-riley-
"Congrats, babe. Congrats, blondie." Lucas says as he comes up to the both of us with Farkle. Lucas had a bouquet of flowers in his arm while Farkle had 2 individual roses. Lucas hugs Maya first and she gives him a slap on his arm then returns the hug.
"Thanks, Huckleberry."
Farkle follows and takes both of us in his arms.
"Congratulations, my ex wives. I'm so proud of you." He kissed both of our foreheads and handed us our roses; both Maya and I giggled.
"Thank you, Farkle."
Finally, Lucas gives me the bouquet and kisses my forehead as he hugs me.
"Congratulations, Riles. I'm immensely proud of you."
"Thank you, Lucas."
Mine and Maya's families surround us after the convocation ceremony at NYU.
After mingling with classmates, sorority sisters, and our families, Maya gestures to Lucas, Farkle and I.
"Do you guys think we could go some place where we can just talk? I can't handle big crowds. I'm gonna have an anxiety attack." Maya says.
"Where should we go?" I ask.
"I don't know, maybe Topanga's? Knowing your parents they probably have some huge party waiting at your apartment." Farkle answers.
"Why just my parents?"
"Because your parents love all of us so much. You know they would do that." Lucas says and I sigh.
"Yeah.. Okay. I'll just let them know we'll meet them at home." I run to my family and tell him that we'll just go and spend a little bit of time alone and take this all in.
All four of us have graduated university almost at the same time. Farkle went to Harvard with Lucas and Isadora, and they graduated a couple of days ago, while Maya and I graduated at NYU. We were all going to do a little bit more school afterwards, but graduating undergrad school made us feel like full fledged adults.
Lucas drove with me in the front and Farkle and Maya at the back. He drove slowly, not wanting to rush.
"Don't you just feel so.. old?" Maya thinks out loud.
"Yeah.. kind of. I feel responsible and independent." Farkle adds.
"You were always responsible and independent, Farkle." Lucas remarks.
"True, but that was because I wanted to be. Now it's what I have to be."
"I feel like I can do anything now. We graduated university guys! We actually did it!"
"But Riley, you can always do anything. You're just amazing like that." Lucas says cheesily.
Our whole group "awws" like we always do when someone says something sappy.
I smile at my friends; friends who have been there for more than half of my life now; friends who, I know, will be there for me forever. All of them were so important to me and I was glad I got to keep them.
Lucas pulled up at the parking lot of Topanga's and we see the cafe lights off.
"Why are the lights off? It's only 7:00." Maya and I look at each other, knowing that whoever closed early will get an earful from our mothers.
"Why is the door not locked?" Farkle says as he pulls it open.
We all look at each other, skeptically until the lights went on and sounds came from every corner of the cafe.
