Sanctuary

Is It True?

R- I think you know what I did. You can see it.

F- Yeah I can see what you did, but that's not what I want to know. What I want to know is why?

R- I don't want to say.

Riley put her head down. She was embarrassed that her friends had found out and was upset with herself for letting them.

 F-  This is about Maya and Lucas isn't it?

At that moment Riley's head shot up and her eyes widened. She opened her mouth to say something but the words wouldn't come out. She risked a glance in Maya's direction and saw tears threatening to spill from her eyes.

M-  Riley what's he talking about? What does this have to do with me and Lucas? Riley what is going on?

Riley was silent. Like before she tried to talk but the words wouldn't come out.

F- Riley, it's time to tell them. You can't just keep saying that it's not true like you did on New Years. You have to tell them at some point.

R- Then why don't you tell her Farkle, because I can't do that to her. She's my best friend and I'm not going to be the one who tells her. I know that she'll hate me if I tell her and I know that if you tell her she'll still hate me but I can't tell her. It's to much for me.

M- What, tell me what? Riley what's going on? What can't you tell me?

F- Can I tell her Riley, because it's been a few years and look where lying to her and hiding your emotions and look where that has gotten you. Riley you almost killed yourself! This can't go on any longer.

R- Fine you can tell her.

Lucas was still listening on the other end of the phone call still and was curious as to what was going on and what Farkle and Riley were talking about.

F- Riley's been lying to you all this time about her feelings. She doesn't love Lucas like a brother at all.

Riley hung her head, unable to look at Maya's reaction because she knew that Maya was mad at her.

M- What?

F- She's been lying ever since Texas. She never liked Lucas as a brother. She saw how much you liked him and she stepped back for you just like you stepped back for her. She never told you because she thought that your happiness was more important than her own. She kept telling you and Lucas that he was her brother even though it was like a thousand knives stabbing her all at once, because she thought that if she told you the truth you would hate her and never want to see her again. She came to me and cried every night because she didn't know what to do, but I never knew that it hurt her this much. I never thought it would get to the point to where she would cut herself or try to hang herself. I tried to get her to tell you but every time she would beg me not to make her so I didn't. The only reason that she spent so much time with me after Texas was because I figured it out without her having to tell me and I told her I would tell you guys if she didn't. That's what's been going on under your nose Maya. The fact that she gave up her happiness because she wanted you to be happy.

M- Riley is this true?

Riley kept her head down. She was too afraid to look up because she didn't want to see the hurt feeling on her best friends face. She didn't want to see all the pain that she had caused by shattering her heart because she knew that if she knew what would happen if she did. Everything that she had done, every secret that she kept, every smile and laugh she faked, every wall she put up, everything she had done to keep her secret from Maya just so that she wouldn't hurt her would all come to an end and she couldn't do it. She couldn't bring herself to look into the eyes of Maya who was now shaking with anger, not because of the fact that Riley loved Lucas, she didn't care about that at the moment.