(Author's Note: Sorry this update took awhile. I'm not sure why I had such trouble getting this one out. I seem to struggle when it comes to writing Rucas scenes. I am however very happy to celebrate a milestone. This story has gotten over 20,000 hits/views combined between this site and another site. Thank you all so much for reading! I never expected something I wrote to reach so many people who would read it so many times. It blows my mind. I'm so grateful.)

Riley's POV

I waited for Lucas and Zay outside the Manhattan mall, near Herald Square. I didn't want to wait inside because for some reason I get terrible cell service in there and they might try to call or text.

"Riley!" Lucas ran up the stairs from the subway. But why is he still wearing his baseball uniform?

"Hey, Slugger. How was the game?" I asked.

"Great! We won, and I'm really glad we did because it was our last game together as a team," he smiled.

"Nice job! I see you're still wearing pinstripes," I commented.

He looked down at his attire and then back up at me.

"Yeah, see the guys thought it would be funny to pull off one last prank and they stole my clothes."

I laughed.

"So, I'm sorry I have to shop with you in my dirty uniform," he said.

"I'm sorry you have to shop in cleats." I sympathized with him.

"Where's Zay?" I asked.

"He's not coming," Lucas replied.

"Why not?" I wondered.

"He is at home, packing. He has to catch a flight to Austin tonight. He's not going to our prom, because he's taking Vanessa to her prom," Lucas explained.

"Awww. Zay and Vanessa. Yay!" I smiled at the news.

"Yep. Everyone has a prom date but me," Lucas pouted.

"Hey, there's still time to ask someone," I said.

"Everyone I had thought about going with is already going with someone else," he said. I wonder if he means Maya, but I think I'd prefer not to know.

We walked into the mall and took the escalator down into JC Penny.

"I figured if we don't like anything here, we can always leave and head over to Macy's"

"Sure," He agreed.

He headed to the men's section and I picked out some dresses to try on. When we met back at the fitting rooms, Lucas was wearing new clothes. He was wearing blue faded denim shorts and a heather grey fitted t shirt. His cleats were replaced by a pair of low top black boots.

"Much better!" I gave him a thumbs up.

"I couldn't stand the uniform anymore. I bought a new outfit."

But boots with shorts? Isn't it too warm for boots? He saw me looking strangely at the boots.

"I was trying to decide between these and a pair of tennis shoes-"

"A pair of what?" I interrupted.

"Tennis Shoes" he repeated.

"Since when do you play tennis?" I asked.

He shook his head "No, Riley," he pointed to a mannequin wearing a pair of casual sport shoes. "Tennis Shoes" he reiterated.

I looked at the mannequin's feet and then back at Lucas. "Those are sneakers," I clarified.

"What?" He asked

"Sneakers," I repeated.

"Sneak-ers?" He enunciated. I nodded.

"Is that a New York thing?" he asked.

"Is 'tennis shoes'," I said while making air quotes, "a Texas thing?"

Lucas gestured toward a salesgirl walking by. He pointed to the mannequin's feet. "What are these called?" He asked her.

"Nike Air Max-"

"Right, but what do you refer to this style of footwear as?" He asked. She looked at him like he was a weirdo. She definitely think he's a tourist now.

"Uh, those are sneakers," she said.

"Hah!" I knew it.

"But it just sounds so weird to me, sneakers?" He said.

"What do you call them?" She asked him.

"Tennis shoes," he replied.

She looked at him in disbelief, "But these are clearly meant for basketball," she said.

Lucas shook his head. "I know they're for basketball, but all athletic shoes are called tennis shoes," he said.

"Then what do you call shoes you play tennis in?" she asked him.

"I don't play tennis," he said.

I pointed to his boots and asked him "What do you call those?"

"Boots," he said. He turned to the salesgirl. "What would you call them?" He asked her. She looked at his boots.

"So last season," she said as she walked away.

"Yeah, Lucas, it's June. Do you really need another pair of boots?" I asked.

"Do you know how many boots your dad has pulled off my feet while I was running out of your bedroom window?"

I giggled. Of course I know. I still have them. He smiled.

"Those were good times," I said.

We went into the fitting rooms and started trying on our potential prom wear. I was having trouble reaching the zipper of my dress that was awkwardly placed. It was a violet colored one shoulder long evening gown with an empire waist. The waistline had floral embroidery and the shoulder was lined with a few rhinestones. I wish Maya were here to zip it for me. I opened the door and peeked my head out hoping that salesgirl was around and could help me. I spotted a girl walking toward the fitting room with a prom dress of her own to try on. As she got closer, I recognized her.

"Haley!" I waved at her. She waved back and came over. Yay! Classmate to the rescue.

"Hey Riley," she greeted me.

"How ya doin?" I asked.

"Good, just prom shopping. You too, huh?" she replied.

I nodded. "Could you please help me zipper this? I can't reach it very well." I asked.

"Yeah, sure." She hung her dress on the door. I turned around and held my hair out of the way as she zipped me up.

She looked over my shoulder to my reflection and smiled.

"This dress looks great on you, Riley," she complimented me.

I smiled back. "Thanks, Haley."

"Your date is going to be one lucky guy," she said. I turned around to face her.

"Lucky girl, actually," I said.

"Maya?" She asked.

I nodded.

