfriend and girlfriend?" Austin asked. "Are we?" Riley asked. "I don't know." Austin answered. "You wanna?" "I don't know." Riley answered. "You think, maybe?" "Wanna?" Austin asked. "Are they weird or adorable?" Sarah asked. "No. Me and Yogi are weird. They're adorable." Darby explained to Sarah. "What just happened? Do I have my first boyfriend?" Riley asked.
"I don't know. What just happened?" Farkle asked. "I don't know. Can't wait to see what happens next." Maya said. Farkle got down on one knee and opened a box that had an engagement ring in it.
"Okay, here we are. What do we do now?" Riley asked. "You go on a date after school." Sarah told her. "You sit there and look at each other stupid, like this." Darby added before she turned and looked at Yogi. They just stared at each other. "Stop, nobody's telling us what to do." Lucas said. "We're not you, you're you. We're us, we do what we do." "Yeah, we do what we do." Riley agreed. "What do we do?" Riley asked.
Lucas and I were walking from school. "So how do you think this is going to turn out for them?" Lucas asked me while grabbing my hand. I looked down at our hands and smiled. "Honestly, I don't think that they are going to be boyfriend and girlfriend after today." I told him. "Why?" he asked. "Because I have this feeling that my mom is going to help them realize that they shouldn't act like this." I answered. "But how do you know that?" he asked. "If there's one thing my mom's good at. Then it's at helping people with their problems." I told him.
"Do you think we should go check on them?" Lucas asked. "Of course because she's my sister, but…" I trailed off. "But what?" he asked. "I wanted to spend more time alone with you." I pouted. Lucas stopped walking and looked me. "Have I told you how lucky I am to have you as my girlfriend?" he asked. "No." I answered. He kissed me on the lips and wrapped one of his arms around my waist. "Well I am." He told me. I leaned my head on his shoulder and we started walking towards Topanga's.
As we were about to walk into Topanga's we ran into Farkle and Maya. I noticed an engagement ring on Maya's left ring finger. "You said yes?" I asked. "Yep I am no longer Maya Penelope Hart. Instead I'm Mrs. Farkle Minkus." Maya told me. "Good luck with that." I told her. We all walked in. "Mrs. Farkle Minkus." Maya said showing Riley her ring. Lucas and I sat down in two chairs. "You said yes?" Riley asked. "That's what I said." I told them. Maya sat down beside Farkle. "Goodbye Maya Penelope Hart. Hello Mrs. Farkle Minkus." Maya said.
"All this time, I've been trying to love and appreciate her, but all it took was this big, hunking rock." Farkle stated. "Make a note, Riley. They put one of these in front of our faces and we get hypnotized by the sparkles." Maya told Riley. "Wait, you only said yes because of the ring?" Farkle asked. "It had nothing to do with me?" "That would be pretty shallow of me, wouldn't it?" Maya asked. "I don't care." Farkle told her.
"All right, Farkle, you're a scientist, let's do an experiment." Maya took off the ring and handed it to Farkle. "Ask me without the ring." Farkle took the ring and didn't show it to Maya. "Would you marry me?" Farkle asked. "Die." She told him. "Now ask me with the ring." Would you marry me?" Farkle asked with the ring. "I love you so much." Maya said taking the ring from Farkle. "I believe you." Farkle replied.
"Hypnotized, Riley. You need to protect me." Maya told Riley. "Protect you from what, Maya? Relationships are supposed to be about two people who make the choice to come together by themselves." Riley explained. "Of their own free will at the right point in time." Austin added. "It has nothing to do with…" Riley stopped when she saw the ring. She grabbed Maya's hand and looked at Farkle. "How do they get these things so sparkly, Farkley?" "Pressure." Farkle answered. "This diamond used to just be a piece of coal that was put under a lot of pressure."
"Yeah, I'm keeping it." Maya decided, pulling her hand away from Riley. "Good, I come with it." Farkle told her. "Huh, well I really love you and everything." Maya said looking at the ring. "Why thank you." Farkle thanked her. "I was talking to the ring." She told him. "Oh." Farkle said. "The way I see it. The only way we can be happy is if I sell you, get a nice house and the two of us would just be happy with each other." Maya explained. "Just me and you?" Farkle asked. "Just me and the ring." Maya corrected him. "Wait you're selling me?" Farkle asked. "I thought that was clear." Maya retorted.
"Fine. Come on Austin, Lucas, let's get out of here." Farkle said to the two boys. "I'm actually going to walk Care home." Lucas told Farkle. I smiled and kissed him on the cheek. "Oh, well I was going walk Riley home." Austin told Farkle. "You don't have to." Riley told him. "No, I think I should." Austin replied. "Try again." Riley told him. "I want to very much." He told her. "Wait, that means I'm walking home with Farkle?" Maya questioned. "You're wearing my ring." Farkle pointed out. "Boy the stuff you got to do." Maya commented. Farkle and Maya got up and walked out.
