Chapter Nineteen: Girl Meets Game Night
Note: I would like to inform everyone that between Girl Meets Realization and Girl Meets Game Night Cory and Topanga adopted Caroline. So now her last name is Matthews instead of Howard. If you have a problem with that then I'm sorry. But this also means that this is definitely a Lucas Friar love story.
"Family game night." Cory stated. "My favorite night of the month. Just me, my family, and my 'jama pants." Riley and I looked at Cory sitting on the arm of the couch. "Why do you guys have to make such a big deal about game night?" Riley and I asked when we sat down at the kitchen table. "Because game night is sacred, Riley and Caroline." Cory said then he chuckled. "I know this is going to come as a shock to you, but there's gonna come a day where you start to prioritize friends over your family."
"What? No." Riley and I said in mock surprise. The door to the apartment and Maya walked in. "Did you tell them yet? Did he freak? Did they tell you yet? Did you freak? Show me what you did. Freak out for me." Maya said walking closer to us each time. "Why would I freak out? I don't freak out." Cory denied. "What did you do?!" Cory asked us.
The front door opened once again, this time Josh and Auggie walked in. "Family game night, now with extra family." Auggie announced. "Well hello." Maya greeted flirtatiously twirling a piece of her hair. "Well hello." Auggie greeted back mimicking Maya. "Auggie didn't want to miss game night. We never made it out of the city." Josh explained. "Oh here's your money." Josh handed Cory some money.
"Hey, this is a dollar. I gave you a hundred." Cory said. "With that kind of money, you think we're not gonna buy steaks?" Josh questioned. "Thank you, papa." Auggie stated patting his stomach. "You know what?" Cory asked. He stood up. "My brother." He said. "My brother." Josh said and they shared a hug. "Listen you're here for game night. You're family, you're in." Cory told Josh.
The intercom buzzed. "Farkle." Farkle said. "And Lucas." Lucas added. Riley and I got up and walked over to the intercom. Riley pressed the button and together we said, "Come on up." "Riley and Caroline." Cory said coming over to us. "Um, you're gonna have to start to prioritize what's more important to you, your family?" Cory motioned back to the table. "Or your friends?" Cory motioned to the door.
"There is only one right answer." Cory told us. "Why do we…." Riley started. "Wrong answer." Cory stated. "….have to choose between…" I continued. "Wrong answer." Cory stated. "I love my friends and I want to hang out with my friends." Riley and I both said. There was a knock on the door and Riley moved over to answer the door. "Welcome to family game night, friends." Riley greeted. "Wrong, wrong, wrong answer." Cory said.
"Get rid of them." Cory ordered me and Riley. We were standing by the counter in the kitchen. "Why do you have to be you all the time?" Riley and I asked. "You think it's easy?" Cory asked us before he turned to look at Topanga. "Say goodbye to your daughters, honey. They have chosen their friends over her family." "Why can't we just play with their friends?" Topanga asked. "Because Topanga, the second they allowed Dr. Turtleneck and Mr. Howdy into our household, our family was compromised by interlopers." Cory explained.
Riley and I moved over to sit down at the table with everyone else. "Maybe we could just come back another time." Lucas suggested. "Oh, yeah, we don't have walls." Cory stated. He turned to look at Topanga. "I told you we needed walls, Topanga." "Dr. Turtleneck, I presume." Josh said shaking Farkle hand. "How could you tell?" Farkle asked. "Oh, because… you just seem like a doctor to me." Josh told him. "Thank you." Farkle said. "Thank you." Josh said back.
"And you must be…" "Howdy." Lucas told him shaking his hand. "See this." Cory said walking over to us. "The family game. The game for families. Not the friends' game, a game for friends. I saw that game. I didn't buy that game. I bought this one because I used to have a family. How could they choose their friends over us? I mean did they burp them?" Cory moved and stood on the couch. "Did they changer her diapers?" "We haven't yet, but we will when they're old." Farkle stated.
"Speak for yourself, honey." Topanga said sitting next to me and Riley. "I know that I have absolute love and loyalty of my children who like me fine and always will." "Everyone's here." I started. "And everyone plays." Riley added. "Cory, flipping out is only gonna make things worse. Do you really want to drive them away?" Topanga asked Cory.
"Yeah dad." Riley said. We both go up and stood on the couch with Cory. "It's like what you were teaching today. I was teaching about the America Revolution, Riley and Caroline. How is this anything like the American Revolution?" Cory asked. "How?" Riley and I both asked. "Let's think." We turned and put our hands on our chin and out on our thinking faces.
