Just A Kiss (Rilaya)

Finally

Riley's POV:

I watch the blur of gray walls zoom past out the window of the subway as I let my thoughts wander.

Maya taps my shoulder and snaps me out of my trance. I look over at her deep ocean blue eyes and sense that she needs to tell me something important.

"Yeah?" I ask.

"A couple things," She says, "first, you never told me what happened with Lucas in the library. You looked so confused when you came into class. Are you okay?"

I take a deep breath in and out trying to think about how I should explain what happened. I almost decide to tell her, but something holds me back.

"He apologized," I say, "said he was caught up in the moment or whatever. Total bull, though. I didn't forgive him. I still don't."

Maya nods understandingly. "Is that it?"

I hate lying to her, but I feel like it's for the best. "Yeah." I say. "That's all."

"Okay. Second thing." She says. "When are we gonna talk about what happened between us? Last night, I mean."

I've sort of been dreading this all day. "I don't know, Maya. What did happen? Did it actually mean anything? Or were we just caught up in the moment?"

"Well, if we were, then you would understand why Lucas kissed Missy, right? Cause they were 'caught up in the moment'."

I know what she's doing. She wants me to admit my feelings. My feelings that I've kept pushed down for years.

"It's different." I say. "Lucas cheated on me with Missy. There's no doubt about it."

"Or did you cheat on him with me? After all, we were caught up in the moment, just like they were, right?" Maya challenges.

I will not accept this. It's different! Doesn't She see that? "Just stop, Maya, okay?" I plead.

"Riley," She starts, "you-" The rest of what she says is drowned out by the sound of the subway screeching to a stop.

I hop off onto the platform as quickly as I can and race up the stairs.

"Riley, wait!" I hear Maya yell from behind me.

I don't stop running until I reach my apartment building and buzz my mom to let me up.

As I wait for the door to open I see Maya run up the steps outside that lead to the apartment building. She comes into the front entrance where I stand and says "Riley-" buzzzzzz. The noise of the door being unlocked cuts her off and I open the heavy metal door with all the strength I have left in me.

Maya grabs my wrist before I have a chance to press the up button on the elevator.

"Riley." She says seriously. "You need to stop running away from your emotions. I like you, and I know you feel the same about me too. Just admit it and everything will get better."

A single tear falls down my cheek. "I can't." I whimper.

"Bay Window." She says. "Bay Window right now."

We take the elevator up to my level and let ourselves into the apartment.

"Hi girls," my mom says from behind her laptop, "how was your day?"

I usually reply, "Amazing!" or, "Terrific!" in unison with Maya's classic "Eh." But today only Maya answers. "Fine." She says.

We continue up the stairs and into my bedroom to the Bay Window.

Maya is the first to talk. "I know you don't want to have this conversation, but let me just tell you this: If you admit who you really are inside, one, you will feel a huge weight lifted off of your chest. Two, we can finally be together like I know you've always wanted. Three, you and Lucas can forgive each other because you both kissed someone else last night for the same reason. Four, everything can go back to normal. I know there will be some bumps along the way, but I have faith that we will survive this storm that we created. Thunder and Lightning, remember? We're forever."

I feel a warm spot in the middle of my chest start to form because of her reassuring words. I smile and the warmth grows bigger, spreading through my body.

"Okay." I whisper. We embrace each other in a huge hug that lasts until the warm spot fills up my whole body, from the core of my heart to the ends of my fingers.

When we pull apart I can't help but glance at Maya's beautiful soft pink lips. The corners of them tug at a smile until I can't help it anymore. I grasp her face in my hands and pull her lips to mine. We kiss, but it's not just a kiss. No, it's all of the good times we've had with each other spilling out of our memories and dancing together. It is all of the pent up emotions we've ever had about each other finally screaming out to the world.

We eventually pull apart from each other, but the feeling doesn't die. Silently, we grab our bags and climb out the Bay Window, ready to go to the library.

As we walk hand in hand down the street to the subway, it seems as if there is a sign that hangs over our heads. It says:

And they lived happily ever after.

If only we knew how good of a liar it was.