Chapter Twenty Three: Girl Meets First Date
While walking towards our locker I had to listen to Riley talk about Austin. I really hoped I didn't sound like this when I was talking about Lucas last night. Once we got to our lockers we opened them and put our books in. After we did that we closed our lockers and turned to see Austin and Lucas walking down the stairs. The next thing I know I heard someone shout, "No-ooooo!" Then Riley and I are picked up by our dad and taken into the classroom. He closes the door and sets me and Riley on our desks.
"Dad are you out of your mind?" Riley and I asked our dad. "Riley and Caroline," Riley and I sat in our seats as he spoke, "it's time for the talk." "In front of the whole class?!" Riley and I questioned in disbelief. Dad looked at Lucas and Austin before looking back at us. "Yeah, give them the talk let's see what you know." Maya told him. "Okay. When a daughter-," he started, but Riley and I cut him off. "Stop." We demanded. "Excuse me." Dad said. He ran to the back of the back door and closed it. "Not today, Chachi and Danny."
Lucas and Austin pushed the door open with dad behind it. "Sir, you've known me all year. You like me, admit." Lucas said. "And you like me too." Austin added. "I don't wanna." Dad said from behind the door. "I'm one of the good kids. What are you so afraid of?" Austin and Lucas asked. "Okay." Dad said. He walked towards the front of the room and erased Belgium 1831 off of the board. Farkle stood up wearing a Belgium shirt and hold a Belgium flag. "No-ooooo!" he shouted. He trailed off before he sat back down.
"Okay, guys. It's the seventh grade spring fever," Dad started. "Which leads to dating, which leads to movies, which leads to popcorn, which leads to putting your hands together in the dark touching popcorn, which leads to holding hands, which leads to that." He pointed towards Yogi and Darby, who were Eskimo kissing. "Oh I am not ready for this." Dad walked over to Yogi and Darby and picked Yogi up. "Come with me. Come here. Come on, no, come one. Come with me." Dad pulled Yogi away from Darby and moved towards the front of the class. "Riley and Caroline, I am begging you stay in Neverland, okay? No growing up." He then placed Yogi on his desk.
Farkle raised his hand. "What do you want?" Dad asked. "The way I see it, I'm in an interesting position here." Farkle stated. "How do you figure Farkle?" Cory asked. "Let's approach this as a scientific equation. You're scared of Lucas and Austin going out with Caroline and Riley, right?" Farkle asked. Dad scoffed. "Oh, does it show?" he asked. "Yeah, they're good looking and athletic." "They're thirty six!" Dad exclaimed pointing at Lucas and Austin.
"Give you daughters to me. I'll give you eight oxen and my two best milking cows." Farkle bargained with our dad. Dad looked back at Lucas than at Farkle. "Are you actually thinking about this?" Riley and I asked our dad. He smiled at us, "It's a good deal." Riley and I stood up. "Caroline and I will decided who we go on our first date with at such time as somebody asks us." Riley explained. "Yeah." I agreed. Lucas and Austin raised their hands. Riley and I looked at them before turning back towards our dad.
Riley, Maya, and I were standing by our lockers after class. "Why do you think they put their hands down?" Riley asked. "Because you dad wouldn't call on them." Maya laughed. "And I don't think he ever will again." "Life used to be so simple, Maya and Caroline. Wake up, brush my hair, eat cereal, pick up the bowl of cereal that I dropped." Riley explained. "Actually I'm the one who picks up the cereal." I told Riley. "Oh yeah." Riley said. "When did all of this pressure happen?" Maya asked. "Boys have it easy, they have to ask." I said.
"Oh yeah, they wouldn't last a day in our shoes. Waiting for them to get the courage to ask us." Riley told us. "And then doing the vacuuming and ironing the babies." Maya added sarcastically. I giggled at the last part. "Riley, this isn't the 90s anymore. You want something you go get it." "You're telling me you're not a little bit afraid of this?" Riley asked. "No." Maya answered. "You're saying that if you had feelings for somebody that you wouldn't be nervous?" I asked. "No, the only thing that makes me nervous is that the thing that everybody wants to happen never happens because everybody's too afraid to make it happen. Like Care and ranger Rick." Maya explained to us.
"Hey ranger Roy." Maya greeted Austin. "Hey other one." He greeted back. "You wanna go out with me?" Maya asked him. "What?" Austin questioned in disbelief. "Do you wanna take me to a movie and put our hands in the popcorn at the same time and see what happens, or what?" Maya asked. Farkle ran over to Riley and pushed me towards Lucas. "Okay, you and me 'cause I don't care." Farkle said to Riley while I sat next to Lucas. Riley had a shocked look on her face.
