𝐋𝐄𝐀𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐑 & 𝐋𝐀𝐂𝐄 ━ girl meets world²

2│A LESSON IN CHANGE

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❛ ʟᴇᴀᴛʜᴇʀ & ʟᴀᴄᴇ​​​​​​​​​​. ❜ ° . ༄
- ͙۪۪˚  ▎❛ 𝐓𝐖𝐎 ❜   ▎˚ ͙۪۪̥◌
»»————- ꒰ ᴀ ʟᴇssᴏɴ ɪɴ
ᴄʜᴀɴɢᴇ ꒱


❝ I GUESS THERE
ARE SOME GOOD
THINGS ABOUT BEING
INTELLCTUALLY INFERIOR ❞

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"Riles?" Maya began as she had every day since their group's falling out. She, Riley and Miya were in the same place they'd been for almost a week now: they stood in the hole with their faces were pressed up against the railing, which they held onto as they gazed out at the other students' passing feet.

"Peaches?"

"How you feeling today?"

Riley did her best to maintain her usual bright smile, even if it was frail around the edges. "Well, I didn't cry all night—"

"That's good," Maya replied with an equally-fake amount of pep.

"—because I stopped when I passed out from crying," the brunette finished. Both girls sighed. Miya reached over and patted her friend comfortingly on the shoulder.

"Well, you seem better now."

Riley shook her head. "That's where you're wrong."

"Okay," her best friend conceded.

". . .But the seniors wanted us to stand here, watch what goes on, and learn from it," Riley finished determinedly. "They have their reason."

"To make fools out of us?" Maya snarked. "Mission accomplished. We're fools. We're fools without friends."

"We're fools with less friends," Miya corrected her, trying for her own false optimism. "We still have each other."

"That's true," the Matthews girl allowed, though she didn't look any happier. "They made their choice. They have started their high school careers without us and I wish them well."

Maya heard her best friend's voice waver at the end of her sentence. In an effort to get her mind off things (even though she knew it was futile), she suggested, "yeah. Maybe we shouldn't think about them today."

"Yeah," Riley agreed. Then, her expression faltered. Her chin quivered. She let out a sob as she stated, "I hope that Farkle remembers that science can't explain people and he keeps himself open to love." She glanced at Miya. "And I hope that he keeps treating you the way you deserve."

Miya smiled faintly, her throat tightening. While she and Farkle were completely fine, the combination of feeling sympathetic to her friend's emotions and gratitude for her sentiment caused her to tear up a bit. "Thanks, Riles."

The blonde, however, rolled her eyes. "You gonna do one for each?"

"Yes."

She held out her hand. "Give me a couple bucks for a brownie."

"Okay, Maya. I want juice," Riley told her as she placed the money in her palm. Still speaking in a pinched voice, she queried, "you want anything, Miya?"

"Cookie?"

Maya gave her a thumbs-up and went downstairs as Riley continued. "I hope Smackle looks up from her books every once in a while so that she doesn't miss life."

"Apple?"

"Grape."

"Chocolate chip?"

"Double chocolate?" Miya requested hopefully.