CHAPTER SONG : "I was young and in love

I gave you everything but it

wasn't enough

and now you wanna communicate.."

- Jojo 'Too Little Too Late'


"So, anything interesting happen in Biology?" Maya asked, stuffing a fry into her mouth.

"Not at all." Riley said, her mind going back to yesterday. She kept thinking that it was probably stupid to address Lucas on what happen a year ago, it wasn't like it was affecting their friendship now. The feeling just came out of nowhere and she was hoping it'll go away.

Riley reached down into her backpack to grab her phone, but paused when she saw who just walked into the cafeteria. It was the guy that was in her English class named Cody. His hair was the color of black and was placed in a nice quiff, his smile making him even more handsome.

"Wow.." Riley said dreamily, staring at the entrance of the cafeteria.

"What are you looking at, Riles?" Maya asked, turning around so she can see what I was looking at. The moment she saw Cody and my eyes never leaving him, she grinned.

"He's not that bad." Maya shrugged.

"Not that bad? He's the most greatest thing I've ever seen." Riley replied.

"Then go talk to him." The blonde stated obviously, making Riley scoffed.

"What would people say if they caught someone like him talking to me?"

"That's easy," Maya says, clapping her hands together once, "It would be none of their business."

Riley sighed and looked back in his direction to see that he was now sitting at Table 4 with his friends. The only experience she had in the dating department was with Lucas, but at the time she was too young to understand the whole thing. She needed a fresh start and wanted to actually try to make friends this year, that way she won't be an outcast sophomore year.

"Oh," Maya said as the sound of her phone went off, picking it up to check it. "Lucas said that him and Farkle are on their way he-" Her voice trailed off when she noticed that her best-friend wasn't at the table anymore, but walking towards the front of the cafeteria.


Ever since this morning Lucas keeps hearing Riley's voice going through his head. Just hearing that she wanted him to move on was hurtful because that was the last thing he wanted to do. He kept going back to the moments they shared when they were younger and it puts a big smile on his face, but the break up was something that wasn't going to be forgotten, regardless if she told him she wasn't holding a grudge.

(March 14, 2015)

"I-I don't think I can do this." A fifteen year old, Lucas Friar stammered to his best-friend, Farkle Minkus.

They were in Central Park at 6:45 at night and Lucas could feel himself sweating bullets. What he was about do was something that he could never forgive himself for doing because it was that wrong, but at the same time it needed to be done.

"You've been preparing yourself for this since this morning, its about time you do it." Farkle says.

"You're saying it like I actually want to do this." Lucas shot at him.

"Apparently you do," He took a seat next to Lucas on the park bench, letting out a sigh. "If you ask me, I think you guys pretty much rushed into this too fast. Were only in middle school, we don't really know that much things on love. You don't want to break her heart because you care about her, which should be the same reason why you should break up with her. Because you love her and want what's best for her.."

Lucas has told Riley some things that he could never tell his parents or his other friends. She was that important to him that he trusted her with all his heart, but he probably opened his doors to quickly at such a young age. He didn't feel like he was that good of a boyfriend; and Riley didn't deserve it.

"Oh, she's here!" Farkle quickly ran to one of the trees, hiding as best he could. Lucas could feel his heart racing but placed a hand on his chest to calm down, and sent a wave Riley's way as she made her way towards him.

She returned one back and sat beside him, Lucas instantly reaching for her hand.

"Hey." Riley greeted, giving him a soft smile.

"Hey to you too, did your dad bring you?" Lucas asked.

"Yeah. He was hesitate at first, but knew that I'm in good hands."

No she wasn't, she wasn't in good hands at all, Lucas thought.

The pressure was starting to be become overwhelming again. He looked up to see her smiling at him, but when she noticed his nervous expression her hands reached out to touch his face.

"Is something wrong?" Riley questioned.

"N-No, nothing's wrong." He stuttered, gently placing her hands back down to her side.

"You're stuttering." Riley stated.

"Everyone stutters, Riles."

"But you only do it when you're nervous.."

Lucas paused and turned back to her, Riley's eyes staring right into his.

