Chapter Two: Girl Meets Boy
I heard a knock on my bedroom door. Instead of answering I just groaned in response. "Caroline get up before I make you." Topanga said. I knew for a fact that it wasn't a smart idea to not listen. So I quickly got out of my bed. I went to the bathroom, but made sure to avoid Riley so I could surprise her at breakfast. After I was done in the bathroom I went back to my room to get dressed. Once I was dressed I walked out of my room and I could hear people talking.
"Riley we were wondering how you would feel if you had a house mate." Cory said. "Mom are you pregnant?" Riley asked. "No Riley we are talking about someone your age." Topanga said. "Yeah it would be nice." Riley told them. I decided to walk in at that moment. "It's a good thing that you said that or me staying here would be awkward." I said as I sat down. "Are you telling me that Care is staying with us?" Riley asked. "Yes her parents need someone to watch her." Cory explained.
"This is amazing!" Riley exclaimed. She turned to me and said, "I hope you know that I am never letting you leave." "I was planning on you saying that." I told her. "Come on we have to go to school." Riley got up and grabbed her bag. "Why so you can stare at Lucas, text him, but never get the nerve to actually talk to him?" I whispered. Riley got flustered for a moment before replying, "I have no idea what you're talking about." "Sure you don't." I said and walked towards the elevator. "I don't!" she exclaimed and all I did was laugh.
Riley, Maya, and I were standing by our lockers when Lucas walked past us. Riley took out her phone and started texting. I knew she was texting Lucas, but I didn't say anything because I did enough when we were walking to meet Maya. "Talk to him." Maya ordered. "Why?" Riley questioned. "We have a great text relationship."
"You know what's a better text relationship." I said. "What?" Riley asked. "Talk to him." Maya and I said. Riley's phone made a noise and she looked at it. She showed it to us and then she replied to it. "He's right over there." Maya pointed out. "Nooo." Riley said. "Too complicated over there. Lots can go wrong over there. The only thing wrong that can go over here is if I go over there." Maya and I looked at Riley then pointed over were Lucas was seated. Riley handed Maya her books and phone. She walked over to where Lucas was sitting, but instead of sitting next to him she was behind him. Riley didn't actually say anything and she turned to look at us. Maya mouthed, 'talk to him' and Riley turned back towards Lucas. Once again she didn't say anything, but this time she decided to smell him. Maya motioned for Riley to come back over to us.
Riley ran over to us and asked, "How'd I do?" "You smelled him." Maya said handing Riley her books. "Yep." Riley replied. "You smelled him is what you did." Maya said. "I walk through life the way I walk through life." Riley said. "Can we please talk about this?" Maya asked. Riley turned on her phone and walked into the classroom. Maya pulled out her phone then said, "Nope." She picked up her bag and walked into the room, I followed after her.
"You guys don't connect with each other." Cory said holding up his phone. "It's like you can't exist without these. You use emoticons instead of emotions. You're an unfeeling generation of zombies." Maya, Riley, and I started to act like we were eating each other's brains. "Stop eating each other." Cory commanded. We pulled away from each other when the door opened. A girl walked in then she closed the door behind her. "You're late Miss Myzell." "My goldfish died." She replied in a monotone voice.
"You see this is what I am talking about." Cory said as he wrapped his arm around her shoulder. "Miss Myzell has clearly suffered a tragic loss, yet she does not seem in touch with her emotions." "'Scuse me I am crying my eyes out." She stated. "I'm going to have to leave class early." She turned and walked out of the room. "Oh she actually made it out the door this time." Cory said. He walked to the door and opened it. "I actually made it out the door this time." She exclaimed. She walked to her seat while Cory closed the door.
"Dad adjust and deal, cell phones have been around since like forever." Riley told her dad. "It'll amaze you to know that there was a whole time before you and cell phones." He said. "No really?" I muttered sarcastically. "And it'll amaze you to know that I have three hundred and ninety-four friends in here." Riley said tapping her phone. "And I'm amazed that you believe that." He retorted. He walked over to the chalkboard and drew a not so straight line. "This is a timeline of all human existence." He pointed to the beginning of the line. "Starting here is everyone who's lived, laughed, loved, and understood the value of life. The cell phone era which begins right around here," he drew a line close to the end of the timeline, "pretty much destroys all that, way to go you."
Lucas raised his hand, "Sir if I may take a different position." "Save me Mr. Friar do I go too far?" Cory said. "Always sir." Lucas said and Riley nodded her head. "I understand your point, but I use my phone to video chat my old friends and to find what's going on in Texas." I saw a smirk form on Maya's face and I knew she was about to say something. "Yeah how else can he keep up with all the hoe downs and cattle pageants?" Maya asked in a fake country accent.
