Finding Yourself

|four|

When the movie ended, we didn't watch another. I was extremely tired from my ordeal at school and needed rest, so Maya tucked me into bed, chuckling softly.

"Night, Riles." She whispered to me.

"It's afternoon." I mumbled as I slowly drifted off to sleep.

~ ~ ~

My eyes fluttered open. I glanced at my alarm clock. 7:10.

7:10 A.M.!

I hurriedly got out of bed. Had I really slept for so long? Yes. But that was a rhetorical question.

I threw on blue jeans and a long-sleeved teal silk top with baggy sleeves and dashed out to the main room where everyone, including Maya, was once again, and grabbed a banana muffin and ran. Maya followed.

"What's up?" She asked worriedly.

"I wanna get to school early." I replied simply.

~ ~ ~

We did arrive early, about fifteen minutes before school would start. We walked into the classroom early with our bags, and found it empty.

"I'm checking the lesson plan." Maya announced, dropping her bag at her seat and running up to Dad's desk.

She looked through a ton of his papers until she found a certain one.

"Today's lesson is on love, and the wars it has caused throughout history." She read aloud, then turned to me. "What's with the love theme?"

I shrugged. "Dunno."

But inside, I was thinking one thing.

He's onto me.

I pulled out a sheet of paper for no reason, then started tapping my pencil eraser again.

"Okay. Riley." Maya began. "Say you're on a tiny island and you can get three items from this room. What do you choose, and why?"

"Hm. Marker box, glue, and you." I tapped the eraser harder and faster, beating out a rhythm. Buh duh-duh duh duh-duh duh da-duh, da-duh. Buh duh-duh duh duh-duh duh da-duh, da-duh. "Markers because I can't live without art, glue to build stuff, and you because I'd be lonely and I would want you there with me."

"I feel special." Maya smirked. "Same, though."

You are special.

I couldn't say it aloud. Couldn't tell her.

And it was at that point my dad finally arrived.

"What are you two here for?" He raised an eyebrow. "And Maya, how much of my stuff did you go through?"

"Only the lesson plan." She replied coolly. "And what's with the love theme?"

He smiled, turned to me, and winked. "Oh, I have my reasons."

I felt like I was going to explode. "Just what do you think you're doing?"

"Helping you!" Dad exclaimed enthusiastically, grinning like a maniac.

"Okay, but what are you actually doing?" I rolled my eyes.

"Helping you!" He repeated.

"No, you aren't. Stop. You are not helping. Stop. Now. Please." I gritted my teeth.

"What is going on here?" Maya screamed.

Dad and I spun towards her. We'd both forgotten she was there.

"Uh...it's about her crush." My dad hurried, and I glared at him.

"Ooh...who?" Maya leaned forward, placing her hands on her desk, expecting answers.

"No one. You don't need to know." I shook my head quickly.

But my dad had other ideas.

"Actually, Maya, it's y-" He began, but I tackled him and managed to knock him down before he could finish.

"Uh, Riley, why can't I know?" Maya looked confused. "You tell me all your crushes."

I pushed my hand harder over my dad's mouth as he struggled to push it off. "This is just...I can't."

The sadness of it made me loosen up, and my dad easily pushed me off.

I tumbled to the floor, probably bruising an arm or elbow in the process. Ow.

"Maya." My dad put a hand on her shoulder. "I'd like you to know that for once, I fully approve of Riley's crush and I think I'd like to see them together."

"Who would you approve of Riley being with?" Maya laughed. "This is getting good."

I pushed myself off the ground and walked over. My dad was going to tell her anyways, it would be better if she heard it from me.

"Maya." I said quietly, my voice almost a whisper. "He approves of you."

"Yeah, I know." Maya looked at me like I was an idiot. "We've been best friends for forever. Of course he does."

"Maya." Dad stepped in, his voice quiet as well. "I approve of her being with you."

"Wait, what?" Maya's eyes widened. "Wait. Hang on." She shook her head slowly. "Riley has a crush on...me?"

"Yes." I squeaked. "Yes I do."

~
Whoop. There you go.
Cory either helped Riley or ruined her life.
Find out which next chapter!!!
Bye!