It was a new day but nothing changed. The sun came up, just like the day before. The only difference was that Riley had to get up with it. School started again and life had to keep moving. Riley barely left her bed after the year began. Getting ready, Riley felt entirely out of body. It was if she was watching this pitiful girl, drag herself around. She picked out her clothes and brushed her teeth. Sitting in her bay window, Riley didn't know what she was waiting for. It wasn't like Maya was coming to walk her to class. She went with Lucas on New Years' and that was the last Riley heard from her. New Years' Eve was the last she heard from everyone, including Farkle. She remembered him taking her back to her room and they cuddled on her bed. When she woke up, he was gone. She wasn't really mad about it. Somehow, Riley felt that she was all out of words anyway.

Suddenly, Riley heard the window slide open as she was combing her hair. Twisting in her chair, she saw Farkle put on long leg inside her room, then another.

He made a smile at her and that's all it took to bring tears to her eyes. Riley ran to him and threw her arms around his lanky stature. He held her tight and kissed her forehead. Farkle sighed, swaying her gently in his arms, "You know, I hate that you being upset about something is what brings us together all the time. "

Buried in his neck, Riley made a little laugh, "I'm not crying because I'm sad, you maroon. I'm crying because I'm happy to see you." She backed away to wipe the tears from her face and Farkle helped. "I thought you were going to Einstein..."

"What? Did you really think I'd leave you after what happened on New Years'?" He held her face. "And, I'm sorry for not calling you over the past few days. I just - "

"No, no, it's better that you didn't. I think we all just kind of... needed some space."

"And did that work for you?" He asked, hopeful.

Riley sucked in her lips and guided Farkle to her bed with a grin, "I have an idea."

"OK." Farkle said, a bit skeptical.

"Let's not go to school today!"

"Riley - " Farkle shook his head.

"No, listen! It's the first day after break and everyone is still in their Holi-daze! Teachers are going to show movies, kids really aren't going to care! We don't have to go, you never missed a day of school in your life! Let's treat this as Senior Ditch Day!"

"But it's not." Farkle took the liberty of carrying Riley's book-bag and pulling Riley to the window. "C'mon."

Riley planted her feet to the floor, "Farkle! I don't want to go!"

The frightened tone of voice compelled the man to look into her scared, doe eyes. "You're not ready to face everyone yet." He concluded.

Riley gulped and looked like she was far away, recalling the last night she saw all her former friends. "They hate us, Farkle. I can't get the look on everyone's face out of my head. Lucas wants to kill you and Smackle will never talk to us again. The whole school will never talk to us again after this gets out! We'll be pariahs!"

Farkle's heavy head went to one side, full of thought. "Riley... Riley, you want this right?"

"What?" Riley asked, small.

"You want this? Us? This wasn't some... Sassy Halter-top takeover of your instincts?"

"No, Farkle. I-I do want to be with you, I'm just - "

"Because, I would never want to push you into anything that you didn't want. I didn't want to force you to be with me; only to make a decision. On New Years' - that wasn't me trying to trap you. I would never do that."

"I know that! Of course, I know that." Riley held his face.

In turn, Farkle did the same to her again. "Good. Then you should also know that I would never let anyone say anything bad about you." Riley's expression softened to a loving smile in his hands. "I know people are going to say things, like they know what happened but none of that really matters. All that matters is you and me."

"But what about Lucas and Smackle... And Zay and Maya... ?" She rubbed her fingers over his knuckles.

Farkle stared at his shoes before answering, "They're our friends, even if they hate us right now. Once they see how much we care about each other and that we're for real, they'll understand. They will come around with time."

"... And if they don't?" The thought of not being able to talk to them ever again in life brought tears to Riley's eyes once more. Even Farkle got a lump in his throat thinking about it.

"Then..." he swallowed back the shakiness in his voice. "We blew up the world as we know it, right? Now, we're entering a new territory. It's going to be strange and seemingly uninhabitable at first but I have faith that together we can do anything. We're partners, after all. So," Farkle let go of her face and stepped back.

"You. Me. Mars." Farkle held Riley's hand. "Let's do this thing."

On the way to school, Riley never let go of Farkle's hand as if she was a frightened toddler. She squeezed especially tight before they entered Abigail Adams. They held their breath, opening the door and taking the plunge. It felt like all conversation stopped as soon as they walked in and they became the new topic. He figured maybe a few people would know, but this was ridiculous.

So, Friar is single.

