I recommend reading the first basketball game with some background music… Maybe "Now or Never" from HSM3? ;)

I'm sorry I made the last chapter so short but I had to save all my energy for this chapter that I hope will be the best since the pilot chapter.

KillEmWithKindness02: Yes! Riley and Maya wanted their friends to make the team. But don't worry! They also made it because they worked for it! That's why I included Cory saying he chose who made the team. And the Napoleon subject serves a purpose. Will you be able to connect the dots? :O ;)

violet1429: Yep! Zay is part of the squad :D

Guest: XD Riley is a special girl for sure!

nona0310: Thank you for reading! I write for you and everyone else who reads it. You motivate me to write cuter Rucas moments! haha

Discursus: Farkle IS a favorite haha. But he isn't on the team because he was a favorite. YES. I love that you mention that! Charlie didn't think he would have competition with a blind boy.

Marissa Davis: Yay! I love your review! Here's an update for all of you.

Guest (2): Hmmm I'll try to squeeze that in at some point but there's a part where Charlie is very up front with Riley… in future chaps.

This chapter will be long. Enjoy!

DISCLAIMER: I don't own anything you recognize.

…..

September 25th

"I'll see you tomorrow, freak!" Farkle smirked at Lucas. He grabbed his book bag and walked to the main entrance. His sweaty gym towel hung around his neck.

The handsome teen grinned. "Thanks, nerd! Keep practicing those free throws!" Lucas turned around and walked in the empty hallways. As he arrived at his locker, he discovered a lonely Riley sitting on the floor. "Hey, Riles."

The brunette stood up and brushed off her overalls. "I was hoping to find you." She smiled at him sincerely.

Lucas grinned and opened his locker while he asked, "What are you doing here after school?" He threw his red basketball uniform inside the locker.

"Well, since my dad is the coach, I have to wait for him to give me a ride. But today, he has a teacher conference." Riley sighed and crossed her arms. "I was hoping we can walk so I don't have to walk the streets alone."

Riley glanced outside the glass doors. The sun was about to disappear behind the horizon. The city is wonderful, but they both knew about the dangers in the dark.

"No problem! I'll drop you off," Lucas stated. "It'll give me a chance to talk to you."

Matthews blushed and once again, was thankful he couldn't see her cheeks. "Thanks so much. It means a lot."

Lucas gripped onto Riley's shoulder and walked side by side with her. While they walked Riley admired the way the teen's eyes shined under the light. She then directed her attention to his broad shoulders and felt safe under his protection. Once they arrived to Riley's front door, Lucas walked up the stairs with her.

"Riley, I have to tell you something. I think it's time I ask you," Lucas began.

The brunette's eyes became saucers. Her heart raced a mile a minute and did flips. "S-Sure! Ask away! Anything!"

"Would it be okay if I put you as my number one on speed dial?" Lucas smirked. "Only if you're okay with that." He was aware of the suspense he built. Even though he appreciated Riley, he also liked to make her flustered.

Riley exhaled loudly. "Oh! Of course. You know you can call me if you ever need anything." She dragged her hands to cover her face.

"That's good! I had already put Farkle as my number two, Zay as three and Maya as six. I definitely couldn't forget about my favorite brunette." Lucas smiled.

The two of them stood there in silence for a moment until Riley reached out to hug Lucas. At first, he was caught off guard. In a few seconds he became comfortable and relaxed. His arms surrounded Riley's frame.

"Good night, Lucas."

…..

October 1st

"Okay, twirl around!" Riley sat at her bay window with her legs crossed. She carefully examined Maya's outfit.

"I love this!" Maya posed in her dress. It was a very flowy red dress with blue flowers. She paired the ensemble with white Keds. "I'm definitely representing the Patriots."

Riley cheerfully clapped and jumped up. "You look amazing! My turn!" She ran to her closet and quickly changed into her choice of clothes. "Look at me!" Matthews wore a fitting blue dress that stopped right at the knees. She slipped on her red converse and spun in front of the blonde.

"Sunshine, Lucas will wish he could see you." Maya smirked. "You'll have Charlie Gardner do double take."

Riley frowned. "Right… Lucas can't see me."

Her best friend furrowed her eyebrows in wonder. "I thought you didn't dress for boys? You're a figure of women empowerment."

The brunette nodded reluctantly. "I don't, but I also wanted to impress him. I've never liked a guy so much." She bowed her head in sadness. "I wish he could see. Not just for me, but for his friends, and his family."

Maya frowned. "I feel sorry for the huckleberry. But who knows… Maybe this operation he was talking about will give him back his vision. Then he'll see what a catch you are."

Riley slightly smiled. "I guess you're right. Right now, he needs us in spirit. And if he likes me, he'll like me for who I am and not what I look like."

…..

"Dude, can you believe the game is on Monday?" Zay spun his basketball with his finger. He stared in awe at Lucas. "We're gonna be awesome."

Lucas laughed while he laid on his couch. "We better be or Mr. Matthews will throttle us."

Farkle nodded as he locked his phone. "I need to prove that I can be athletic, aside from my intelligence." He grabbed some popcorn and threw it in his mouth. "Maya and Riley will be all dressed up for the game… I can't wait!"

Zay smirked. "Farkle, you're gonna have to see Smackle as well. I heard she started dating Gardener's friend, Billy."