Lucas was about to stand up when I stopped him. "We are watching them." I told him. He nodded and put his arm back around me. "I'm not sure it's going to work out with them." Riley said. "You think?" Austin asked. "So you're walking me home?" Riley questioned. They both looked at the couple who walked in holding hands. "Yeah." Austin answered. "Hold hands?" "I guess we should." Riley said. "Try again." Austin told her with a smile. "I want to very much." Riley told him.
Austin held out his hand and Riley took it. They stood and walked out, Lucas and I followed after them. "Ooh." Our classmates who were sitting outside said. "Yeah, this isn't going to be weird at all." Riley said to Austin. She pulled him up the stairs. Our classmates turned and saw me and Lucas. "Aww." They awed. I shook my head and we quickly followed Riley and Austin. I figured that if he was going to find out about Riley and Austin then he should find out about me and Lucas.
We finally arrived at the apartment. After the little episode with our classmates, Riley and Austin started to act weird around each other. It was awkward walking with them when they were like that. I'm just glad that we're home because I know mom is going to do something about this. Riley opened the door and her and Austin walked in. When they stopped their arms we straight out and the looked stiff. "Thank you very much, Austin. I had a wonderful time." Riley told Austin, uncomfortably. "You're welcome, Riley. I also had a wonderful time." Austin replied just as uncomfortably.
"Uh, what are you kids doing? You guys look really awkward and stiff. Is this about that kiss I heard about?" mom asked. "What?!" dad shouted. Mom and dad got up and walked towards us. "Everyone pressuring you to be something you're not ready for?" Mom questioned. "Not ready!" dad shouted. "And because you think that your sister and your cousin are together after they kissed that you should too?" mom asked. "What?!" dad shouted again.
"Please, stop holding hands. You look crazy." Mom told them. Riley and Austin stopped holding hands. "You two are a part of the best group of friends I have ever seen and if you're going to let some stupid outside pressure hurt that. Then you're not anywhere near as smart as I thought you were." "But sometimes the right pressure can turn you into a diamond." Riley pointed out. "Yeah, and the wrong pressure turns you into dust." Mom retorted. "Do you want to be dust?" "I don't want to be dust." Riley told her.
Riley turned to look at Austin. "Austin." Riley said. "I really like you, Riley." Austin told her. "We always have such a great time together." Riley stated. "We should break up." Austin told her. "We should break up right now." Riley agreed. "This has been my longest relationship." "Hey, Riley, do you have to be home?" Austin asked her. "No we could go somewhere and talk." Riley suggested. "I'd like that." Austin told her. "Yeah, like you used to when it was easy." Mom said.
She let them walk out and we started to follow them, but she stopped me. "We will talk about your little relationship tomorrow." She told me. "For tonight, go have some fun." I gave her hug before walking out with Lucas.
The next morning when I woke up, I sat up and smiled remembering hanging out with Lucas last night. Then I remembered that my parents now know and they want to talk to me about it. I quickly got dressed and did my hair before I grabbed my bag. I walked out of my room, but I checked to see who was in the kitchen. Everyone was there eating breakfast. Mom and dad weren't facing the way I would need to go to get to the door so maybe I could just sneak out.
I held my bag close to my body and slowly walked towards the door. When Auggie and Riley noticed me, I motioned for them to keep quiet. I finally got to the door thinking I was home free. I was about to open the door when, "Where do you think you're going?" someone asked. I froze in my spot before I turned around to look at my mom and dad. "I'm going to school." I told them. "Sit down." My mom ordered. I put down my bag and sat down at the table.
"So when were you going to tell us you had a boyfriend?" my mom asked. "I thought you knew." I replied. :"Just because I knew didn't mean this idiot over here did." Mom told me. "Yeah." Dad agreed, but then frowned when he realized what he was agreeing to. "I didn't tell you because I didn't want dad freaking out." I told her. "Well you could have at least told me." She replied. "I know." I said looking down at the table. "So how long have you to been together?" dad asked. "Since the triple date." I told him. "Oh." He said.
"Can I go now?" I asked. "Yes." Mom answered. "Come on, Riles. Lucas and Austin are waiting for us." I told her. I grabbed her while grabbing my bag. She grabbed her bag and we walked out of the apartment.
Riley and I walked into school with Austin and Lucas. When we were near the top of the stairs Austin and Riley stopped walking. "Hey, Austin and I are friends. That's what we are, that's what we've always been. And we are not going to hurt that because you guys want us to be something we're not. So, go back to your own lives because nobody is moving too fast here." Riley told everyone. After that Farkle came into the hallway wearing a suit with Maya who was wearing a wedding dress and holding a bouquet.
"'Sup." She greeted. She threw the bouquet to Riley who caught it before walking into the classroom. Riley handed me the bouquet before walking to class with Austin. I looked at the bouquet before handing it to Darby and following after Riley and Austin with Lucas.