𝐋𝐄𝐀𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐑 & 𝐋𝐀𝐂𝐄 ━ girl meets world²

19│HEARTS IN CONFLICT

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❛ ʟᴇᴀᴛʜᴇʀ & ʟᴀᴄᴇ​​​​​​​​​​. ❜ ° . ༄
- ͙۪۪˚   ▎❛ 𝐍𝐈𝐍𝐄𝐓𝐄𝐄𝐍 ❜   ▎˚ ͙۪۪̥◌
»»————- ꒰ ʜᴇᴀʀᴛs ɪɴ
ᴄᴏɴғʟɪᴄᴛ ꒱


❝ WE KEEP FIGHTING
FOR WHAT'S RIGHT, EVEN
WHEN IT'S DIFFICULT ❞

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Riley and Maya were sitting in their bay window like they always did. Zay was in Texas, Miya was with Farkle, and that left the two of them with nothing to do but sit and think. Right now, their minds were focused on the same thing: the subject neither of them wanted to bring up— that they were both afraid to bring up because, no matter what happened, it would change everything. Unfortunately for them (but especially for Riley, who always froze in tense situations), they'd left out one key factor when deciding how they'd go about their day: Lucas.

The Texan climbed through the window some hours after they'd taken their seats that morning. As one of Riley's closest friends, he knew that she wouldn't broach the topic on her own. It was for a good reason— the same reason they all avoided it— so that she didn't hurt two of the people she cared about most in the world. But, where Riley froze, Lucas was a person of action. He was tired of the dawdling and waffling amongst them. He wanted a decision to be made, and he knew that the only way they'd face their problem head-on was if he took matters into his own hands— literally.

He clutched the notecards he'd made tightly, a clue to the inward nervousness he was feeling. The girls watched him with confused expressions but shifted to either side to make space for him to sit between them on the bay window seat. His gaze stayed glued to the notes in his hand, both because he was afraid to say the wrong thing and to see their reactions.

Lucas began to speak, admittedly on the robotic side: "it has been a long time since New Years on the roof." New card. "Remember that?" [Note: don't say this out loud.] Look at each of them, the prompt read. He did so, then went back to reading the notecards: "I know we've been avoiding it but now the flowers are blooming and it is spring—" [Note: don't say this out loud]: look at each of them. "—the season of love!" [Note: don't say this out loud]: smile! New card. [cue: say this cheerfully for best results.] "Hi! My name is Lucas Friar and I am here to talk about us."

[Note: don't say this out loud]: look at each of them.

Maya sighed. "Do we have to talk about this?"

"We have to make some decisions!" Lucas exclaimed, his eyes briefly flicking up from the cards in his exasperation. On the bottom of each notecard, he'd written: Note: don't improv!

Of course, that was the only direction he didn't actually follow. Great.

"We have chosen to completely forget about this!" Riley informed him. She raised her voice to shout: "he's in my room!"

This time— the one time she needed her father's help— Cory didn't appear to chase Lucas away. Instead, he replied: "you have to make some decisions!"

Well, since he'd gone off the book already, he might as well continue. Lucas stood up even though he hadn't written to do so on the card. But, he did return his gaze to them to read what he'd written next: "this is very hard for me. We have to be very careful about what's going on, because I don't want to—"

". . .lose either one of you as my friends?" Riley finished at the same time he did.

Maya's brows furrowed at their synchronicity. "You were with him when he wrote this?"