"Maya." I said. "It's okay Care I'm unaffected by Maya's view of country life." Lucas said. "As my uncle Buster always says 'Be like an eagle and soar above the mockingbird." "You're the mockingbird." Riley chimed in. "I know." Maya said. Maya turned around to look at Lucas. "It kills me to know I can't get to you." "Sorry mam'." Lucas said tipping his invisible hat. She turned back around and made this 'Oo' sound.
Farkle raised his hand and asked, "Farkle time sir?" "Oh I love Farkle time." Cory said. He and Farkle switched places. "With all due respects to history Mr. Matthews what's important to our generation will be on this side of the timeline." Farkle said. "When Farkle and technology rule and make another one of you." Farkle pulled a hair from Riley's head. "Ow." Riley said. "And another one of you." Farkle said to me and plucked a piece of hair from my head. "Ow." I said. "And another one of you." Farkle said to Maya and plucked a piece of hair from her head too. "Wait now there's six of us and one of you?" Riley questioned. "That's awesome." Farkle said. He continued to look at us. "The future you can't escape it. I am Farkle!" Farkle walked back to his desk while Cory walked back to the front of the room.
"The assignment you can't escape it. I am teacher." Cory said. "Okay so this is what we are going to do guys. We are going to spilt into teams and discover whether or not new technology has made us better people. You'll do presentations on your findings and here's a twist." I didn't like we this was going. "No computers." "What?!" Farkle exclaimed. "We're going old school." Cory said. "You're going to do your research at the New York Public Library." "Where?" Maya asked. I laughed at Maya. "And here's another twist because I trust you not at all give me your cell phones." Cory said. "No!" Riley exclaimed.
"Yeah." Cory said. People started complaining. "Hand them up." He collected everyone's phones. "Thank you so our teams for this assignment Maya." Maya opened her arms and Farkle sat in her lap. "What up?" Farkle said. Maya pushed him back to his seat. "Riley and Caroline." Cory said. Riley and I looked at each other then back at him. "You two will be with..." He looked at Lucas and he waved. "No!" Riley and I smiled at him. "No!" The bell rang. "No!" Everyone got up and when Lucas got close to Cory he asked, "Why did you have to come here?"
"Sorry I make you uneasy sir." Lucas said before walking out of the room. "Oh dad we don't have our phones what could possibly happen?" Riley asked. Riley walked out of the room and I followed, but Cory stopped me. "But I have to worry about you." He said to me. I flashed him my charming smile before saying, "You sure do." I walked out with Riley who stopped to wait for me.
We stood outside the classroom when Lucas walked past us. "Hey soaring eagle are you walking with us to the library tonight?" Maya asked. "Sure, if that's good with you guys." Lucas said. "Well seeing as you're Riley and Caroline's partner on this assignment. I guess we should find out if it's okay with them." Maya said. "Riley? Caroline?"
Riley didn't say anything so I decided to be the first one to say something. "Oh come on Luke we all know I'm okay with you coming." I told him wrapping and arm around his shoulder. "Of course Care." Lucas laughed. "Riley any thoughts on this that might come out of your mouth in word form?" Maya asked. "No because you don't have your phone. So what are you going to do to communicate I wonder." She gave us two thumbs up. "Oh look at that two thumbs us from Riley." Maya said then Riley started to smile. "And a smiley face." "Hey that's more than her just standing there." I added. Lucas just smiled before walking away. "Hey! How dare you walk away without saying goodbye?!" But he didn't reply.
We were at the table eating dinner and talking about our day. "It was a good day and then my friends treated me nicely and then my teacher measured us and then I'm growing and then Jenny Lewis loves me." Auggie said. We all looked at him. "I think because I'm growing." "It wasn't a good day," Riley and I said in unison, "and then my friend pulled my hair out and then my teacher took my phone away." Then Riley said, "And then my teacher was my father and Care's godfather." "At least you two are growing." Auggie said.
"Honey please don't come apart this is a beautiful opportunity to spend time with your family." Topanga said. "Well you aren't talking about me so I can come apart." I muttered to myself. "Oh no I was talking about you too." She said. I looked up shocked that she heard me. I turned to look at Riley to find her looking at Auggie so I turned to look at Auggie.
"Hello Riley, hello Caroline." Auggie said. "How ya doin'?" Riley and I said. "Wanna hear about my day?" he asked. "It was a good day." "Mom." Riley said. "Mrs. Matthews!" I exclaimed not wanting to hear about Auggie's day once again. "Forgive them Auggie they miss their telephones." Topanga said. "Well they can share mine." Auggie said handing Riley his toy phone. Riley pressed one of the buttons. The cow goes "Moo." Auggie said and I giggled. I took the phone from Riley and put it down on the table.