I was sitting with Riley at her bay window. She was frozen with the shocked look she had from school and I was just reading a magazine. I didn't try to fix her because this was between her and Maya. I looked up and saw Maya climbing through the window. She tried to close Riley's mouth, but Riley hissed at her and almost but her hand. "Yeow!" Maya exclaimed. "Back traitor." Riley demanded pointing towards the window. "Traitor, Me? Could this possibly be because I asked Austin out?" Maya asked.
"You asked Austin out." Riley stated. "What? You're upset?" Maya asked. "I'm beyond upset. I'm whatever the next one is." Riley told her. "What you think he's cute?" Maya asked. "He's a'ight." Riley answered. "What? You wanted him to ask you out?" Maya asked. "Maybe, but now you ruined my eight-year plan." Riley told her. "That doesn't sound like such an effective plan." I commented. "Riles, you've been goofy about Austin since the day you saw him in the subway and even more when you fell into his lap." Maya explained to her.
"It was a chance encounter and you pushed me." Riley retorted. "And now I have pushed him and Lucas." Maya replied. "What do you mean?" Riley and I both asked because I was also curious about what she meant. "Don't worry about it." Maya told us. "I am worried. I am worried about our friendship which you called into question on this day." Riley replied. "Oh, all right, you want to ask each other questions? Go ahead." Maya told Riley.
"Why did you ask him?" Riley asked. "How long have you known me?" Maya asked. "Where are you taking him?" Riley asked. "You think I would hurt you?" Maya asked. "What are you gonna wear?" Riley asked. "You don't think I have a bigger plan?" Maya asked. "Can I at least be your maid of honor?" Riley asked. "Of course, when I marry anybody else in the world besides ranger Roy." Maya answered. Riley scoffed at Maya. "What? You're just going to date him and then throw him away?"
"Hey, Whack job?" Maya said. "Yes?" Riley replied. "He doesn't want to go out with me. He's not going out with me. He's never going out with me." Maya explained to her. "Well, if he doesn't want to go out with you, do you not want me to go out with him?" Riley questioned. "Come here." Maya sighed. "You too." She looked at me. I closed my magazine and sat on the other side of her. Riley and I put our heads on her shoulders. "Life is changing isn't it?" Riley asked. "Yes. But this never will." Maya answered. We heard the doorbell ring. "Who's that? We weren't expecting anybody." I said sitting up. "Oh, I was." Maya told us.
Riley, Maya, and I walked into the living room when dad opened the door. "You." He said to whoever was on the other side of the door. "Us." Two voices said. "Auggie's not home." Dad told them. "Yeah we're not here to see Auggie." Austin replied. Riley, Maya, and I moved to the other side so we could see Austin and Lucas. "Riley and Caroline aren't home either." Dad told them. "Hi Austin." Riley greeted while I greeted, "Hi Lucas." "That's right I lied right in yo' face." Dad said while pointing at them. "Actually, Mr. Matthews, we're not here to see them either." Lucas told him. "You're not?" dad questioned. "You're not?" Riley and I repeated.
"We want to this the right way." Austin started. "So first we're here to talk to you, sir." Lucas finished. Dad turned towards us and we smiled at him and he smiled at us. He turned back towards Lucas and Austin. "I want to do this the right way too, Lucas and Austin." Cory told them. "No!" He then slammed the door closed on Lucas and Austin. Lucas and Austin pushed the door opened. "Mr. Matthews, would it be possible to speak with you alone?" Lucas and Austin asked.
"About homework?" dad asked. "No." Lucas and Austin answered. "About a grade?" dad asked. "No." Lucas and Austin answered. "Then this has nothing to do with me and you've come to the wrong place. Good day." dad told them. "Actually-" Lucas started. "I said good day, sir." Dad interrupted walking away from them. "But we need to talk to you." Austin said as they followed him. "Is this about a historical even? I can only speak to you about historical events." Dad told them. "Yes." Lucas and Austin answered. "Well, then go right ahead." Dad told them.
"I'm asking your permission to ask out your daughter." Austin and Lucas said. "You tricked me!" Dad accused them. "That's right, we lied right in yo' face." Lucas smiled. "Get them, Topanga." Dad told mom. "My pleasure." Mom walked towards Lucas and Austin. "Lucas and Austin, you two are about the most charming young men I have ever met." "Yeah!" dad said. "But as delighted as I am that in this day and age you two would come to get our blessing. Do you really think Caroline and Riley are ready-?" "Yes!" Riley said walking closer to them. "I am a different story compared to her." I added standing by Riley.
