What Are We Now?

(2) Awkward Conversations

"Psssst..... Psssst... Riley!" Farkel said in a hushed tone. The gang was sitting in history class and Riley was doing her best to ignore Farkel and finish the in class assignment her father had given them.
"Riley!"
"Farkel leave Riley alone! Don't you see she's trying to get our work done!" Maya whispered back harshly. She'd been examining her nails when Farkel began to annoy her.
"Yeah why do you want to talk to Riley so badly?" Lucas said. Farkel sighed this isn't what her wanted. All his friends having a highly important conversation publicly in class, well he wasn't having it this time around. This would hurt too many people and you couldn't say something so important like it was some type of play, in front of the entire class.
"Nothing. It's between Riley and me." Farkel said with a serious look on his face.
"Excuse me, but I think any business with my girlfriend, is my business too." Charlie added.
"Girlfriend?" Maya asked eyebrows raised and a mischievous grin on her face.
"Yeah... Girlfriend." Riley gave a small smile and look down, doing her best to look shy about her crush, her almost non-existent crush on Charlie.
"Girlfriend!" Farkel yelled. Everyone in class looked up confused but intrigued.
"Farkel?" Cory said.
"Sorry sir, it's nothing, it won't happen again sir."
"You're sure?"
"Yes sir."
The class went back to reading and answering questions on a worksheet.
"Hey Riley" Lucas whispered, " that's amazing you connect so well with Charlie...I'm glad for you." He said said with the biggest grin one could muster when the girl you care about leaves you behind....

     

"Girlfriend!" Farkel exclaimed, " you accepted to be his girlfriend when I know you have feelings for Lucas!" It was after school and Farkel and Riley were having their inevitable conversations.
"It just happened Farkel. Literally right in yo face!" Riley said in a silly voice trying to keep the mood light.
"He's going to get hurt, it's unfair Riley."
"It's not and I won't hurt him. Maybe I don't like him now, but Charlie is a good guy and we are so similar, why can't that work Farkel, why?"
"Because Riley the universe doesn't work that way. You feel what you feel, and you don't feel that Lucas is just you're friend or just you're brother, and the universe won't forget that."
"Wanna bet?"
"I tell." He said with a painfully serious look on his face.
"You wouldn't dare."
"I would actually. You're a liar Riley. And I can't let you be a liar. When you lied to protect my feelings, I understood. It was wrong and it did crush me, but coming from you, it made me feel like I could do anything. You did it to be kind. But now your trying to force a good thing that shouldn't be forced."
"Why can't you see that this is the best thing for us!"
"Because Riley, Lucas likes you! You know he likes you!"
"He likes her too!"
"You don't know that. Lucas wouldn't hide that from you if he did."
"No he would, because I'm Riley from Riley town and I don't understand a lot of things but I'm growing up and I know more than what I show that I know."
"You can't force them to be together..."
"I'm not. They stared dating on their own."
"No Riley you put them up to it, when you said you weren't interested in Lucas. He thinks this is what you want!"
"It is what I want Farkel!"
"Riley you know he doesn't think of it that way, you know he thinks you don't like him...why are you hurting yourself?"
"I'm not. I'm ok. This is ok. Everything is as it should be..." Riley grins her Riley town grin hopping that would be enough for Farkel.

"Lucas?...Lucas?"
"Huh?" Lucas looked up at his friend, he'd been pacing back and forth since they got to the park, after school.
"What's wrong? I mean I know I'm not a Lucas expert but you seem rattled. Are you rattled Lucas are you? Rattled?" Zay asked his best friend in a playful tone.
"Girlfriend? Girlfriend." Lucas said as he finally stopped and sat on the swing next to Zay.
"Riley huh..."
"Yeah.."
"So what? Now you're sure that you like her? I thought you were feeling Maya... That's what it looked like..." Zay said matter of factly.
"I have always liked Riley, Zay. The only thing that I wasn't sure about was that we weren't good at the whole boyfriend-girlfriend thing.."
"Now she has a boyfriend."
"As for Maya I don't even know about her... It was so random, her feelings for me. She is beautiful and we would argue and that was fun and all but... It was just a game you know?" Lucas continued lost in his thoughts, not even  registering Zay's response.
"Riley is with Charlie, her boyfriend... And your unhappy because...?"
"Because it's not me Zay! It was suppose to be me! Boyfriend?!" Lucas shouted in disgust.
"There he is!" Zay said putting his hands up," finally I see the Lucas I know."
"That's what I was trying to hide! I don't want to be Texas-Lucas that's not me anymore..."
"I know that, that doesn't mean you can't let off steam. I mean if you don't, you will be Texas-Lucas and God help Charlie Gardner if that happens..." Zay whispered as he looked down, a grimace on his face. Zay looked up as his friend.
"Lucas... Why didn't you tell Riley how you felt when she told you that you were her brother? Why didn't you speak up? You almost made it seem like you wanted this thing with Maya and you to go down.."
"I did it because it was Riley's choice. If she sees me as a brother... What can I do about that? Telling her I liked her would have only made it worse. Then we wouldn't  be able to stay friends. That's why I let her choose Zay. It was all up to her. When she was done with the hi-hey-hey-hi then I would be too... So now I guess it's Garner who's the lucky one."
"Mmm Gardner, God save em!"
"I'm not ganna hurt him Zay!"
"Mmmhmm."
"I'm really not."
"Well then you really are something Friar" Zay said shaking his head.
"I know I know, I'm a mess." Lucas laughed off the last thirty minutes away from his mind, when he desperately wanted to clear the past week, back when every thing was as it should be..."

I don't know why but I really like this chapter, it feels like I captured the GMW character pretty well💜 Hope who ever reads likes it haha😸👌🏽 If you like it, please comment🙏🏽🌙💜