Falling Slowly (A GMW Fanfic)

23-College and Friends

Riley's POV

"You ready, honey?" I hear my mom ask from the kitchen. 

"Yeah!" I answer, zipping up my last suitcase. We're all going to college today! I'm so excited. 

It's been a month since everyone helped me out of jail, and all my records are clear. No one but my family knows about what happened. 

I head downstairs, where Maya, Farkle, and Lucas are all waiting with my family. 

"You take forever, Riles!" Maya exclaims. I roll my eyes. "I'm sorry that I want to make sure that I have everything." she laughs. 

I hug mom, dad, and Auggie, and say my last goodbyes. 

"I'll see you guys at Christmas, okay?" I say. 

Mom nods, trying to fight back tears. 

Then, we're off to college. 

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The drive doesn't take that long, since we're all going to NYU. Farkle is driving, and Maya is in the front seat with him. Lucas and I are in the back, playing some kind of card game that he taught me. 

"We're here!" Maya exclaims, jumping out of the car. Lucas and I quickly put the cards back, grab our bags, and jump out, following Maya and Farkle. 

We quickly sign in, and get our keys to our dorms. Maya and I are sharing a dorm, and Lucas and Farkle are sharing a dorm. We say goodnight to each other, and head to our dorms, which are a couple halls down from each other. 

We enter our dorms, and gasp. Maya and I's jaws are on the ground. 

Our beds are huge, and have white bed frames. We have mint green comforters, and matching pale pink pillows. There's a matching white dresser on either side of the room, and the closet is a walk in. The bathroom has a shower and a bath, and two sinks. And the best part? THERE'S A BAY WINDOW!

"Bay window. Bay window right now!" I say, smiling as Maya follows me to sit down at our new and improved bay window. 

Maya starts talking in a news reporter voice. "Riley Matthews, you have just entered college. Tell me, how does it feel?" she asks, putting an invisible microphone up to me. 

I answer in a news reporter voice. "Well, it feels incredible. Why? Well, because I'm with my best friend, Maya Hart!"

We both laugh and talk about all the memories that we could think of. We talked about the day we met, and we talked about my second trial. 

"We should probably unpack our stuff. I mean it's just in boxes on our beds. It's almost dark out." Maya says, pointing to the boxes on our beds, and the window. The sun is going down slowly, leaving a trail of pink and orange behind it. 

"Yeah." I say getting up and opening one box labeled, binders. 

I had many binders, like some for school, but mostly of picture albums. And I have one for each person that wrote me letters when I was gone. Each one has their name on it, and I've gone through all of them several times. There are tons of letters, since they wrote them everyday. 

I found the boxes under my bed one night when my phone fell down. I never told them that I found them. I just secretly put them in binders and threw the boxes away. They still haven't asked about it. 

"Why does your binder have Farkle's name on it?" Maya asks, walking towards me with a questioning look. 

I smirk, and open the binder up. 

She smiles, then covers her eyes. "Oh, the letters he wrote." 

"Why are you covering your face?" I ask. 

"Because we all promised that those letters are for your eyes only. None of us saw each others' letters." she explains, walking back over to her stuff, and unpacking her clothes. 

"So when did you find the letters?" she asks, killing the silence. 

"Well, actually like three weeks ago. I just decided to not tell you and see when you guys would figure it out. So I gathered all the letters, and but them in binders of you guys' favorite colors, and put your names' on them. I read on binder a night." I explain as she nods. 

Everyone did different things when they wrote to me. 

Dad always started with 'daughter' and he ranted on and on about ideas on how he could get me out. He even talked about Shawn sometimes. 

Mom always wrote down a memory. Like a memory a day, keeps your daughter out of jail. But her's always make me smile, remembering the memories we share. 

Auggie always wrote down what he thought was happening. But it changed each time. Like one time it was I was a spy and pirates captured me, and framed me for doing something they did. I don't know what they're teaching him in school, but man, he really needs a teacher like dad. 

Farkle ranted about how I should always hold my head up, and smile, even in the darkest of times. He told me to never stop smiling. And to be myself, no matter what happens. He reminded me of the lessons that dad taught us. Especially the one about Iceland and Greenland. That's what made Farkle, and the whole group, who we are today. 

Lucas always wrote down song lyrics. I've never heard the songs before, and I was thinking that he actually wrote them. Maybe. But he always reminded me that he loves me, and told me that I am his princess. 

Maya, on the other hand, just used her letters as a diary. She told me what was happening in everyone's lives, and sometimes at the end would remind me that she was going to free me soon. I love that she always keeps me updated, even when I'm in a cell. Best friends whenever, where ever. 

"Okay, I'm gonna shower." Maya says, grabbing her pj's and soap. 

"Okay." I say, finally unpacking the rest of my stuff and putting it in my drawers. I decide not to shower tonight, since tomorrow I don't have any classes. 

I throw on some spandex and a sports bra, and jump under the covers. I check my Instagram, Twitter, and Tumblr before dozing off...

A/N: 

I know that it's a short chapter, but it's kind of a filler. Just so you know how college started for them and that Riley saw the letters. 

And okay, I know that the video is like part interview, but you can skip that part. The singers name is Sharon Irving, and she is my favorite on America's Got Talent season 10. This performance literally made me cry last night. Don't judge me, though! I just thought that I should show you guys, so that when she goes to the next round, to watch AGT and vote for her! I really want her to win this thing! Thanks, and tell me what you think of her voice and her message! 

XOXO <3 

-B