"Riley be cool." Mom told my sister. "Yes." Riley said in a 'cool' tone. "Topanga, we really need to talk." Dad said to mom. "Mr. Matthews, we really need to talk." Maya told my dad. "Good help me." Dad said as he sat down. "When a father turns a certain age, things will start happening yo you that you don't understand. It'll confuse you, but it's a magical time." Maya told him. "Shut up!" Dad retorted. "Look, don't worry. This is all normal and it's just your body's way of telling you that you are a woman." Maya poked him. "Look, if it makes you feel any better, don't think of them as a date. Think of it as two beautiful fantasy worlds that only include the four of them and not you anymore."
Mom walked over to Maya. "I appreciate you, Maya." She said as she put an arm over Maya. "I think you're pretty fierce." "Hey, kiddies." Josh greeted as he walked in. "Uncle Boing." Maya stated. She almost fell, but mom caught her. "My brother." Dad stated as he pointed at Josh. "My brother." Josh said as he pointed at dad. "Hey, I come with good news." "Thank you, I'm good." Maya told my mom. "I'm joining N.Y.U Pre-college program so I'll be here all summer." Josh told us. "Okay, I'm not good." Maya stated. She almost falls over again. "I gotcha, honey." Mom told her.
Dad stood up. "Josh, would you do me a favor and explain to your niece that they are way too young to go out on their first dates?" dad asked as he pushed Josh towards us. "Niece, what kept you going so long? Welcome to the party, guys. Enjoy!" Josh told us as he pushed me towards Lucas and Riley towards Austin. "Get out of my house!" Dad demanded. "I'll go to the party with you, Josh." Maya said. "Still too old for you, Maya." Josh told her. Maya slowly walked towards Josh. "Three years, what's three years in the history of love? They found some cavemen footprints, a man and a woman, they didn't know how old they were. All the scientists could tell was that they were holding hands. You know why? That was all that was important." Maya explained to him. "Wow, Maya." Josh said. "Keep looking at me." Maya demanded. "Oh, you know what's really important is I have my first appointment with my campus advisor downstairs." Josh said. He ran out of the door and dad slammed the door closed after him.
"So, we have everybody's permission except Mr. Matthews?" Lucas and Austin asked. "Lucas and Austin, I like you. I really do. But do you think I look like the kind of guy that would let his children go out on a date this young?" dad asked. I turned to see Auggie running in the room with Ava. "I put a ring on it." Auggie told us. "What?" mom questioned. "We're engaged." Auggie told her. "Let me tell you why you're not engaged." Mom said. "Let me tell you why we are. Sing it, baby." Auggie said. "Look at me. I'm Ava Morgenstern…. Matthews!" Ava sang holding out her left hand that had a ring on it. Mom laughed and looked at the ring. "What? Oh my gosh. Look at this ring. It looks just like mi- Hey! Give me this!" mom took the ring off of Ava's hand.
"Yeah, it's Auggie's grandma's ring." Ava stated. Mom scoffed. "It's actually my ring." Mom corrected her. "Oh, you're not Auggie's grandma?" Ava asked innocently. "Ava honey, are you looking at me? You looking right into my eyes? Okay good, I got something to say, ugh." Mom said. "Eww." Auggie and Ava said before they ran off. The to the apartment opened and Farkle walked in. "Greetings Matthews, I've come to ask Riley out on her now that Maya has asked out Austin and it's obvious that Lucas is going to ask Caroline." Farkle said as he walked in.
"What? Why would you do that?" my dad asked. "Because nobody, does nothing." Maya answered. "You lit the fire, huh?" mom asked. "Somebody had to push these two kids together which would push the other two together." Maya explained. "Have I told you lately I think you're pretty fierce?" mom asked. Riley and I put an arm around Maya. "Have we told you lately we think you're pretty fierce?" we asked Maya. "What's going on?" Farkle asked. "What's going on, Farkle, is that these kids here wants my blessing." Dad walked over to Lucas and Austin. "You want it? "I do, sir." Austin and Lucas answered. "Then you got it." Dad told them.
