AN: AHHH hello dear readers! Sorry it's been forever since I last updated. Unfortunately, Netflix had gotten rid of "A Walk to Remember," and I have been trying to find a good copy online. Rest assured I found one, so now I can start writing again. Additionally, I have had a bit of a writer's block, and just got over it. It just sucks that I got over just as I got the horrible news of Disney cancelling the show. However, we still have fics to look forward to! So hopefully for the people who have been waiting so ever patiently for me to update, I hope this cheers you up. Again, please excuse all typos and grammar mistakes. I will try to write more frequently, but I can make no promises because of real life obligations. Hope you understand.
Anyways, without further ado, the next chapter!
DISCLAIMER: I do not own Girl Meets World or A Walk to Remember. This is for fun not profit. Enjoy! :]
Throughout the rest of the day the feeling of dread intensified within Lucas, settling heavily in his chest. How was he going to avoid his friends and meet up with Riley Matthews without anyone knowing?
"Hey man, you coming tonight right?" Charlie whispered to him during English.
Lucas mentally smacked himself on the head. Of course today just had to be Wednesday. Wednesdays were when the crew hung out together doing whatever, wherever. Usually, the group met up at the Gardiner residence since his parents were hardly ever home. And when that they were home, they didn't pay much attention to their son or his hooligan friends. Not even the sight of bottles of their good liquor sprawled across their coffee table half emptied caused them any alarm. Now that Lucas really thought about it, this fact could explain Charlie's behavior in general.
However, he had no time to dwell on that chain of thought. Lucas needed to find some excuse to explain his absence tonight, and he needed one quick. "I, uh, I can't" He coughed, trying to hide the hesitance in his voice. "I promised my mom that I would help her assemble the new television stand we got from Ikea this past weekend. Sorry dude." Lucas hoped that the solemn expression on his face looked genuine enough to fool Charlie.
"Sucks to be you man. But I get it, no worries." And then the two went back to tuning out what Harper was saying. Like Mr. Matthews, she too had been given a promotion to teach English classes at the high school.
As soon as the bell rang to signal the end of the day, Lucas rushed out of Harper's classroom and sprinted to his locker. Opening his locker in record time, he swiftly grabbed all his necessary textbooks and notebooks, his leather jacket, and his backpack. He was on his way to meet up with Riley at her locker when he saw Charlie and Missy heading down the hallway in his direction. Not wanting to be caught by the two of them, Lucas opened the closest door he could find, and ducked into the room. Closing the door, he shut his eyes and took a deep breath to calm his erratically beating heart.
"Kid, I think you got the wrong room. You lost?" A rough voice called out.
Lucas jumped about a foot into the air. "Jesus Christ!" He swore loudly.
"Hey, now. No need to take the Lord's name in vain." Chuckled Harley.
Apparently, Harper and Mr. Matthews were not the only people who got moved up to the high school.
"Janitor Harley?"
"In the flesh. Friar, right? You the one Bigby tasked with helping me out for the rest of the year."
There was no question in the second part of what Harley was saying, but Lucas answered any way. "Yeah, that' me." Lucas nodded his head absentmindedly, trying to get his heartbeat back to normal from being startled out of his wits.
"Any reason in particular why you decided to step into my office?" Harley asked, looking at Lucas expectantly.
"I, um, I was trying to hide away from my friends." He answered the adult. "I didn't want to run into them."
Harley rubbed his chin in thought. "You know, most people would want to meet up with their friends, not run away from them. But whatever floats your boat kid. Although, color me curious. Why are you avoiding your friends?"
Lucas had all the intention to spout some random bullshit story to get Janitor Harley off his back. But the truth came gushing out instead. "I am in the school play and I suck. So in order to get better, I am going to be running my lines with Riley Matthews, and I cannot let anyone know. Especially my friends."
"Mini Zippy? You meeting up with Mini Zippy? What were you supposed to catch up with her?" Harley asked, face suddenly hard.
Lucas raised his left hand to check the time, and winced. "Seven minutes ago?"
Janitor Harley's face hardened more. "And you are still here because? Pretty sure the halls have cleared out by now. Your reputation will still be intact."
Not being able to look at Harley's disappointed face any longer, Lucas nodded his head. "Right. I'm going to go now." He turned towards the door and started to open it.
Just as his hand was turning the doorknob Harley spoke. "You know, I used to care more about my bad reputation than making real friends in high school. I surrounded myself with lackeys and thought I ruled. And I did, with fear. It was great."
"Oh?" Lucas commented, turning around to look at Harley again, intrigued by what he was saying.
"Yeah, but then I was slapped in the face with cold reality." Harley said, a distant look in his eyes.
"What happened?" Lucas asked in bated breath, somehow knowing that the next thing Harley would say would be very important.
"I graduated high school and went community college. Got a degree, but had no job. That is until the one person whose life I used to terrorize in high school put in a good word for me with his boss, twice. I thought that if I hardened myself to the other people that would give me the power and be less likely to get hurt. Instead, I crippled myself the most by never having any real relationships. Funny how that the works don't you think?" Harley stated, ruefully.
The words Harley just said wrapped themselves around in Lucas's mind, but it was hard for him to comprehend. "I guess." Lucas said in response, unsure and slightly shaken.
