Small Town Girl (Farkle Minkus)

Chapter Eighteen: Girl Meets The Riley Awards

I'm not quite sure what happened in the room while I was with Mr. Matthews, but now, all of us sat in class. I knew Mr. Matthews had been watching me. I chose to ignore him.

"I want to talk to you." He said to Riley. "I know there's something going on."

"Do you want  me to tell it what it is?" Riley asked.

"Do you want to, Riley? Because, so far you haven't told me, and I respect that."

"It ain't good." Maya told him.

"Yeah, I figured from how angry Skipper was yesterday."  I sunk down in my chair. Farkle glanced at me. "But you're on it?"

"Yes."

"And you're on it?"

"Yep." Lucas replied.

"The right way? You and Skipper."

"We'll see." We said together.

"The right way. You know why? Because Aaron Burr might have won his duel by killing his rival, but he never held office again and he'll forever be known for this." He looked at me too. "You understand?"

"Yes, sir."

"Farkle?"

"Everything will be ok, Mr. Matthews. It always is."

"Yeah, why do you suppose it always is? Zay? It's on the board." The board said Friendship and Growth on it.

"The first one."

"That's right." He said, looking at me.

"And then you're gonna tell us about the second one."

"I am."

"Yeah, I know how this goes." I smiled.

"There's nothing more valuable then friends when you have to go through life. But even if your friends aren't around. Even if you're all alone, there's always someone to turn to. A parent or a teacher. It's ok to ask for help, because there's so much out there that makes it's way to you guys so much easier now."

"How do we fight that?" Riley asked.

"Well, now we turn to growth. Rely on each other. Grow together. But sometimes, you have to grow by yourself, and sometimes, you only feel like you do. But whatever it is that makes it's way to you, it's just shadows from your intimidating world. Don't live in the shadow.  Your growth can help you get back into the sun."

"Thanks, Dad."

"Sarah, Darby, Jade, Yindra, Wyatt, Jeffrey, Haley, Nate, Yogi,Dave, Clarissa. I know there are lots of groups of friends in here. And I know you guys go through stuff too. Your math teacher helps you guys out, right? And relates Algebra to your lives?" They all shook their heads. "You guys ok?"They all nodded.

"I guess, you're just a special kind of teacher, Mr. Matthews." I said.

"Learn from each other. Continue to grow. And always know that I'm here for you." The bell rang and I stayed sitting.

"How do you do that?" I asked.

"Do what?"

"Teach like that. Your lesson...it applied tot wo different situations, and yet you did it in a way so that nobody would know you were talking directly to me." He shrugged. "I'm still not gonna go to them, if that's the point you were trying to make. But...if the need arises...is it ok if I come to you?"

"Of course."  I smiled and nodded before standing up and hugging him. "Thank you for being the teacher that you are." And with that, I left, only to find Farkle, leaning against the wall. He looked up at me and smiled.

"You ready?" I nodded.

"Yup. How much of that did you hear?"

"None of it. Why?" I shook my head.

"No reason."

~~~

We all sat in Topanga's now.

"I know what Mr. Matthews says is right, but Riley, if you want me to, whoever this is, I will take care of it for you."

"Thank you, Lucas. No."

"Riley and I got this."

"Thank you, Maya. No."

"Ok, good. You're gonna face this one down, but how?" Zay asked.

"You know what she sent me? A video, of me, being goofy, doing the stuff that I do. She's been filming me. and now she says she's gonna send it to the whole school."

" Honey, I hate to break it to you, but the whole school already knows your goofy."

"They don't know everything I do. Neither do you, Maya."

"What? No, yes I do."

"Deep in the heart of Rileytown, in the darkest secret corner of Rileytown...I can't believe I'm finally telling you. Once a week on Friday afternoons...when the halls are empty...I have an awards ceremony."

"I think we know what happened." Farkle said beside me.

"Somebody caught you..."

"And that's what she's sending to the whole school. Well maybe it's not so bad-"

"Sometimes I pretend I'm not there to accept, so French Riley accepts in my place."

"It's bad, it's really bad."

"Bonjour!" She said in a ridiculous French accent.

"Somebody doesn't love this?!" Lucas asked.

"What do I do Maya?"

"Uh...you look at your friends. And you realize that no matter how deep into Rileytown you go, we'll all be right behind you. Now go get her."

~~~

I stood with Farkle, Lucas, Zay and Maya, waiting. Riley had a plan for the bully. We just had to help her act it out. I grabbed Farkle's hand.

"You think this'll work?" I asked them.

"It has to." Maya explained. We came around the corner, followed my students behind us and down the halls, everywhere. Everyone was going to watch Riley's award ceremony.  I saw the girl, and Farkle wrapped his arms around my waist, just in case I still wanted to make a run for her.

"Welcome back to the Riley Awards. And now, your host, British Riley."

"Hi British Riley." Maya said.

"And now, the biggest award of the evening. This here award is for not only facing your fear, but doing it in front of everybody you know in my awful accent. And the winner is...Riley! I'd like to thank everybody who helped me get here. My friends. Because true friends let you be who you are. " She looked back at us. "I'd also like to thank you. Because, this was hard. But I've grown today. So thank you." The girl turned, walking away. "Hey, where are you going?"

"Look Riles. The farther away she goes, the smaller she gets."

~~~

We sat in Topanga's once again, eating ice cream. Riley went over to the others and I wnet and stood by Mr. Matthews.

"How are you?" I smiled.

"Just fine. Honest."

"Here we are at the Riley Awards after party, where we've been having ice cream. Because I challenged Maya to a duel, and then I ice creamed her...and then she said that she'd get me back...and I'd never see it  coming? Is that why we're having ice cream?"  Maya had a cone with six scoops of ice-cream on top of it. I laughed.

So...maybe I didn't really have a blood family anymore.

But family doesn't end in blood, does it?