Once a week since Riley could remember, the Matthews always had dinner with the Hunters. Sometimes it alternated between whose house and what day of the week, but it remained in place for the past thirteen years.

Tonight's dinner was hosted at her house and it was no different than the times before. Topanga and Katy often were in the kitchen cooking a meal while Shawn and Cory napped on the couch.

"Ask your mom," Maya nudged her friend. This question had been weighing on Riley all day. It was best that she nipped it in the bud, Maya thought.

"Mom, can I ask you a question?" Riley asked, entering the kitchen with Maya in tow.

"You can ask me a question," Auggie interjected from his spot at the dinner table.

"It's a girl thing, Auggie," Riley insisted.

"You think I don't know about girls?" Auggie asked. Auggie knew a lot about girls. His neighbor, Ava, was practically his wife. Everything he knew about girls was from her.

"Okay," Riley breathed, "I'm at a certain age where-"

Auggie cut her off, "I don't care. Maybe Joshie could help you out. I'll go get him." Auggie stood up from the kitchen table and walked into the stairwell yelling, "Joshie!"

"You're at a certain age?" Topanga asked, wide eyed. There were many different directions this could go in and none seemed like a pleasant talk to have, especially if Cory was napping in the next room over.

"You had to know this was going to happen," Riley insisted. She was growing up, in middle school, and interested in boys. A lot was happening.

"Know what is going to happen?" Josh interjected, coming down the stairs. Auggie had called him down to the kitchen and said that Riley needed help. And as the caring older brother he was, Josh came willingly.

"Josh this doesn't concern you," Riley told him.

Josh backed off. He headed into the living room and sat in the free armchair since his dad and Uncle Shawn occupied the entire couch. With them out as a light, Josh cautiously reached between the two and grabbed the tv remote to change the channel.

"I know a lot of things are going to happen. Which one is this?" Topanga implored to her daughter.

"Makeup," Riley answered

Topanga breathed a sigh of relief. She assumed it was much worse. Makeup was probably the most tame questions for her daughter to ask, "Oh. Good."

"Can I have some?" Riley asked

"No," Topanga replied shaking her head.

"Why not?"

"Well, because makeup leads to other things, that I-"

"We have our first school dance on Friday night," Riley blurted cutting her mother off.

"Is that so?" Katy asked, involving herself in the conversation. "Maya, are you going?"

"I don't know," Maya admitted. She really didn't care for school dances, but if Riley wanted to go she would probably go with. "Could I wear makeup?"

"Sure, baby girl. You know I don't care, your dad might, but it's fine with me," Katy answered.

"Katy!" Topanga exclaimed. As mothers, they were supposed to be a united front against their daughters. And if Maya was allowed to wear makeup, it would be harder to keep Riley away from it.

"Mom, what's the difference between daytime makeup and nighttime makeup?" Riley pondered aloud.

"No difference. Because you're not wearing any," Topanga insisted.

"But, what about when I do?" Riley posed.

"When we decide that you're at the right age to start wearing makeup-"Topanga began, but once again ended up getting cut off by her overzealous daughter.

"Friday?" Riley suggested.

"No. You might find that you prefer a more natural look during the day. Some women prefer to go a bit bolder at night. You are not allowed to hang out with those women."

"Josh, what do you think?" Riley asked her older brother. "Should I be allowed to wear makeup?"

Josh looked up from the tv screen and went over to her sister and mother. "How should I know, I'm a guy," Josh explained.

"But do guys like when girls wear makeup?" Riley questioned. She wondered if Lucas would like if she wore makeup.

Josh paused on his answer. Maya eagerly waited to hear his response. If he said yes, then she was running to the store with her mom after dinner. Her mom was always looking for an excuse to take her shopping and if Joshua Matthews liked girls in makeup, then her mother may get her wish. If he said no, then it would be much easier on her and cheaper. "Some guys do, some guys don't. It's up to personal preference," Josh answered.

That was not the response Maya was hoping for. It got her nowhere.

"Wait. The dance is Friday?" Topanga asked.

"You're doing that thing with your voice," Riley noticed. Her mom's voice raised an octave and that's when Riley knew something was wrong.

"Katy, isn't Friday the last night for the Coney Island Cyclone?" Topanga implored.

"I believe so," Katy answered as she set the table with Topanga.

"But it's Maya and I's first dance, and Uncle Shawn and Dad take us to ride the roller coaster a bunch of times, right?" Riley argued.

