Thank you for all the lovely comments last chapter!

Disclaimer: Don't own GMW or any characters you may recognize.

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"Mama, do I really have to wear this?" Lucas furrowed his eyebrows.

"Yep, I can't do anything about that. Aunt Lily wants you to wear this for your picture day. You know about her temper."

At 48 years old, Belle Laila Friar was about the nicest mom you could have. When she wasn't cooking delicious foods, she would be embarrassing Lucas (or Luke, as Missy liked to call him) and his sister Taylor.

Riley and Taylor became good friends when Riley was a counselor at one of Taylor's Cheerleading camps. Riley's also an assistant teacher at her dance studio.

"Yeah, yeah. I know," Lucas glanced at the clock. "Damn it! I've got to go pick Missy up! She'll be furious!"

"Hey, watch your language!" Belle smacked Lucas on the head lightly. "I don't know why you like her so much," Belle mumbled, then raised her voice and brightened her face. "What about Riley? What happened to her?"

Belle didn't know what went wrong between Riley and her son. All she knew was that Missy was not Riley. As you can see, Belle didn't care much for Missy. Taylor didn't either.

Every day, when Lucas would take a peek in Taylor's room, which was filled with photos and snapshots of Riley (as Taylor idolized Riley) Taylor would always see Lucas's eyes sparkle, then dim. Because of those photos of Riley, it reminded Lucas who he used to be before...before he left his friends. And Riley.

Lucas sighed as he shoved the key into the ignition. Plain truth was that he really missed them. He missed Farkle and his funny antics, Smackle and her smart brain, Maya and their playful bantering. But most of all, he missed Riley. She was all of her friends combined and more.

"Hey babe," Missy smiled as she pecked Lucas's cheek. Missy always had wanted Lucas to pick her up at the park. Lucas had no idea why. He's met her parents before at a restaraunt and they liked him, well, as far as he knew.

"What are you thinking about, baby?" Missy asked with concern in her usually pretty features.

"Nothing. But thanks," Lucas kissed her, even though to him there was no passion.

"Okay, but if you need anything I'm right here," Missy chirped. "I might need a ride from cheerleading practice. Darby would drop me off, but she's going on a date with Henry." Henry was one of Lucas's football buddies and Darby Walker's boyfriend. Yogi moved away, and for a while, Darby was heartbroken. But then she started dating Henry and well, there you go.

Missy continued her blabbing until they arrived at Snowflake Hills. Once they got out of the car, Missy looped her arm around Lucas's and smiled brightly. "We are the power couple of this school. We need to start acting like it," Missy had said this multiple times, and Lucas couldn't help but note that she was mostly the one who acted like they were the power couple. She was so strange and kind of snotty sometimes in private, but when in public, she was egotistical and she was all over Lucas. If any girl so much as glanced at Lucas, Missy would get revenge. And poor Riley. She didn't even do anything, but Missy thinks that just because Riley dated him, means that Riley wants him back.

"Hello, people! We're here!" Missy announced as she strutted through the door. Everyone immediately made way for "The Power Couple." Some girls who Missy smiled at, giggled and jumped up and down like they won the lottery. Lucas knew that his prescence, his style and his charismatic personality made boys want to be him, and girls want to be with him.

Not that he was stuck-up or anything.

Lucas caught Farkle's eye, who instantly looked away. Riley was usually hanging out right next to them in the mornings, but she wasn't there. Oh no, A million thoughts were running through Lucas's head. Was she sick? Did she run away? Did something horrible happen to one of her family members?

But Mr. Matthews was there, so it couldn't have been too bad, right? Right?

The late bell rang, and everyone who hadn't gone to class, rushed there in a hurry.

"I'll see you later, babe?" Lucas turned towards Missy. She nodded.

"You bet," Missy gave him a quick kiss and sauntered off. His first class, Advanced Geometry.

