Friends. That's what they were supposed to go back to. Like in the old days, when she would always sit in front of him and they would run the class, while her father would just tolerate it. The old days, when they would sit on the bench and have the deepest conversations in just five minutes. The times when Riley and Farkle felt like things would always be the same and that was good.
Yeah, right.
Due to her last meeting with Farkle, Riley was late for her date with Lucas. She knew she would be but she couldn't help herself. She never thought they'd grow up and Farkle Minkus would be the one to make her lose control. On the subway, Riley looked into her compact mirror. Because it was (allegedly) their final time, Farkle went a little overboard and left a hickie on her neck. Then, the snippet of the evening came back to her, feeling the exact moment when his teeth penetrated her skin and how she felt like she was becoming poisoned with Farkle. Gently, she dabbed the applicator in the powder and covered the mark as best she could. Still, it was going to be there until it was good and ready to fade away. Riley hoped it would be soon.
When Riley jogged to meet her boyfriend outside the movie theater, she saw every small cloud of breath she huffed. It was getting colder and Lucas' Texas blood had to be on the brink of freezing. Then, she saw him. His chiseled face was adorably red from the cold and he turned and smiled when she called his name. Riley ran into his arms and gave him a kiss hot enough to make him melt. Her immense and growing guilt has lead her to show Lucas all the affection he would allow.
"Whoa," he said into her softly smiling lips, with his hands connecting behind Riley's waist.
"I'm sorry I was late."
"You're forgiven. You're always forgiven." The couple beamed at each other and hand in hand, entered the theater. He held the door for her, bought her favorite snacks and let her have the first bite of popcorn like the perfect gentleman.
Post-movie, Lucas and Riley were still holding hands but this was more because he was worried. After watchingWin a Date with Tad Hamilton! at the old megaplex, his girlfriend had been overflowing with tears ever since.
"Honey, the movie wasn't sad. They had a happy ending! It was happy!" Lucas comforted.
"It's not happy, if someone has to get hurt!" Riley exclaimed, wiping her tears.
"I don't even think that Tad guy was that mad and I mean, he did lie - "
"Because that was how much he wanted her in his life! You have this one girl and two vastly different guys that she likes for vastly different reasons and how is she supposed to choose? They both obviously care about her! It's terrible!"
Seeing how stirred she was by the movie, Lucas held her closer and kissed her hair, "OK, OK, Sunshine, you know what always cheers you up? Those crumpets with peach jelly you like so much. Let's go." The couple headed in the direction of Topanga's. When inside the bakery, Lucas took Riley's jacket for her and hung it up. Her hungry eyes were on the pastries, while Lucas' saw their friends. "Oh, hey, it's Smackle and Farkle."
Her appetite dissolved in a matter of seconds. Before she could figure out how to persuade him to leave, Lucas was already traveling to the quad area where Smackle and Farkle were. They were looking into the laptop on Smackle's lap and Farkle rested his arm around her shoulders.
"Hey, guys!" He greeted with a full wattage grin.
"Hey, man." Farkle was casual, giving Lucas a handshake. He saw Riley nervously creeping up out of the corner of his eye and said nothing.
"Hello, other boyfriend." Smackle said, shameless.
"Farkle - " Lucas gestured to Smackle and her disrespectful advances for Farkle to deadpan, "Yeah, I don't even say anything anymore."
Lucas laughed and took a seat, opposite the couple. Riley was still in the background, however. He pivoted around and saw her lurking, then called her over, "Riley! What're you doing?"
"Oh, I'm just choosing what I want!" What she really wanted was to leave but she needed time to think up a good reason. Diarrhea? No, too embarrassing. Family emergency? Knowing Lucas, he'd want to come and be by her side, or at least get a follow-up. Sex? That could work but honestly she didn't feel like it. Not so soon after Farkle... She closed her eyes and saw the top of his head between her legs. Realizing there was no out, Riley picked two crumpets with peach jelly and hot chocolate and joined her friends.
As she sat down, Lucas ran his fingers through her hair. "Feel better?"
"Mm-hmm," Riley nodded, taking a mouthful of pastry because if she spoke, she would say something weird or start crying.
"What happened?" Farkle couldn't help but care when something was wrong with Riley.
"We went to see a movie and she cried all the way here after."
"What movie?"
"Win a Date with Tad Hamilton! It was about a girl and two guys and - "
"Oh." Farkle cut his friend off, deciding he didn't need to hear anymore and put his attention back on Smackle's paper.
"So, what are you guys up to?" Lucas asked.
"I'm helping Smackle with her essay application to Harvard."
"More like proof-reading." Smackle corrected.
"Oh, yeah, that reminds me. Farkle, would you read my essay too? If you're not too busy."
"Sure." He shrugged.
Riley then swallowed her pride and dessert, curiously asking her boyfriend, "You finished it? Why didn't you ask me to read it?"
