Girl Meets Ryan Matthews

14.

After school had ended, Ryan was walking back towards his father's classroom to pick up a book he'd forgotten. When he walked in, he was met with his sister and their friends, plus Missy Bradford, sitting in the room.

"What's... going on?" Ryan asked leaning on the doorframe.

"Detention," his father replied. He gestured to the desks with his hand, "Would you like to join?"

Ryan shrugged and sat down behind Farkle.

"Hey, Riley," Lucas said, getting Riley's attention. "Missy invited me to the movies with her."

"I think she's aware of that, Lucas, no need to make her feel worse," Missy cut in. Ryan scoffed. She looked at him.

"Like you'd miss an opportunity to make someone feel bad," he rolled his eyes. She glared at him from across the room.

"Well I was wondering if you guys would like to come along with us?" Lucas asked his friends. So, basically, everyone but Missy.

"I'm sorry, Lucas, but that wasn't the invitation," Missy scoffed with a fake smile.

"Oh, well, I'm sorry Missy, but I can't go." Lucas turned Missy down.

Ryan had a smile so wide that it could split his face in half. He laughed so hard he fell out of his chair.

"What are you talking about? No one's ever turned me down in my life!" Missy said in disbelief, gritting her teeth.

"Suck it, Bradford!" Ryan yelled from the floor.

"Shut up, Matthews!" She yelled at Ryan before looking back at Lucas. "Why are you turning me down?" She asked, a little more calm.

"Well, see, these are my friends. I don't like doing anything without my friends. Right, Riley?" He said, directing the last part to Riley.

"Right," She said, smiling.

"Now I certainly appreciate you wanting me to take care of you during a scary movie, and you showing me your leg and all," Missy was growing increasingly red and so was Ryan. Both for different reasons. "But back her in the seventh grade, I think we'd have more fun hanging out together."

Ryan burst out laughing again. He'd been lying on the floor with his back on the floor and his legs on the seat. He got up and sat down again.

"Oh, Missy, are these lines you spout to all your targets?" He asked, anger in his eyes but a smile on his face.

Missy, who was blushing out of embarrassment, gathered her things and stood in the front of the classroom.

"Grow. Up." She stormed out, taunted by Ryan's laughing.

"Not. Yet." Riley said, smiling at her friends. Ryan's head was on the desk. He'd stopped laughing but he still wore a bitter smile.

"Oh, she's leaving? Ok," Cory said, pointing at the door and shrugging. Cory let the kids have a little moment before wrapping up the detention.

"When peace came, the US enjoyed its greatest period of growth, prosperity, and happiness. Detention over." He turned around and walked to the door. He looked back at the kids, who didn't move.

"You guys coming?"

"No, we're good right here," Riley answered for all of them. Cory smiled and walked out.

Ryan tapped on the table with both his hands.

"While this has been fun, I was just here for a book, so," Ryan grabbed his bag and walked to the teacher desk. He opened a few drawers before finding it and dropping it in his bag.

"Hey, Ryan." Riley said. He looked at her, "Yeah?"

"What's your problem with Bradford?" Maya asked. Ryan laughed and shook his head. "It was literally the most dramatic thing of the sixth grade, didn't you guys know?" He smiled with scrunched up eyebrows.

They all shook their head except for Farkle, who was there.

Ryan sighed and fell back on the teacher's chair.

"Ok, so, in the sixth grade I was friends with Bradford," He pointed with his thumb behind him, even though there was nothing there.

"She has friends?" Riley asked. Ryan laughed. "Not anymore, I guess." He shook his head with a frown.

"Well, Bradford and I were friends, along with one other dude who moved away half way through this whole ordeal."

"You started hanging around us a lot more around then, too, Matthews." Maya said. Ryan rolled his eyes. "Yeah, dude, I'm getting there."

"So, I was friends with Bradford and Dude #2. These weren't my only friends they're just the ones this story surrounds. At the beginning of sixth grade, Bradford took an interest in me. Romantic stuff, y'know?"

"What!" Riley shouted. Ryan rolled his eyes.

"Yeah, shocking, I know. But, she spouted all that crap she said to Lucas to me. So, I went on a few dates with her. But this is sixth grade, so obviously she doesn't like me for long."

"So then what happens?" Lucas asked. "I'm getting there, hold your horses."

Ryan crosses his ankles on the desk.

"So, Bradford decides that she wants to end this 'relationship' with me as dramatically as possible. So she cheats on me." Ryan paused for gasps from the group in front of him. "But, like, how a baby cheats on someone, y'know? She cheated on me with Dude #2 by, like, holding his hand and hugging him in public. But he had to move mid-sixth grade so she just looked dumb. So we fought and I'm still bitter," He finished the story with bitterness in his voice.

"Wow," Riley said, staring forward at the desk in shock.

"That's... not at all what I expected," Lucas said. Maya narrowed her eyes.

"Farkle, why aren't you surpised?" Farkle shrugged. "I was there, I just wasn't involved with the drama."

"Ok, So I'm seriously craving something sweet, you guys wanna head down to the bakery? Svorski's?"

They all got up and left the room.