"Your father and Uncle Shawn think of it as a tradition," Topanga added.

Ever since the girls were little, Shawn and Cory took their daughters to Coney Island to ride the Cyclone the last day of the season. On the Cyclone, right before the big drop, Riley would lean in close to Cory and put her arms around him and hold on for dear life. Meanwhile, Shawn and Maya would sit behind them with their hands in the air screaming about how much fun they were having. The four had made a day out of it.

"How bad is this?" Riley asked the group.

"Your father thinks of it as the reason he wakes up in the morning," Topanga explained.

"Maybe he won't remember it this year," Riley hoped. "I mean it's just the Cyclone."

Cory and Shawn woke up instantly at the key word Cyclone. "Three days 'til Cyclone day! Can you believe it Shawnie?" Cory rejoiced.

"When's my birthday?" Topanga asked.

"One hundred and forty eight days from Cyclone day," Cory answered as he stood up from the couch with Shawn.

Topanga turned to Riley and Maya. "Good luck girls."

"So Josh, what did I miss?" Cory asked, patting his son on the back.

"Riley wants to wear makeup," Josh explained.

"Spy," Riley groaned. Josh was such a tattletale sometimes, it was no wonder the she caught Auggie doing the same recently.

"Anything else?" Cory addressed Josh, completely ignoring Riley.

"Riley wants to go to the school dance on Cyclone day," Josh added.

"Josh!" Riley yelled.

"No yelling at the dinner table," Topanga scolded.

"Oh. Wow. It's the same night? I understand. I understand completely. I'm sorry, you'll have to miss the dance," Cory said sympathetically. He knew Riley would want to go to the dance but Cyclone day was too important.

"Try again," Topanga said.

"I'm sorry, you'll have to miss the dance," Cory repeated.

"But it's my first dance, Dad," Riley explained.

Cory clutched his heart as if he was going to have a heart attack. She was not going to choose some school dance over him. Was she?

"Oh, boy," Topanga commented.

"Dad, when it comes to this stuff, I don't think there's anything you can teach me," Riley continued.

"Oh, boy," Maya said. This was not going to go well.

Cory grabbed his heart with both arms, this somehow hurting worse than the first time.

"I'm growing up, Dad," Riley finished.

"Oh, boy," Shawn added.

"Goodbye, cruel cruel world," Cory said reaching for his last gasp of air. It was like a knife was stuck in his heart and Riley just kept turning it to kill him faster.

"Look what you did Riles, you broke Dad," Josh commented. His dad was taking this whole thing too far. So what if Riley wanted to go to a school dance and skip Cyclone day. He thought his dad was overreacting as per usual, but Cory Matthews was the definition of overreaction.

"You were a great father to me when I was a kid. Don't take this the wrong way, Dad, but there's just some things that Mom can actually teach me, like makeup," Riley said.

Once Cory got control of his breath and the pain in his stomach lessened he said, "I understand" and left to go upstairs without saying another word.

"Mom," Riley said, hoping her mom would say something that would make her feel less guilty. It was hard to face her dad and explain the situation to him, knowing very well that it would break him like it just did.

"That went better than I thought!" Topanga cheered. There was no screaming, yelling, or crying on Cory's part; therefore, he had handled it maturely which left her impressed.

"Ugh!" Riley complained, slamming her head down on the table.

"Well, kiddo, looks like it's just going to be the two of us on Cyclone day this year," Shawn said. He felt bad for Cory, if Maya told him that she wanted to skip Cyclone day and go to a school dance he may have broke down as well, but he knew Maya would rather eat Coney Island food and ride roller coasters with him rather than getting dressed up for a silly school dance.

Josh chuckled. This was going to be good, he thought. First his dad, now Uncle Shawn.

Maya looked at her mom for help. Katy wanted no part of this. This was Maya's battle to face.

Truth be told, Maya couldn't care less about the school dance. A trip to Coney Island and the Cyclone sounded so nice. The one thing, actually person, holding her back was Riley. They had ring power and once ring power was envoked, there was no getting out of it.

"Daddy," Maya began. She pulled out her doe eyes. Maya saved those for special occasions, typically for whenever she knew she did something unforgivable. They worked most of the time. Key word being most. "We need to talk."

Shawn's stomach dropped. He didn't even let her finish before running upstairs and yelling, "Cory!"