Small Town Girl (Farkle Minkus)

Chapter Four: Girl Meets Our Story

~~~Lucas~~~

Riley and Maya went off with the adults to dig up their old time capsule, leaving me alone with Farkle. He looked to be bothered by something.

"You ok?" I asked.

"I just keep thinking about Skipper. The look on her face when you told us about her Mom...Is she ok?"

"It's hard to tell with her. She hasn't cried since before they diagnosed her."

"How long ago was that?" He questioned.

"Almost a year. I remember that day. Her parents left her with me, and when her Dad called...she had that exact same look on her face. She came back to my room and we just sat there  in silence for hours."

"There's gotta be something we can do, right?" I shrugged.

"The only thing we really can do is just be her friends. Just be there for her, so she knows she has us if the time comes when she'll need us...when, the times comes."

"It's that certain?" I nodded.

"Stage four, lung cancer."

"Should we go and see her, or..." I nodded.

"Yeah, probably."

~~~Skipper~~~

I sat on the fire escape, looking out at New York. I can't believe I got all sad in front of them. I've broken the rule I set for myself.

Don't let anyone see you sad, least of all Mom and Dad.

I sighed, tugging at my hair.

"How'd I know you'd be out here?" I looked up to see who else but Lucas and Farkle. Lucas climbed out, sitting across from me, and Farkle sat in the window beside me.

"Can we just forget everything that just happened?" I asked.

"You can be sad, Skip. That's ok." I shook my head.

"No, it's not, and I really don't want to talk about this anymore."

"But you will. And we'll be here when you do." I nodded.

"Thanks."

"So, it looks like we're on our own for the weekend. Riley and Maya are off finding a time capsule, so, what's the plan?" Farkle asked. I shrugged.

"I don't know. We do have a lot of thinking to do about our own time capsule."

"What are you thinking?" Lucas asked.

"I don't know. Isn't the point of a  time capsule remembering who you used to be with the people you care about? "

"Yes..."

"So if you get it, then what's the problem?" Farkle questioned.

"I want something to remember with all of you...I think I've got it."

"Yeah? I think I have mine too." Lucas agreed.

"Yeah...me too."

~~~

"Ok, I'll go first." Lucas said. Maya and Riley had returned, and we were putting our stuff in the time capsule.

"You puttin' in your sheep nickel, Billy Bob?" Maya asked.

"No, I changed my mind about that. I'm not putting in a reminder of when I gave up on a dream." He held up a slip of paper.

"Your transfer slip."

"I'd rather be reminded of when something good started. " He put the paper in.

"Me next." Farkle said from beside me.

"Your science fair trophy?"  Riley asked.

"Wasn't important enough for this." He picked up a folded orange sweater.

"Your favorite orange turtleneck."

"It was the one I took off when I felt like I was nothing. But, you guys wouldn't let me be nothing. And, since it's  us that's gonna be together when we open this, I can't wait to see the something that I am." I smiled as he placed the turtleneck in the box. "Riley, Pluto?"

"Yeah. Still Pluto. Whenever we open this, I hope I haven't stopped believing in things." She said, placing the ball in the box.

"Isn't that a song?" I asked, causing the others to laugh.

"You go next, Skipper." Maya told me.  I smiled, holding up a blank piece of paper and a pen.

"I don't get it." Riley said.

"For now, my story with you guys is blank. When we open this, I hope I  have something great to write down."

"It's not completely blank." Farkle said. "May I?" I handed it to him and he put it down on the table, writing yesterday's date.

Today Riley, Maya, Farkle, and Lucas decided that they would always be there for me, no matter what. I smiled.

"And the rest...was history." I said, smiling at him. He folded up the paper, putting the pen inside of it and putting it in the box. We turned to Maya.

"Ok, I'll play. But you guys have to leave. Your parents and Shawn didn't  tell each other what they were putting in, and that's the way I want to do it. I'm hoping we'll all be surprised. " I smiled. I left with Farkle and Lucas and Riley stayed in for a minute.

"So, you happy with your decision?" Lucas asked. I smiled, wrapping my arms around their shoulders, which was a bit tough, considering both are significantly taller than me.

"Couldn't be happier. What about you guys?"

"Yeah. Farkle?" He nodded.

"Definitely."

"So, what was that about?" I asked.

"That's a story for another day." He replied.

"I'll look forward to it."

"Farkle, are you thinking what I'm thinking?" Lucas asked.

"I think so, yeah."

"What are you guys thinking."

"Well, you know...there's a fountain over there."

"You wanna throw in your sheep nickel?" I asked, quoting Maya.

"Nah, we were thinking something a bit bigger." They scooped up my legs, dragging me towards it.

"No! Oh my gosh, put me down!" I laughed.

So yeah...for now, our story may be short but...what we have so far is great, and I know that I speak for the others when I say...

I can't wait to hear the rest of it.