I know it's been so long, but writer's block struck hard. Regardless, I hope you enjoy this chapter very much. If you're curious, I imagine everyone dancing to La Vie Boheme from Rent, but you can choose any other song you want.

Whipped Cream & Other Delights,

TheHarleyQueen


Part 1: Christmas


"We all hate Secret Santa."

And Riley's heart just dropped. She thought about how long they'd been doing secret Santa- since first grade, when it was more than just her and Maya, from when it was her and Maya and Farkle, and her parents had suggested secret Santa so that none of them (especially Maya) had to spend too much of their allowance.

She muttered a quiet oh and tried to press herself up against the Bay Window wall, hitching her shoulders up and trying to make herself as small as possible. But she swallowed down what she was feeling {Christmas is for happiness, Christmas is supposed to be the best time to be a Riley} and smiled at Maya, saying that they'd just give regular gifts that year, then.

Maya chose that moment to talk about how she was staying at Riley's house for the holidays, and even though a part of her sang {Last Christmas, with her grandparents and Shawn and Uncle Josh and Maya, had been one of her best Christmases on record- and also, it was Maya, she'd always want Maya around} the rest of her sank, because this was Maya and Maya was supposed to be finally getting the perfect Christmas with Shawn and her mom, and why would she want to change that?

So Riley turned to other things, and laughed and smiled, because even though she was struggling, even though she had been an awful person and even though there was something wrong with her, that didn't mean she couldn't still have fun in between those low moments, right?

Eventually, the two of them made their way to the living room, which was filled with the smell of cinnamon and old homemade ornaments. When Maya had arrived, they'd set to making gingerbread cookies, but Riley had gotten antsy and distracted somewhere through and had wandered off, and Maya had followed soon after. But, from the look of the green and red icing on Auggie's face, her family must have finished them {her family were used to finishing her attempts at everything from baking to scrapbooking because ditzy Riley just couldn't be bothered to keep track of what she was doing}. So she and Maya sat down with a plate of misshapen Christmas trees and Santa hats, and two mugs of hot chocolate. They giggled as they watched The Grinch, and Riley stubbornly did not think about how everyone hated secret Santa.

Then Maya mentioned something about Lucas being in Texas for the holidays, and Riley couldn't keep the shock from her face- "He's not in New York?" She asked, frowning. Maya shook her head, smiling in her confusion, "Uh, no. His pops insisted he and his family go back down to the farm- they don't go every weekend anymore, ya know? Didn't he tell you?"

Riley bit her lip, shaking her head so hard that her curls went flying, "He didn't even say goodbye." Tears welled in the corner of her eyes. Sure, she and Lucas were going through a bit of a rough patch, especially after that SAGA meeting, but she'd hoped that they could make up over the holidays- this year, she had known who she was going to be with at midnight on New Year's. She moved to put down her mug but spilled, the hot chocolate burning her thighs. She started crying earnestly then, only barely managing to flee up to her room, with zero of the grace she tried to exude when she wanted to leave surreptitiously. Maya followed behind her, and they ended up in the Bay Window again, Riley's head in Maya's lap, her body shaking with sobs. It's supposed to be us through everything.

The stress of the year seemed to bear down on her shoulders like the weight of the world, then. The ski lodge and The Riley Committee and her panic attacks and everything came crashing down, and she lay sobbing on Maya's lap until she lost track of time. She'd fix things with Lucas- too much history and drama went into beginning this relationship for it to fizzle out like this- but at that moment, she couldn't find the strength in her to even consider what she'd do in the next hour, let alone the next week or month. And Maya just stroked her back and was there for her, just like Riley always knew she would be.


Suddenly, it was Christmas Eve, and Riley and Farkle were sitting cross-legged on his floor. The fireplace was crackling and the golden tree they'd decorated together was glimmering softly in the light. A Christmas playlist was playing over the sound system, and Riley was softly humming to Baby, It's Cold Outside. Her hands were jumping around nervously, and her eyes kept flickering to the present she brought. Farkle's lips pulled up into a half-smile; she's easy to read.

"We can just open them now if you want," he told her, and then grinned when she looked at him, aghast.

"No, we can't!" She declared, very intentionally not looking at the gift, "We're still waiting for Maya!"

Farkle ran a hand through his hair and then nodded. Riley pulled out her phone to text Maya again and Farkle went upstairs to talk to his dad. His parents were both home for Christmas, for a change, and they gave all the staff the day off (also for a change).

It took him a while to find his dad, although it shouldn't have. He'd looked in his parents' bedroom and then his mom's bedroom and the kitchen and the living room first, but his dad was, as always, in his study. He knocked on the door, and then waited for nearly two minutes before his dad called for him to come in.

