Capsize︱𝐒𝐇𝐀𝐖𝐍 𝐇𝐔𝐍𝐓𝐄𝐑

10 ║ ANYONE WHO COMES KNOCKING

❝Advice is easy [to] give but dreadfully uneasy to take.❞

Josh Billings

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Riley stormed into the apartment and threw her backpack onto the armchair near the door with an obvious pout.

Topanga frowned at her daughter's obvious distress. "Riley, honey, is everything all right?"

"Yeah, mom. I'm fine," She sighed, "Aunt Elena, can I talk to you? I have a problem."

Topanga's frown deepened at that. Hadn't she been the one to ask if Riley had a problem? So why was she going to Elena for help instead?

"Is it about your piggy bank? Because I'm sure the person who smashed it and took all your money will pay you back once her nerd wins," She reassured her with a casual smile.

Maya had smashed Riley's piggy bank to place a bet on the nerd races. That was the age-appropriate version of betting on horse races. The students of John Quincy Adams Middle School would place bets on which nerd they thought would win that week's 'horse race'.

The betting ranged from things like who would get the higher test score to who would get most of their money taken by Janitor Keiner.

Elena and Cory sometimes gave Maya money to place bets for them. Elena always bet on Farkle even when the odds were most definitely against him, which he always liked to point out. But knowing that just made her bet mean all that much more to him.

"No, but thanks," Riley shrugged it off without a care, "Anyways, I wore my airbrushed jeans to school, and Missy Bradford said they were ugly," She scoffed.

Elena arched a brow. "Are they ugly?" She asked bluntly.

"No!" Riley smiled confidently as she stepped out from behind the armchair to show off her jeans. On the left thigh, she'd hand-painted a goofy comic-style self-portrait of herself with an anatomically incorrect purple cat.

It was important to note that Riley was the one and only student in all of John Quincy Adams Middle School who'd managed to fail Art.

Elena gasped and her jaw dropped at the sight. "Oh!" She grimaced.

Riley smiled proudly, thinking Elena's reaction was positive. "They're hot, right?"

"No," She shook her head vehemently, "No, you sweet little nut job, it is not hot. But you can't tell Missy Bradford that," She sighed, "Act like it's the greatest thing you've ever worn, then tell her someone stole them during gym class."

Riley's eyes lit up. "That's a great idea. You always give the best advice."

With that, she turned on her heel and made her way to her room with a spring in her step.