Chasing Butterflies | a GMW fanfic

Girl Meets Fight

Every day in the senior year had gone by in a usual fashion. Classes, lunch, life lessons, and friends. It was predictable, and Riley liked predictable. She hated change, and tried to avoid at as often as she could.

And, yet, things did change, whether she liked it or not.

"Maya, why won't you tell me?" Riley said, frowning at Maya.

Riley sat in the bay window, while Maya paced the ground in front of it.

"Because, Riles. This is my secret. Mine. And, I can't tell you who it is yet, okay?" Maya crossed her arms and sighed.

"Who is it? Just give me a hint. Just a teeny, tiny little hint. Please?" Riley fake pouted.

"No. No means no. And, besides, telling you would just ruin everything." Maya said, scowling.

"Maya, are you saying I ruin everything?" Riley replied.

"No, Riles. I'm just saying that it wouldn't help anyone if you knew who it was that I liked." Maya shrugged, letting her arms hang by her sides.

Riley hung her head, looking down at the bright orange heels she wore. "Maya, you know you can tell me anything."

Maya shook her head, looking up at the ceiling in the way people often did when they were exasperated. "Not this, Riles. I can't tell you this."

Riley looked back up at Maya. "Peaches, we are best friends. You knew when I kissed Lucas, you knew when we were together and when we broke up. You're always the first person I tell everything to. And you used to trust me. Now, it seems like you don't. Why?"

Maya sat down next to Riley on the bay window seat, opening the window and kicking her feet out the window. "You wouldn't understand it, Riles. And, I guess I don't trust you anymore." Maya cast one glance at Riley before climbing out the window.

Riley watched her go, closing the window behind Maya. She rested her chin in her hands, feeling that empty feeling that she had felt so often before. She felt like she had been hollowed out. She had felt like this every time her and Maya fought - over Rileytown, and then when she was Morotia M. Black, in Texas, and when Maya had lost herself.

It was hard fighting with your best friend.

It was even harder when you knew that she no longer trusted you.

-&-

"So, you and Maya are fighting?" Lucas asked, looking back and forth between the two as they stood in silence.

"No. I'm not going to be in a fight with Maya. She's just ignoring me." Riley said, giving Maya a look.

"I am not ignoring her." Maya said. "She's just mad because there's something that I won't tell her."

Lucas sighed. "Okay. What is it? What is it that you won't tell her?"

"I like a third person. And, I won't tell Riley who it is, and that makes her mad." Maya glanced over at Riley.

"And she said she didn't trust me. We tell each other everything. Everything!" Riley frowned at Maya.

Lucas looked confused. "You like three people? Who? I know one of them is Josh, and the other is a secret. But there's still one more? Who?"

Maya looked back and forth between Riley and Lucas, before spinning on her heel and walking away.

Riley was about to follow her when Lucas reached out and grabbed her hand, pulling her backwards.

"She needs space, okay? Just let her be." Lucas looked over Riley's head at Maya's retreating figure.

"Lucas?" Riley said, looking down at their hands.

"Yeah?" Lucas replied.

"Why are we still holding hands?" She asked, her voice almost a whisper.

Lucas turned bright red. He quickly released her hand and took a step back. "Uh, sorry. Really sorry. I, um, I gotta go. Bye."

Lucas took off, almost running over Farkle and Smackle in his attempt to get away.

"Well, that was awkward to watch," Farkle said, walking over to Riley.

Riley felt tears prickling her eyes, but held them back. She took a deep breath and put on a smile. "It was awkward to be holding his hand again. It felt so right, and, yet it was really wrong. And you know that, Farkle. You know Maya likes him, too."

Farkle nodded. "I know. And you should know that anytime you need to talk, I'm here. You know where to find me."

"Thank you, Farkle." Riley said, almost relieved. Even if Maya wasn't talking to her, she still had Farkle. "That means a lot."

"Anytime." Farkle grinned and walked off, Smackle following.

And, again, Riley was alone.