He noticed, in the back of his mind, that the fire had probably gone out a couple of hours ago, but that his dad hadn't even bothered to fix it. The room was freezing, but there was his dad, hunched over, reading a file marked Minkus International. He would have to be quick, then. His dad didn't like to waste time when new plans were handed to him.

"Yes, son?" His dad looked up briefly before returning to his papers. Farkle cleared his throat and steeled his nerves, "Uh, dad. I know that you and mom are both home for Christmas for a change." He thought his dad wouldn't hear the last part, but from the look on his face, he definitely had, and he was not impressed, "But I was wondering if I could go over tomorrow for a little while- not the whole day!" He added quickly, seeing his dad opening his mouth to deny his request, "It's just- I have a gift for Riley, that I have to give to her on Christmas, and I'd rather tell her now that I'll definitely be coming by than drop by unannounced." That's what he'd done last year after his mom had retired to her room, tipsier than on a normal day. He hadn't even seen Riley that day, so he had to try again this year. But he could tell his father's answer from his face before the first word even slipped out.

"I- uh- nevermind," he rushed, but it wasn't good enough.

"Farkle, your mother and I put in a lot of work to ensure that we would both be here for Christmas this year- it's extremely rude of you to ask to leave the one year that it's just going to be us. I expect more from you, as a Minkus. The Matthews family will be there every day after Christmas, but both your mother and I lead very busy lives and aren't around nearly so often."

"You're telling me," Farkle mumbled under his breath, but his dad caught that too.

"Don't take that tone with me, young man. I work this hard for the greater good, for your greater good, and I have always kept you clothed and fed and safe. That requires sacrifices on my part, and I won't have you dishonouring that hard work." Farkle stared at his dad, who just went back to reading his files. Then he gave a brief nod and strode out of the room.

When he reached his own room, Riley was just saying goodbye to Maya.

"Oh, no, Peaches, don't worry. We'll have a great time. Spend Christmas with your family. Yeah, yeah. Oh, Farkle's back, I've got to- yes, I love you too, Peaches. I've gotta go. Bye!" She hung up, and Farkle could tell, even from the snippet of conversation he caught, that Maya wasn't coming, but Riley plastered the biggest smile on her face and headed over to the table where they had each put the presents.

"Well, I guess we can begin," she said cheerfully, and although Farkle scanned every line of her face, looking for something that might betray disappointment, he found nothing. Either she was getting better at hiding when she was sad, or she was genuinely pleased that it would just be the two of them.

She handed him the biggest box from the table, leaving both their gifts for Maya- a fine silver charm bracelet and a selection of charms (a sun, paintbrush, a record, a coffee cup, and a deer) respectively.

He watched as she tore the wrapping on her gift (covered in tiny, smiling planets) and stopped short at the gift, five frames, each with a "star map" in it. Her birthday, the day they met, this Christmas, the day she and Maya met, and the day she started the SAGA committee. He watched the tears well up in her eyes and beamed as she pulled him into a hug, whispering, "This is perfect, Farkle." into his ear.

Then she motioned towards the large box, and he pulled off the lid to reveal- a menorah. And all the feelings from Culture Week, the fear of not knowing who he was, the absolute horror he felt when reading about the persecution in this new light, bubbled to the forefront of his mind.

He turned to Riley with wide, sad eyes. It was Riley, and she'd have a reason, but the words bubbled to his lips anyway- "Why would you give me this?"

"Farkle, you found out that your ancestors were Jewish," she said softly, drawing nearer to him.

"Ever since the day after our culture week, when you found out you might have a new ancestry, I started reading about it. Because I love you. And, I would always want to know who you are. Whoever you are." They were so close now that they could feel each other's breath, but neither of them drew back.

"Did you know in Hebrew, everything goes from right to left? All this time, everything you've done, you've always thought left to right. And, now, maybe consider that there's another way."

"I love you, Farkle," she told him, drawing him into another hug. His body softened against hers, and he sank into the hug. They were Riley and Farkle. They knew each other better than anyone else.


Farkle woke up on Christmas morning to busy shouting. Well, he said Christmas morning, but he only woke up around one pm, so it was really more like Christmas afternoon. He stumbled out of his room to the image of his mother and father, each pulling a couple suitcases behind them.

"What's going on?" he asked, suddenly very awake.

His father turned back, still texting.

"Uh, I've been called to an emergency conference in Japan. Urgent, you know. Your mother's coming with- my Christmas present, two weeks in Japan."

"Give me a couple minutes, I'll pack a bag and come with," Farkle suggested, but he wasn't halfway through his sentence before his dad was shaking his head.

"No, you stay here. We'll probably stop by Paris for another week or so afterwards, and you'd be late for school." It was a weak excuse, but Farkle recognised it for what it was- a dismissal.

He nodded quietly and went to get dressed, pressing a kiss to his mother's cheek in a goodbye. She didn't notice.

