After spending an hour at Topanga's studying, Farkle says to the group, "So, my parents are launching that new software this weekend…"
"Oh, right," Riley chimes in, "they came out with the new version."
"Yeah, so I was wondering if you guys wanted to come to the launch party at my house tonight," Farkle suggests, rubbing his neck nervously.
Riley smiles fondly, "We'd love to, Farkley. Of course we'll be there."
"Uh, I don't know if I can make it, dude," Lucas remarked.
Maya shrugged, "I don't know, Minkus. As fun as talking to nerds the whole night sounds, I think I might pass."
Riley notices how Farkle's face slightly falls. "Come on guys, Farkle wants us there. This is obviously important to him."
She looks directly at Farkle to find him already smiling back at her.
"Come on, my parents even hired a DJ and set up strobe lights, it's gonna be a big thing, trust me," Farkle reassured them.
Maya and Lucas share a look and Maya sighs resignedly. "I guess I could put on my smarty pants for a couple of hours. Whaddya say, Huckleberry? Or do you have a rodeo to be at?"
Lucas chuckles. "Since you want me there so badly, I guess I'm in."
Farkle picks up his bag and slings it over his shoulder. Right before walking out, Farkle smiles, "Great! So, I'll see you guys there."
Riley grins back, "You bet, Farkley."
Riley hears the pounding music before she even opens the door. The second she steps inside, she can tell it's packed with bodies. She tries to see above the swarming crowd to find one of her friends, but she can't see anyone she knows.
Suddenly, she feels a tap on her shoulder. She swings her head around to come face to face with Farkle's warm smile.
"Hey, Riles, glad you could make it," he says.
"Your parents have so many friends, I can barely move in here."
"Yeah, you're telling me. I've been waiting to talk to someone about something other than software," Farkle laughs.
Riley gives him a puzzled glance. "So, no one else is here yet? I thought I was late."
"Maya and Lucas are here, but they disappeared a while ago. But, anyway, Riles, wanna dance?"
"Absolutely," Riley replies.
They make their way over to the crowded dance floor. Farkle attempts to dance, which just turns into him doing the robot for an entire song. Riley just laughs, choosing to join him. The song ends and a slower song begins, leaving them standing awkwardly in each other's presence.
Riley decides to break the awkwardness and take initiative. She figures dancing to this song with Farkle would be better than the tension that has filled the space between them.
"Soo…," he trails off. He says, "want me to grab us some drinks?" just as Riley reaches for his hand.
Her arm becomes limp as she replies, "Yeah, sure."
Farkle pushes his way through the crowd to the drinks table, but something catches Riley's attention.
Through the people swaying back and forth, Riley sees an unmistakable short blonde with her arms around a taller, buff brunette. Her eyes widen and she can't tear her gaze away, even though she knows what's coming next, as she sees their faces get closer.
It's almost like the crowd parts just so she can see two of her closest friends betray her. How could they do this to her? Furious and upset, she storms out of the living area where the party was being held and into the nearest room she could find, just as Maya and Lucas' lips interlocked.
Her vision went blurry as she stumbles into what she recognizes as Farkle's room and collapses onto his bed, pushing logic to the back of her mind. It feels like she's crying for hours, but it must only be a few minutes before she hears the door open.
"I looked for you everywhere out there. What happened?"
She turns towards Farkle soundlessly, and her face says it all. Drinks forgotten, he rushes to the bed to wrap an arm around her shoulder.
Almost immediately, Riley folds into him and lets her emotions loose. She nuzzles her head further into his chest and she starts to violently shake. Farkle brings his hand to her upper back, rubbing comforting circles into her skin. His other hand runs through her hair softly, in an attempt to calm her down.
"Shh, it's gonna be okay," Farkle whispers, "Whatever's happening, we can get through it together. We've always been able to, ever since the first grade."
He notices her shaking seems to slow down. He asks, "Do you wanna talk about it?"
She sniffles, "I don't think I'm ready." Her voice wavers. "Can we just be here, now?"
"Of course. I have just the thing for you," he lays down on the bed, pats the spot next to him, and she reluctantly follows.
She gasps when she sees the universe spread across the ceiling. "Woah."
"Amazing, isn't it? I know you love the stars. I find when I'm upset, when my parents are arguing, I just look up at the stars and focus on the constellations. It makes you feel like you're somewhere else."
Riley nods, silently, but finds herself subconsciously moving closer to him, until their shoulders are pressed against each other. The silence is comforting, lulling her to sleep. The last constellation she remembers are the two lovers together in the stars, Perseus and Andromeda, before her world fades to black.