How could anyone leave Lucas for anyone? I mean, Farkle Minkus? OK, Riley. I guess.

Well, Farkle's gotten a lot cuter over the years though! And he's crazy rich!

But he's still not Lucas.

True...

"Is it too late for pseudo-Ditch Day?" Farkle whispered.

The sides of Riley's mouth almost lifted until she saw Maya coming toward them. "Maya!" Even with the dejected look on the blonde's face, she was still happy to see her. Maybe this wouldn't be so bad.

Maya's eyes saw their hands clasped together and she turned to Riley, "You couldn't just wait, Riles, huh?"

"Wait, what?" Farkle asked, puzzled.

"Well, I hope you two are very happy together." Maya huffed and the new couple watched her go to Lucas and Zay at the end of the hall. It couldn't be made out what was being said but it wasn't hard to guess, after the way the native Texans threw daggers with their stare.

Riley slumped against her boyfriend as they walked to History, "Farkle, remember when you said that over time, they'd come around?"

"Yeah?"

"Build a time machine."

"You're the boss." Farkle grinned, putting his arm around her and pecking her forehead with a kiss.

Cory was writing on the chalkboard when he saw his daughter and his favorite student walk in, hand in hand. He makes a comical exaggeration of wiping his eyelids with his fists, complete with squeaking noises.

As they sat down, Cory strode toward them, pointing at their fingers laced together still. "Huh."

"Yes?" Riley mocked him.

"So, this is a thing?"

"Yes."

"Farkle?"

"Yes." Riley turned around to smile at the genius and returned it with a subtle wink.

"... Lucas?" Riley cleared her throat and shook her head. Taking in the new world with his own eyes, Cory nodded at them and refocused his attention to his blackboard. "I continue not to understand anything," he muttered, writing the words 'Belgium 1831'.

"Us too." Farkle confessed under his breath, squeezing Riley's hand.

Soon, the cold months began to thaw into spring. The graduating class was sick with Senioritis, as college acceptance and rejection letters were making their way to their homes. Friends and classmates gathered closer to each other as the next chapter of their lives was too close to starting. Meanwhile, Maya knew that everyone in her circle were just drifting further and further apart. Riley and Farkle became inseparable but this was partially due to no one wanting to talk to them. At least, not while Lucas was around.

Seniors' schedules become more flexible to their interests. This meant the only time they were all together was at lunch and with the new world order, of course, that had turned to shit. Farkle would pick Riley up after his Physics class and her Drama course, letting them get to the cafeteria first. Next, Lucas would show up. After getting his food, he'd walk straight pass them without pause to another table. Zay sat with him. Lastly, Maya stood looking at her four best friends on opposite ends of the room.

Sometimes, Riley encouraged Maya to go sit with Lucas and Zay with a small nod in their direction, just so she wouldn't have to feel bad. That only made her feel worse. She felt so drained from it, having to choose between Lucas and Riley. She couldn't talk about one person in front of the other. If one of them asked her to hang out, she had to oblige to whomever did first and usually, that would be Lucas now. Riley had less time devoted to Maya, as she was exploring the new world with Farkle. So, it all would come down to lunch. Finally she just gave up and decided to eat outside. It was around 60, a pretty nice day. She bit the plastic off her straw, about to sit down on the bench when she realized one of her friends already beat her to the punch.

Zay gazed at Maya with a goofy grin, "Lovely weather we're having."

The girl cracked a smile and joined him. "Felt a little claustrophobic in there."

"So I've noticed." He sighed, opening a bag of chips.

"Should we feel a little bad about leaving Lucas?" Maya questioned.

"Mm-mm." Zay shook his head. "Lord knows since we're not in there, all the girls will flock to him. Even more now, since he got all Wolverine." Zay made claws with his hands and roaring noises but then, teased her with a nudge and a smirk, "but I bet you noticed that already."

Since blocking Riley and Farkle out of his life, Lucas had a lot of free time. When he wasn't participating in school sports or with Zay and Maya, he lived at the gym and it showed well, along with the beginnings of a beard. Possibly, it was because his ex-girlfriend always liked him shaven but he insisted that he just needed a change.

Maya narrowed her blue eyes at him, before opening her pudding cup. "Things can't go on like this. They just can't."

"We don't have a choice. This was a secret that had to come out eventually, no matter how hard you tried to stop it." Maya made a confused look to Zay, who tilted his head towards her knowingly. "Come on, Maya. You're their best friend. Of course you knew about this."

"And... you didn't tell Lucas?" Her voice was fragile.