"The American Revolution. Imagine England as a father and America, its child, knowing it's time to break away. Ladies and gentlemen, I gave you the Revolutionary War." Cory announced motioning toward the door. The door opened and Farkle stepped into the room.
"Subjects." Farkle greeted. "It is I, King George III, ruler of the British Empire. Now where is the rebellious John Adams and his no good friend Thomas Jefferson, who dare choses their American friends over their king?" Riley ran into the room while I walked in. "Here we are." We announced. "Thomas Jefferson." I said. "John Quincy Adams." Riley said.
"Uh, Riley you're actually John Adams." Cory explained to her. "Who's that?" Riley asked as she moved to sit next to Cory. "John Adams was the father of John Quincy Adams." Cory answered. "But our school is John Quincy Adams." Riley told him. "My school is John Adams." Cory told her. "Your school is the father of my school?" Riley questioned.
"Does that make sense to you?" Cory asked. "None of this does." Riley answered. "I'm also going to be your teacher next year." Cory said. "You're kidding me." Riley and I said. "Now back to our story." Cory said pushing Riley off his desk. "It's is I, John not Quincy Adams." Riley said. "Wait," Riley went back over to Cory, "why'd they name the school after this guy? I mean, he must have done something."
"He did. He did something, we're gonna get to it." Cory said. "So, John Adams, where are your rebel friends?" "With me as always." Riley said. Lucas walked in dressed as George Washington. "Hark, here's one right now." "Looking good Georgy Washington." I complimented Lucas. "Thomas, you're embarrassing me." Lucas told me.
"Good! Now may I introduce, he is crazy smart, he's rocking granny glasses, the old kite flyer himself, Benjamin Franklin." Riley announced motioning to the door. "I'm not doing this." Maya said from the hallway. "Come on we can't start the revolution without you." Lucas told her. "Fine, but nobody look at me." Maya said. "Alright nobody look at Maya." Riley announced.
Maya walked into the room and the class was laughing at Maya. "Why, Benjamin Franklin, can you feel the electricity between us?" Farkle asked. "Huh." "When do we get rid of this guy?" Maya asked. "Right now." I said. "King George, the American colonies want their freedom." Riley and I said. "You belong to me, and I will never let you go. It's the King's law." Farkle said.
"You two belong to me. It's the law." Cory told us. "Whatever you say King George." Riley and I retorted. "Stop calling me that." Cory commanded. "What's the matter? Pops doesn't like pops' lesson?" Maya asked as she stood on the couch. "Yeah." Riley and I said. Riley, Maya, and I sat back down.
"Listen guys, not everything I teach you in class applies to our lives." Cory told us. "It does, ever time, sir." Lucas said. "Okay, game is all set up. We doing this, or what?" Josh asked. "No." Cory answered. "Yes." Riley and I said. "Do you guys even know how to play the family game?" Cory asked. "Let me teach you." Maya told him, pushing him down on the couch. "Okay." Cory said.
"Because I'm always here and you can't get rid of me." Maya explains. She points at Topanga. "Always wins." Then she points to me. "Always tries to make sure everyone is happy during the game." Then finally she points at Riley. "Always eats too much popcorn and says, "I'm never eating popcorn again"." "But it's so delicious." Riley said with a mouth full of popcorn.
"Would you be on my team, Uncle Josh?" Auggie asked Josh. "Try and stop me." Auggie was pulling Josh. "Okay, I'll stop you. You're on my team." Maya told Josh grabbing his other arm. "He's my uncle." Auggie told her, pulling Josh towards him. "He's my husband." Maya retorted, pulling Josh towards her. Auggie let go of him and said, "Congratulation."
"It says here the goal is to get into one of the four success squares with your teammate." Farkle explained. "And then you win, it makes this sound." Auggie added. He pressed the button and the horn went off. "I win." Topanga said. "Oh it hasn't happened yet." "What's the big circle in the middle?" Lucas asked. "Oh we don't go there if even one person goes in there then you have to play the long game." I explained. "What's the long game?" Farkle asked. "I don't know we never played it." Riley answered.
"Intriguing. Should we find out?" Farkle asked. "No it take forever." Topanga told him. "And you don't get to hear this." Cory added pressing the button and the horn sounded. "I win! Oh something's wrong with me." Topanga said. The doorbell rang. "I win!" Topanga exclaimed. "Oh my goodness." "Now who could that be?" Cory asked. Auggie went over and opened the door. "Hi Auggie." Ava greeted. "You're playing a game. Can I be on your team?"
Auggie looped his arm with Ava's and they walked over to Josh. "Your own your own, pal. My woman's here." Auggie told him. "Sure Auggie bring your woman in." Cory said standing back on to the couch. "Let's bring everybody in. Why don't we put up signs on the telephone poles next to the cats and the dogs? Matthews' family game night. Only not really, it's kind of everybody family gams night. Isn't it? Huh? Isn't in?"