"Really?" Austin and Lucas asked. "Really?" Riley and I asked. "Really?" mom asked. "Really? Because I got a cow in the elevator." Farkle told us. "On one condition." Dad said. "Uh-oh." Maya said. "I want this to be a triple date. Okay? If you are gonna go out with him." Dad moved Riley toward Austin. "And you are gonna go out with him." He pushed me towards Lucas. "Then you are gonna go out with him." He turned Maya towards Farkle while laughing. "That works for me because you're Riley or Maya or Caroline." Farkle stated. "Dad, you can't just tell her who to go out with on her first date." I told him. "Oh, don't think of it as a date, Maya. Think of it as a magical time and a journey to include." Dad blew a raspberry before he sighed and sat down.
"So-." Austin started. "Yes." Riley said. "Riley." Austin said. "Yes." Riley said. "Maya." Mom said. "I'll fix it." Maya told her. "Would you like to go out with me?" Austin asked. "Y-Y-Y-Yay!" Riley shouted. "I can't fix that." Maya commented. "So Care, would you like to go out with me?" Lucas asked me. "I would love to." I answered. "Well at least I don't have to fix this one." Maya commented. "So, Maya-." Farkle started. "No." Maya said. "Would you-." Farkle started. "No." Maya said. "I mean it, Maya." Dad told Maya. "Would you whatever they're doing with them?" Farkle asked. Maya looked back at us before turning back towards Farkle. "Yeah, fine." Maya answered. She held her arms out and when Farkle was about to fall she dropped her arms.
"I can't believe you'd let Farkle be your first date so Austin cam be mine and Lucas can be Care's." Riley said while hugging Maya as we walked into Mrs. Svorski's Bakery. Riley finally let go of Riley. "Riles, I'm not going to look at is as a first date. We hang out with Farkle all the time. This is just more hanging out." Maya told her. "But Farkle thinks it's a date." I told her. "Then this is just more Farkle thinking it's a date." Maya replied. "Then does that mean my first date with Austin isn't actually a date?" Riley asked. "No, no, your date with Austin is serious right-of-passage, coming-of-age, growing-up stuff." Maya explained to her. "Should I be scared?" Riley asked. "Of ranger Roy? Sure, honey you be scared as you like." Maya answered. I smiled at that answer, but I looked over and saw Josh with some girl and I stopped. I knew Riley saw it too because she stopped smiling.
"Well, I don't think either of you need to be anywhere near that scared." Maya said. "We have to go." Riley and I stated. Maya almost turned around towards Josh, but Riley and I stopped her. "Why?" Maya asked. "Maya, please. Do you trust us?" I asked. "More than anything in the world." Maya answered. "Then don't turn around." Riley told her. "Okay, if you say not to, I won't." Maya replied. "Let's go." I said. We started to walk out. "Oh, wait, I forgot. I'm still me." Maya said. She turned around and saw Josh with that girl.
"You know what the best thing is about going out with Farkle?" Maya asked. "What?" Riley and I asked. "No matter what happens I won't get hurt." Maya answered. Riley and I put an around Maya and all three of us leave.
After I got ready for my date I walked over to Riley's room. "How do I look, mom?" Riley asked. "Like your father won't let you out of the house." Mom answered and I giggled. She turned to look at me. "And he definitely won't let you out." She told me. "Good." Riley and I both said. "Do you remember your first date with dad?" Riley asked. We started to walk towards Riley's bed. "We're two years old and we played in the playground. No, we were eight and we caught fireflies. No, we were in the sixth grade and we kissed against the lockers. No, we threw socks into the laundry basket." We sat down on Riley's bed. "No, he fell into a llama pen at the zoo. No, that was his first date with Shawn."
"Well, I am really excited for my first date." Riley admitted. "Me too." I added. "Oh, what girl wouldn't be?" mom asked. "All right let's get this thing over with." Maya said as she climbed through the window. "Ay Chihuahua." Mom commented. "What?" Maya asked. "For someone who does not care you do look pretty ay Chihuahua." I told her. "Yeah, I just figured even though I'm not counting this as a first date it seems like it's a pretty big deal for Farkle so I wanted to give him at least eighty-four percent." Maya explained.
"Good." Riley said. She put a hand on Maya's shoulder. "So you're feeling better about my uncle Josh?" "No, that's just another lump of coal I'll bury deep in my dungeon of sadness next to my daddy issues and ballerina dreams." Maya explained as she sat down on Riley's bed. "Maya, I didn't know that you had dreams of being a ballerina." Mom said. "I don't. I dream of ballerinas kicking me with their pointy toes while they're stabbing me in the face with their bun heads." Maya told her. "Oh. Well, you look great." She replied.