He didn't wait ten minutes after they left before he walked out, leaving a note for the housekeeper. On instinct, he made his way to the Matthew's residence and climbed up the fire escape, leaning against the wall for a couple of minutes before climbing through Riley's window.

He'd tried to do this last year, but had bumped into Riley's dad ('Mr Matthews in class, but Cory is fine when you're here, Farkle') and gone home without further attempts.

He brought out the lights and paints that were in his bag- no time like the present.

He'd painted an observatory onto her roof. Planets and stars whenever she looked up. Riley flung herself into his arms, pulling him into the tightest hug he'd ever gotten.

"Thank you, Farkle. Thank you" she whispered, and he smiled into her hair.

"Mind if I come down for dinner?" He'd asked, and she'd shaken her head, smiling widely.

Maybe Christmas really was the best time to be a Riley.


Part 2: New Years


Farkle had invited her to a New Year's Eve party at his place. She would have gone anyway, of course, but she really doesn't have anything better to do this year- Josh and Maya are at a party with his friends, and Lucas is still in Texas. In fact, he's only coming back a couple of days before school.

So she agrees and helps host. And it's fun. Zay comes, and so do most of their classmates. Emma, Mila and Heather come. Even Francesca, Nikki and Thor stop by for a couple minutes, wishing all of them a happy new year, before heading to a different party.

It's nice. Quiet. Fun. There's no drama, not like it was last year.

Then someone suggested that they go to see the Prospect Park fireworks, and she and Farkle shrugged and went along, everyone trooping down into the subway, running from the pouring rain.

The fireworks are cancelled, they found out when they reached the park. It's raining too hard. They ran back to the station, laughing as they splashed through the puddles.

Then she was sitting in the subway, soaking wet, next to Farkle and a woman she didn't know. Around her were her stragglers and bedraggled friends and classmates, all drenched and having the time of their lives. New Year's Eve in New York- that's the dream, she's been told. And she did Times Square when she was ten and old enough to stay up to midnight, and she did Prospect Park before that, and she's been to nearly every celebration in the city, but this one, in the subway curled up with her best friend in the whole world, strangers and friends around her all the same, freezing and counting down the minutes- this might be her favourite New York New Years yet.
The alarm she set on her phone goes off, and it's two minutes to midnight. They're not even going to reach her station before midnight. By the time she gets home, it will be a new year.
They stop at 9th Street and she's supposed to climb off now, but when Farkle tries to stand up and their friends crowd around the door, she tells them to stop. She hits shuffle on her music and pulls him against her and they're dancing, dancing and she doesn't know what she's doing but she loves it, wouldn't give it up for anything. Her face is thick with the makeup Maya did for her and her lips are chapped, but then he spins her and it doesn't matter. The countdown starts, from somewhere on the other end of the carriage. She joins in, and she's spinning when it strikes midnight, spinning when Farkle brings her in so close that she can feel his breath and her head is still spinning when he pulls her into a short, soft kiss.

They break apart almost instantly, and she's staring at him with wide and his eyes are almost wider than hers, and they both glance around furtively but none of their classmates notice, too caught up in the euphoria of two thousand and fifteen.
She's panting and sweat glistens on her jaw, and she breaks them apart, saying,

"I have a boyfriend, Farkle, Lucas. Your friend. And you have a... Smackle."

There's something sad in his eyes, but he nods, understanding.

"Then it was a platonic kiss, Riley. We do that all the time, don't we?" She nods, almost imperceptibly. Then she smiles widely and spins again, laughing.

They climb off soon after that, and Farkle walks her back home, his arm over her shoulder. They don't talk about it. It's 2016, and Lucas is in Texas, Maya is with Josh at a college party, and Smackle had family obligations. It's 2016, and it was a platonic kiss, she tells herself. They just both just wanted someone to kiss at midnight. It's the same as him pressing kisses to her forehead.

It's 2016 and she's been with Farkle for two New Years in a row.

It's 2016, and she won't think about how she wants to kiss Farkle again.

It's 2016, and they laugh and talk as they walk back home, putting the kiss out of mind.

It's 2016, Riley and Farkle are best friends.

They climb up the fire escape, trying to be quiet but making too much noise anyway, giggling about the entire experience. In her room, she tosses Farkle a couple of pillows and blankets, and he assembles his usual nest on the bay window. She climbs into bed, a smile on her face.

Maybe they're not perfect, maybe that quick, soft kiss is haunting her as she stares up at her painted ceiling, but she won't tell anyone that. She has Lucas, he has Smackle, everything is supposed to be perfect.

The next morning, she and Farkle make breakfast for the family (well, Farkle makes breakfast. She makes coffee. It's safer that way). Her dad smiles and helps out, and her parents ask about their night, and they smile and recount {almost} everything.