"There's the freak out. Best show in town. You feel better now, buddy?" Maya asked. "I do, thank you." Cory thanked. "Thank you." Maya repeated.
"Well, well looks like everyone's partnered up except for little old us." Maya pointed out. "Huh I could pick you." She leaned closer to Josh. "Or I could pick you." She looked at Cory. "Or I could pick you." Once again she leaned towards Josh. "Or I could pick you." She turned towards Cory. "Yeah, well, you see, you represent homework and no fun," Then she turned to Josh, "while you are so handsome it kind of makes my eyes hurt."
"Okay, here's what I'm going to do. I'm gonna be the game show host, is what I'm going to do. 'Cause they stand." Josh said. Josh stood up and Maya did the same. "And they move." Josh moved away from Maya and Maya tried to follow him, but Cory stopped her and made her sit down. "Hiya partner." Cory said to her. "Oh boy." Maya stated.
"And the game show hosts make sure everyone follows the rules and plays fair." Josh said. Ava was taking the game money and was about to hide it. "Especially this one." Josh took the money away from Ava. "Ava!" Auggie exclaimed. "Shh. I'm doing this for us baby." Ava told him. "Okay. The object of this game is to create a family, protect it, and get safely through a world of obstacles that will test how strong your family is. The winner of the short game is the first team to end up in one of the four success square with a car and a house." Josh read from the box.
"Get me a car and a house." Ava ordered Auggie. "I'm tryin'." Auggie told her. "Okay. Um, Maya and I up first. We'll go first." Cory said. "Says who?" Riley asked. "Says the king of the castle." Cory answered. "Just because you are the king doesn't mean you get to make all of the rules." Riley retorted. "Oh yeah. That's actually the first rule in the king's handbook." Cory told her. By now they were in each other's faces and Lucas was seated between them.
"Well, it's been a lovely evening." Lucas said climbing off of the couch. "And now I need a hug from my mama." "Mama?" Maya questioned. "Yeah." Lucas answered. "What do you call your mama?" Lucas asked Josh. "Ma." Josh answered. "Try it out." "Ma." Lucas said. "Nah she'd put me in the shed." "You know what, dad? You may be the king, but I am going first." Riley told Cory. Riley took the die from him and rolled them causing Cory to gasp.
Farkle gasped. "You are staging an act of open rebellion against your king." Farkle stated. "You have left the colonies no choice, but to break away from you." I started. "And become independent." Riley finished. "Because you're fighting for the sake of your families." Cory stated. "And friends." Riley and I added. "And family is the most important thing in the world." Cory stated. "And friends." Riley and I said.
"Riley and Caroline, you don't think family should come first?" Cory asked. We turned to look at Cory. "We cannot do this right now." Riley told him. "We are in the middle of a rebellion." I added. "Oh yeah." Cory said turning us back towards Farkle. "Oh yeah. Let's see how your little rebellion fairs against the might of the British Empire." Farkle told us.
Farkle opened the door and there was a big cannon. "Whoa Farkle, where'd you get the cannon?" Cory asked. "From my cannon guy." Farkle answered. Lucas raised his hand. "Yes General Washington." Cory said. "You really have to wonder if the king wasn't so stubborn, could something have been worked out so America would still be in the British family?" Lucas asked.
"A nation or a family, can only remain united if its leader govern fairly and address the needs of all of its members both old and young." Cory answered. "Well, I'm not gonna. So let's get this party started. Is this thing loaded?" Farkle asked going inside of the tank. "It's is now." Maya answered from behind the cannon holding a sparkler. "Happy Fourth of July, everybody."
"Maya the war hasn't even started yet." Cory said, but Maya ignored him. "You're gonna love Boston." Maya told Farkle. "When am I going to Boston?" Farkle asked. "In five, four," We moved out the way as Maya counted down. "Three…."
"Four, five, six and as usual I will choose the fatherhood path." Cory said. "Bing, bing, bing, bing." Cory moved his piece. "And the pink square means…." Cory picked up on of the cards. "I get a daughter." "Actually sir, Farkle and I already own that square." Lucas informed Cory. "So." Cory said. "So your daughter's ours." Lucas told him. "There talking about you." Riley whispered to me. "Excuse me?" Cory asked. "Let him talk." I told Cory.
Cory turned and looked at me. "According to the game we get your daughter." Lucas explained to Cory. I moved to go over to Lucas and Farkle, but Topanga stopped me. "Josh!" Cory shouted. "She's not Caroline Matthews anymore, my brother. She's now Mrs. Dr. Howdy Turtleneck." Josh explained. Lucas held his hand out so Cory could give him the card. Cory handed it to him, but didn't let go.
