Did I confuse you with that ending? I sure hope so… It'll help with the upcoming chapters. ;P
I was previously thinking that it would be a great idea to include the songs I listen to while writing! If you listen to the songs I mention, maybe you'll feel more of the story come to life. For this chapter I suggest you listen to 'Do I Wanna Know?' by Arctic Monkeys, 'Seven Nation Army' by White Stripes and/or 'One Last Time' by Ariana Grande.
The story will evolve. Similar to Michael Jacobs, I'll write it the way I believe is best for all of us.
Discursus: Thank you for the first review! Let me warn you, Charlie will become more annoying as the chapter(s) go on… And Rucas is a work in process. Things will be much slower than how it was going in the beginning!
Guest28: THANKS, LOVE! I feel like I'm very similar to Riley so I could easily describe her feelings or attitude. Here's an update for you!
rebeccas1016: I'm obsessed with you guys liking my story! Thanks so much!
violet1429: AW! :* I'm trying to make them just as cute as how they are in the show! There will be cuter rucas moments coming your way ;)
Guest: Hold your horses! ;) haha Lucas isn't quite on his way to the surgery room just yet…
nona0310: Oh my gosh! Kisses from the US. Espero que te guste la historia! :*
KillEmWithKindness02: Good eye with the Napoleon subject… It'll come back into the chapter in the next updates. The team went outside for pizza… but did they come back?
…..
Riley slowly closed her locker and laid her forehead on the cold metal. She stared at her brown lace boots and dark wash jeans. "Peaches, I'm tired."
Maya pulled on Riley's floral top. "Don't say that. When you say you're tired it's because you're sad." The blonde knew why her best friend was upset. "We talked about this. If the guys want to act this way, then let them be." Maya felt a vibration from her jacket's pocket. She looked down and found a new message from Joshua. Even though she wanted to respond quickly, her instinct was to put her phone away and focus on Riley.
The brunette couldn't help but think about the infamous basketball game that occurred just three weeks ago. Lucas had promised that they would talk after the game. They haven't spoken since then. As if that wasn't enough, Farkle and Zay abandoned them as well. The boy's were focused on basketball and on the team. After school the entire team could be heard coming from the gym, laughing and shouting.
The only good that came from the dreaded first game was a new relationship. Just like Maya had predicted, Josh asked her out and they both began to date. Riley was conflicted inside. She wanted to feel happy for her best friend, and simultaneously wanted to cry from the loss of her three friends.
"Riles, we have Shakespeare. Cheer up! It's your favorite class!" Maya hopped in front of her taller friend. "We'll start reading another play today!"
Matthews slightly smiled and nodded. "I guess you're right."
…..
"Good morning class! Today we're going to read a few excerpts from the tragedy 'Antony and Cleopatra'." Ms. Harper smiled as if she achieved world peace.
"Great. More tragedy," Riley murmured to her close friend. She raised her hand. "Harper can I go to the nurse? I feel sick." The brunette looked at Lucas and Farkle chatting from her peripheral view. They hadn't even flinched at the news that Riley wasn't feeling well.
"Um, sure Riley. Go on."
Matthews ran outside towards the nurse but made a sharp turn towards the empty cafeteria. She entered a janitor's closet and began to sob. "Why are my closest friends drifting apart?"
The door knob jiggled and turned.
"Janitor Harley," Riley wiped away her tears, "I'll leave right now."
The older man shook his head. "It's okay. I'll be in the other janitor's room."
Riley gave him a sideways smile as her tears clouded her vision once again.
…..
Maya was angry. No, she was furious. Her best friend in the entire planet was probably not in the nurse's office and probably was crying. As soon as the school bell rang, she stepped up to Farkle and Lucas. She didn't give a flying stick about who she was talking to. "Listen here, idiots. Do you guys know where Riley is?"
Lucas stood quietly. Farkle scoffed, "Aren't you her best friend? You should know."
The brave blonde couldn't believe what she just heard. "You're not the Farkle we met in first grade. And guess what? Because of you two, I don't know where Riley is! She's probably bawling her eyes out!" Maya left a very small space between her and Mr. Minkus. "You're lucky I don't slam you on the ground right now." Her voice became an eerie whisper.
The intellect furrowed his eyebrows in anger. "Why aren't you saying anything to Lucas! He left equally like I did."
Maya directed her eyes to Lucas. She laughed sarcastically, "I expected the Texas heart throb to hurt Riley. There's no surprise there."
Lucas clenched his fists. "Listen, twerp. You don't know me. Now go off with your bestie and get out of my way." His tall figure shadowed over Hart. "Let's go, buddy."
For once in her life, Maya was actually scared. In a short second, it seemed like Lucas was about to hit her. She stood in the empty classroom in shock. Her body was frozen. She knew she had to keep Riley away from their previously named 'friends'.
…..
Gym time came around, which meant the basketball team would occupy the entire space. The rest of the class just sat on the bleachers, watching them play.
Cory glanced at his daughter who was frowning from afar. He waved for her to join him on the sidelines. The coach hugged her and gave her a basketball. "Go on the other half of the court. The boys will be doing drills so they won't use the net."
Riley nodded reluctantly and jogged to the net. In a matter of seconds she began to throw perfect free throws. She hummed to herself while she played.
Charlie Gardner noticed she was alone and ran to her. He snaked his arms around her waist. "Hey, beautiful."
Riley shrieked. "Charlie, get off me!" She pushed him back.
Maya stood up from the bleachers ready to defend her brunette friend. However, she saw that Riley could handle him. "That douchebag."
