I'm gonna take on the world

Dad vs dance

At school (outfit 17) Riley and Maya were watching this girl Allison put make up on and then curl her eyelashes. See the thing is, is that this goes till 9th grade but after middle school they switch school to go to high school.... So question mark?

I showed up about the right time just to see Riley try the eyelash curler and fail. Hi Peaches. Hello Buttercup. What's she doin? I look to Riley. Cory comes over and tells her to just open it. Thanks daddy. Yeah ok.

What's all this fuss about? I question. There's a father daughter dance this weekend and its our first dance. Oh? Wait, no I don't get it. I shake my head. The dance part or the father daughter part? Yes. I nod my head. Riley I've been homeschooled my whole life, and I don't exactly have a dad.

What's that you drew there Buttercup? Maya asks me as I turn my (sketch) around to show her. That's pretty. What made you want to draw that? I'm a fast but good artist, you said dance I drew a sketch of a dress. But it needs color. It can be whatever color you want it to be. Riley tells me with a big smile.

I've never been to a dance and I don't have a dad my caretaker is just my caretaker. Do you love him? He's the only "parent" figure I have. I shrug. I'm not really sure what love is. My parents they taught me to be perfect at a young age, and then one day we went camping and well the rest is history.

Oh Buttercup I'm so sorry. Riley said to me. As she went in to hug me. Ladies! Farkle showed up. All: Farkle. He told us that he was marking us down for numbers 1 - all of them and that we would be alternating dancing with him and that when we weren't we couldn't dance with anyone else.

Not gonna happen. Maya told him. Well then can I get one dance with all of you. Sure Farkle whatever you want. Ha, that's all I ever wanted, you've all just been played by the Farkle. That's great Farkle. Hey Riley look. I point. Lucas comes into view and sits at the near by bench. Lucas! She raises her hand. Hand. Maya tells her. Lucas! She calls again. Big girl voice, she says again. Lucas Hello.

We come over and sit with him. Maya teases him about how the dance wasn't gonna be about square dancing. And he teased back told her that when he doesn't know what to do and messes up she can make fun of him. I nudge her. You don't play this game right, she points at him. Maya, that's rude to point. Well that's certainly not my attention I'll have to try harder next time.

I will break you she says to him. Maya stop I nudge her again. Well if that's what makes you happy I can't for it. Then he tips an imaginary hat and throws in a ma'am at her, she shutters. So, Lucas are you going to the dance? I thought I might. He tells Riley. Maya makes a gagging noise and makes sure that they hear her, then she reminds Riley he'll be the one wearing a cowboy hat, and dancing like this.... She grabs my arm and makes me do some stereotypical cowboy dance.

While Riley and Lucas go off to class and the people in the hall clap for us and she decides to keep dancing. When Riley goes home she asks about wearing makeup her mother tells her no makeup that it leads to other things Riley cuts her off and says that the first school dance was this Friday.

While they talk about that and their father daughter cyclone roller coaster tradition and how its apparently her father's favorite day of the year and why he wakes up every morning.... I go home. Hey kid how was school? Does this answer your question? What's a father daughter dance? No, it doesn't, and why?!

School was fine Shawn, it's just everyone is getting excited for the first dance of the year the first dance my friends have ever been to including me, and I'm not sure I want to go. Of course you can go I think it would be great. You and your friends can go out and find beautiful dresses to wear.

Shawn I've been homeschooled my whole life up till this point, and I've never been to a school dance much less a school and it's a father daughter dance, and well you're not exactly my father, you're just the closest thing to one that I have it's not like we call each other father and daughter. And you don't exactly want to be there.

Well, hold on kiddo I could change my voice into a lower pitch and I could you know wear a mask, and then you can go to the dance. You mean it Shawn? Yeah, this is kind of a rite of passage, a girl's first dance is an important milestone, and father daughter dances are special. I wish my dad was still around to take me. I know kiddo I know. He hugs me rubbing my back. But we're gonna have a great time ok?

At Riley's house she's trying to convince her dad to let her go to the dance instead of riding the cyclone. And Cory says the one thing he knows about makeup is that she'll have to do it to him. And to Topanga that talk went better then she expected. In class the next Cory is upset with Riley and then passes back our quizzes we took over Darwin. Everyone seemed to get As except Maya and I even though when I studied them with Shawn he said I'd gotten them alright so I have no idea what happened.

We both had failed the quiz. Maya raises her hand. Yes Ms. Hart. You failed me. Maya we should talk after class. You too Ms. Jack. What's there for us to talk about she says gesturing to the 3 of us. You failed us. There's nothing you can teach us. What now you both gotta say that to me?! He turns to Riley. Am I losing you both? I'm too upset to say anything as Maya and I leave the classroom. Riley raises her hand and he tells her to go.

When we get out there. Maya and I start cleaning out our lockers. Are you redecorating your locker Maya? Riley asks her. No Riley I'm cleaning it out, you want one this will be the last one you'll get. Maya says making her a cotton candy from her locker. Great minds think a like. I mumble. Farrah you too? I can't do this Riley, IDK how to do public school, I guess I just wasn't ready for this. It was nice meeting you.

Farrah Maya don't go! She begs us. You don't mean that Maya, it's just one F. It's not about the paper Riley, your dad failed me. It's both for me. I studied that whole thing with my caretaker and when I did I got the questions right. But I never saw the paper. He just asked me and I knew them, but even if I write fine, I don't need to know what the paper says to put words on it.

My parents never taught me how to read, they always read to me never let me do anything for myself, I've been homeschooled since the beginning. The person that takes care of me he watches me struggle, and doesn't know how to help me because he's never had a child of his own and his father wasn't the best role model. We're learning how to be "a family" together.