"No," Zay declared, munching on a Dorito. "He's been through enough."

Maya gave herself splinters, gripping the bench they sat on. She didn't meet Zay's eyes letting tears fall on her jeans, "I told them to stop, Zay. As soon as I found out, I told them to stop."

"I know you did, Maya." He comforted.

"I even punched Farkle in the face."

"Oh, shit. Word?" Zay raised his eyebrows.

Maya sniffed and wiped her nose with a napkin that Zay gave, "I was just so angry at how they could just push everyone else aside! Be so selfish, like nobody else matters but them. They knew what this was going to do to our friends and they didn't care. They don't care. How can they not care?"

"I don't think it's that simple, Maya. I mean, I appreciate your passion but feelings are pretty damn strong. We can fight them for as long as we're able, but they always win in the end." Zay took a watchful beat before added, "Like your feelings for Lucas, for example."

Maya froze before rolling her puffy eyes, "Zay, what the f-"

"OK, OK, before you put your little walls up, just hear me out." He turned to Maya, rubbing his hands on his thighs before carefully explaining. "This is what I - Zay Babineaux - have observed: you and Riley are best friends - "

"You're all my best friends - " Maya objected.

"Zzzzzip." Zay shushed her. "We are all your best friends but you and Riley created the definition of best friends. You two would walk through Hell for each other. Steal and kill. Anything. Even when she's not acting like your best friend and being a jerk, you stand by her. You care about her more than anyone. So, how telling is it that you're not with her right now, when she could really use you, when she needs you. You're with Lucas. Giving all your time to make sure he's all right."

She shook her head, making excuses, "I-I didn't want Lucas to think that I thought what Riley and Farkle did was OK - "

"So, you care about what he thinks more than Riley? Huh. Look, all this self-sacrificing... it's killing you, Maya. You gotta think about yourself for once. You deserve to be happy."

"Stop it, OK?!" Maya ordered him. "I don't - I'm not... You're being ridiculous, Zay, OK?"

Seeing her turn her head and wiping her face of more tears, Zay gave in, "Yeah, yeah. Maybe I am." A few moments of silence went by as Zay smoothed out his mashed potatoes with a spork and Maya stared out into the horizon.

After making a deep sigh, Zay casually revealed, "Farkle tried to talk to me." Maya turned to him attentively. "In gym."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah," a hummed chuckle vibrated against his throat. "We were running track and you know Farkle; he's not an athlete. When he participates, he does the bare minimum but yesterday... he might as well have been the fucking Flash. He kept up with me the entire time and when we got to the finish line, he told me he missed me and that he was sorry."

"And what did you say?"

"That I was sorry and that I missed him too. Then, I walked away... The look on his face, it was awful but I didn't have a choice. Not while Lucas is still hurt."

"And Smackle." Maya added but Zay shook his head.

"No, she's OK now."

"How do you know?"

"She told me."

A Cheshire cat grin came to Maya's face as she jested, "Ooooh. You two have talking a lot lately, haven't ya?"

Zay made a shy smile, "We're going to prom."

"Ooooooooh." Maya sung, while Zay reached in his back pocket. He took out his phone and went to his messages.

"She sent me a screenshot of this long-ass apology Farkle sent her." Showing Maya the texts, Zay's finger scrolled at least four times before getting to the end where Smackle replied, "OK."

"OK? That's it?" Maya said out loud.

"Well," Zay sighed, putting his phone back in his jeans. "I think if you know Smackle, then you know an 'OK' is as good as anything else. Speaking of which... Riley also went to Einstein and apologized to her."

"What? Without me?" Maya squinted.

"Or Farkle."

Riley stuck out like a sore, purple thumb in the sea of Einstein Academy students in green. At the end of the steps, Smackle saw her waiting expectantly and fidgeting. Surprised, she slowly went to meet Riley on the sidewalk.

Perplexed, Smackle's eyebrows knotted, "What are you doing here?"

"Hi, Isadora - "

"Smackle." She corrected firmly. She considered her Isadora to be an affectionate nickname that family and close friends could call her. She was formally 'Smackle' to everyone else.

"Smackle." The soft smile Riley once wore faded a bit. "I was hoping that I could talk to you privately? Please, I promise it won't take too long."

Staring down at her watch, she told her, "You have five minutes. Starting... now."