"Well, I was eventually, Riley. I just wanted to get Farkle's opinion first because... it's like Farkle is the facts. He'll check my grammar and make sure everything I'm saying makes sense, flows well... all the stuff that makes for a good academic essay. But you, you're the emotion. You'll be able to tell me if what I have to say feels authentic and genuine to me. It's like you're two halves of a whole. Farkle's the head and you're the heart, Riley. I hope that doesn't offend you." Riley fought really hard to smile and she viciously shook her head. Then, she attacked her crumpet with a huge bite. That way if she did cry, people would believe it's because she's choking.
Lucas continued, "Can you guys believe that we're seniors? We're graduating this year... it's crazy."
"Well, I got the option to graduate last year but I wanted to stay with my man." Smackle grinned, grabbing Farkle by the chin and smooching his face.
"I'm glad you didn't." Farkle said to his girlfriend.
"I'm glad I didn't, too."
This was normal, right? Farkle and Smackle being super adorable was normal and Lucas sitting next to Riley was normal but these feelings - these emotions of jealousy and rage and sadness within Riley wasn't normal. This is how it was supposed to be but she couldn't take it. Riley thought she might explode and Farkle never looked at her. It was killing Riley that he wouldn't look at her.
Then Happy-Go-Lucas piped up, "You know what we haven't done in a while? Went on a double date."
No.
"That is accurate, Lucas." Smackle added. Because Zay and Maya would always make fun of when the couples were being couples, Lucas, Riley, Farkle and Smackle sometimes would hang out without them. They would go to dinner or bowling and it would always be a good time. But now, the thought of being around the genius couple filled her with dread.
"I think senior year kind of bogged us all down, we should definitely all hang out!"
"Dinner? Tomorrow?"
Please, no.
Lucas and Smackle enthusiastically planned the whole thing as Farkle and Riley sat quietly.
"Sounds good to me."
Farkle, look at me.
He did not.
"Riley?" Suddenly, Lucas' big hand was on her knee and lovingly stared at her. "Sound good?"
Riley nodded, "Sounds good."
Finally, Farkle looked up.
At Chez Felipe's on Saturday night, everyone played their roles. In fact, some over-acted a tad. Riley was wearing a dress that she borrowed from Maya that fitted her tight, with her mother's heels. When her boyfriend removed her coat for her, Riley heard his shortness of breath. This did not go unnoticed with Farkle or Smackle.
When her sexy transformation was revealed, Smackle exclaimed,"Dammmnnn, Gina!"
Riley just threw a smirk Farkle's way. He huffed through his nostrils, irritated. For the rest of the night, the conversation was light and airy. Riley was extra lovey with Lucas, feeding him and resting her chin on her palm while whispering things in his ear that made him blush. When the night was over, Riley was wantonly staplegunned to Lucas, lying her head on his shoulder. Farkle made no reaction. Curtly, he told the two goodnight and walked off with Smackle, holding her hand as Riley frowned.
At school on Monday, Riley sat in front of Farkle, not saying a word. When Mr. Matthews called on Farkle to answer questions, the hairs on her skinny arms stood up for the superior tone of his voice. It made Riley remember how Farkle could be dominant when he wants to be, but then, she couldn't think like this anymore. Farkle was her friend. However, she didn't know how to stop herself and hated that it seemed to easy for Farkle.
By the end of AP History, Mr. Matthews was giving out partner assignments for their next project on wars among superpower countries. Farkle and Riley got paired together because of the stinkin' alphabet. Matthews, Minkus. When the bell for second period rang, both of them leaped from their desks and marched over to their teacher. They made a glance at each other before, looking expectantly at Mr. Matthews.
"Yes?" Cory quipped, holding a handball.
"I request another partner, sir."
The hardness in Farkle's tone made her flinch, but Riley quickly followed, "So do I!"
"The partners were picked based on - "
"Alphabetical order, yes." Farkle finished. "But, surely you can make this one exception, sir."
"Please, daddy."
"OK, you jerks," Cory spun in his swivel chair, to walk from behind his desk and face his two students. "I try not to get involved in your personal lives - "
"That's all you do - " Riley started.
"But, I don't think I'm the only one that's noticed you two have been acting like little weirdos lately. Projects are your thing! You two are like a powerhouse together. What's going on?"
Farkle exhaled, "We just want to broaden our horizons, sir. Like you said, 'People change people'. We want to see what working with other people will do for our views."
Cory wasn't convinced but he patted his daughter and his favorite student's shoulders, offering, "Next time, guys, OK? But for this project, it's going to be Riley and Farkle: The Cold War."
The two defeated people left the classroom and walked together to AP English, without meaning to.
Farkle was the first one to speak, "I can do all the written work and you can handle the Powerpoint and presentation. This way, we don't have to spend time together."
Riley, offended, "You can't be around me, Farkle? I thought we were friends?"
"So did I."
"What's that supposed to mean?" Suddenly, the late bell rang.
"Look, Riley, if you want to work together, let's go to Topanga's after school, all right?"
"Fine."
