Girl Meets Season 5

Episode 16 - Girl Meets Future Careers

It had been two weeks since New Year's, Riley had to wear a boot in order to walk around which was hard enough with the icy sidewalks and snowy streets. The school was having all of the students fill out future career forms while they finished off their college applications. Riley still wasn't one hundred percent sure of what she wanted but she knew that she wanted to keep writing. So she sat in the café with her foot elevated while she did her homework, and tried to figure out how to fill out the paper.

She couldn't work for the time being, so Maya picked up her extra shifts because she wanted to save up for a trip she had been planning with Josh. Riley only had small fractures on her leg from the accident but they took time to heal so she was going to be stuck with the boot for another two and a half months. She was alright with that because she still got paid for writing articles but sometimes it was nice to do something else. She couldn't do cheerleading either because of her leg, but she still went to all of Lucas's basketball games.

"So what are you putting on your form Maya?" Riley said when Maya sat down for her break.

Maya smiled at her as she handed Riley a cup of hot tea. "I want to keep up with my art, so I was thinking that I could be an art teacher, kind of like Ms. Kossal," she shrugged and Riley smiled.

"That's so sweet," Riley said smiling at her best friend.

"Yeah Maya the troublemaker is going to be a teacher."

"Oh please, Uncle John rode a motorcycle, so did Harper, and they're cool teachers so you're going to be a cool teacher too."

"Okay I'll try my best, but first I need to get into college and actually be able to afford it," Maya said leaning onto Riley's side. "Don't pick somewhere too expensive."

"Maya you can get scholarships for art you know, I know you know because we got into that huge fight last year over it but don't worry I'll help you."

"Okay," she said before getting up to grab some food.

The guys all slowly walked in from practice, Farkle and Smackle were conducting a study on student athletes so they had been spending their afternoons with the basketball team. Cassie was with them because she was still on the cheerleading team. They were all smiles as they walked inside the café, Lucas quickly walking over and kissing her on the head.

"How are you feeling?" he asked before sitting down next to her.

"It doesn't hurt that bad, but I'm afraid of walking around because there could be black ice on the ground," she said taking his hand in hers.

"I'll take you home later," he said leaning into her side.

"Hey do you know what you guys are putting into the career forms?" Cassie asked as she sat down next to Zay.

"I'm going to be a veterinarian," Lucas said smiling at Riley.

"I want to write, but I don't know what just yet so for now I'm going to go for a writing degree," Riley said as she played with Lucas's hand.

"I'm going to be an art teacher," Maya said setting down a plate of food for all of them. "If you make fun of me for it I'll kick your ass."

They all looked at her knowing she would do it if one of them opened their mouth. They all turned to Smackle in order to divert the attention away from Maya.

"I'm going to get a Ph.D. in Biology," Smackle said. "And probably in several other things. I want to be a biologist. I haven't decided on a branch just yet but I want to be able to find cures, while also finding ways for humans to survive in deep space."

"I'm taking over the family business," Farkle said smiling at his friends. "I want to lead my dad's company into clean energy because I want our planet to survive."

Riley remembered in middle school how Farkle had want to take over the world, but in the end realized just how important the world they lived in was. Now he was going to really make a difference and she was proud of him for that.

"I'm going to get a degree in criminal justice," Zay said and Riley looked over at him. "I realized that the best way to change the system was to do it from the inside, so I want to be a detective and make sure that no one goes to jail for the wrong reasons."

She smiled at him, "Way to go Zay, you should talk to my mom see if she could get you a mentor within the police department."

"That would be cool," he said smiling at her. "Thanks Riley."

"You guys are so prepared, I'm not even sure of what I want," Cassie said looking a little sad.

"Cass," Zay said putting his arm around her shoulders. "I know one thing your good at, and that's cooking."

"But how can that be a career?" Cassie said as she slumped into the seat.

"Well you could get a business degree," Riley said to her friend. "And from there you could find a way to get a culinary license and start your own place."

"As interesting as that sounds I wouldn't know where to start," she said looking sad.

"Well Uncle John told me that college... well the first two years is about finding where you want to go so in the end start there."

"I'm afraid that if I leave there will be no one here to help my family," she said and Riley knew that this wasn't about Cassie's insecurities but about her friend leaving her family.

"Do you think that your mom would want you to stay at home and help her? Do you think she would want you to give up going to school?"

"No she wouldn't, she actually yelled at me about it, but the financial burden is not something I want to leave my parents," Cassie said and Riley looked at her and then at Maya.

"Okay, I'm going to make sure that you get scholarships to go to school," Riley said looking at her friends. "We're all going to get scholarships because we're all hardworking students," They all looked at Riley like she had grown a third head. "What? Listen I have this boot on my leg and I can't do anything, I can't work, I'm out of the cheerleading team, so instead I'm going to work for you guys."

"Riles are you sure that you don't want to be a lawyer like your mom," Maya said smiling at her.

"I'm not sure, but again college is about learning who you want to be, I want to write but that won't stop me from getting a degree worth working for. I could be a cool writer though."

"The best," Lucas said smiling at her.

Riley worked for the next week on making sure that their applications were finished, both for scholarships and for college. She did her homework while everyone was at practice or doing which ever afterschool activities that they needed to do and when they all came to the café, or to her house. Lucas always made sure to take her home on days she went to the café, but he also stayed with her when she was home.

Once all the applications had been sent out she couldn't help but smile, mainly because she loved helping her friends, but also because she felt as though she had accomplished something special. She wanted nothing more than for her friends to succeed because without them she doesn't know where she would be in her life. This was her way of saying thank you, for the people who had become a part of her family.