The Definition of "Coming of Age"

She paints you roses

Now that their true feelings were revealed to each other, the two girls can freely express their love for each other in the ways they know best.

Riley never exactly saw herself as a talented person, unless someone was fond of her purple cats.
At least, she didn't think art was her special talent

Riley, however, loved to write.
And she was good at what she loved.
Maya admired her creativity and her ability to make her want to read a poem, with out being bored halfway through.

Throughout their friendship, Riley wrote Maya stories and poems to go along with Maya's art.
It was their team project, they could create these projects for hours upon hours and never get tired of it.

They also created separate pieces of work too.

As young girls without jobs, buying each other gifts was kinda hard.
Especially if they wanted to be independent with these gifts, and not ask their parents for money.

Maya and Riley decided that the best gifts for each other were in fact, their talents.
Maya spent the weeks before Riley's birthdays in the art room after school, painting away at a canvas about the size of a small car door.

She painted close detail of roses and flowers across the surface.
She also made sure to paint a picture of her and Riley, as young children.

She paid close attention to all the details that made Riley, Riley.
Soft, shiny brown locks.
They flowed over her shoulders and parted close to the middle.
Brown eyes that looked even bigger when Riley was 10 years old.

Meanwhile, the nights before Maya's birthdays, Riley kept her desk light on at all hours of the night.
She even dared to stay up until 1 am to finish her poetic masterpiece for her best friend and lover.

Blonde beauty
She's beautiful, isn't she?
Quite the catch.
Would you ever believe she thought she was any less than that?
My blonde beauty
My soft golden rose
How many treasures can one girl hold?
She holds many, right in the palm of her hand.
One day, she'll look in her hands and count those treasures
Take as much time as she pleases.
And maybe she'll realize what I see
In this blonde beauty.

Maya keeps Riley's poems everywhere.
One in her locker, Video from you to me
One in her binder, For the days you just can't do it
And one specially taped to her door, Blonde beauty.

Riley runs out of space to put Maya's art work, it covers her walls.
One picture hangs on her fridge, it's small but it hasn't moved from its spot since January 5, 2013.
Riley's favorite picture hangs above her bed.
One that depicts all of her friends.

Maya and Riley with their arms over each other, smiling at whoever is looking at the painting.
Zay sat, legs cross in front of the to. His eyes are closed and his smile is warm and big.

Farkle is crouched down next to Zay, standing slightly taller than him.
He's clad almost in all black, as usual, and his face is a smirk, almost a smile.
Lucas stood up tall next to the girls, his arms crossed and he's smiling wide and proud.
Riley loves this picture, it's Maya's most recent painting.

June 19, 2015
The day their whole group came together, her second favorite memory.