"You notice things like that?" He murmured.

Riley chuckled.

"I'm suppose to notice those things, that way I can know how you are feeling." She leaned in a place a kiss on his lips, but he ended up pulling back and clearing his throat, Riley now crossing her arms.

"Well, that's new." Riley frowned.

"Riley, we can't do this anymore."

"Fine, we can cut back on the kissing. How about cuddling?"

"No, Riley," He grabbed her hands and turned her around, cupping her cheek with his head as she looked down at him. "I mean, we have to break up."

He could see her eyes watering before she jerked his hand away, standing up from her spot on the bench. Her back was facing him and Lucas stood behind her, giving her the space he knew she wanted.

"Are you serious, Lucas?" She croaked out.

"Riley, I didn't w-"

"No," She turned around to face him, her mascara now a mess because of her tears. "Maya told me that it would be a mistake to ever come to terms with my feelings for you. But me being the naive girl I am, I didn't listen. Because I didn't believe that you would be capable of causing me pain and that you care about me, but you don't."

"I would never try to hurt you, Riley. I do care about you."

"Then why are you doing something this cruel?"

Lucas moved closer to her and wrapped his hand around her waist, pulling her closer to him. Their foreheads were touching and Riley hands were clutching the bottom of his blue shirt, as he closed his eyes and listened to his girl crying. It had to be the worst thing he could ever hear. He slowly pulled back a bit and placed his hand under her chin, pulling her head up to look at him.

"I want you to remember one thing," She was too busy glaring at him, the anger all the way evident. "I'm not doing this because I don't care about you, its happening because I know that you're better off without me."

"I hate you." Riley cried.

"Riles, you don't mean that."

"No, I mean it with every fiber of my being," Riley let loose of his shirt and stepped away from him. "At least its nice to know who was the one that didn't give up."

"Riley, don't go."

Lucas reached out for her but she shook her head and turned on her heel, heading back to where she came from. It was at that moment Lucas allow himself to break down, his legs beginning to give up on him and his body falling down unto the grass, the tears he was keeping in now being let out. It stopped for a few seconds when he felt Farkle's hand on his back.

"You did the right thing, don't forget that."


His thoughts were interrupted when he heard a loud bang and looked to his side, to find Farkle closing his Algebra textbook.

"Something tells me someone didn't get a good night sleep." He laughed, standing beside to the doors to the cafeteria.

"Yeah, I was up all night." Lucas lied.

"Or you were thinking of Riley."

Lucas eyes widened at the mention of her name, making Farkle snap his fingers. It wasn't like he was trying to get caught red handed, but whenever they did talk about Riley it was out of his instincts to react a certain why. She was his girlfriend a year back.

"I knew it was her." He smirked.

"So what? She's my friend, its fine for me to think about her."

"Oh please, friendship is far from what you were thinking about, cowboy."

Lucas glared at him when he called him by the nickname, Farkle quickly reaching up to adjust his turtleneck.

"What I mean to say was, why didn't you tell me?"

"Because you were the one that told me I was doing the right thing, it'll look pretty stupid to be hung up on her."

"You did do the right thing. The value of friendship is more important than a relationship in middle school, look at us now," Farkle held his hands at to indicate that he was discussing their transition from middle school to high-school. "You guys are old enough to tackle any obstacle, were young adults now."

"She doesn't want me anymore." Lucas mumbled.

"You can't define Riley's feelings for her, so stop being so negative."

Farkle placed both of his hands on the double doors and opened it, the cafeteria now shown in full view.

"Maya and Riley are in the back." His friends began to squeeze past people to get to the tables in the back of the cafeteria, and Lucas followed behind him. He was going to have to discuss the sitting arrangements for lunch with Riley and Maya. As he was almost to Table 10, the sight he saw before him cause him to come to a halt right in the middle of the cafeteria.

There was Riley already talking to a new guy, as he smiled at her. Lucas recognized that smile like any other. It was the smile you guy gets when that one specific girl makes their day, makes them happy. Something that Lucas did a lot with Riley.

But he had to realize that Riley won't be the person causing that smile anymore.

It was time to move on.