"Look what's happening, look what's coming!" Riley said happily as she, Maya, and I walked down the stairs of our school. "What's coming, crazy?" Maya asked. "Invitations. To the seventh grade parties. It's begun. We could be party girls. I'm going to need a party‐girl walk." Riley said as she started whimsical strut that ended in front of our lockers. "Yeah, that's not it." Maya told her once she was finished. "You know, there is going to be boys at these parties. But not just any boys. No. Opposite‐sex boys. They're the best kind." Riley said. I looked at her amused. "Yeah, you sound ready for this." I commented, sarcastically. "Oh, I am. And I may just be the first girl who crosses over from our side of the room to the" Riley started. "Yeah, it's gonna be us." Maya said, at the same time Riley said: "Yeah, it's gonna be you two." I chuckled, "Riley, we are twins, two halves of a whole. Why would I be popular and you wouldn't be?" I asked, "Because you have more Maya in you than I do. You gots what it takes dollface." she told me and I smirked amused, shaking my head softly "You two know what pretty‐boy hipster is handing out invitations to. Don't you?" Riley asked, gently nudging Maya and I. "A party." Maya and I answered, gently nudging Riley back. "Membership cards to the popular club." Riley said. Maya and I sighed"Why can't you just let it be a party?" I asked. "Because this is it, right here. This is where you guys go one way and I go the other way. You two get the invite and you marry pretty‐boy hipster and his pretty friend and I end up marrying Anthony Delveccio and we buy things in bulk." Riley explained, "You guys are gonna be popular. I'm not. Good for you guys. Good girls. Bye‐bye, Raven and Maya." Riley hugged us and began to sob. "Bye‐bye." Maya and I stood there, not reacting. Riley pulled away, as the "hipster‐boy" walked towards us. He looked down at an invitation, and then held it in front of Riley. Riley pushed it towards me before I pushed it Maya who returned it to the guy. He looked down at the invitation once more, and brought it up to Riley again. Riley looked up at him hopefully and he nodded. "Yay! For me!" Riley shouted, taking the invitation before they guy walked away. "Rave, Maya I know you two didn't get one, but is it okay if I'm really happy?" Riley asked us. Maya and I shared a look and smiled. "You go get 'em, tiger." I told her. Riley giggled and began her whimsical strut once again and walked down the hallway. "We love you, but." I started, when Riley was out of sight "You're a lot of work." Maya finished before we mimicked Riley's strut all the way down the hallway.
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I sat in my seat in my dads class. Riley walked up to his desk. "Boom!" Riley shouted, dropping the invitation on the desk. "You got invited to something?" Dad asked. "So much for genetics, baby." Riley said. I stifled a giggled. "Ooh, seventh grade party. Yup, I didn't get invited to a whole lot of these. Good for you. I'm proud of you." dad told her, "Boy‐girl party?" he asked "Yup." Riley replied. "You can't go." dad, Riley and I said in sync. "May we approach?" Maya asked gesturing to herself and me. "Hurry, please." my dad and Riley said together before Maya and I walked up to the desk. "I'm gonna keep your young'un out of trouble, sir." Maya told him. "Hart, you are trouble. Why would I want my young'uns anywhere near the same party you are gonna be at?" dad questioned her. "You wouldn't. Say it. You know you wanna say it." Maya told him with a small smirk. "You and Raven can't go if Maya is invited." Dad told Riley. Maya and I pointed to Riley. "Maya and Raven are both not invited." Riley told him. "Then you may go." Maya and I told her. "Thanks, daddies." Riley thanked us. "Hold up, Rave you weren't invited?" he asked me "All right, good day, everybody. Class dismissed." Maya told the rest of the class changing the subject. They all stood up, but dad stopped them. "Sit down!" He shouted. "Sit down!" Riley, Maya, and I shouted at the class. The three of us walked back to our desks. "So there's this guy Damocles who really really wants to be king. One day he gets an invitation to come sit on the throne and actually hang with royalty." dad began his lesson. "No!" Riley shouted. "'Sup, Riles?" Maya asked. "Pop's lesson hitting a little close to home?" I asked. "Nope, what he's saying has nothing to do with me. Yes, I've been invited to hang with middle‐school royalty, but nothing bad could happen." Riley told us. "I'm sure you're right." dad told her, "Farkle!" "When Damocles sat on the throne he noticed a sword hanging over it, help up by a single tiny thread." Farkle said. "Maya," dad said, turning to my best friend. "Be careful what you wish for." Maya replied. "Raven?" He asked me, turning to me. "Being what other people want you to be is just a sword hanging over your head." I replied. "Good. Riley." dad said, turning to his eldest daughter. "Nothing to do with me." Riley said gesturing with her hands. Maya and I mimicked it.
