Hi everyone! I hope you all enjoyed the last chapter of this story and I wanted to thank everyone who has commented, followed, favorite, and read this story thus far. I enjoy reading everything you all have to say and I am so grateful for all of you for reading my story. I have lots of ideas for this story and directions in which I would like to take it, but if you have any suggestions of your own as to what you would like to happen please let me know in the comments. I can't promise that I will include everyone's ideas within this story but those that I think would fit well in this story or add depth to characters I will try my hardest to include. I sincerely hope that you all enjoy the next chapter of this story. As always I do not own Girl Meets World and if you like it please comment, favorite, or follow. Without further ado here is Chapter 6 of I Do-I Do Not, Take Me Out to the Ballgame!
Lucas' POV
I learned a lot about Riley that night.
She's just as sweet as the confections she bakes. She loves her family. And she listens. She genuinely cares about what you have to say to her. You could be talking random nonsense and she would still listen like it was the most important thing in the world.
Even though we were both hesitant on this whole weekly date thing our mothers once again forced us into, I was kind of glad they had suggested it. Maybe I wouldn't be marrying a total stranger after all. Maybe I could marry someone that I regarded as a friend.
The press on the other hand have gotten relentless. It's like their covering the Royal Wedding or something. Don't tell Zay I said that. Every time I go anywhere nowadays they are close on my tail. Even more so when I'm out with Riley. Just the other day we went out to pick flowers, which our mothers insisted we do together, when we were ambushed by the paparazzi the minute we walked out of the doors. The press thinks Riley is just another one of my hook-ups, or as they like to call them my 'short-term girlfriends'. Unfortunately, I can't deny or say anything until the one month out mark when the wedding invitations go out.
Mom, Dad, and the Matthews want to make a public announcement to the press one month out from the date. They think it will stir up some interest within the city and hopefully act as a sort of advertisement for both companies. Of course, no one will know that the wedding is staged. Everyone will be under the impression that we are in love. So, for now, I do the best I can to keep Riley out of the flash of paparazzi cameras. Until it is made official, I don't want Riley to suffer the same torture I do and by keeping her out of the cameras they can't know who she is. She has a life that already I will be ruining. I don't want to do any more damage.
Speaking of Riley, I have to start planning our next date. We figured it would be fair to switch on and off as to who plans the dates. I decided to take some inspiration from Riley while planning this date. She seemed less than thrilled about the restaurant we went to the last time I planned our date and her date allowed me to learn more about her, so I thought I'd do the same. The only requirement… it has to be private, or inconspicuous, enough where we won't be mobbed by paparazzi. And then it hit me like a whirring ball flew right into my head… I'll take her to a baseball game. I'll set up a private box for us and make sure that we have easy ways out in case the paparazzi comes a knockin'. I don't know how Riley feels about baseball, but I'm hoping she will like it. Either way, I think this will show Riley part of who I am.
"Boo! That was definitely a strike ref not a ball!" Riley screams from our box, as the ref declared a ball for Jonathan Holder, making it a full count in his favor.
"Not a fan of the Yankees, are you?" She blushed while I tried to stifle a laugh. Who knew Riley Matthews was into baseball? None of the girls I have ever dated before were even remotely into sports or even acted like they were to impress me. Once I took my ex-girlfriend to a hockey game once. She didn't speak to me for a whole day. I got the message.
"Not really. Don't get me wrong. I 'm a city girl born and raised, but my dad's from Philly so ever since I was little we've watched for the Phillies." That was the game I had taken her to, the Yankees vs. the Phillies. Little did I know that even though this was supposed to be the date for her to get to know my passion a little better, I had stumbled upon one of her passions too.
"Alright, so I love baseball as much as the next person, but I have to ask. Why did you bring me to a baseball game for our date?" I was just about to respond when Rhys Hoskins of the Philadelphia Phillies steps up to bat and hits scoring him to second base. Riley leaps up and cheers. "I'm sorry, what were you going to say?"
"Ever since our last date, I have been wracking my brain trying to come up with a date idea that could show you a little bit about myself. Something other than what the tabloids know." She gazes at me ready to hear what I have to say next. My words enrapturing her attention.
"When I was little, all I used to do was play baseball. I was on every little league I could be, I played on the modified teams at school, and my dad and I used to go to all the Rangers games we could back in Texas. I loved the sport. It was my passion, but after we moved to New York it was like everything changed.
"Dad got busier with work and couldn't make time to go to baseball games with me anymore. The school I was transferred to didn't offer baseball as a sport. I figured it was because in New York you don't really have the room to have a baseball field for schools. I still watch the games and such from home but it's not the same. Playing the sport is much different from watching the sport. I used to play all kinds of sports. Football, basketball, baseball. That was before I moved here. I figured since you took me to a place your dad and you used to go, I thought I would take you to see what I used to do with my dad."
"You know, Lucas. When I was in school I always wanted to be a cheerleader."
"Why weren't you?" I could see Riley as a cheerleader. She had the spirit for it. Plus, I mean deny it all I want, I will admit that Riley is gorgeous with amazingly long legs. I could imagine her on the top of the pyramid wearing one of those short skirts that barely cover her… Nope, get your head out of the gutter, Lucas.
"I'm too clumsy to be a cheerleader. On many occasions I've tripped over my own two feet." She blushed and tried to quickly change the subject. "What school did you go to once you came to New York?"
"I went to Jefferson and then transferred to Hamilton High."
"Huh that's funny. I went to John Quincy Adams Middle School and John Adams High School across the street. It's strange that we were rivals, yet we never saw each other."
"Yeah, weird." We sat through the rest of the game, just talking to each other and cheering when the Phillies would get a hit off the pitcher or when they struck a Yankee out. When the game was over, we snuck out one of the back entrances for the players to avoid any confrontation with the paparazzi. I grabbed Riley's hand once we had left the door of the stadium and ran towards my car, dodging lights and the gazes of paparazzi lurking around the corner.
I finally arrived at my car toting Riley who had not stopped laughing since we ran across the street away from the prying eyes of the paparazzi. We settled in the car and I drove her back to her apartment. Per usual, I walked her up to apartment door again to say goodnight.
"I had a really nice time tonight Lucas. And I was thinking, what if every day we each text each other one new thing that we don't know about the other. We may not have a choice in this arrangement that we are in, but I'd like a friend to be standing with me through the chaos of it all. Don't you?"
"I think that's a great idea Riley. I don't really know much about you and I'd rather go through this with a friend than end up resenting each other for things out of our control."
"Good," she says with a sigh. "Well good night Lucas."
"Goodnight Riley," I reply. I walk back down the stairs of her apartment building only to see the entrance scattered with a dozen paparazzi and reporters. Shit, they must've followed my car from the stadium. Before they can see me, I run back up the stairs to Riley's apartment and knock on the door.
"Can I stay here for a little while?"
1 month and 2 weeks till the wedding.