"Uh, sir, you're holding on a little tight." Lucas stated. "You really need to let go, sir." Farkle added. Lucas pulled the card, but he ended up ripping it. "You killed my daughter." Cory accused. "My turn, I pick six." Ava announced. "Uh, Ava you need to roll the die." Topanga told her, but Ava wasn't listening. "One, two, three, four, five, six." Ava said while moving her piece.
"Josh, objection." Topanga said. "I'm going to allow it." Josh told her. "Why?" Topanga asked. "Because she cracks me up." Josh answered. "I get a make your own luck card." Ava said as she picked up one of the cards. "Take over someone's family business. Choose one player to send back to start." She read off the card. "I choose…. Hmm… One Topanga, two Topanga, three Topanga, four. Five Topanga, six Topanga, seven Topanga, or…. Topanga!" Ava and Auggie both pointed at Topanga.
"Wee! Poom!" Ava exclaimed as she moved Topanga's piece back to start. "This stinks." Topanga stated. "This had to me done, mommy." Auggie told Topanga. "It's okay, my lovebug." She replied. "Luckily, my team always win. And one of my teammates has a turn, and I'm sure she's going to use it to help me. Right Riley? Sweetheart?" "Mom, I really hate to do this, but I have a go to Europe with friends' card." Riley explained. "And you're all the way back there and I've never been to Europe and Caroline's going to come with me."
"I want to go to Europe." Ava demanded. "Get off my back!" Auggie shouted. "Wait, you're leaving me?" Topanga questioned. "Mom, it's not personal, I just go this card and-." Topanga cut Riley off, "Wait you're leaving me?" "Here it comes." Cory stated. "I am your mother, I have you absolute love and loyalty. What do you think you're talking him?" Topanga asked pointing at Cory.
"Hey Farkle. How do you that again?" Cory asked. "Ha!" Farkle shouted. "Ha!" Cory shouted at Topanga. "Now you run, sir." Farkle told Cory. "No, actually now I go right over here which is exactly where I belong." Cory said moving to the other side of Topanga. "Well this game just got real. Will the daughters go off on their own? Or does the mother hold on to them forever." Josh narrated.
"We're sorry mommy." Riley and I apologized before moving over to Maya. "Team." Riley and I said. "Forever." Maya told us as we looped our arms. "Riley? Caroline?" Topanga asked. "Mom, I'm just playing a game. Isn't that what you want me to do?" Riley asked. "Win." "Not without me." Topanga admitted. "Hey Topanga, you and me." Cory told her. "You and me. Let's win this thing." Topanga stated. "You two and me. Let's win this thing." Maya told us. "You and me." Farkle said. "I just wanna go home." Lucas admitted. "You and me. It's way past our bedtime." Auggie told Ava. "Yay!" Auggie and Ava cheered.
"Okay we have a five minute break for new team strategy talk. Which means we cannot waste a second. What do you got?" I asked. "You're destroying your parents." Maya told me and Riley. "That's the object of the game." Riley told Maya, but Maya just give her a look. "Oh come on, Maya." Riley sighed. "It's not like we're actually going backpacking through Europe." I said.
"We should definitely go backpacking through Europe." Maya told us. "And we'll being Lucas and Farkle to Europe." Riley added. "Yeah, and we'll bring your parents." Maya added. "Why would you want to bring my parents?" Riley and I asked. She just looked at us. "Oh." We said realizing what she meant. "I get it. This isn't a game to them at all is?" "No it isn't." Maya answered. "Then how do we possibly win?" Riley asked. "You don't win. You just play with them Riley and Caroline." Maya told us. "It's game night their favorite night of the month."
Riley, Maya, and I walked into the living room and stopped when we heard Topanga and Cory talking. "Oh, look at that. They're already back." Cory said. "Break's over. Game on!" Josh announced.
"God bless America." Riley said as I waved the American flag. I handed the flag to Lucas. "How could you do this? My kingdom. I have nothing left." Farkle said dramatically. "Actually India, Ireland, Australia, Shakespeare, dickens, and the Beatles." Cory explained to Farkle as he helped him up. "Oh yeah." Farkle said. He turned to look at me and Riley. "Who needs you anyway?" "You know you do." Riley said as we put our arms around Farkle. We moved over and sat on the desks.