So, he reads to me. Or I listen to it online so that I don't bother him. I'm not his daughter and he's not my dad. I don't need glasses I can see just fine, but I can't read. Letters and numbers jumble up like soup. I try to sound things out but it gives me a headache and I struggle and then give up. I give up until someone does it for me. I memorize the keys on my computer and my phone, but there aren't any buttons on paper.

They barely even taught me the alphabet when I was a little kid my caregiver learned that the hard way. He tries to teach me the best he can but verbally I do fine, if I could type things I could be fine, but I doubt I could bring my computer to school with me. Everything was just easier when I was homeschooled. I don't need to read the signs to get home because the subway calls them out to me, or the GPS on the motorcycle takes me there.

I'm bad at school, but I do alright in art. Because with art I just use my hands there's no reading or writing or grades just me, my art supplies and a piece of paper. It's just me. We can help you. Right Maya? No Riley I can't help anyone I'm just a failure. No one can help me Riley not even your dad. Like I said it was nice to meet you guys but I'm not coming back.

Neither am I. Maya says. No you don't mean that Maya you'll pretend to leave school forever and then you'll be in gym class tomorrow. No, I won't I mean it this time Maya. You'll be at my house at 7:00 in the morning to come and get me. I won't be there. Maya says as she walks out. I grab my helmet and my backpack and ride the motorcycle with tears in my eyes as I go home.

At Riley's apartment Cory is sad that he's lost the two most important women to him in his life even though his wife is sitting right there. Once Auggie leaves Topanga says she's got this. They talk about the Cyclone ride vs the father daughter dance how Corry believes that their father daughter relationship is ending. When I get home I tell Shawn I want to be homeschooled again and he says ok no questions asked.

You look sad, I won't ask any questions because I think I already have the answer but lets go get some ice cream. I love you Shawn I say hugging him as tears fall onto him, and I lay my head in his chest. I love you too Farrah, and I always will. He pulls me at arms length and wipes my tears away. In the we're all sitting in Riley's bedroom. Ok, Maya Farrah you guys made your point you didn't come to school today and your teacher is very upset with you both.

He's not my teacher anymore Riley. Or mine. Maya was applying for online school and then took a test to get the free trial and failed. Its not that she doesn't think she smart sometimes its that sometimes she doesn't like who she is. Topanga comes into the room. How's it goin' in here? Mom make Maya and Farrah come back to school public school.

So you don't like that do you? No, I look forward to them coming to pick me up everyday. So like a tradition. Yeah, oh.... Even though you're a mother that was scary good. Go to him he feels bad, talk to him. I feel bad. Maya starts. Will he come to us. No he's your teacher. Riley says. But he'll come to you. Her mother tells us. What? We ask her. He'll come to you. Why? Because he's always there. Corry comes in and reaches out a hand for us.

In the kitchen Corry hands back Maya's paper. He wants her to read it, after some convincing she does. Maya says she doesn't know the answers but Riley says she does, and Corry asks her the questions and after a little more convincing she gives the right answer. Corry tells her to write what she means and that she can't fail.

Farrah you're turn. He hands me back my paper. You read it. I've already read it, I want you to read it to me. I can't. Yes you can Farrah I know you can. Corry tries to convince me, you have the write answers they're just not in the right spaces. Do you need glasses Ms. Jack? No sir. Then what is it? I just can't ok?! I cry as I hold my head in my hands. All I know is that when I studied them I got the answers right.

Did you look at the paper? No. There's the problem you have to look at things when you study them. Maya and Riley encourage me to tell them the truth. So, I tell them everything I told Maya and Riley yesterday. Farrah if you had told me that I would've talked to the school board and gotten you like a tutor or something I could've had permission to let you bring in your computer. But if you don't tell me what's going on we can't help you.

I don't have a father at home, Maya admits. He's got a new family that he lives with. Maya you don't have to tell us. No I do if I'm gonna be able to talk you guys. If you give me or us an F.... Maya starts.... And if you decide we're not worth working on..... I finish. Farrah, Maya we're all here for you does this look like you're not worth working on? Either one of you. Corry tells us he's gonna chaperone the school dance.

What's that mean? Riley asks raising her hand. Hand. I tell her. What's that mean? She asks again. grown-up voice. I say again. Lucas Hello. What's that mean? Corry asks. At the dance (outfit 7) Farrah you look beautiful. Riley tells me. Is your caretaker person here? He's meeting me here, I was kind of under the impression it was a father daughter dance not just a normal school dance.

He'll be here. I can't wait to meet him. Corry says. T: You already know him. Excuse me miss would you like to dance? I hear a low voice say behind me too low to be a guy in the school. I turn around and hug him. You came. I may not be your dad squirt but I'm the only "parent" figure you've got. Are you sure you'd rather not dance with your friends? No, I thought it was a father daughter dance so I wanna dance with my not father.

Maya dances with Farkle while Riley dances with Lucas he wore a cowboy hat just for Maya then drops a rose in her mouth and she shudders. Then Farkle takes it and puts it in his mouth and he shudders. Then some dads have arrived to pick up their daughters and Corry dances with Riley and Maya. Maybe he had stuff to teach us after all.

At the end of the dance Shawn doesn't drop to his normal voice or take off the mask. Corry can respect that. You must be Ms. Jack's caretaker. What should I call you? Hunter. That's the name I want you to call me but its not my name. Well its the not the strangest thing to happen this week.

And the next morning (outfit 8)  when Auggie says now that Riley is too big for him that they should start their own tradition. Auggie said he wanted to go on a singles cruise to Alaska. Well some traditions are meant to change Topanga says. Then Maya and I come in. Hey Riley, it's 7:00 time for school. And some should never change, some should just stay exactly as they are.