AN: To my readers who have stuck with this story. Thank you so much. I had finally gotten bit by the writing bug and this came pouring out. I wish I can say that I will be able to post another chapter soon, but it all depends on the mood. My mood however is telling me to finish this because I started it, and I really love this premise even though I do not think I am doing it the justice it deserves. However, with the reviews and messages I have been getting, they really have encouraged me. Thank you for not giving up on this story and leaving me this love. I appreciate all reviews, even the criticisms. I apologize in advance for all typos and the long wait you may have for the next chapter. Hopefully that would be less than the 9 months this one took.

DISCLAIMER: For fun, not profit. Enjoy!

Lucas honestly wondered sometimes when life decided he would be the perfect little chew toy. Why was it every time he thought he had a handle on things, something completely random pops up and tries its very best to throw him? Case in point, his evenings spent at the Matthews' residence with Riley.

Over the past few days, Lucas had been at Riley's apartment with the intention of just running lines over and over again. Initially, when Lucas and Riley would arrive at the apartment, Lucas was greeted with a hello from Mrs. Matthews, and a glare accompanied with a cold "Mr. Friar" from Mr. Matthews. Once he ended up seeing Auggie again, now eleven years old (and Lucas still has trouble believing that little Auggie Matthews was now a preteen), he was also given the stern "Hurt my sister, and I will hurt you" speech. At first, the whole overprotective routine used to make him roll his eyes heavily, as both he and Riley made their way to her room to rehearse. After being subjected to this every time he came over, Lucas was used the treatment by the Matthews' men that it just brushed off his back. Besides, he had other more important matters to worry about besides Riley's father and brother thinking he was out to steal their daughter and sister's innocence.

Apparently, Riley Matthews was a miracle worker. Hah, miracle. The thought always made him giggle whenever he spends time thinking on it. After all, Riley did have so much faith in miracles. And maybe Lucas can agree that in his case, it was a very good thing Riley decided to take pity on him. If not for Riley, there is no way Lucas would have been able to learn all his lines and note all his cues so well.

He would like to say that he was getting better, and if from the moments where Riley let herself smile, Riley most likely agreed. Hell, even the rest of the cast and the drama teacher were shocked at his improvement. Lucas is not above smirking at the complete look of shock on Maya's face the day he nailed all his lines without any prompting. He added a little teasing wink in her direction just to get her annoyed. It worked like a charm, and made Lucas' day. And boy, was that a good thing.

With all the time he had been spending with Riley running lines, he hadn't been able to spend much time with the rest of his crew. Charlie and the rest of the gang had started getting antsy, creating more trouble and being worse bullies than normal. Luckily, Zay decided to take a more backseat approach to the new attitude, and let the rest of the crew do their thing as he followed along. Lucas still hadn't told any of them, including Zay that he had been getting help from Riley to make sure he was still able to show his face after the damn play was over. Instead he just let them do whatever they wanted, hoping that if they had something to keep them preoccupied they wouldn't look too much into what he was doing himself. Lucas knew his mother was not amused with all the excuses she had to make to cover for Lucas. But because she loved him, he knew she would do it regardless. His mother was just that awesome, and he vowed that he would get her something especially nice for her birthday this year. Maybe this time he wouldn't steal something.

All in all, Lucas was sure that everything will end up being worth it at the end of this long, dark tunnel that he was stuck in. He was positive that with all the help he had gotten from Riley he wouldn't make such a complete ass of himself in front of the whole school, and whoever decided to watch a play put together by a bunch of high school students. He was actually very proud of himself that he rarely felt like vomiting at the dialogue anymore. If he was going to be honest, Lucas can admit that Farkle's story wasn't half as bad as he originally thought. He would have given the little crazy, nerd the praise if he didn't have a reputation to protect.

A reputation that was slowly unraveling piece by piece the more time he spent with Riley.

The thing was, after they had run their lines, they would sometimes end up doing homework together. This started a week into their regular meet ups. Riley had decided that there was no way they would run lines more than they had and wanted to take a break and do something else. She suggested doing their AP bio homework, AP bio being a class they shared. Lucas gave a harsh laugh at the thought, stating that he didn't do homework. Riley, not amused, raised her eyebrows and gave him a pointed look until he sat down and took his textbook and notebook out of his backpack. Without even saying a word, Riley Matthews had gotten Lucas Friar to actually do his homework. The next day in class when he handed it in, he saw the incredulous look Mr. Thomas had given him and the small, but bright smile on Riley's face. It paled in comparison to his mother's face when she saw he got a B+ and a "Very good job, Mr. Friar!" on it. The homework page now has special residence on the kitchen fridge.

After that, it seems as though Riley somehow got him to do the work in all of his classes. They would run their lines, and then when they needed a bit of time away from their scripts, they would do their other homework. Soon, other B+'s followed, and even some A's. It was the first time in such a long time Lucas was getting praise, and seeing his mother burst with happiness every time he came home with a good report he was at a loss as to how to react.