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Dad, Maya, and I went to drop Riley off at her "popular" party. "Well, lookey here, teacher daddy, nothing hanging over my head except this here halo of popularity." Riley said, holding up an invisible halo, "And yay for you, my twin and my best friend, for watching me with smiles." she said to us happily. "Yeah, we're smiling," I started "we're watching." Maya finished. "All right, all right. Half hour you can stay. I'm waiting right here." Dad told her. Riley pressed the doorbell, and we heard it buzz. A panicked look appeared on dads face. "I changed my mind. I want you two in there. Protect your sister and friend." Dad told Maya and I. "We can't do that, Dad." I told him "Wasn't invited." Maya continued. "Why is that exactly?" Dad asked. "About to find out, sir." Maya replied "Smile. Watch." I told him as I leaned back against the wall behind me. The door opened and revealed Farkle. I bit my lip to hold in my laugh. "Greetings, fellow party‐goer." Farkle greeted. "Farkle?" Riley asked in confusion. "Starting to become clear, dad?" I asked. "Oh yeah. I'm smiling real big." dad told us before we all walked into the apartment. "Announcing the arrival of party guest number six, female number one." Farkle announced. I looked around the room, and saw another girl in the room. "I'm a female, Farkle." she said, and struck a pose. I raised my eyebrow. "You getting this yet?" Maya asked. "But pretty boy. Pretty boy's still here." Riley said. "Wait for it." I said. All of a sudden "pretty boy" took off his coat and his accessories to reveal two smaller nerdy boys. "That's the greatest thing I've ever seen in my life." Dad commented. I nodded. "It's a geek party!" Riley shouted in realization. "We know, honey." Maya and I said in unison through our giggles. "Everybody welcome Riley." Farkle ordered. All the geeks started to do a robot dance while speaking in a foreign language. "Honey, stay an hour. Stay a week, stay forever. Just enjoy." dad said, pushing Riley closer to the centre of the room. "Hey, you know what would make this just perfect for me?" dad asked. "Have you noticed the lightsabers hanging from the ceiling precariously over your head?" One of the geeks asked Riley. She looked up and a lightsaber came down, just above Riley's head. "Damocles." Riley hissed before Maya and I headed out to the subway with our arms linked.
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I followed behind Maya as she stormed into our history classroom and headed straight to Farkle. Maya picked him up by his shirt, while I glared at him. "Okay, Farkle. Where is she?" Maya questioned angrily. "Whatever have I done to deserve this display of affection?" Farkle asked, ignoring her question. "This look like affection to you?" I asked. "I takes it however I gets it." Farkle told us and smacked his lips, "Right there, nurses." I glared harder, "She wasn't there when I got up this morning and we couldn't find her in the halls." explained. "What'd you do with our girl?" Maya asked. "Maya, Raven, release the Farkle." I heard Riley order. Maya and I turned around and saw Riley walk into the room looking like a rainbow threw up on her. "Farkle, didn't do anything except open my eyes to what the world really thinks I am." Riley told us. "A harajuku girl?" Maya asked. "Yes, because I figure if what I am is nerdy‐geeky, I'm going to set the nerdy‐geeky world on fire." Riley told us. "You take it." Maya told me. "You're our dad, You take it." I told our dad. "Nope, beyond me. This is all for the two of you," he told us. I sighed. "Why should I struggle to be popular when I can be these people's empress fairy queen?" Riley asked. "No, please." Maya pleaded, "The one guy was two guys." she said, "The sword fell." I told her, "This is the way you're gonna go? You're gonna embrace this?" I asked her. "Deal with it. I've gone over to the dork side." Riley told us. If i wasn't concerned I would've laughed at. "This isn't you." Maya and I told her. "This is her." Farkle told us and I shot him a look of death. "They love this me." Riley said. I sighed. "We're not changing you back." Maya told her before the two of us took our seats. "Oh, yes you two are. One of my daughter's going through this week's crazy. You guys get in there." dad told us. "Father, may we continue with the lesson? I seek knowledge." Riley told our father. "Never mind, leave her alone." dad told us. "Look at her." Maya and I demanded. Dad then ran to Farkle's friends. "All right, what do you guys know about girls?" He asked them. "Mostly we're terrified of them, sir." One of them answered. "So we try to keep our distance." Another one told him. "Well, then I choose empress fairy nut job." dad said. He, and the geeks started doing a robot dance.
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"Come on. This is not who you are." I pleaded to Riley as we walked into the classroom, the next day. "What do you know about being a harajuku girl? " Maya asked. "I don't have to know anything except that they love it." Riley said, "Sorry, Raven, Maya, I walk with a different crowd now. And as you can see, I am quite the influence on them." I turned and looked at the geeks Riley has been hanging out with. They were wearing all wearing eccentric accessories. "Rave? Maya?" dad asked us. I looked at Riley to see her head in a book. "She's gone dad." I answered sadly for us as we continued to look at my lost sister. "Yes, she is." Farkle said, smirking.
