Riley's eyes were filled with tears in her eyes. She had just said goodbye to her family at gates and got to her seat. She knew that this is what she wanted and that this was her choice but she was still sad at saying goodbye. Luckily they would be coming up in three weeks to visit her so she wouldn't be without them for long. She was looking out the window when someone sat next to her. At first they didn't say anything, Riley didn't even look at the person. It was only after they lifted off and she was amazed at the clouds and the view that she had from the window that she heard a chuckle.

"first time flying?" Came a deep voice. Riley was a little startled and jumped. "Sorry I didn't mean to scare you."

"You didn't scare me; I was just in my own little world I guess." That was when Riley looked over. The person sitting next to her was around her age. He was really cute. With deep blue eyes like a sapphire, dark almost black hair, that was a little longer. Hair that looked silky and smooth. The longer hair she didn't normally think was good on guys, but with his hair was still cropped. Looked like a boyband cut then that of a suffer. He was taller, she could tell even though he was sitting. Probability five nine or so, and he was built. He had to be a jock. He was wearing a tight navy t-shirt that made not only his eyes pop but also his arm muscles. He smiled at her as she said this and he showed off a set of straight pearly white teeth.

"Good, I don't like to scare off beautiful girls." He said back flashing a smile. "I am Ben, and you are?" He said while he was extending his hand to shake hers.

"Hi Ben I am Riley." She said taking her hand, instead of letting go after they shook hands he lifted her hand to his mouth and kissed her hand.

"Riley… now that is a great name." Ben said while releasing her hand. "Looks like we are going to be plane partners. Where are you headed? I am going to a camp called Esperanza."

Riley couldn't believe it, this charming guy who just kissed her hand (who did that now a days?) was going to the same camp that she was. "Same here, I have to admit I am a little nervous. I thought that it would be fun, but I have never been there before, have you?" Ben chuckled "Oh sorry I was rambling huh?"

"Its okay, it was adorable. Yea I have been there before. Trust me its everything and more that they said it was. So what are you planning on taking?"

"I was thinking about the photography courses, and some of the other ones that will count towards high school class. I might also try some of the boxing or other types of classes like that. What about you?" Riley asked.

"That's cool, I am into photography too, and boxing can be intense but well worth it. I am going to take some language classes and some for history and English." Ben replied while flashing a brilliant smile.

While Riley and Ben got a chance to talk about the camp and what it was like. Down on the earth, in New York Lucas, Maya, Farkle, and Zay all met up at Topanga's bakery. They were all a little sad, they all knew that something was missing. Something that was important and a bright spot in their days.

"I can't believe she left and she didn't tell me. I am her best friend! She is my sister and she left without telling me about her plans. We always go to Philly every summer. How could she be so selfish?" Maya exclaimed.

"Selfish, you are calling her selfish. Seriously? You who wouldn't talk to her unless you had to for months. How can you say that you two are best friends let alone sisters? You, all of you drove her to leave. You made her feel that she wasn't good enough and now you wonder how this happened?" Farkle shot back, while standing up. He was so angry that Maya was acting as if she was the victim.

Lucas jumped up so that he could stop Farkle from leaving. "Did you know? You sound like you know a lot about this." Lucas stared at Farkle.

"Of course she told me. I am the only one who didn't abandon her when she needed someone." Farkle said

"We didn't abandon her." The other three cried out.

"Of course you all did. You stopped talking to her unless you had too at school. If you did have a conversation with her it was flat and as unfriendly as anything."

"Look Farkle we were upset. She lied about how she felt to Maya about how she felt about me." Lucas stated.

"So you had to stop talking to her, you had to stop being there for her?"

"Farkle, friends don't lie to each other. Even you said that!" Maya decided to chime in.

"No they don't. She didn't know what to do. Besides Maya did the same thing. None of you stopped talking to her. She and Riley did the same thing." Farkle said back

"But we swore that we wouldn't do the same thing again. And then she turned around and did the same thing." Maya spit back.