The Riley Matthews' Effect was sweeping over him again, and he had no idea what to do. And nothing made that more clear than Lucas's current predicament.

Their session had started out as normal; they walked in, the exchange between the other three Matthews and Lucas, going to Riley's room, getting their scripts, and running lines. Completely routine as to how to how things have been going so far. However, not even five minutes in did things take a turn.

Riley and Lucas had barely gotten a few scant pages into their script when the sounds of feet hitting the fire escape echo into the room. Not even a few seconds later did first one leg, and then another, come into the ridiculously purple bedroom.

"Riles!" Maya exclaimed happily as she wrapped her arms around Riley with a gigantic smile. Pulling away, she turned towards Lucas with a sneer. "Ranger Rick."

"Shortstack." Lucas sneered right back, bookmarking his script as he squared his shoulders. He was preparing for a confrontation.

Seeing his stiff stance, Maya mimicked his pose. Apparently she was waiting for some ignition to have their usual fight.

Riley, sensing this, decided to douse the metaphorical flames before anything began. "Maya, what are you doing here?" she asked.

"What, can't a girl scale a fire escape to see her best friend in the whole wide world?" Maya asked back, trying but failing to look completely innocent.

This time Riley looked exasperated, but still with a genuine smile stretched across her lips. "Of course she can. However, more often than not, there is always another reason following that one."

Maya opened her mouth to give an answer when someone else entered through the window from the fire escape. Both Maya and Riley, along with Lucas, turned towards the new intruder. "Ladies," Farkle exclaimed as he saw them. When he saw Lucas, he added quickly, "Lucas."

"Farkle," both Maya and Riley exclaimed back.

"And Smackle here." Another voice called out as a head popped in from the window. Smackle also climbed into the room with little to no difficulties, similar to the previous two intruders.

Jesus, Lucas couldn't believe how ridiculous this entire thing was. How is it that Riley lets all these people in from her window? Does Riley not get that she lives in New York City? Does she not know the crime statistics or read the news? Lucas mentally face-palmed, of course she doesn't. She's Riley Matthews, and Riley Matthews believes that the world is all good and full of freaking rainbows, and that nothing bad ever happens. And yet Mr. Matthews is worried about him? What even?

"Now that we are all present, Maya can tell us why she invited us all over here." Smackle announced to the whole room. "Hello Lucas."

"Hello Smackle." Lucas replied back to be nice. He barely ever talked to her. Full disclosure, he found her odd. Both Farkle and Smackle made a good match for each other, their bizarre names included.

"Lucas, I am already spoken for. Do not hit on me." Smackle responded, grabbing Farkle hand and bringing both of them up to show Lucas.

Lucas raised his eyebrows in confusion. Why is it that all of sudden girls keep thinking he's falling for them? Maybe he fell into the twilight zone or something.

Apparently the other three people in the room were used to this type of thing since they looked on fondly at the exchange. However, Maya's was more mocking amusement than anything else. Lucas seriously has never met someone who made him want to break all of his morality and hit a girl like Maya Hart. Even if it is something so simple like this, it gets his blood boiling with anger pulsing with every beat of his heart.

Suddenly, Lucas felt a hand encase a fist he didn't know that he was making. And just like that, the touch made the boil turn to a quiet simmer. The anger pulsing through his body abruptly stopped. What the heck was happening? Before he could think even more on it, Riley pulled her hand away.

"So Maya," Riley said, once again turning to her friend. "What happened that you needed all of us here?"

The smile that went away when Maya saw Lucas came back full force. "Remember the Long Game?" She asked to the room, ignoring Lucas for the time being.

"Oh my god! No way! I cannot believe it happened." Riley yelled out, making it a mission to completely squeeze the life out of Maya. Lucas wishes, anyway. Although, if it is possible to hug a person to death, Riley Matthews may be the only person to be able to make that happen.

"Wow, Maya, congratulations. I'm kind of shocked, yet happy for you." Farkle replied, joining in the hug.

"I, too, am quite shocked Maya. But also, I am very happy for you." Smackle said right after, also moving close enough to the group hug, but still with some slight space. However, even Lucas can tell that her sentiment was not without genuine feeling.

From where Lucas was standing, he couldn't help but stare at Maya. He doesn't think he had ever seen such a look on her face before. So used to seeing her smirking, sneering, and harshly laughing, seeing her beaming was kind of throwing him off.

Which is what he would blame his following question on. "Um, what's the long game?" He asked to the four all pressed together while he was off to the side by himself. Lucas did not want to think about how similar it was to his actual life.

"None of your business, Huckleberry." Maya said harshly.

Riley pulled back enough from the huddle to elbow Maya. Both Farkle and Smackle also left the hug to watch them. The two of them were doing that thing again where they were having an intense conversation with just looks. Once again Lucas felt a slight flare of jealousy at the type of friendship Riley and Maya shared.