Around 4 P.M., Riley and Farkle traveled in awkward silence to her mother's bakery. Tension filled the space but Farkle kept his headphones on, leaving Riley alone with it. His hand reached for the door handle but he hesitated, reading the sign on the door.
"You've got be fucking kidding me," Farkle muttered to himself.
"What?" Riley moved in front of him, to also see what the sign said. "Closed for renovations?" She read aloud. "No way, we were just open this morning." She took out her phone to call her mother. After two rings, Topanga picked up. "Hey, mom. I'm outside the bakery right now and it says closed for renovations?"
"Yeah, some of our pipes burst around noon. The whole bathroom and kitchen is flooded. We're probably going to be closed for a few days."
"Wow. OK, well, I'll see you at home."
"OK, love you."
"I love you, too."
Riley pressed the end call button and glanced at Farkle. "Pipes burst. Kitchen and bathrooms are flooded."
Farkle rolled his eyes and groaned, "Aw, c'mon."
"We can still go to the library - "
"The library is closed on Mondays." He said matter-of-factly, still searching inside.
Riley looked down at her boots, "Oh, right."
"I guess we'll just go to the library tomorrow - "
"Or, we can go to my house? That's two blocks away?"
"... Riley, I'd rather work at the library." Working in private spelled D-A-N-G-E-R for them, how could she not see that?
"Farkle, this project is a major part of our grade and I know my dad would love nothing more than to fail me, so he can keep an eye on me for the rest of my life. I don't want to give him a reason. Can we just... Go to my house?" Really, Riley wanted to be alone with him so they could talk about what he told her earlier. It was bothering her all day.
Farkle sighed, a moment of gazing into her hypnotic, brown eyes, "Fine."
They arrived at the Matthews' brownstone and headed straight for Riley's room. They sat near the bay window, far apart from each other. Without anything to distract him, the tension was now highly palpable to Farkle. He kept his focus on the task at hand, reading from their textbook and taking notes, but he felt big, puppy like eyes on him the whole time.
"Riley, stop staring at me." Farkle ordered, still scribbling in his workbook.
She burned holes into him. "What did you mean earlier?"
"Mm?"
"You said you thought we were friends."
"Riley, I came here to work. Nothing more, nothing less."
"And I can't work until you tell me why you apparently think I'm not your friend anymore, Farkle!"
Bitterly laughing, Farkle shut his textbook with a slam. "OK, let's do this. Friends don't try to hurt each other, Riley. Yet on Saturday, you spent the whole night trying to make me jealous."
"I was not!" Riley protested in outrage, now standing.
"Oh, please." Farkle stood with her. "That dress and heels? That wasn't your dress, you don't own anything that tight. And then, you kept throwing yourself at Lucas. It was clear you were trying to get a rise of out of me! Friends don't do that to friends!"
"What about you and Smackle? Huh? Acting all couple-y in front of me and-and holding hands - "
"Yeah, yeah, right. While you run from my bed to Lucas' and I'm supposed to be OK with that? That's what me and Smackle do! That's what we've always done! She's my girlfriend!
"That doesn't matter! You don't think that I wasn't effected by that? Like, I'm not supposed to care? And don't you dare pretend like you're not still having sex with Smackle!"
"I'm not!"
Riley paused, softly replying, "... You're... not?"
"Honestly, it has less to do with you and more to do with our schedules, but... No. We haven't since the summer." Riley gulped and gave him a sobering look. He took one weighty step towards her. "Neither of us are supposed to care, Riley. That was the whole point of us ending this."
"Are you... Saying you care?" She put one foot in his direction.
Farkle looked at her hopelessly, "Of course. Do you?" Another step.
With one last move, the tips of their noses were grazing. "Farkle," Riley barely found her voice being so close to him. When he said his name with weakness like that, it drove him insane. "If we can't be just friends then..." Her eyelids fluttered to a close, being pulled in by the sound of his heavy breathing. Her heartbeat elevated with each button he undid on her sweater.
Farkle swallowed at the dryness in his throat, "If we can't stop..."
"Then..."
Suddenly, Riley's bedroom door broke open. The two magnets blasted away from each other, fixing their clothes and their energy. Farkle started to cough for no reason as Riley stretched her sweater over her shirt of a pink elephant.
Seeing her little brother, flustered Riley couldn't hide the agitation in her tone, "Jesus, Auggie, can't you knock?"
Auggie scrunched his nose at her, " I was just going to tell you guys that mom is bringing pizza home. She wants to know what you want on your slices, Rudy-Riley."
"Well, I'm not going to be able to stay for dinner - " Farkle immediately began to pack up his things.
"Because we're going to study at Farkle's house!" Farkle twisted his neck to look at Riley with bug eyes. "Right?"
"R-right."
Riley grabbed her laptop and coat, when Auggie reminded them, "What about the yelling I heard?"
"There wasn't any yelling." Riley denied. "Now, stay out of my room. C'mon Farkle, let's go." She dragged Farkle by the sleeve of his jacket out of their apartment.