Lucas moved towards the kitchen table and sat in his normal spot before rubbing his eyes. They were incredibly tired and sore, it felt like sand paper every time he blinked. Cory studied him from afar and waited until his daughter's bedroom door closed before speaking. "Lucas, are you okay?"

"No sir. I'm not at all okay." There was no hesitation as he started to cry again, "The entire school is looking at Riley as if she's a piece of meat and it has taken everything in my power to not tear their heads off. She's utterly humiliated and if that wasn't enough to tear me apart because she's so sad, she broke up with me."

Mr. Matthews stood up and reached into the fridge. "Take a couple gulps, it'll help calm you down."

The quarterback did as instructed and dried his face in the process. "Thanks."

"Now, I want you to answer me honestly." The sudden change in his tone brought the green eyed man back to reality. "Did you know someone was harassing Riley through text messages?"

"WHAT!?"

He sat down with a heavy sigh. "I'll take that as a no."

His fists immediately clenched. "Who? What did they say?"

As if on cue Topanga waltzed into the apartment with a file folder. "I got them." Lucas had never seen Mrs. Matthews so angry before. The normal loveable smile was no more and was replaced by an evil scowl. "I told you we should've done this a long time ago." She slammed the folder down and heaved herself into the chair.

"I know honey." His hand rested on hers, "I shouldn't have listened to her. I made a mistake and I can't apologize enough to her." Lucas cleared his throat to pull them out of their heart to heart. Not like it wasn't a nice moment but, someone was harassing his princess. "Sorry Mr. Friar." The green folder was slid across the table and in the quarterbacks grasp. "Read them."

His green eyes traced the papers as he opened the folder.

Worthless…

Slut…

Nothing…

Lucas deserves more…

Pathetic piece of trash…

Topanga watched as his face slowly turned red. "Who?" He growled.

"Well, I'm currently obtaining a warrant for that information. We're pressing charges for harassment. I can't wait to get my hands on that freaking principal." Her hands slammed against the table, "I'm going to tear him limb from limb. I'm going to check on her." The chair practically flew backwards across the hardwood as she stormed down the hall.

His emerald eyes were no longer recognizable, they were consumed by rage. "Don't mind her, that's lawyer Topanga. She's a shark when she wants to be." They sat in silence as Lucas thought of ways to ruin Missy. He couldn't hit her, he would never. His normal reactions had rendered him useless. "I just wanted to confirm with you that everything Missy has done this year has been reported to Ms. Davenport correct?"

His mind started running through the past few months they had known each other and been together. "I mean there were occasional verbal arguments that happened before we started dating. And then the rumor that I was paying her to—"

"To what?"

He inhaled trying to remain calm. "To date me and sleep with her. Which is completely and utterly untrue. We have never—"

"Trust me Lucas, I know my daughter. I also know you shouldn't have gone after her today."

The quarterback furrowed his brows. "I guess I don't understand. That is absolutely what I should have done."

Mr. Matthews scratched the back of his neck. "Riley has control over one emotion. Happiness. All others are too much for her to handle, when she becomes angry or sad or whatever you want to call it she becomes irrational and takes it out on the person who's beside her. For a long time it was Maya. And she being as great as she is would take it or tell her to shut up. That's why we didn't know about the bullying for a good portion of the time during her freshman year. She secluded herself and assured us everything was fine if she was holed up in her room. She would occasionally snap at Josh but now, it was you."

"Wait, so what you're saying is that if I hadn't gone after her like a good boyfriend I would still have my girlfriend?" Cory hesitantly shrugged, as if to say pretty much. "Son of a." He cut himself off and his forehead landed on the table. "Sir, what do I do? I'm in unchartered territory right now and I don't know-"He gulped and closed his eyes, "I don't know what to do right now. I need her sir and I know that's intense for only being together 2 months in our junior year but I don't care because that's what I feel."

"Lucas trust me, my freshman year I flew to Orlando after Topanga because I wanted to be with her. Of course I had a little help from my best friend Shawn. There are no judgments being passed right now." The quarterback still hadn't lifted his head off of the table so Cory took that as his cue to continue talking. "When we were 16, Topanga moved. And I thought the world was ending. You know she didn't even tell me she was moving until a few days before she was leaving. I was losing the girl I've loved for years, my first kiss, my first girlfriend, my first date so I know how you're feeling."