Riley took a large breath and released a tangent of words, barely sounding intelligible. Her voice was sped up to 1000 WPM. It was like watching a cartoon come to life. Her hands stretched and waved to dramatize how sorry she was. All of the emotion, all of the feelings, it was shooting Smackle's brain cells down one by one. Even with the dressing of theatrics, she could still understand of the meaning of Riley's method: she really wanted her to know that she cared.

With an eye-roll, Smackle held up a hand, giving the command, "SHUT UP!"

Riley sucked in a gasp, "Are my five minutes up?"

"No, I just couldn't listen to you anymore. 'You're sorry, you're sorry blahblahblah.'" Smackle answered, getting face to face with Riley. "I've thought about this and I should punch you. I should punch you in your throat to knock you out cold, then leave you in a baby pool with snapping turtles!"

"... You've thought about this."

Straightening herself, Smackle replied, "Yes. I should punch you and be upset and perhaps, do the normal things teenage girls would do in this situation because... you hurt me. You've hurt me very, very badly." Riley whimpered, feeling so ashamed while Smackle still stood tall and confident.

"Smackle -"

"BUT... After the hurt and feelings of betrayal, I realized that... this was meant to happen. Not you being a trollop and stealing my boyfriend but... I think you and Farkle are meant to be together. I think... I always knew that in the deep, deep recess my psyche. I mean, if we were to do an experiment, in a simulation of a burning building and he could only choose one of us, I know who he'd choose and it wouldn't be me. Maybe if it were me and Maya. Maya, I could probably beat but not you, Riley. I could never compete with you and I never want to. I shouldn't have to.

Farkle and I: we're good together. But you two make each other better. You need one another. It's stronger than science; it's a fact. It's... unconditional, uncontrollable love. Farkle has meant a lot to me and I did love him but not the way I should love someone I want to spend forever with. He's my best friend, not the love of my life. But you love him in a forever way, right? He's the love of your life?"

"... Yes. Yes, I do and he is."

"You better. You better do right by him, Riley because... he always wants to do right by you. It's the most important thing to him, to do right by you and it's the only way I'll forgive you."

"So... you forgive me?"

"... Yes. I do."

"OH, SMACKLE!" Riley was about to attack her with a hug while crying nearly hysterical, but Smackle stopped her.

"AH! YOU CAN CRY OR YOU CAN HUG ME BUT YOU CAN'T DO BOTH!" Smackle warned her but Riley still shrouded her in a monster hug and cried big tears at the same time.

"I'M SORRY, I CAN'T HELP IT!" She sobbed.

Smackle sighed and patted her back, "... I know."

Listening to how Riley was brave enough to go to Smackle alone should have made Maya proud and it did but it also made her feel worse. She was missing so much time with Riley because of catering to Lucas and because Riley wanted her to cater to Lucas because they both want him to be OK. Hanging out with Lucas and helping him forget by making fun of him and watching him laugh was really good but that still didn't fill the hole of Riley. Maya needed all of her friends together again.

"All right, Zay. This needs to stop." Maya said, final and serious.

"I know! They changed the formula of this Sloppy Joe and it's all watery -"

"That's not what I - "

"I know what you meant, Maya." Zay groaned with a comforting smile. "Don't worry about it; I got a plan."

"You do, huh? ... Is it stupid?"

"Oh, it's definitely stupid."

All they had to do was get to the lunch room before Lucas and all sit together at the same table, like nothing happened at all. Zay thought, maybe, seeing them all together would make his best friend let go of his resentment and maybe, just maybe, forgive them. It was beyond stupid. Zay's plan was so incredibly simple that a preschooler could have come up with it. Farkle burned holes into it until there was nothing left and even optimistic Riley had doubts but as Zay pointed out, what did they have to lose?

Farkle and Riley arrived at the cafeteria first anyways and Zay and Maya decided they could just cut their classes. Who needs Art and Accounting anyway? Well, they both did but they were doing well enough they thought they could miss a day. They would have been reveling in their first time back together in months if they weren't so anxious about Lucas.

To make matters worse, Riley had to start crying before he could even show up.

Sitting across from her friend, Maya reached out and held her hand. "Riles, are you crying?"

Farkle put his arm around her as she explained, "It's just... I'm so happy that I'm sitting across from your lovely faces, instead of tables away."

"Aww..." Farkle and Maya swooned in unison. Zay was less empathetic.

"No! Ain't no 'aww's'! Ain't no tears on Game Day! Now, ya'll just stop it! Stop it right now!" Zay pointed to Riley. "You wipe those tears and show your game face."

Riley sat up and tried to do as she was told, showing teeth and clawing, "Grrr!"