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"And that's how the princess fought the war and brought freedom to her country. The End," Riley closed the book. The kids clapped and whistled. She was currently doing service work by reading books to the second graders at the elementary school and assisting teachers in their classrooms. She did this on Thursdays from first period to fourth period (her free period). While the kids talked and played with each other, Ms. Finerleatei (called Ms. Finn due to her love of 'Adventure Time!') put a hand on Riley's shoulder.

"I'm so glad you decided to do this, Riley," Ms. Finn told her. "I hope you're having as much fun as the kids are having with you."

"Of course! These children are adorable. Especially Olivia!" Riley smiled. Olivia was an African-American child and she loved to read. She was sweet and sassy, but she was loving and fun.

"Oh, Olivia," A look Riley couldn't quite make out shadowed Ms. Finn's face.

"Is there anything wrong?" Riley questioned.

"No, no, no. It's just that," Ms. Finn glanced at Olivia, who was showing a trick she learned to two other girls. Ms. Finn lowered her voice. "It's just that, Olivia, um. Well, she's in foster care. Her mother left her when she was a baby and her father committed suicide."

Promptly, tears slowly filled Riley's chocolate brown eyes. She couldn't imagine anything ever happening to her parents like that.

"Oh," she murmured softly, looking straight at the ground. "I was going to ask if it would be appropriate if I could take her out after school. Now, I definitely will do that."

"Thank you for asking, but I'm really not in charge of her after school. You're so kind and caring, honey. You should be proud of yourself. I am." The golden-eyed teacher took Riley's hand in her own. Riley stood up to leave.

"I really should get going now," Riley explained. "Thank you so much."

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Lucas sat in the library waiting for his tutor. He was failing English and needed someone to help him. He chuckled a little inside his head, finding it funny how English used to be his best subject, and now it's taken a turn for the worse.

Riley strutted into the library with her book, Better Than I Know Myself. She needed some time to think and her teacher excused her from the study hall, since she just did a service project on her own. Riley sat on the big leather bay window, which was her favorite spot to read. With Lucas in a hard chair and Riley on the bay window, they didn't notice each other. But it was dusty in the library and Riley's allergies got the best of her. Riley sneezed.

"Bless you," Lucas offered subconsciously. Lucas snapped his head towards Riley. "Wait, Riley?" Lucas couldn't believe his eyes or his ears.

"Lucas?" Riley was equally puzzled.

"What are you doing here?" Lucas asked.

"Uh, it's a library, so I'm going to dress up and play with my dolls," Riley smirked sarcastically. "I'm reading, you doofus."

"Oh, right, sorry," Lucas rubbed his hands together. He was not off to a good start. "So, how are you?"

Riley looked at him if he was a two-headed lizard, with four eyes, five noses and wings. "You're really not good at conversation starters."

"I was just asking," Lucas felt offended.

"Oh, I'm sowwy. Did I hurt the wittle baby's feelings?" Riley asked mockingly. Even though Riley thought this was extremely rude, but it was anger from all his disrespect a year or two ago.

"No. And I don't think I was going in that direction. Riley, please," Lucas pleaded.

"Okay, fine. Speak. Tell me why you treated us, your best friends, like garbage."

"Riley, that's-...it's...let me start from the beginning."

Riley nodded her head, jeering. "That's the best place to start."

"Well, I was really stupid, okay? I gave into peer pressure." Riley gasped.

"Do you drink, like regularly?" She was serious now.

"No," Lucas shook his head. "No, I've had some, but only on occasion."

"Alright," Riley sighed, relieved.

"Some of the football players were telling me to ditch you guys because you weren't popular," Lucas rubbed the back of his neck. "I guess they didn't know much, because, if you don't mind me saying, you are the captain of the cheerleading team and, uh, you were elected Homecoming Queen." Riley blushed. Flattery was one of Lucas's specialties.

"Now, it's time to answer one of my questions," Lucas peered closely at Riley. Riley thought she was ready. For any question at all.

"Why'd you dump me?"

And Riley's smile dropped. Because she was not ready.

Not ready at all.

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Okay, I'll try to update two times each week starting in two weeks, when I'm pretty sure I'll be finished with, or at least almost finished the story.

~June 16

See ya!