"Come on, Riley. Why don't we go out some time? I know you're not friends with Farkle and Lucas anymore. You have some free time." Charlie smirked and flexed his arms.
"I don't have free time to hang out with people like you. I'm focused on my studies and being with real friends." Riley crossed her arms and glared at the creepy teen. "Can you go back with your team?"
From a distance Lucas heard the conversation and stopped doing drills. He looked at where he believed Riley was. Inside, guilt ate him alive. However, he knew it was too late to go back to her. She would hate him forever.
"I love it when you play hard to get!" Charlie laughed.
"Aren't you with Missy Bradford?" Riley scoffed. "Head cheerleader, of course."
"We're in an open relationship."
…..
Lucas threw his uniform inside his gym locker and slammed the metal door. Surprisingly, he felt a hand on his pectoral.
"Hey Lucas." A feminine voice whispered mysteriously to him.
"Um, who are you?" Friar thought he knew the voice but he couldn't connect it to a name. He felt the girl's nails scratch his chest softly.
"I'm Missy. We met on the first day of school."
The basketball player furrowed his eyebrows and began to recall the first day. The only girl that truly made a mark on him was Riley. On the other hand, he remembered the group of girls that were giggling while he passed by. His fists clenched. "Aren't you the girl who left me stranded in the middle of the hallway like a piece of meat?"
"Oh, Lucas. Don't think of it that way. I wanted to help you, but my boyfriend would've seen me. He's the jealous type." Missy twirled her hair even though the Texas-born guy couldn't see her. "Want to sneak out with me?"
Lucas was aware that Missy wasn't very innocent. He guessed she wasn't a virgin and knew what she was doing. Something inside told him to stay away from her. "No. I don't want any trouble."
"You're going to get trouble either way." The girl walked away with a mischievous smile.
…..
"Peaches, can we go eat some pizza? I think I need some comfort food." Riley put her head on Maya's shoulder. "Double cheese, please."
"Okay. We'll eat some pizza and then we'll watch your favorite movie! Miss Congeniality." Maya smiled at her partner and grabbed her phone. "Oh my gosh! I forgot! I have a date with Josh today…" The blonde frowned.
Riley gave her another sideways smile. She had been giving everyone one of those frequently. "It's fine. Go have fun with my uncle." The brunette disappointedly began to walk to her house.
Maya shook her head in a disapproval. "Wait up! I'll tell Josh to join us tonight. I wouldn't want to leave you behind." She quickly texted her boyfriend the invite and threw her phone inside her bag. "There."
…..
"Thanks uncle Josh for having your date here. Watching that movie with you guys made me feel ten times better." Riley gave the couple a sincere smile. Her hair was tied in a ponytail and she wore pajamas while hugging her pillow pet. "It's like a sleepover!"
Josh chuckled and ruffled his niece's hair. "Anything for you. But let me ask, why are you so upset lately?"
Maya nudged him in the stomach.
"I guess I've been feeling lonely and hurt. Lucas and Farkle, the guys on the basketball team, don't talk to Maya and I anymore. I actually kinda had a crush on Lucas." Riley frowned.
"I think a crush is underestimating it. She loved the boy for a solid three weeks." Maya laughed lightly. "But she deserves someone better."
"It's crazy that we're already done with October. The beginning of senior year went flying by." Riley was disappointed that her senior year started to decline. "I want to go back to September." She grabbed her phone and opened the application for twitter. While she was scrolling down her timeline, she found a suspicious tweet from Missy.
Everything's bigger and better in Texas ;) #sorrynotsorry
Matthews' vision blurred while she read the innuendo. "Guys, I'm gonna go to the bathroom!" She threw her phone on the ground and dragged herself to the bathroom.
Maya quickly got up and picked up her best friend's phone. She scanned the tweet and clenched her fists until her knuckles were extremely white. "Girls like these are disgusting." She showed Josh the screen.
"If I see this Lucas kid, I'm going to punch him."
…..
The next morning Lucas woke up with the sun hitting his sculpted face. He slowly opened his eyelids and stretched. "Time to go to school."
He slipped on his dark wash jeans and picked out a flannel shirt. While slipping on his boots, he heard his phone vibrate. There were 30 voice messages from different people.
You got freaky with Missy? Dude!
I was with her once. She's great.
Dude, how can you go out with someone like Missy?
Lucas ran out the front door and hurried to get to school.
…..
It wasn't a surprise that Lucas was received at the building with nudges from the basketball team. Snickers followed and giggles could be heard wherever he walked. The only two people Lucas hadn't heard from was Farkle and Zay. He waited until gym to search for his best buds.
When he reached the basketball court, he heard the voices he was looking for. "Guys! I gotta talk to you."
Zay crossed his arms and scoffed. "I have to go. Didn't think you would go out with someone like Missy Bradford. And worst than that, go out with another guy's girl." He rapidly walked away.
Farkle laughed. "Ignore him. He's just mad you got some."
Lucas couldn't believe what he was hearing. When he first met Farkle, he seemed to be respectful and trusting. Now, he sounded like the rest of the team. "Let's talk about something else. Why don't we work on free throws this afternoon?"
"Sorry, buddy. I don't think I need the help. You should go practice… cause you need it." Farkle smirked and cracked his fingers.
"Excuse me? Why do I need to practice?" Lucas' anger began to rise.
"I mean, you're blind so you need all the help you could get." Minkus laughed and grabbed his gym bag. He began to walk towards the exit.
Friar charged from the top of the bleachers to the bottom. Suddenly, everything went black.
…..
DUN DUN DUN.
IMPORTANT: Can anyone guess the relation between Napoleon and the story development?