Zay's coach demeanor turned soft as he tilted his head, "Aww..."

They were all laughing together again, until they caught Lucas just staring at them with his tray in his hands. The plan was so one-point, that no one actually thought of what to say when he came to the table. Simultaneously, Zay and Maya looked at each other and both rose to meet their confused friend as Riley and Farkle just watched.

"Hey, buddy," Zay carefully approached the unreadable Lucas. "I see you got some pizza there. Cheat day?"

"Seems so, with the company you've decided to keep." Lucas answered smugly.

"Oh, come on, man. Don't be like that-"

"How else do you want me to be, Zay? How else did you guys expect me to be?" When his anger turned to Maya as well, she looked down.

"Man, look. You are my best friend in the whole world, OK? But you came here and you made new best friends. I didn't like them because I thought they took you away from me. But then, you forced me to give them a chance. You made me get to know them and all their crazy and eventually, they became my best friends also. I love these people, Luke and that's because of you. Deep down, I know you miss them and still love 'em too. We only have a few more months left and then it's all over. You don't really want to spend it this way... do you?"

Lucas hated all this pressure. It wasn't fair. He wasn't the one who was wrong. He was voice was quiet and firm, "Ever since I got here, no matter what happened or what anybody said or what I wanted - I was the bigger person. I felt like I had to be the bigger person. No more."

Before he could walk away, Maya put her tiny hand on his thick arm. "Wait, Lucas! OK, so they fucked up - big deal! Everyone fucks up! You know this better than anyone! They're sorry and they want to make things right so just fucking let them, OK?! I need all of my friends, Lucas. I need you all together. Don't make me choose! Stop making me choose..."

Seeing how tearful and vulnerable Maya was becoming, Lucas ruefully frowned. He wanted to set his pride aside but it grew bigger than that now. This hurt festered and he wasn't sure if he could cure it, not even for Zay and Maya.

Lucas leaned down to whisper, "I would never make you choose, Maya. You know you're my friends, no matter where you guys sit. But... " His eyes met Riley and Farkle, "But I just can't." Lucas strode away from Maya's grasp and went to the outside corridor. Defeated, the two went back to the table.

"Well, we tried." Zay sighed, opening his milk carton.

"So, this is it? This is just how things are going to be from now on?" Riley urged. Maya carded a hand through her hair and shrugged. Zay sipped his milk and shook his head. Meanwhile, Farkle narrowed his eyes in thought before rising from his seat. Pensively, he put his finger to his lips.

"Farkle?" Riley tugged at his sleeve. She smiled up at him and he gently touched her cheek.

"Guys," he announced to the table. "Whatever happens out there, promise me you'll let it happen. Don't get scared, don't interfere. Just... let it happen." Farkle quickly walked to the corridor where Lucas was. Maya, Riley and Zay made hasty, worried glances at each other before treading after him.

Lucas was eating an apple on the bench, overlooking the skyline before he heard Farkle's voice call him. "Lucas!"

He stopped chewing and grinned to himself, shaking his head. "You know, for being a genius, you can be really dense, man. You are literally the last person I wanted to follow me out here."

"I have some things to say to you." Seeing him rise and rub the food residue from his strong hands cut Farkle's confidence a bit but he continued to stand tall.

Lucas still had that shark's smile on his face as he scoffed and crossed his arms, "Really? You have things to say to me? This should be fun."

"Yeah. Look, I'm sorry about how things happened with Riley and that you're still upset over it. But, I'm not sorry that it happened. I'm not sorry that I'm the one whose with her now."

"OK, I'm done." As he tried to pass Farkle, boldly the boy stood in his way.

"Just because you two have the same values and interests, doesn't mean you two belong together. Relationships should be easy; you don't work for them, you make them work for you. And let's be honest, you barely worked for Riley."

"Farkle... get out of my way." Lucas warned him. Farkle could feel his fury levels climbing but it wasn't enough yet.

"I mean, let's really face it: every time something went wrong in your so-called 'relationship' instead of going to Riley, you would always come to me, Maya or Zay asking for help. If not being able to talk to each other is your idea of a perfect relationship, that's pretty messed up-"

"Farkle, shut up..." Lucas gritted. Almost there...

