One by One

28 | Day Six | 6:50pm

"Finally, a day to ourselves."

Topanga clinks her glass against her husband's, gently stirring the wine while inhaling the sweet, fruity, aroma already inebriating her better judgment.

"I thought I'd never see the day!" Cory lets out a hearty belly laugh in response, gulping down the vino afterwards.

Riley was notorious for being delightfully perky and social. However, too chirpy for any typical, reclusive teenager to handle— even her surprising, voluptuous allure wasn't leverage enough for any hormonal juvenile to endure her for too long.

So when their daughter had come up to them and told her parents of the news, that she would be 'gathering' with a few 'friends' during a 'public outing' today, you could bet that they were absolutely elated; practically jumping for joy right in front of her and Barry the Bear-Bear, the stuffed teddybear whom Riley refused to keep out of her sight up until now— as an 18 year old girl.

They were glad they both mutually decided to not have another child.

"When's the last time we had a date like this?" The older woman questions, currently entranced in her current meal, a classic, home-made dinner consisting of spaghetti and meatballs, her induced state making the way the pasta spun around her cutlery seem much more amusing.

Cory takes a second to think to himself. "Not since Riley accidentally swallowed that cricket when she was 11."

They both sigh dreamily in unison.

"That was a fun 5 hours and 23 minutes." Topanga remarks wistfully, dabbing her mouth with a napkin to wipe off any pasta sauce near her upper lip.

Thump....

Thump...

Thump..

"Hey, Honey, do you hear that?" The woman's eyes slowly dart across the room, halting her motions.

He pretends to be in deep thought for a couple of seconds, his lips forming into a tight line. "Nope! Now come 'ere and kiss me."

Topanga giggles at his demeanor, leaning over the table while puckering her lips slightly. Cory meets her halfway, and now they were only a mere inch away from each others face.. until the slamming of the front door earns the two of them a throbbing headbutt, instead. The sounds of their groans and curses are stifled by the obnoxiously loud blubbering accruing from Riley's lips, who had just now barged into the living room. When their necks practically snap to face her, they notice her lip is quivering excessively, her face shrived up.

"Seriously, Sweetie?" Topanga attempts her best to muffle her exasperated tone, wishing she had, at least, another hour before her daughter completely broke down, as expected.

Zay and Isadora are next to follow inside the apartment, breathlessly seeking out the girl collapsed on the sofa.

"Oh!" Cory jumps out of his seat, scurrying over to the heaving couple of people. "You two must be the friends Riley mentioned before! I'm just so happy that-" He stops.

Tears were welling in both of their eyes, and Isadora was attempting her best to school her lips into not frowning in front of Riley's parents.

"Oh, kids, what in the world happened to you all while you were out?" Topanaga asks worriedly, gently placing a hand on each of their shoulders.

"I-I LIED!" Riley barely manages to choke out from her current position, her face smushed against the pillow she was holding tightly against her chest. The married couple eye each other apprehensively at the young brunette's confession; lying was not something Riley took lightly in her life— in fact, her honesty is something she prided herself in tremendously.

At this point, Topanga was cradling her daughter in her arms, delicately pushing strands of Riley's hair behind her ear. "About what, baby?"

"I..I c-cant!" Cory throws Zay and Isadora a desperate glance.

"They took her," The raven-haired girl pushes a hand through her hair, "They took her." She reaffirms to herself, barely managing to breathe out the words.

"Could any of you be more specific?" Her silken voice urges them to continue.

Zay speaks up, "Maya did something completely stupid and, dare I say, fucking illegal, so now she's going to be imprisoned for God knows how long-"

"SHE DIDN'T DO IT!" Riley shrieks, roughly shrugging herself out of her mother's grasp.

"SHE DID, RILEY. AND THE FASTER YOU ACCEPT IT, THE BETTER." The Texan rebukes with the exact same tone of voice the younger brunette used on him.

"I CAN'T STAND YOU!"

"AND I CAN'T STAND HOW YOU FELL IN LOVE WITH A MURDERER WHO TORMENTED US FOR 5, REPULSIVE DAYS."

"STOP!"

The final word came from Isadora, who was absolutely infuriated, and her face beet red by the time Zay and Riley were neck to neck in their brawl.

"Finally!" She throws her hands up in relief, and throws herself against the couch behind her.

Cory shakes his head in disbelief. "Literally the first time we let Riley out alone, seriously? She comes home sobbing with the claim that she fell in love with a serial killer named Maya?"

The lightbulb goes off in Topanga's head.

"Maya Hart?" The corner of her lips lifts in the slightest, "The sweet, sassy smartass I represented a year ago?" Riley nods enthusiastically. "There's no way it was her, she isn't capable of something so horrid!"

"Or so we thought," Zay sneers, simply rolling his eyes at the deathly glare Riley was delivering to him.

"Mommy," The taller girl looks up at the woman, puppy dog eyes set in place, wrapping her arms around Topanga's waist. "Please get her out."

She sighs, gently squeezing her hand in response. "You really like her?"

"More than anything."

"Then it's settled," She kisses the top of Riley's forehead, "I'll figure something out."

"Yay!"

"But-"

"Aww."

The older brunette runs a hand through Riley's disheveled locks, offering her a sympathetic glance. "This isn't a promise that she'll get out. What she confessed to is something so ridiculously severe, it's probable they'll overlook our case entirely. You have to be strong, okay?"

Riley nods sincerely, wiping at her tear-stained cheeks. "I will. For her."

Cory raises his hand, "I still don't know how I feel about my daughter being all lovey-dovey for a perpetrator.."

"Cory!" Topanga chastises, "This is huge! The last person Riley was in love with was her 8th grade art teacher.."

"Mom!" Riley groans, shoving her face into her hands.

Her mother rubs Riley's shoulders, then makes her way over to the dining table and begins to gingerly pick up pasta-stained plates, "Whine all you want, doesn't make it any less true."

"All I know is that this," Zay motions between all of them, "is a waste of time. You're just setting yourself up for another heartbreak." He picks up his coat, which somehow ended up wrinkled on the carpet after the whole ordeal, nodding briefly at the Matthews' family.

"Good luck, Riley." Isadora's smile was dry yet sincere, and she gently squeezes Riley's shoulder. Once she turns around, Zay is waiting for her expectantly, his car keys dancing around the palm of his hand. He waves goodbye one last time, beckoning Isadora to go ahead of him. The sound of the door slamming shut echos throughout the apartment, and all Riley could think was about how much of a mess this all turned out to be.

And, of course, Maya.