"I'm not going to make it." Riley and I said. "That's what your father and godfather thinks." Topanga said. "They can't." Cory said. "Please don't make him right it's no good when he is right." Topanga said. "She's right." Cory said. "Why are you really doing this?" Riley asked. "Yeah." I agreed. Coy and Topanga looked at each other before answering, "Because I want you and your friends to become human beings and I believe by doing this you learn to become real human beings." The buzzer went off, "Hey losers, it's Maya." "Except her." Cory said.
"Know what Care and I are going to do this." Riley said. "Yeah." I said. Riley walked over towards the door, "We can make it through this whole thing without making a text or a call." She pressed the button, "Come on up." I got up and walked towards Riley when Topanga also got up. "Of course you can sweetheart." She said. "You know what you're already a wonderful human being, but every so often little test like this are going to come up." "Why?" Riley asked. "Because it's your father's job to give you little tests and maybe along the way you're going to learn a little more about yourselves." Topanga said.
The door opened and Maya walked in, "Yeah like I've learned that I'm actually okay with all of this." "You don't miss your phone Maya?" Topanga asked. "I was the only one in class without a smartphone and now I feel like everyone's even." Maya explained. The buzzer went off again, "Farkle." "Be ready in a minute." Riley called out. It buzzed again, "And Lucas." "Ready now." Riley said. She grabbed me by the arm and grabbed our jackets before running out of the apartment.
When we finally got into the library everyone started to look around. "What is this place?" Riley asked. "This is where the ancients stored all of their wisdom." Farkle said. "Yep keep telling yourself that." I told Farkle patting him on the back. "Look at all of those." Maya said looking at one of the book shelves. "Books." Farkle said. "Books." Maya and Riley repeated. Lucas took a book off the shelf. "Look." He said. He blew on the cover and dust flew off. "Tales of Human Interaction."
"We'll take it." Maya said taking the book away from Lucas. "Thanks quick draw." Maya walked over to a table and dropped the book. Then passed it over to Farkle. "Farkle do whatever you do with that." Maya sat down in a chair. "You mean read." Farkle stated. Farkle opened the book. "Chapter one." "I'm bored out of my mind let's go to a movie." Maya said. The librarian at the desk said, "Shh." Maya, Riley, Farkle, and Lucas turned towards her.
"There's one of those ancients now." Farkle pointed at the librarian. They slowly walked towards her and stopped in front of the desk. "Oh wondrous gatekeeper of knowledge we are travelers from another time and place." "7th grade middle school." Riley informed her. "We wish to partake of this information from your great of Wisdom." Farkle explained.
"Do you rent phones?" Riley asked. This resulted in the librarian shushing us once again. "There's no one here, but us." Lucas said. "Why do have to shush?" Maya asked. "Because you're supposed to be quiet in a library." I told them. "Let me handle this Maya." Farkle said. "She obviously likes it quiet." I giggled, but I kind of knew where this was going and it wasn't going to play in Farkle's favor. "Hello book lady."
"Well hello." She said. "And who might you be?" "I might be Farkle." Farkle replied. "Would you do me a favor Farkle?" she asked. "Oh you know I will." Farkle said. "Why don't you go over there," she said pointing to a table, "and shh." "Well that's disappointing." Farkle said. Maya grabbed his arm and pulled him back over to the table. Now it was just Lucas, Riley, and I standing. It was kind of awkward because neither Riley nor Lucas were talking.
"So." Riley dragged the word. "Yeah." Lucas said. "Okay this is sad." I said to myself. "Uh huh." Riley said. I just stood there as I watched Riley and Lucas slowly look at each other.
We were sitting at the table reading books and I was just waiting for something to happen between them. "My dad thinks that we have no idea how to talk to each other." Riley told Lucas. "What if he's right?" Lucas questioned. The librarian shushed as once again and we looked at her. "But we're not saying anything." "I know." She said. "Then why are you shushing us?" Riley asked. "Because I can't take it anymore." The librarian admitted. "You guys are hopeless." She motioned for Riley to come over. "Come here."
Once Riley was away from us I turned to look at Lucas. "You two are sad." I told him. "What about us?" he asked. "What do you mean what about us?" I asked. "Don't we do the same thing?" he asked. "No we don't." I told him. I started playing around with my charm bracelet and Lucas noticed. "You're wearing it." He said. The tone of his voice made it sound like he couldn't believe that I still had the charm bracelet he gave me and that I was wearing it.