"And then, there was the whole triangle bullshit!" He stepped closer to his burning green eyes. "Not only did you string my two best friends along for a year but it was so disrespectful to both of them! I get that they're both amazing but how did you think they felt when you did that? What did you think that did to their self-esteem? Riley cried about it more than once, did you know that? Of course not. Because you don't think about her. You never thought about their feelings! You don't deserve either -"

Suddenly, Farkle felt Lucas' hands slam him against the brick wall. The Texan effortlessly held him against the building with his fists in his shirt. Farkle could see his eyes getting glassy.

The others kept themselves hidden, secretly observing the whole scene from behind the door. When Maya had enough, she was going to intervene but Zay held her back.

"Wait. Let's just trust him and see what happens." He insisted, for Maya to shoot back, "there may not be anymore Farkle to trust by the time this is over! Right, Riley?" She turned and saw her best friend's wide, puffy eyes.

"Let's trust him." She repeated in a quiver.

Lucas' voice was sinister and deep, "I could break you like a toothpick right now."

Farkle struggled for air underneath Lucas' crushing force but still, he challenged, "Then do it. You have every right. I'll make sure you won't get into trouble for it. If you really want to hit me, then hit me."

Lucas' chest heaved as all of his hot air escaped through his nostrils and ears. His hands shook with anticipation to follow orders and his volcanic emotions and undo all the progress he made since he got to New York. Instead, gradually, Lucas let Farkle go from his clutches. Exasperated, Lucas went back to the bench and cradled his head.

Farkle's color came back as he was able to breath properly again, "You can't do it, can you?"

Lucas made a frustrated sigh and shook his head, "I... I never wanted to fight you, I guess. I just-"

"You just didn't know how else to get me to feel how you were feeling." Farkle joined him on the bench.

Lucas dryly chuckled, "God, why do you have to be so fucking smart all the time?"

Farkle shrugged one shoulder with a small smile, "It's just who I am. Like, how you can't help but be the bigger person because that's who you are, or who you became which is even better. You had to work for it, earn it. You changed and it didn't happen overnight. Almost like... me and Riley's feelings for each other."

Lucas rolled his eyes and turned his head away, "Farkle, I'm not mad that you're with Riley. Not anymore, really. It's how you guys did it. You lied to me, you betrayed me. Betrayed our friendship."

"We didn't plan it, it just happened!" Farkle pleaded to him. "And I know that's not good enough an excuse or reason, but it's the only one I got. Look, I can accept change. It's something that's never going to stop being apart of life but I can't... I can't accept you not being my friend, Lucas. That's the thing I will continuously fight for, the people I love. I'm sorry. We're sorry. Please forgive us."

Lucas saw Farkle near tears and all his friends behind them in the same way. He licked his lips and stood up, over Farkle. Farkle popped up, to wait for his reaction. Then, he saw his hand gently extend to in his direction. A tear dropped as he looked down, then back to Lucas' calm face. Happily, Farkle shook Lucas' hand.

"I forgive you." Lucas stated. In joy, Zay took both the girls by their shoulders and brought them in for a hug, kissing their foreheads. "But, we can't friends again. Not the way we used to be, anyway."

Everyone's faces dropped immediately. Popping the bubble, Maya ran charged to Lucas in protest, "Lucas, come on!"

"They broke my trust!" He defended himself. "Like Farkle said: things have changed and it can't just be fixed overnight. They have to earn my friendship again. Our foundation has to be rebuilt." Lucas turned from Maya to Farkle.

He was visibly disappointed but he nodded, "I look forward to it."

"Me too."

Lucas looked to Maya for her understanding and she held him by the arm, walking back into school with him. Face to face with Riley, he gave her a casual grin. It was going to be OK. Maya went to give Riley a strong and long hug because she missed those. Zay pat Lucas on the back and they went off down the hall.

"I'll see you in a minute," Riley told Maya. Maya went to join the other boys as Riley went to stand with a bittersweet Farkle.

"How did you know he wasn't going to hit you?" Riley asked.

Farkle paused before answering, "I didn't."

He laughed slightly as Riley chastised, "Farkle!"

"What can I say, Riley? Sometimes, science can only get you so far. Sometimes, all you can do is have a little faith."

Suddenly, Riley stepped in and took his lips in a sweet and slow kiss. Releasing, she smiled with her eyes closed, pressing their foreheads together.

"What was that for?" He whispered, holding her waist.

Riley shrugged, "For anything. Everything. I love you."

Farkle smiled, "And I love you."

AN: Very sorry for the wait. I hope this lived to expectations. Now, I do want to make a Lucaya companion piece to this but I have 0 prediction of when it'll happen. Stay tuned. Thanks for reading. Happy trails.