Harley just gave a small smile and walked over to the door to open it. "See tomorrow kid. Best of luck with Mini Zippy. She's one of the good ones."
Not knowing what to say to that, just nodded his head and walked out into the hallway. He was so preoccupied with his thoughts, that his feet subconsciously brought him to Riley's locker.
There she was waiting, her ever present watch dog and puppy near her. This time though, Farkle's genius girlfriend, Smackle, was there too. Lucas slowed his walk, and approached them cautiously. They hadn't seen him yet, so he was able to listen in on their conversation.
"Look Riles, Ranger Rick didn't show up. How do you even know this isn't some kind of set up?" Maya asked, enraged on her friend's behalf.
Riley heaved a sigh. "Trust me Maya, he really wants help running his lines. You didn't see him when he asked me."
"If that's the case, Pumpkin, then why is he making you wait on him for?" Maya challenged.
If there was anything Riley had learned over the years of friendship with Maya, it was how to deal with Maya when she was being so absolutely Maya.
"He probably just didn't want anyone to know I was helping him Maya." Riley explained slowly.
Maya shook her head. "That's such bullshit on his part. Why the jerk face can't just admit his shortcomings is beyond me. I am telling Riley, this is probably a set up."
Farkle, seeing the telltale exasperation in Riley's face decided to come to her rescue. Just like Riley, Farkle had a master degree in dealing with Maya's attitudes. "Maya, Riley may be right. I mean, just the fact that he even came up to Riley and asked for help proves that Lucas is being serious about this." Farkle tried to explain logically. "What do you think, Smackle?"
"Truthfully speaking, my love, while I am still unawares of the intricacies of the post-adolescence way of thought that is so common amongst our peers, it appears as though both Maya and you have valid points." Smackle replied.
"How you figure, Smackle?" Riley asked, curious to her second genius friend's unique thought process.
"Well, according to the countless of films geared towards females of the ages between eighteen and thirty-five, whenever a "cool" or "bad boy" wants to spend time with the "loser" girl, more often than not it is used as a plot device to humiliate said girl. However, this is the real world, and maybe Lucas really just needs that much help in being a better actor. According to your retelling of play rehearsals, that doesn't seem such a farfetched assumption." Smackle finished.
Maya snorted. "You can say that again. Huckleberry is horrible. I cannot wait for him to make a fool out of himself in front of everyone." She finished with a maniacal smirk spread widely across her face.
"All the hard work I put into making this play, down the drain in two hours." Farkle said, ruefully shaking his head.
"I said it before, and I'll say it again. Once a Huckleberry, always a Huckleberry." Maya stated firmly.
"What does that even mean Shortstack?" Lucas didn't even know when his feet led him to the group. All he knew was that he was not going to let them bad mouth him any longer.
The girl didn't waste a beat in replying. "It means, Hee-Haw, that you are a jerk face for keeping someone who is willing to help your ass waiting for fifteen minutes! What were you doing that you couldn't grace us with your presence your majesty?" Maya asked him, sarcasm dripping sharply from every word she spoke.
"None of your business, Hart." Lucas replied harshly, stepping closer to the fuming blonde, his own temper flaring higher and higher.
Maya grabbed the front of his shirt and pulled him close to her face. "Listen here, Ranger Rick. Riley is helping you. Against all better judgment, she is helping you of all people. You hurt her, I will punch you in the face. You got that?"
Before Lucas could say anything, Riley stepped up to the two of them and took Maya's fist off the front of Lucas's shirt. "Maya, I love you, but I'm a big girl now. I can handle this on my own."
"But Riles," Maya sputtered.
"No, Maya. You told me your concerns and I am still doing this. If this ends badly, then it's on me. You guys cannot be the Riley Committee forever. If I make mistakes, then they are mine to make alone. Okay?" Riley looked at Farkle, Smackle, and then Maya, hoping that they would listen to her.
"Okay Bubbles." Smackle was the first one to agree, just like Riley thought she would be.
"Yeah, okay Riley." Farkle followed, now he too was looking at Maya expectantly.
This time it was Maya who heaved a sigh when she realized she was being outnumbered. "I will always be a part of the Riley Committee, Riles, because I don't ever want to see you hurt. But I guess it's time to let the birdy fly free, huh?"
Riley's face broke into a wide smile. "Love you, Peaches."
"Are we going to go now or not?" Lucas said impatiently, ruining the moment. Something about seeing the four of them being all chummy was panging him painfully in the heart.
Maya glared at him and was about to open her mouth when Riley interrupted. "Yes. We are. Bye guys!" With that, Riley grabbed onto Lucas's arm and dragged him away towards the exit of the school.
It wasn't until Lucas was standing in front of the Matthews' apartment door waiting for Riley to unlock it, did he realize the additional consequences of asking Riley to help him out with the play. Not only would he be spending more time with the girl who he once been friends with, but he would be coming face-to-face with her father for the first time in years in a non-school setting.
"Mr. Friar." Mr. Matthews said as soon as he saw Lucas and his daughter step into the apartment. His arms were crossed in front of his chest, and a disapproving look took residence on his face.
Well shit.
