Riarkle: How love evolves

7

Riley Matthews
Maya is coming to Philadelphia with us now too. Which I'm excited about. This is my first time going to the house my dad grew up in. My grandparents and Josh would come visit us in London all the time and we always talked on the phone. And Josh would spend every school break with us in London so I'm very close with my family. Farkle ran over to his apartment to pack and Maya's on her way. I'm re packing Joshes stuff because his packing looks like a dog did it. I hear my window open.
"Honey I'm home." I hear a sweet voice say. Farkle sits next to me on the floor.
"You were serious about re packing his stuff." Farkle laughs.
"Yes I was. I'm very anal when it comes to packing. Don't judge." I say while folding Joshes clothes.
"I think it's cute." He says and kisses my cheek. He walks out to the living room. I shortly hear my best friend come through the window.
"Peaches." I squeal.
"Riles. I can't wait to meet your grandparents." She says and sits next to me.
"What in the hell are you doing." She laughs.
"Packing your boyfriends shit because he packs like a dog." I say as I zip the bag.
"You are the sweetest person alive." She says with a small laugh.
"Thank you. Go give this to Josh I'll meet you guys outside." I say and hand her the suitcase. She nods and leaves the room.
Maya Hart
I set Joshes bag in the doorway and walk over to Farkle.
"When are you gonna ask her to be your girlfriend Freakle." I whisper.
"You think we're ready." He whispers back.
"She's been waiting." I scoff. He looks at me questionably. I groaned in annoyance and walk outside.
Riley Matthew's
I walk in the living room to see Farkle waiting for me in the doorway. He smiles when he sees me. I interlock our hands. We sit next to eachother in the car. We sit in the very last row. I stretch out and lay my head on his shoulder. Why can't we stay right here forever.
1 hour later
I jumped out of the car and ran inside the unfamiliar yet so familiar home. I admire every little thing. My grandparents appear in front of me.
"Princess." My grandpa announces. I wrap them both in a hug. I know every inch of this house. From stories and pictures. I hear my friends appear behind me.
"Joshua." My grandparents exclaim. They hug Josh.
"Introduce us to your friends Riley." My grandma says.
"Right. This is Maya Hart. My best friend. Annnd Joshes girlfriend." I put emphasis on and. "and this is Farkle Minkus. My close friend." I settle on.
"Minkus." My grandpa questions.
"Any relation to Stuart Minkus." He continues. Farkle nods.
"That's my father." He says.
"Stuart was a friend of Eric, Cory and Shawn." My grandma says. With a smile.
"I was summoned." I hear a voice say. My uncle Eric appears in the kitchen.
"Give it a rest Eric." I hear another voice say. I look to Josh and he smiles.
"Shawnie." I yell. My uncle Shawn appears in front of me. Shawn was my parents best friend. He moved to London with us. But left when my dad died. He said he needed to come to terms with recent events. I hugged them both.
"That's a boy. Next to my niche" Eric says.
"He's a friend uncle Eric." I say. I walk up the stairs. While everyone catches up downstairs. I look in each room. A special room catches my eye. I recognize it instantly. My father's old bedroom. I enter and admire all the pictures. A pair of silver boxing gloves hanging over a frame catch my eye. My dad was wearing these when he was shot. I wanted him buried in them. Why are they here. I put them over my head. All the stories I've been told and memories of my dad I hear at once. Tears begin rapidly falling. I sit on the bed. An arm wraps around me. I look up it's Shawn.
"He was an amazing person. He was the best friend I could've found. And the best dad to you. And he supported everyone through everything." Shawn says softly.
"He made me Annabelle." I sniffled
"And he still hears you sing." I wipe my tears.
"Thank you uncle Shawn." I stood up and walked downstairs. My mom was being weird.
"Maya and I are going for a walk. Be back later." Josh yelled before shutting the door.
"Farkle wanna go get ice cream." I ask
"Let's go." We walk out the door. It's silent on the walk to get ice cream. But it's a comfortable silence. We get our ice cream and sit at a private table.
"Smiley" Farkle speaks up.
"Yes Sparkley Farkley." I laugh.
"I have to ask you something." He says nervously.
"Anything." I put my hand on his.
"You are the most amazing person I have ever met. Your beautiful, goofy, kind, an amazing singer, and you know how to build me back up when I'm down. I love how when you think no one's watching you sing and twirl your hair. I love how you try to hold yourself together but your really falling apart. What I'm getting too is will you be my girlfriend." His voice cracks at the end. I freeze. I have trouble letting people in. I have fears that I'll always get left.
"Yes. Yes Farkle of course I will." I say with a smile. We spend the rest of the day out. As we walk back to the house I say something.
"Farkle we shouldn't tell anyone yet." I shyly say.
"Why not. I want to show you off." He says concerned.
"My uncle's are very protective and I've never had a boyfriend so if I spring this on them it won't be pretty." I explain.
"Okay. Whatever you want." He says. I smile at him.