"She was only doing it so that you could be happy. After the year book thing, being bullied, and then finding out that you liked Lucas she didn't think that she had a chance. Then he was oh so happy to go out with you. Even when it was awkward instead of stopping it like he did with Riley he kept going. She left because she was unhappy. She missed having friends and she has been doubting herself. None of you thought about how ignoring her would confirm what the bully said to her. What she was taunted by?" Farkle glared at them. During the last part the other three seemed to feel ashamed as they realized what they had done. Lucas and Maya both sat down.

"Your right, I know that you are right." Maya said "I wish that I could have changed how I reacted I was just upset… And scared, and now she is gone and I have to deal with not having my best friend. How are we supposed to go back to what we were before school starts?"

"At some point maybe, if she wants we can go visit her. She has a family and friend weekends. I promised her I would go to one in two months since her family cannot go. Maybe if she is okay with it you can join me at some point." Farkle suggested. The other three looked eager to have a chance. They all began to realize that they played a part in her leaving so they would need to play a part in getting her back.

Back in the air Riley and Ben were becoming fast friends, something that Riley need very badly. She was telling him stories about how her dad made every history lesson about her and her friends. They were laughing and joking around. Ben decided that he liked Riley's laugh and that he liked her. Riley had found out the Ben was a year older and went to the same high school that she was going to attend in the fall. She couldn't help but think what a small world this was. Although she shouldn't have she heard about this camp from the school, a pamphlet that no one really looked at. It still made sense though that they could live close. Riley was starting to feel hope. Even though she didn't know what the summer would bring she knew she just made a friend.

"So let me get this straight… your dad has been your history teacher since you started school?" Ben asked.

"Yea… And every lesson has something to do with me or one of my friends. Like this year I was fighting with a friend about doing the right thing, and he made a history lesson about God and doing the right thing." Riley explained.

"Doesn't that ever get suffocating?"

"No… I mean it can get a little annoying. I mean it's hard enough to make others not think that you are getting special treatment, let alone have your entire class no what is going on in your life. But it makes me happy. My dad is great at teaching and he helps me through all the big issues. Isn't that what they are there for?"

"Yea I guess so, you are pretty lucky. Do you think he will teach in high school?"

"Knowing my dad they way that I do, I think he will find a way to teach me, and maybe even my little brother Auggie." Riley said. "So you said that boxing would be worth it, have you tried it? I am in cheerleading and although I have been getting better since making the team. I need more balance and strength. Do you think that would help?"

"Yea it can help a lot actually. People think that boxing's main point is to hurt other people, or learn how to hurt others. It's not, it can help a lot of athletes get better at their own sport. They also do yoga classes so you might want to think about those too." Ben started to go into more detail but the plane started to make its decent to Maine. When he looked over he saw that Riley's eyes got huge with worry. He decided that we needed to ease that worry. So he started to hum too. Riley looked over at him grateful for something else to think about and they hummed together until the plane landed and they got off the plane.

Once they got their luggage and were seated on the bus that would take them to camp they stopped humming. "Please don't take this the wrong way Riley" Ben started. Immediately Riley thought that he was going to say that they shouldn't be friends or something. Her friends of years had done this why not a complete stranger when he saw her get scared at something so trivial as the plane landing. "But they also have singing lessons at camp, you have a really pretty voice. Maybe if you take one of those classes too we can sing a duet sometime." Ben finished.

He noticed that she looked like a deer in the headlights when he started to talk. He swore that even though he didn't know this girl he wanted to. He wanted to find out why she was really here, he wanted to find out why she seemed so sad, and most importantly he wanted to find out who caused it.

"I can't sing Ben. My friend Maya is the one that can sing. In fact, she can sing, paint, and pretty much everything." Riley said.

"Well I just heard you hum and I thought you sounded great. I can only imagine what you singing would sound like." Ben said smiling at her. His smile must have dazed her with its perfection because she found herself agreeing to take the same class that he was.

"On one condition though… you don't laugh at me and cover your ears when you hear me sing. You are the one to blame if anyone's ear drums get hurt." Riley said, even though it sounded like a slight against herself, she was smiling.

"I accept your condition, and I am sure that no one will be complaining about your singing." Ben said. He took her hands in hers and shook on it.