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Maya and I were heading to my apartment after stopping off at hers and trying to formulate a plan to save Riley.
"Okay, we're gonna take one last shot at this," I announced as Maya and I crawled into Riley and mine's bedroom. "While we believe Riley is still in there and not completely under the spell of‐" Maya started, but was interrupted. "Ladies." Farkle said. I glared at him. "Farkle!" Maya shouted, and pushed him to the ground. "She's one of us now, Maya." Farkle told her as he got up before pushing her down. "She's one of us, Farkle." I told him and pushed him down as Maya got up. Farkle got up and pushed Maya and me both down. "You two are not letting her reach her full potential." Farkle hissed. Maya and I jumped up. "The world we know wants you to be yourself." Maya started. "In our world it needs you in it." I finished. "You're one of us now. And I've decided to prove it by letting you help the John Quincy Adams' spelling‐bee team to the regional finals." Farkle told Riley. "Really?" Riley asked. "I'm right about you, Riley. I know I am." Farkle replied. "Thank you, Farkle." Riley said, and turned to us, "Sorry, Rave, Maya. The world wants what the world wants. And right now the world wants me like this." I glared at Farkle "This isn't over, Farkle." Maya hissed at him. "I'm not scared." Farkle told her. "Oh, really?" she asked before she pushed him down. Farkle pulled Maya and me down to the ground. "Guys, what about me?" Riley asked. The three of us grabbed Riley and pulled her down with us. "Yay!" She shouted as we did so.
Auggie, Daddy, and I were sitting at the dinner table, watching Riley. We were all eating grapes. Riley got water out of the fridge and walked over to the couch. Just then, Mom walked in. I noticed that she had changed her appearance as well. "How ya doin'?" Mom asked. "How ya doin'?" Riley repeated. They walked past each other before they both stopped and turned back around to look at each other. "Daddy?" Auggie asked. "Yep." Dad answered. "You, me, and Raven are the normal ones here, right?" Auggie asked. "I hope so, bubba," Dad replied. I nodded in agreement. "What's this?" Mom asked. "What's that?" Riley asked back. "This is who I am inside. It's the part of me your father fell in love with a long time ago," Mom explained. "This is what's inside of you?" Riley asked "Yeah, might be the best part," Mom admitted. "Is this the best part of you?" she asked Riley "I'm extremely popular with five people," Riley said, proudly. "Is one of them you?" Mom asked. She sat down on the couch, and Riley followed. "Weird Mommy's cool," Auggie commented. "Way cool." I agreed. I know what to do. "Dad I'm heading to Maya's." I told him giving him a peck on the cheek before grabbing a handful of grapes for the journey. "Bye honey." I heard as the apartment door closed behind me.
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"Welcome, to this qualifying round of the city regional spelling bee between our own John Quincy Adams middle school," Mr. Matthews announced, but stopped so we could applaud. He continued, "And Einstein academy." There was more applause. Maya and I were watching from the door waiting for our moment. Riley stepped up to the platform and that was our cue. "Okay, Miss Matthews. Your first word is‐" dad started, but was interrupted by Maya and I walking over before I slipped him a piece of paper. "Rave, Maya, you can't‐" dad started. "Check out the word, Mr. Matthews." Maya said before he looked down at the paper "Miss Matthews, your word is harajuku." dad said. "Excuse me?" Riley asked. "Harajuku." I repeated with a smirk stepping forward. "Uh, may I have the meaning of the word?" Riles asked. "Oh, you don't know?" Maya asked in fake shock "Then let me tell you. It's a real neighborhood in Japan, where authentic Japanese girls have created an authentic look and life for themselves that is unique to them." dad explained. "Country of origin?" Riley asked. My eyebrows raised "Are you kidding?" I asked her. "Can I hear it in a sentence?" Riley asked. "Yeah." Maya replied, "Stop pretending to be a harajuku girl, because you're not. You're Riley. R‐I‐L‐E‐Y." she told her. "Five seconds, Miss Matthews, or you're eliminated." dad warned. "What do you mean "eliminated"?" Riley asked. "It means you wouldn't be part of the group any more." Farkle answered. Riley kept looking back and forth between us and the geeks. "Harajuku, something I'm N‐O‐T." Riley said, taking off the fake glasses she was wearing, "Sorry, Farkle. It was a lovely party and your friends are really pretty cool." she told him. "We are?" One of the nerd asked before chuckling. "We've never been called that before." He admitted. "Shocker." Maya mumbled causing me to give her a playful nudge "Thanks, Riley. We feel the same way about you." Farkle told her before Riley headed back over to Maya and me. We sat down on the chairs behind us, and leaned our heads on each other's shoulders.
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Riley, Maya and I where sitting in the diner. "You know what the best thing is about being yourself?" Riley asked us. "What?" Maya asked. "You're always popular with your best friends," Riley said and I smiled, softly. "Always." I repeated.