"So what I've been hearing is true? You and Maya are really a couple?" she asked.

I nodded. "We made it official at the talent show," I answered.

"After she sang that song to you?" She asked.

Well, I guess other people noticed that Maya was looking at me while she was performing too. I nodded.

She grinned "Aww you guys are so cute! I'm happy for you."

"Who are you going with?" I asked her.

"I don't have a date yet. But I have someone in mind."

"Who?"

"I don't want to tell you."

"Why?"

"Because you used to like him and so did your girlfriend."

"Lucas?!" Oops, I said that really loud. He heard me and answered.

"Yeah, Riley?" He called out.

"Nothing, I'm good." I yelled back.

"He's here?!" she exclaimed.

"We're prom shopping together," I explained.

"What should I do?" She looked alarmed.

"Ask him to go to prom with you," I encouraged her.

"What if he doesn't want to go with me?" She asked.

I turned her around and made her look in the mirror at herself. I took the hair clip out of her hair and fixed it as it fell around her face. She had long reddish brown hair and piercing blue eyes.

"Look at you. Who wouldn't want to go with you," I said, hoping to build her confidence, but also because it's true. Haley is such an attractive girl, she must be aware of that on some level. She smiled at me.

"Bold women make bold choices."

"What does that mean?" She asked.

"It's what I say right before I push someone into a bold decision."

"Hey, Riley, can you tell me what you think of this suit?" Lucas called out.

"You got this, Haley." I said as I quickly opened the door to my fitting, shoved her out towards Lucas and quickly shut the door behind her so she couldn't run back in.

"Haley?" Lucas asked, confused.

"Hi Lucas," she said nervously.

I opened the door just a crack to watch.

"Hey" he said.

"You look great in that suit," She complimented him.

"Thank you." Lucas said.

Haley took a deep breath.

"I'm sure you probably never really notice me. How could you? I always sit behind you. I sit two rows behind you in Mr. Matthews class. I sit at the lab station behind you and Maya in Mr. Norton's class. I know we've never talked much, and you've never really noticed me, but I notice you, Lucas. And I was wondering if you would go to prom with me?"

Lucas smiled.

"Wow, Haley, I'm flattered," he said.

"What do you say?" She asked.

"Sure, Haley. Let's do it."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah, thanks for asking me."

They stood there exchanging goofy smiles for a moment.

"Will you excuse me?" She asked. He nodded.

Haley turned around and ran back into my fitting room. She jumped up and down.

"He said yes!" She exclaimed.

"Yayyyyy!" I celebrated with her.

She grabbed her dress off the door and called out to Lucas.

"Ok, Lucas, I'm leaving now and I don't want you to see my dress before prom so close your eyes."

"Okay, they're closed," he answered.

She looked back at me, "Thank you, Riley"

Haley walked out of the fitting rooms with her dress, a skip in her step, and a prom date. I left my stall and walked up to Lucas. He was still covering his eyes.

"You can open your eyes now," I said.

He lowered his hand from his eyes and looked me up and down. A huge smile spread across his face.

"Well, you look happy," I remarked.

"And you look incredible," he said.

There was something in his smile, in his eyes, in his voice. Something familiar. Like the way he used to look at me before. When everything was easy. Before he liked Maya. Before I liked Maya. Before things became so complicated.

"I like your suit. What do you think of this dress?" I asked, looking away to avoid his seemingly admiring gaze.

"Give me a twirl," he said.

I cooperated with his request.

"Riley I really, really like this dress," he said. "You're beautiful."

What's happening? My face felt hot. Am I blushing? Is Lucas making me blush. Suddenly things started to feel more complicated than ever.

I changed the subject. "You're date is pretty beautiful, herself. You just got asked to the prom by the prettiest girl in class, well second prettiest, of course I think Maya is the prettiest," I rambled on.

"I can think of one more girl that's prettier." he said with a smirk, looking directly at me, clearly implying that he meant me.

"Lucas, don't make me tell Maya that you're flirting with me," I scolded.

"I think I made a mistake," he admitted.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"Ever since we all talked things out that day in your room, when I learned that your feelings for me were real, and Maya's weren't, I felt like I made a mistake, like I went out with the wrong girl," he revealed.

Something about this conversation started to feel forbidden.

"Well you had help. I'm the one who put the brakes on us. I'm the one who pushed you and Maya together in Texas. It's just as much my mistake as it is yours." I said, taking responsibility for my share of the blame. "I thought I was doing the right thing at the time. I just wanted Maya to be happy," I explained.

"And now she is, because she has you," he said. I thought I detected a hint of regret in the tone of his voice. "I've never seen Maya this happy before. I hope she knows how lucky she is."

Stop. Stop blushing, Riley. What's wrong with you? I agreed to go prom shopping with Lucas so Maya could avoid the awkwardness of any residual feelings Lucas might be harboring. He was harboring alright, just not on the ship I expected. The scarier question is, am I harboring residual feelings of my own? I shook my head vigorously. Lucas looked confused by my action.

"We should get going," I said, suddenly wanting to distance myself from this conversation.

"I'm sorry if I said anything to make you uncomfortable," Lucas apologized.

"Are you? Are you really sorry?" I snapped.

"Yeah. I am, Riley. I'm sorry that I missed my opportunity with you," he replied.