Troubled Child

Your Denial Won't Help Her

"Holly, ready to go?" Farkle said as he walked into Riley's apartment. He saw his daughter and Emily sitting on the couch. The TV wasn't on and they both had a can of soda in their hands. "What's wrong? Is everything okay?" He asked when he saw their frowns.

"Aunt Riley wants to talk to you. We'll be in the car. Emily is coming over tonight." Holly said as her and Emily stood up.

"Uh.. okay." Farkle sighed. He waited until he heard the door close then he called for Riley.

Riley came out of the backroom with tears in her eyes. "Did you know? Who am I kidding, you know everything don't you?"

Farkle pursed his lips. "Riley, it wasn't up to me to tell you."

Riley huffed. "Her car accident? The coma? Katy and Uncle Shawn knew and never told us? She uses a cane to walk?" She took a shaky breath. "You knew, didn't you?"

Farkle sighed. "Yes."

Riley walked up to him and slapped him in the face.

"I didn't know the whole time. I just found out when I found her."

"You should have told me."

He shook his head. "I couldn't. Maya asked me not too, just like she asked her mom and Shawn. I was honoring her wishes. I had promised I wouldn't tell."

"You still should have told me. She's my best friend." Riley cried. "I deserved to know she almost died." She let out a sob she was trying to hold back. "She almost died." She sobbed again. "How could you not tell me?" She wiped at her eyes. "She almost died!" She slapped his chest with both hands. "She was in a coma!" She hit him again. "For six months and I didn't know!" She kept slapping him. "She almost died, Farkle!"

Farkle let her get out her anger for awhile then he grabbed her arms to restrain her from hitting him. "I know." He whispered and held her close to him. "I know.. I know."

"You knew." Riley whined against his chest. "You knew and didn't tell me." She started sobbing again until she couldn't speak anymore.

"Shush." Farkle soothed her. "It's okay. She didn't die. She's okay."

"No." Riley choked out. "No, she's not. She's not okay. She's not."

He sighed. "You're right. She's not. There's something else you don't know about. I doubt she told you."

Riley sniffed and pulled back enough to look into his eyes. "What? What else do I not know?"

Farkle gulped. "Maya has a problem. She probably didn't tell you because she won't admit it, not even to herself, but I saw it."

Riley swallowed hard. "What?"

Farkle frowned. "Maya is on pain killers for her leg and back."

Riley frowned in confusion. "Okay, why is that a problem? It's helping her right? The medicine helps?"

Farkle took a deep breath. "I, uh, I snooped around in her stuff when I got her that hotel room. She's supposed to take two pills every four hours for pain. She takes four every two hours." He told Riley.

Riley frowned. "Okay, so she misunderstood? Just tell her."

"She didn't misunderstand, Riley." Farkle shook his head. "She upped her own dosage. She's addicted."

"You don't know that." Riley backed away from him. "She could have just made a mistake."

"Every day?" Farkle huffed. "She makes the same mistake every day? That's not likely, Riley."

"It is if she doesn't know she's doing it! You should tell her!"

"She does know Riley!" Farkle snapped. "She's using the pain killers like a drug instead of medicine! She's addicted."

Riley shook her head. "No."

"You're denial won't help her." Farkle stated. "She needs help."

"No. Maya wouldn't do that. She isn't like that." Riley shook her head again. "You're wrong."

Farkle sighed. "Okay, fine, but if I'm right and she ends up killing herself don't blame me. Blame yourself." He shook his head and walked away from her to the door.

"You're wrong, Farkle!" Riley shouted after him when he left. She sighed and sat down on the arm of her couch. "You have to be wrong. Maya would never do that. The Maya I know wouldn't- She's not the Maya I know anymore."

She took out her phone.

"Hey Riley."

"Did you catch up to her?"

"No. She got the subway before I got to her. I lost her in the crowd."

"Lucas, do you think Maya would do abuse a prescription drug?"

"Why are you asking that?"

"Because Farkle said she is and I was sure she wouldn't. The Maya we knew would never, right?"

"The Maya we knew wouldn't have run away from us. Face it, Riley. The Maya we knew is gone. Farkle could be right." He sighed.

"I don't want him to be right."

"I know.. How's Emily?"

"She doesn't want to talk to me. She's going to Holly's tonight."

"Just give her some time."

"I know.. How are you?"

"I feel like I got my heart ripped out.. again." He frowned.

"Want to come over?"

"..I'll be there soon."

Riley hung up the phone and sighed. She let herself slip off the arm of the couch and fall onto the cushions. Then she closed her eyes and let herself dream of a better life. When where Maya told her.. and she forgave her.. and Lucas stood by Maya's side throughout everything and proposed to her. A life where they got married and had their baby girl named Emily. A life where Farkle and Smackle had Holly and she babysat them both so their parents could double date. A life where everyone was happy together. She smiled in her sleep as she dreamt of happiness.

"Riley?" Lucas called as he walked through the door. He saw her laying on the couch. He chuckled and drapped a blanket over her then he leaned down and kissed her. "Goodnight, Princess Riley." He whispered before he walked over to the kitchen to get a beer.

"Goodnight.. Peaches." Riley muttered from the couch.

He could definitely use a drink.. or several after the day he just had.