Riley, Maya, and I entered the subway station. I could see Farkle, Austin, and Lucas waiting for us. We walked towards them. "Hey Maya, let's run towards each other in slow motion." Farkle suggested. Farkle started to move towards us in slow motion. "Maya!" "No." Maya told him once he stopped. "Come on. You know you want to." Farkle said. "Farkle, who else would-?" Maya started, but noticed Riley started to walk In slow motion. "Stop." Maya ordered and Riley stopped.
Austin and Lucas walked towards me and Riley. "Hi." Riley and I said. "Hi, I thought I was going to be too nervous to say anything, but I'm not." Farkle said, speaking really fast. "I'm talking really good. I'm a good day talker. I'm the best day talker there is." "Even though this just happened, there are some moments you know you're gonna remember forever. This is one of them." Lucas said. "I'm the second best day talker there is." Farkle commented. " Until now I never knew what true beauty was." Austin said looking at Riley. "I'm now the third best day talker there is. Oh, the train's coming." Farkle said. "All aboard, woo woo!"
Riley, Maya, Farkle, Austin, Lucas, and I walked on to the train. "Well, this is pretty easy so far." Riley commented. "Because we're already friends." Austin said. Riley, Austin, Lucas, and I sat down while Maya and Farkle stood up. "Let's always be friends no matter what happens, okay?" Farkle said. "Yeah, first let's see what happens." Maya told him. "Okay." Farkle replied. "I don't want to jinx this, but it's just like hanging out at school. What could possibly go wrong?" I asked.
Maya turned around to see Josh sitting with the girl we saw him with before. Said girl stood up and Josh did too. "Sophie, Sophie." Josh said "Um, I thought we connected pretty well." "I'm going to be a junior, junior. I got a couple years on you don't I?" Sophie asked. "What's three years? You think three years matter at our age?" Josh asked. "Yeah, I do." Sophie answered before she walked off of the train. Maya walked over towards Josh. "Maya?" Josh asked. "She pulled that three years older thing on you, huh?" Maya asked.
"Yeah, yeah, I really put myself out there." Josh answered. "Oh, I'm sure I couldn't possibly indenitify with your pain." Maya said as she sat down next to him. "Cavemen, footprints, hold hands." "Hurts doesn't it?" Josh asked. "A little bit yeah." Maya answered. "How do you deal with it?" Josh asked. "Well me, I've got this dungeon of sadness." Maya told him. "Oh yeah, you go me in there?" Josh asked. "Oh yeah, you and a whole flock of ballerinas." Maya explained. "Austin?" Riley questioned. "Go over there, Riley. Be with your best friend." Austin told her. "What about our date?" she asked. "I had a good time." He told her. "I'm glad you were my first." Riley told him. "Lucas?" I asked. "Go I understand." He told me. I got up with Riley and walked over to Maya just as Josh left.
Maya stood up and moved towards us. "What happened to your dates?" she asked us. "We had a good time." Riley told her. "And then our best friend got all needy." I added. "Yeah, I know how that goes." Maya told us.
Thanks for being there for me." "Hey we're sure you'll make it up to us someday." Riley said. "How 'bout now?" Maya asked taking Riley hand off of the pole. "Again?" Riley questioned. Maya let go off Riley's hand and she ended up in Austin's lap. I watched as they talked and they ended up kissing.
I felt someone grab my hand and I turned to look at Maya, who was wearing a smirk. "Me too?" I asked. "Yep." She answered. She pushed me and I ended up in Lucas' lap. "This feels familiar." Lucas said. "Yeah, but it wasn't on a train." I replied. "No, but it's close enough." He said. We continued to look at each other. He put his hand on my cheek and leaned in giving me a kiss.
Riley, Maya, and I were sitting by Riley's window. "Mine was like when it's summer and then the breeze comes up and then it rains for two seconds and then everything glows and there's a rainbow. How was yours?" Riley asked me after talking about her first kiss. "Mine was like it was winter and you go in to get away from the cold and you cuddle up by the fire with a warm blanket and hot cocoa. How was yours?" I asked Maya. "Mine was like a Shih Tzu going after a chew toy." Maya told us. "So it was a magical night for the three of us." Riley stated.
"You realize, Maya, that life as we know it has changed?" Riley and I told Maya. "Scared?" Maya asked. "No, we got you." We said as we wrapped an arm each around Maya and leaned against each other.