Lucas frowned. "Just ignore her, Farkle. You gotta be focused on the game." The blond also began to think about Riley. Lately he was thinking about how all his friends looked like. What if Riley was ugly? Would he be shallow and stop being friends with her? Or would he be her friend in any case? Would he still have a crush on her? Then again, Lucas didn't know if he was physically attractive either. He could be a total mess and have friends more attractive then him. Honestly, he knew looks shouldn't matter.

"Earth to Lucas! Were you thinking about Riley?" Farkle questioned, playfully.

"Actually, yeah. I wish I could see her and you guys." Lucas paused, "Forget it. We all have to be 105% focused next week."

…..

October 4th

"Welcome to Abigail Adam's High School: home of the Patriots. Tonight, we'll be playing against Dickinson Knights. Wish our team good luck!" The announcer made the crowd roar with excitement and pep.

At the sidelines of the gym, the entire team for Abigail High huddled up to form a game plan. Cory Matthews spoke proudly, "We've worked hard to win this season. I have a good feeling we'll be going far. Make the school proud and work together!" The players grinned and nodded passionately. "1, 2, 3, go!"

Lucas, Farkle and Zay dispersed from the team to find Riley and Maya. As soon as they heard a distinct "yay", they found the duo.

"My wives, you both look lovely." Farkle gave them an awkward bow.

"Yeah, yeah, thanks boy. Have you seen Josh?" Maya searched in the crowd for the handsome brunet.

Farkle pointed at a direction. "I saw him talking to Matthews. He's wearing a red beanie."

Maya grinned with happiness and ran to the college student. "I'll be back after I snag a date with uncle Boing!"

Riley shook her head in playful disbelief and smiled. "You guys are so ready."

Lucas smiled as well. "Even though I can't see, I'm sure you look great." He hugged the brunette with content. "You should take a selfie with me, and when I regain my sight, we'll see it together."

Matthews felt her heart jump to her throat. "That's a great idea." She politely asked Isaiah to take a picture of the pair. Lucas grinned and Riley laughed. "You'll probably laugh when you see it!"

When. Lucas was happy she said "when" and not "if". He tightened his grip around her waist. He didn't mean to be flirty. The teen wanted to hold on to his hope as tight as he could. Lucas didn't want to let her go. "It's time for the game. I'll talk to you after, okay?"

Riley smiled. "No matter what, I'll be proud of the whole team."

"Okay! Time to sit down, everybody. The game is about to begin!" The announcer shouted.

…..

"I'm so scared, Maya. We're losing 30 to 25 and it's about to be half-time." Riley covered her face with her hands. The students around her were shouting for the team to make a shot. "We have to win!"

"Relax. There's still time." Maya looked at the timer and noticed there were only 30 seconds left for the first half. "Okay, don't relax."

The buzzer rang and concluded the first part of the game. Tired and gloomy, the Patriots returned to the locker room. Cory stood in front of the guys and crossed his arms. "Guys, you can do this. I have faith you will pull out a surprise finish. Although, I gotta tell you what we need to work on." Matthews looked at all of the faces around him. "Friar. Gardner. Pass the ball to each other. Even if you guys want to rip each other's guts out, do it outside and not in the game."

Every other player looked at the two enemies. Farkle chose to speak up.

"I didn't think I could make it on the team, but with hard work and effort I did. We can win this game as long as we keep up that hard work and effort. Zay, wanna say something?"

Babineaux looked at his feet and nodded. "We gotta win this cause we'll get pizza after!"

Everyone cheered and ran back to the court. Lucas and Farkle glared at Zay. "Really… Our motive for winning is pizza?"

"Oh come on! Everyone loves pizza!"

…..

16 minutes left for the end of the game. The scores were very close to each other. Knights were winning with 60 points and Patriots were behind with 57.

"Patriots!" Abigail Adams High chanted as their players ran back and forth with passion. Riley tried to shout as loud as she could. "You got this Lucas!" In a matter of seconds, Lucas made a basket. The crowd continued to cheer.

As the chants got louder, the team made more points. 65 to 64.

"Two more points and they win!" Maya shouted in excitement. "Go Farkle! Go Zay!"

Riley grinned. "Zay made the tie! We're so close!"

Lucas put his hands on his knees. His lungs felt like they were about to collapse. He needed an ounce more of energy and perhaps he made the winning shot. He perked his ears up and heard a familiar voice.

"Lucas! You'll make all of us proud! You got this!" Riley clapped. "One more!"

His lungs quickly filled with oxygen once again and he began to run. "Come on, team!" His team mates looked at the timer. Sixteen seconds.

"Come on, Friar! Shoot it!" Gardner screamed. Everyone looked at Lucas as his wrist flicked and threw the ball. Time stopped as the ball touched the rim. In a swift move, the ball spun and fell inside the net.

"AND THE PATRIOTS WIN!" The announcer dropped his microphone on the floor and jumped in the air. People wearing blue and red grinned and cheered with their hearts filled with pride.

Riley and Maya hugged each other and ran out to the court. As they were about to say hi to their friends, the team ran outside. It left the two girls confused and disappointed.

...

I'm sorry about that ending... If you review alot, I'll post the next chapter sooner than later!