"The Revolutionary War ended in 1783 leaving a rift between England and the United Stated." Cory informed us. "But we love each other now, right?" Lucas asked. "We do, but it took some time. In fact it wasn't until 1814, when another America helped mend the relationship. His name, Riley, was John Quincy Adams." Cory told us. "Oh. That's what the kid did." Riley said. "That's right. See it took the next generation to bring everybody together." Cory explained.
"So people that go to war can actually become friends?" I asked. "Revolution is a short moment in time. But if you play the long game correctly everybody can end up just where they're supposed to be." Cory told us.
"Somebody has to get a 12. Anything but a 12. Nobody through a 12." Cory said. Riley rolled the die. "12." Riley announced. "Oh, thank goodness, it's over." Lucas exclaimed. "No it's not. I'm not going for the success square." Riley said. "I'm going for the circle in the middle. We are going to play the long game." "What?" Lucas asked. "You could win." Topanga stated. "Dud why would you do that?" Josh asked.
"Because tonight the family game tonight is not about winning." Riley explained. "Uh, say what?" Topanga questioned. "Mom, I was only trying to beat you because I want you to be proud of me." Riley answered. "And I'm used to making my parents proud and I didn't want it to be any different with you." I told her. "You do?" Topanga questioned. "Yeah, I want to be like you." Riley told her. "You do?" Topanga questioned once again. "Yeah, a killer shark who always wins." Riley told her.
"That is the most beautiful things I've ever heard." Topanga said pulling me and Riley in for a hug. "So tonight let's find out what happens when you play the long game." Riley said. "I'm never gonna see my mama again." Lucas commented. "I wanted someone to land on the success square. I kind of wanted to hear." Cory admitted as he pressed the button and the horn went off. "I win! Seriously help me." Topanga said.
"In the long game, the players all play together to conquer the game itself." Josh read off of the game box. "So we're all on one big team then?" Cory questioned. "If you'll let us be." Riley and I told Cory as we stood up. "And dad, I promise that nobody is going anywhere." "Well Riley, Caroline, you know what? If these are the people you've chosen to leave us for someday, they're welcome to play with us anytime. You've made some wonderful choices." Cory told us.
"You going to buy the friends' game?" Riley asked. "Yeah." Cory answered. "Can we play that one with you guys?" Topanga asked. Maya stood up and answered the question, "Anytime you want." "You're a good king." Riley told Cory. "You're a good John Quincy Adams." Cory replied. "Oh, the kid that brought everyone together." Riley stated. "Yeah." Cory said. "Told ya." Riley said. She bent down and moved her piece accordingly.
"Who's joining us?" Riley asked as Riley, Maya, and I sat down. "We are." Topanga answered as her and Cory sat down. Topanga picked up the die and rolled them.
"Well, birds are chirping. Sounds of a sleepy city coming to life as the sun peaks its smiling face…." Josh said. Maya smiled at John. "Yeah, okay." He continued. "…..upon 9 tired game players. And if Auggie Matthews can roll a two, then we will finally find out what happens when you win the long game." "Nobody can roll a two." Topanga commented. "We pick two." Ava said. "You know what Ava, I finally like you." Topanga told her. "Okay." Ava said.
Ava moved her piece and pressed the button in the middle which only caused it to make a sound. "That it?" I asked. The game continued to make more noise. "Hold on." Cory said. We all moved closer to the board and watched as music played, the middle piece moved up, and light came from it then it stopped. "And as everyone is joined together, we see that in the long game, friends become family." Josh said.
"It's not a game at all." Riley and I pointed out. "What is it, mommy?" Auggie asked. "It's life." Topanga answered. "Life is the long game?" Auggie asked. "Yeah bubba, life is the long game." Cory told him. "Maya." Josh said as he sat on the couch. Maya moved back and sat on the couch. "You do understand that I'm too old for you." "I do Josh, I do know that." Maya replied. "Good." Josh said. "But I'm in it for the long game." Maya added to her previous statement. "Yeah, me too." Riley and I said. Topanga kissed us on our cheeks before bringing us into a hug.
The bell rang and we walked out of the classroom. "I'm glad we're all friends again." I stated. "Yeah I'm glad I can take this off." Maya said. "It's amazing that people so close can go to war. Take off your crown." Lucas told Farkle. "No." Farkle refused. "Luckily it's all history and not our real lives." "Hey, we're having family game night, tonight." I stated. "Do you guys want to come?" Riley and I asked.
"Sure, thanks, I'd love that." Lucas told us before he looked at Farkle. "Take off your crown." No. I'd love that, thank you. Farkle said. "So you're never going to take off your crown?" Lucas asked. "No." Farkle said once again. "Don't you think you two should ask your dad?" Maya asked us. "Nah, what could possibly go wrong." We answered. We wrapped our arms around each other's shoulders and walked down the hall.