(17) The plan

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"I got this love thing down. I got it very down and I love it." Riley said while slowly snapping, a smile on her face. She was sitting in the school's cafeteria with her best friends, her boyfriend, and Lucas. Speaking of which was staring disgustedly at his school lunch of potatoes, carrots, and an unidentifiable meat. Maya looked at him as she tore her peanut butter and jelly sandwich to pieces. She new the school lunch was bad, which was why she always helped herself to the Mathews pantry to make herself a sandwich, but she also suspected that, that wasn't why Lucas looked so annoyed. It was because of Charlie. Charlie was looking at Riley with dazed eyes; his happiness radiated about him. Maya could tell that it was killing Lucas. As Lucas watched, he almost wished Charlie was gloating, that he was annoyingly cocky, at least then he'd have a reason to hate him but he didn't. But then this strange thing happened. Lucas started grinning from ear to ear. In fact he seemed to be almost unable to contain his glee from the group.
"What is it?" Maya mouthed.
"Later." Lucas mouthed back with a wink.
Maya took a bite of her sandwich wondering if Lucas had finally cracked. Maybe he was going to be ok. Perhaps he'd finally become selfless enough and realized that if Riley was happy then he was happy too. Whatever it was, Maya really hoped that she was wrong, because Lucas couldn't actually be such a huge Huckleberry. Maya was so consumed with her thoughts, she didn't even noticed that Riley was slyly looking between her and Lucas, confusion written on her face.

***

"Ok, so what is it Ranger Rick? Why so jolly?"
"Riley said she has the whole love thing down. Isn't that amazing!" Lucas said putting an arm lazily around Maya's shoulder, a grin on his face. Maya brings her hand to her forehead, as if to say, this idiot. Then she shrugs out from under Lucas's arm and looks at him. It was after school and the two of them were talking in the empty school hallway.
"That's bad Lucas. That means Riley likes Charlie." Maya said slowly, in a patronizing tone.
"No it means Riley thinks she likes Charlie. She thinks she knows what she's doing but she's just as clueless as we are."
"What makes you say that Hop-a-long?"
"Well firstly be nice. And secondly because anytime Riley has said that, she's been wrong."
"Really?"
"Yes, think about it. When she said it on the honor board or when she was talking about life and then Missy Bradford came along to ruin it; hey whatever happened to her?"
"Don't know. Don't care. But you do have a point Huckleberry, she's been sooo off everytime she's said that." Maya says
"Which means..."
"You might have a chance yet." Maya says with a grin.
"Yes!" Lucas says pulling Maya into a hug.
"Hey stoping being a Huckleberry! Bucky-Mcboing-Boing. You. Are. Squishing. Me!" Maya says in a muffled voice.
"I know isn't it fantastic." Lucas said in a dream like state. Maya groaned. And Riley watched them embrace from the corner of the school hallway, she'd barley managed to catch the end of their conversation, and although they had been talking about her, Riley couldn't help but feel betrayed. Were they lying to her when they said they were over? How was it possible for them to look like a couple and yet also look like they were rooting for Lucas and her. Riley walked away with a plan to end this madness.

***

"Charlie... I need your help." Riley said looking down at the plate of French fries in front of her, twirling one in between her thumb and forefinger. She was avoiding Charlie's gaze, because she was afraid and embarrassed about what she was about to ask her boyfriend. Boyfriend. It was still weird to think of him that way. But alas that's was what he was.
"Anything you want." He said with a goofy grin.
"Well here me out first ok."
"Ok but I know I'm going to agree."
"I need you to help me to get Lucas to leave me- us alone."
"What did Friar do this time?" Charlie said. He looked the same except now he looked awake and serious.
"Nothing. I just want to make sure he knows I'm with you know. That I picked you." Riley said with a relaxed smile.
"What did he do." Charlie asked again.
"Nothing. He-he just told Maya he's going to fight for me, that's all all." Riley said, twirling her fry into the patch of ketchup on the plate, before letting it go and dusting off her hands of the salt and grease.
"He broke our truce?" Charlie said his jaw tensing.
"Truce? You guys have a truce?" Riley asked confused.
"Past tense. Had. But yes we did. He was going to let us date in peace, but I guess that's out the window." Charlie said with a shake of his head, "but anyway what were you suggesting we do?" He continued.
Riley bit her lip and looked down, too afraid to continue. Charlie but his hand under Riley's chin, forcing her to look up at him.
"You know you can do no wrong by me right? It's ok, so please, speak your mind."
"Ok. I just wanted to say firstly that I really like you Charlie." Riley gave him a small smile before continuing, "but I don't think I'm ready to have our first kiss yet."
"That's fine Riley. But why bring this up now?"
"Because-because, I think we should stage the perfect kiss for Lucas to see. That way he'll know how serious we are and leave us alone." Riley said looking down again, a blush rising to her cheeks.
"Oh. Wow. But why would we do that? Wouldn't that make it seem like we are more serious than we are? I thought you wanted to go slow?"
"I do. I really do but Lucas won't wait for us to get to the serious stage. He'll just keep fighting for me, and I just don't think that's fair to you or us."
"It'll hurt him."
"Maybe, but he knew it was bound to happen at some point."
"You're right Riley but he would only assume we had kissed. Or maybe one day he would ask you and you would say yes. I don't think Lucas ever planned to see it. I need you to think this through. We don't needs to be unnecessarily cruel."
Riley sat there stunned. Her boyfriend had just defended the first boy she ever liked. Why was Charlie such an amazing person?
Riley sighed feeling guilty of what she had planned. Yet as guilty as she felt she really didn't want to back down. The image of her best friend and Lucas together, was seared into her brain, and she didn't like it one bit. But Maya was her best friend, so she needed to show her it really was ok for her to date Lucas. And if she convinced Maya, then Lucas would be more than convinced.
"Charlie?"
"Yes Riley?"
"I want to do it? I want to have Lucas think we kissed. I need to be able to date you in peace."
"You're sure?"
"Positive."
"Ok."
"Really?"
"Yes. I told you Riley, you can do no wrong by me."
"Thank you. Tell me why are you so amazing?" Riley said in awe, maybe she didn't like Charlie like that yet but maybe it would happen.
"Because, for you, I want to be the best." Charlie said taking Riley hand, before putting it back down and grabbing some napkins for Riley. Riley laughed.
"Oops." She said with a smile, as she watch Charlie clean her hands of the French fry grease.
Charlie shook his head as if to say, don't worry about it. Again he seemed to be in another world listening to his favorite sound. Riley's laughter was his music, especially when he made her laugh.


Hello interesting bits😆 I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter! And I'm sorry for taking so long to update. I've had a hard month. Lots of school work. My birthday. My brothers dog died and someone else very important in my family died as well. So it's been hard. But don't worry I always have ideas for what to write next!
Thanks for reading💜🤗
Don't forget to star and comment💬
Ilysm😍💖🙈

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