"I want to talk to her."

"Now is definitely not a good idea."

"I was afraid you'd say that." His forehead lifted off the table and revealed his tear stained face. "How long?"

He shrugged, "A few days. You can still approach her if she looks like she's in a decent mood but with what just happened and now Maya's mad at her I don't know when that will be."

"Wait, why is Maya mad? She needs to be in there with her best friend."

Cory sighed, "She overheard a conversation between Riley and I. She's thinking of transferring schools until this dies down." His face became warm, his eyes glassed over, and his body trembled. But what stuck out most of all was the feeling in his heart. He absolutely disgusted the idea of not dating Riley Matthews, but he never thought he'd go without having to see her. 5 days a week were being taken away from him.

Riley was becoming more like a ghost, every time he tried to reach out and grab her she would disappear. "Please sir, please don't let her switch schools. You said earlier that you wished you wouldn't have listened to her. This is one of those times where you shouldn't listen to her."

Cory rested his forearms against the dining room table. "Lucas, I know you want to see her-"

"Yes I do. But it isn't just about that. I get if she needs a few days off but I also know that she shouldn't run. Missy is leaving right? All of Riley's friends, Josh all the people who care about her go to that school. If she keeps avoiding situations she won't ever be able to control her emotions—because you say they're uncontrollable for her."

At that moment Topanga sauntered into the kitchen and Cory rose instantly knowing what she wanted. Mrs. Matthews' eyes had pooled, "I hate seeing her so sad." She whispered against his chest.

"Mr. Matthews please let me go in there. Please."

"Don't take anything she says personally."

The quarterback darted down the hallway and a wave of nerves rushed over his already shaky frame. "Princess." He creaked the door open and saw Riley lying on Josh's chest. Her eyes were still red but it didn't seem as if she was crying anymore. She seemed, numb. And Lucas was unsure which he hated more. "Princess, can I talk to you."

Josh slightly shook his head with wide eyes, noticeable enough for Lucas but the brunette wouldn't have seen it. He kept mouthing the word 'no' as if it was a warning. Nonetheless, he was going to talk to Riley. He had to. "Sure."

"I'll go call Maya." Curious as to why she wasn't there and what the blonde and his sister had fought about.

"No, Josh don't. I'll work things out with her soon, but the more pressure you put on her the more she's going to fight it. Just, don't."

Her brother nodded as he exited the room and silently closed the bedroom door behind him. The quarterback stood in front of her fidgeting with his hands, now that he was here he had no idea what to do. In any other situation he would kiss her and hold her. Just to let her know that things were going to be okay but everything changed this morning. Or so he thought, the brunette rose off the bed and gave him a hug. "You look bad."

He didn't even care in that moment as his grip around her waist tightened and he buried his face in her neck. "I feel bad."

"You can join the club, I'm president." She quipped, in an effort to keep the mood light and happy.

The green eyed man enjoyed the joking and knew it was the only way for her to cope with everything as of right now. "I missed you princess." The brunette nodded since she was unable to force words out. "Come on let's sit."

The brown eyed girl agreed and laid back down on her bed with Lucas beside her. "Did you go back to school?"

"Nope, I wasn't allowed in." She furrowed her brows, "Well you know how they lock from the outside during school hours? Well, since I refused to go through the office door I texted Josh, then Maya, then Farkle, then Zay, then Chris and they all said no."

"Why?"

"Because I had every intention of beating every guy's ass who so much as looked at—"He cut himself off and pulled her onto his chest. "You shouldn't be so far away."

He heard her gulp and knew what she was about to mention. "I didn't want to make you uncomfortable since we—you know."

Ow. "I don't want to. But I know you're going through a lot right now. So I'm going to be here for you, no matter what and once I personally pummel every single male and hold down Missy while you take care of her then maybe if I get lucky a second time around—"

"Maybe." Though it wasn't reassuring, though it wasn't final, it was hope. "I do love you Lucas."

