Seven Minutes
Author Note: Yay! Day 1 of Rucas Fanfiction week! This one takes place in a world where the ski lodge hasn't happened. I've been so excited to share this one with you guys, so I hope you enjoy it.
The basement was mostly dark, decorated with white fairy lights creating a glow around the room. Upbeat music played as people hung around the chips and the punch that Sarah had set out before everyone arrived.
"This party could use something to liven it up." Zay sighed as he looked around at his group of friends while he stayed towards Sarah and Wyatt.
"Like are you saying a fight between Maya and Riley for Lucas since they still haven't resolved the triangle?" Sarah raised her eyebrows.
"Or we force it to end, here, tonight. Either way it should be a good show and be a good Lucas story." Zay suggested.
Wyatt bit his lip, "I don't know man should we really push the issue?"
"Push it" Farkle leaned over to say, "I tried and look at the mess we've gotten. They need a good, hard, reality checking push."
Zay smiled, "You mean we're going there?"
"Yeah, I think it's time we put an end to all of this, especially the whole evening up mess." He took a sip of his punch and looked over to see Lucas talking to Yogi, while Smackle was stuck in the middle of the awkward Riley and Maya conversation. "It's time for plan seven."
"What's plan seven?" Sarah folded her arms over her chest.
"Well" Zay smiled as he began to explain the plan that up until now he and Farkle had joked about for weeks, "So it should work."
"It could backfire, what if he doesn't pick her name?"
"Oh he will," Farkle smiled as he sent out a group text to everyone that wasn't Riley, Lucas, or Maya.
After several minutes Sarah gathered everyone around, "Okay guy's time for a party game."
"Oh what are we playing?" Riley looked over to her friend curious what game it would be hoping it wasn't the couples game.
Sarah smiled as she licked her lips and looked around the room, "Seven minutes in heaven. I put all the girls names in this hat and the boys get to pick who they go into the closet with first. They can't look at the name until they're name comes up on this app that Farkle has."
"What exactly is seven minutes in heaven?" Riley twisted her fingers together as she looked around the room, trying not to let her eyes settle on Lucas, though she was sure she could feel his stare, or was she just in the way of him trying to look at Maya.
"Well you and whatever guy picks your name will go in the closet and you guys spend seven minutes alone in the dark, doing whatever you think you should do." Sarah looked to Wyatt, "You could kiss, or talk, or sit in silence."
"Oh" Riley looked down, trying to deal with the confusion inside of her, "So we all go just once?"
"We can always do another round." Zay smiled, "See who ends up with who."
"Oh come on Riley, what's the worst that could happen?" Maya shrugged as her eyes moved over Lucas.
Riley didn't say anything as all the boys including Lucas reached into the hat and pulled out a piece of paper. At this moment she wasn't sure what was worse the idea that she and Lucas might end up in a closet alone, just the two of them for seven whole minutes, or if Lucas and Maya were alone in the closet for a whole seven minutes.
Farkle looked at his phone, "First up, Yogi which girl did you pick?"
Yogi opened the paper and smiled, "Darby!"
The two disappeared into the closet and everyone began mulling around waiting for the next pair.
When they returned Farkle looked at his phone, "Wyatt." Who opened his paper and smiled to Sarah before they vanished into the closet.
"Okay next up is Lucas." Farkle looked across the room at his best friend as he unfolded the piece of paper, he could see him trying to hide the smile from his lips.
"Riley" He looked up, sucking his lips in, feeling his heart racing as he looked over to her. "I guess it's our turn."
Riley stood up from the seat she'd taken on the couch, "Okay then." Fear swam through her body, what if this was the moment he chose to tell her that he picked Maya weeks ago?
Each step felt heavy as they moved towards the closet, Lucas opened the door and let her in first and then followed closing the door behind him.
A single lightbulb lit the space as they stared at each other. The space between them was almost minimal. Riley could smell the woodsy scent of his soap and she tried to ignore the curl of her toes as she let her eyes drift up to his.
"So, I'll be your first kiss, she'll be the last?" She felt the tears in her eyes a burning sting as she turned to look away, only to feel his hands cradling her face in place.
He shook his head, "Maya and I are never going to kiss."
"I mean you have to even things up, so I guess you and I are never going to kiss—again." She felt his thumb circle around on his cheek.
"I'm done evening things up I'm done pretending I don't know which girl I hope chooses me back in return, I'm over waiting, I'm over being part of a triangle Riley."
She couldn't do this, not now, not here, not with everyone outside. She blinked feeling the tears start their path down her cheek, "So you think now is the best time to tell me that you picked Maya?"
"No, I think now is this best time to tell you that I choose you and I really hope you choose me in return." He was sure his heart was going to leap out of his chest as he searched her glistening chocolate eyes.
She tried to shake her head but he was still holding her, she reached up to move his hands instead just covered them with hers. "You choose me?"
He smiled, "Yeah, and I'm really hoping that you choose me." His voice broke and his accent thickened.
"I do" she breathed, sure she was dreaming, and that any moment she would wake up to Maya or her mother trying to get her ready for school.
"May I?"
She nodded as best she could before she felt his lips against hers as his fingers slipped into her hair and her hands slid down his arms.
"It's been more than seven minutes." Maya's voice broke through as the door swung open and she found the two embraced. "Whoa."
Zay and Farkle looked to each other a slight panic rising as Maya turned to them, "So you finally got him to have his moment with Riley huh?"
The two looked at her for a moment, "You're not mad?"
"I knew Lucas would pick her this entire time." She looked back at the couple who appeared as stunned as deer in headlights. "I think the only one who didn't know was Riley."
"Wait how did you guys set this up?" Riley looked at everyone.
"Oh all the names in the hat were Riley." Sarah smirked, "Farkle sent out a mass text telling the boys to pick their girl if their name came up instead of you."
Maya looked around, "So then no one was going to pick me?"
Zay threw his arm around her, "Oh don't worry Honey Nugget I had you covered just in case."
Maya looked to Riley, "Can we go back to being a triangle?"
Riley bit her lip as she tried not to smirk, "Nope, I kind of like where this is going."
"I like where it's going to." Lucas whispered, "Can I walk you home?"
"Yeah, that would be great."
"The party just started." Maya whined as she watched the two of them grabbing their jackets, "And your curfew isn't for like two more hours."
"Two hours?" Lucas looked to Riley with a smile, "I think that's exactly how long it's going to take to walk home."
"Yeah, I think so." She felt his hand slip into hers, their fingers intertwining as they started up the steps.
Maya sighed and looked back at her friends and classmates, "So, what are we playing next?"
"How about spin the bottle?" Wyatt suggested as he grabbed an empty soda bottle and handed it to Maya, "You spin first."