"Okay fine, Riley, I'll tell him. Jesus." Maya exclaimed, throwing her hands in the air. "But I swear to god, Ranger Rick, if you say one thing I don't like, I will punch you in that country face of yours."

Lucas bit his tongue from saying something that would anger her. Instead, he rolled his eyes (which, he is finding he is making a bad habit of doing). "Quit being so dramatic." Lucas said to her. Seeing the look on her face, he backpedaled. "Okay, okay, I'm sorry," he assured her. "I promise I won't say anything. Scouts honor."

Maya's eyes widened. "You said sorry to me?" Lucas felt his face get heated at his slip up. Before he could say anything to fix his mistake, he saw Maya shake her head. "Whatever, never mind. The Long Game is what has been happening with me and Josh."

"Who's Josh?" Lucas couldn't help but ask.

"My uncle," Riley helpfully added. "Maya has had feelings for him for forever."

"Oh." Lucas said.

"Yeah," Maya continued, her voice going soft and unbelievably sweet like he never heard her before. "He's three years older than us. And he had been saying for so long how because of that he was too old for me. But now, he finally decided to give us a shot. A real shot."

"That's…" Suddenly Lucas's voice clammed up.

"That's what? Pathetic? Is that what you were going to say?" Maya demanded to know, squaring her shoulders once again. However her voice was off. Of course it was defensive in the way that only Maya can be, but there was something beneath that defensiveness. A fragility that Lucas was so intimately friends with, knowing that the house of cards you built could all collapse in just one single wrong move.

It didn't matter what Lucas's personal feelings about a situation in which a third year college student was pursuing a senior in high school was. Basically it was none of his business. He has seen relationships that should have been solid turn to dust right before his very eyes. Who is he to say anything anyway?

"No, Maya. If it is something that you really want, it isn't pathetic." Lucas said truthfully. "I wish you two all the best."

There was a moment of silence in the room. Wanting nothing more than to fill the awkwardness, Lucas continued speaking, however this time his attention was at a spot on the floor. "From what I have seen, communication is very important. So make sure you guys do that, especially with all the other obstacles standing in your way."

The silence that had engulfed the room intensified, making Lucas feel more uncomfortable. He was acutely aware of the four pair of eyes looking at him. His gaze pulled from the floor towards Riley first, who looked proud of what he said and slightly sad. Maya looked speechless, and to Lucas's mortification, misty eyed. Smackle just looked as she always looked, just more calculating.

However it was Farkle's look that made Lucas confused the most. He looked as though he wanted to say something. His eyes were trailing from Lucas to Riley, just like they did back when they were in middle school. This time there was no jealously in them. There was something else, something more profound. But Lucas couldn't for the life of him find the word to describe it. The only thing that came close was pity, but that look was so much more; empathy maybe? But for what would Farkle have any empathy towards him for?

Lucas's train of thought was interrupted by a deep breath. "Wow, okay thank you for that Friar." Maya told him, more genuine than he had ever heard her speak to him before.

"Yeah, no sweat." Lucas had no idea what to say back. He was most definitely so out of his depth, he was drowning. Someone needed to come save him and fast.

"Well, I think we should go celebrate Maya and Josh. Don't you think? Topangas?" Riley chimed in, saving Lucas from his misery.

"Yeah, let's go." Maya said, shaking off the whole conversation and running with the out Riley gave her. Smackle and Farkle nodded their heads enthusiastically. Maya hooked her arm around Riley's shoulders as they made their way towards the door.

"I guess, this means we are done for the day then, Riley?" Lucas asked as he started putting his stuff back into his backpack and swinging the backpack on his shoulders.

"You're invited!" Farkle quickly shouted out.

"What?" Maya, Smackle, and Riley looked over at Farkle. However, Farkle was staring only at Lucas again.

"Yes, he was here for the news. He is invited to come along." Farkle said, determined to stop all arguments before they erupt.

"You don't have to include me. I understand this is something you all want to celebrate together." Lucas told them, not wanting to show how the invitation had suddenly made his body go completely numb and flashback to when his life had made sense. Before his parents' divorce, when he was still a part of this group.

"What Huckleberry, you don't want a chance for free food? I'll pay for you this time." And there was that usual smirk on Maya's face when she said this. Thank god, even when things got weird, he could always count on Maya to make things go back to normal. Obviously the two of them were more similar than Lucas will ever admit.

"Whatever Shortstack, just know I'm a growing boy." He made sure to smirk right back at her as they all left the room.

It was as Lucas was following behind them did he realize that he still didn't know what was going on with Riley. However, as he was sitting next to her on the couch at Topanga's eating a chocolate éclair and listening to the conversations flowing around him, he realized he didn't care.

For the first time in years, Lucas felt genuinely happy. A lightness that had been gone for so long was finally present, and he felt at peace. And as his gaze met Riley's like a moth to a flame, he couldn't help but give a smile. His reputation may be falling apart at the seams, but is that really even a bad thing? Especially when he had this moment, a moment he never thought he would ever be lucky enough to have again?