"I love you too princess, more than you can ever imagine. I'm so sorry that this happened to you." He whispered and somehow got closer to her. "I'll be patiently waiting for you."

"Really?" She questioned with tear filled eyes.

He nodded and brushed some hair behind her ear. "I won't give up on you, on us. We're worth it, I won't walk away as easily as you think. I gave you all of me Riley, my heart is in your hands. I know you need space and time, and I don't want to hinder that but I really can't not see you."

"I know you hate this word, you've said so since before we started dating but-"

"Friends? Is that what you were going to say, friends?"

That came out a little harsher than he intended but the brunette laughed it off as if she expected it. "Yes, that's what I was going to say."

But I love you. "Do I have permission to-"

"No you don't have permission to fight anyone. Sorry, not happening."

"Can I kiss-"

"No." She interrupted with reluctance, knowing full and well that the odds of her not kissing him were slim to none. All of her will power seemed to disappear around him.

His chest began to hurt but the hesitance in her voice didn't go unnoticed, "One more time?" He didn't wait for a reply as his lips crashed against hers. All of his love, all of his hunger and passion for her was trying to be released with a single kiss. And he knew it would take a lifetime to truly get it all out, probably not even then. Their lips moved in sync together as he began to deepen it when she allowed him entrance to her mouth. His right hand caressed her cheek while his left held her waist. Somehow, though neither knew when they started there were silent tears. Lucas nibbled on her bottom lip and listened to her gasp. He took the opportunity to get a breath so he could kiss her longer. Until he couldn't take it anymore, the fireworks, the heart-warming feeling, the butterflies all of it became too much. He couldn't lose that feeling, he couldn't lose his princess. "Please don't leave me Riley." He stared into her eyes as he silently shed tears. "I love you so much please don't leave me." Her forehead rested against his, "I know you said you want to be friends but I can't lose this feeling, I can't lose you."

"I just need time Lucas."

He inhaled and smelt her heavenly aroma. "I love you so much."

"I love you back."

"We can get through this." He whispered and held her tighter. "I know that if we hadn't gotten together that none of this wouldn't have happened."

"I can't bring myself to regret any of it." The brunette nuzzled her face into his chest.

A few more tears fell as he took in a few shallow breaths. "Princess we can get through this. I know we can, we're strong."

"Time Lucas. I need time."

Her tone was more demanding and though he didn't want to he knew that it was time to change the subject. "Why didn't you tell me about the texts you were getting?"

She shrugged, "I didn't think it was your problem. Besides they were dwindling down, it doesn't really matter at this point though. I've got a new number."

Though it truly did matter, though he was a little irked at her for not telling him, he couldn't be mad at her. The woman lying on his chest had him wrapped around her perfectly manicured finger. "Are you switching schools?"

She waited for a moment to answer, she wasn't expecting him to know about that. "I don't know."

"Don't."

She exhaled with a small chuckle. "Could you go back to school when that happened? I mean technically they d-didn't see anything since I was facing the side and my hands were covering m-my ch-chest."

"It's okay princess." He tugged her into his chest and kissed her forehead. "I understand but I don't think you should. Right now would not be a good time to completely change your life, all of your friends are there, Missy is gone, and it will help cope with all of this."

"How do you figure?"

"Well, if you leave and come back it'll get brought up again. They'll reopen a wound that should have been healed if you procrastinate going back. I know you're strong Riley, I know you don't want to go."

Riley hadn't really thought about that and stayed silent while it processed in her mind. She was stronger than she once was, during freshman year she would've switched schools instantly, had the opportunity arose. But now, Lucas' words were hitting her harder than originally anticipated. He was right, the wound was still fresh that's true but might as well get all the pain over with now, because she wouldn't switch schools permanently. She would want to come back, maybe she should just rip the Band-Aid off with one fatal swoop. "I know what happened today was awful and I can't even imagine how you're feeling but just take a few days to process all of this. I'll talk to Chris to see how things were at school today and figure some stuff out."

A smile danced across her lips, "You're still protecting me."

"Always."

GMWGMWGMWGMWGMW

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