The Bet

You're Insane

Riley treads up the stairs to her bedroom and plops down in front of her computer. It was 6 pm her time which meant it was 3pm in California and any second now her Skype notification would be going off. She kicks off her boots and ties her hair up as she waits.

Within minutes, the notification is ringing and she excitedly answers the call. It takes a minute for the screen to catch up but eventually she sees the smiling blonde looking back at her. It was her best friend, Maya.

"Honey, I'm home!" The blonde girl sings, throwing her bag on the bed behind her.

"Peaches! How was school?"

"Boring as always. What about you, any update?" Maya asks.

Riley considers telling her about the weird encounter she had with that Lucas boy earlier but she decides against it, chalking it up to just a random moment.

"Nope. But I missed you today, more so than usual."

Maya sighs and smiles slightly, "I missed you too, Riles. I can't wait for you to visit."

Maya and Riley have been best friends since they were 7 years old. They grew up together in Philly and were practically attached at the hip. But all of that changed the summer after 8th grade when Maya's mother landed a gig.

She was an aspiring actress who had really only done crappy plays, so when the opportunity to play an actual role in a t.v series presented itself, she jumped on it.

Unfortunately for the girls, the show is set in California. As much as it killed them to be apart from one another they both knew Maya belonged wherever her mom was.

Before Riley could respond, her mother Topanga, knocks on her door, letting herself in. "Riley – oh hey, Maya! Good to see you."

"Heyy Mrs. Matthews." She does a little wave towards the camera, smiling her big cheesy smile.

"I didn't mean to interrupt your Skype time with Maya but there's someone here for you." Topanga smiles, arching her eyebrow a bit.

Riley can hear Maya ooo'ing and aww'ing in the background. "I do? Who is it?"

"A classmate of yours, he said his name is Lucas Friar."

"What?!" Maya yelps, surprised. "No update my ass!"

"Maya! Language!" Topanga scolds, glaring at the webcam.

"Oops." She playfully covers her mouth with one hand. "Gotta go Riles, callmelaterloveyoubye!" She quickly hangs up and Riley returns her attention to her mother.

"Well?"

She was surprised she had a visitor, let alone a visit from Lucas. Ever since Maya left for Cali, she's found it difficult to make friends. She talked to a few kids in school. Even joined a bunch of clubs just to have someone to talk to but she soon realized everyone already had their own group or clique and she didn't feel like she belonged anywhere. She still remembered the day she left:

"Do you really have to go?" Riley asked, watching Maya pack up the remainder of her things. Almost all of her belongings were already packed up into boxes but the few bits and pieces she left at Riley's still needed to be put away.

"Looks like it." Maya answers, averting her eyes from the brunette. It wasn't always easy for her to open up but Riley always made it so that she felt safe and comfortable enough to do so. But this one time was different, she was afraid to look at her because she knew once she did reality would sink in.

"How am I going to survive high school without my best friend?" Riley asks, feeling herself getting emotional.

The question stops her in her tracks. She turns slowly, finally looking Riley in the eye. She had been so preoccupied with how this move was going to change her life that she hadn't considered what it would mean for Riley.