"Of course I'm wearing it. It's special to me." I told him. "What's so special about it?" he asked. "It's obvious." I said softly. Lucas looked at me waiting for an answer. "It was given to me by one of my real friends." "I'm glad you kept it." He said. "I've been meaning to ask you something." I told him. "What?" "Do you still have the hat I gave you?" I asked. Lucas didn't answer me and looked away. "Lucas?" "Yes I still have it." He answered. "Don't worry Lucas we won't tell Maya." I told him. "You're just going to have to use it against her." "Right because we know how she gets." Lucas said. He made the noise that Maya made earlier in class and it caused me to laugh. We went back to reading our books when I saw Riley walk back over.
"Hi." She said. "Hi." We replied and went back to our books. Riley went back to her seat and started reading. Riley had asked what Lucas missed most about Texas. "I guess the thing I miss most about Texas are the pets I used to have." Lucas said. "I had a hamster." Riley said. "I had twenty-four horses." Lucas said.
"You win." Riley said. "No Riley you just can't let him win." I told her. "What's with you?" Riley asked. "She's made because while I had twenty-four horses, she had none." Lucas said. "For you information I do have a horse." I told him. I turned to look at Riley. "Start talking again before we start arguing." "Tell me about them." Riley stated.
"One day after school Sophia was falling." Lucas said. "That means she was giving birth, right?" Riley guessed. "Not too bad city girl." Lucas said and Riley laughed. "And there was no one there so I called Dr. Colanda and he talked me through it." Lucas said. "Anyways that was all." "More." Riley said. "Did you know that a baby horse stands in the first hour after it's born?" Lucas asked. "Yes." I answered. "Really?" Riley asked. "I'd like to be there for that." "The coolest thing I've ever seen and I was a part of it." Lucas said. "Riley." "Lucas." "I've only told this to one other person." Lucas said and I raised my hand.
"Yeah." Riley replied. "I think one day I might want to be a veterinarian." Lucas told her. "That's cool too." Riley said. I knew what she wanted him to say, but if he was going to say he like her then he wouldn't do it in front of me. "I delivered this beautiful Palomino. I'd show you her picture, but I don't have my phone." Lucas said. "That's okay just keep talking." Riley said. Instead of talking Lucas and Riley just looked at each other. Honestly I don't know why Cory put me with them. Lucas started talking and I was finally able to join in on the conversation.
Riley opened the door and we walked in. She still had that dreamy look on her face as she leaned against the door. "How was your night Riley?" Cory asked. "Thank you for sending us to the library." Riley said. "Yeah we needed that." I added. "Really?" Cory questioned in disbelief. "Yes Lucas, Caroline, and I did really well on the assignment." Riley said as we walked further into the apartment. "I think that we connected."
"And it made our friendship stronger since I was gone for so long." I told him. "What do you mean connected? What are you talking about? How did you connect?" Cory asked. "We talked about stuff that was important to us." Riley said. "Too important to text." I said. "Did you know that when you listen to someone," Riley started. "They'll tell you stuff." I finished. "Oh boy." Cory said.
"Friends talk to each other." Riley said. "But real friends listen." I continued. "Maya knows how to draw and we know how to be a real friend." We said together. "You're a good teacher dad." Riley said. "You can keep my phone for as long as you want." Riley gave him a hug and pulled me into it. When she pulled away she grabbed my hand and pulled me with her. We said goodnight and went to our separate rooms.
"Here you go take your phone, take it now very good." Cory said to me and Riley as he handed us our phones. "Here's your phone." Cory handed Maya her phone. "Good, great. Nobody talks to nobody, no more feelings thank you." He looked really happy while he was doing this. I think it has something to do with Riley and Lucas, but he was also looking at me. "Okay guys the great technology debate let's boot it up." Cory said. Riley, Maya, Farkle, Lucas and I all got up. Then walked to the front of the room.
"I always believed that technology would help us fulfill our potential as a species, but when Farkle does rule the world no matter what devices we come up with we should never forget what we can do with a pencil, a piece of paper, and our own imagination." Farkle put his phone away and pulled out a piece of paper. He opened the paper and showed us the drawing that Maya made. "I've been keeping this in my pocket where my phone used to be." Farkle turned to paper so he could see the drawing. "I keep looking at it." He was quiet for a moment before he spoke. "I'm fine." Farkle turned to look at Maya. "Thanks Farkle." Maya said. "Look in my eyes." Farkle demanded. "No." Maya said.
"I thought my whole life was in my phone, but it turns out that I don't have any friends in here and you don't need your phone to connect with your real friends." Riley said. "Allow us to demonstrate." Lucas said. "Hi." Riley and I said to Lucas. "Hi." He replied.