Thunder & Lightning: A Collection of Rilaya One Shots

Desk Buddies

Riley's POV

History class is unbearable. Well, school in general is unbearable but history is the worst. Who cares what happened over a hundred years ago? The world is still a mess, maybe we should talk about that so that people could actually form an educated opinion. But I digress. It was boring and I hated it. 

The only bright side was that of the small message awaiting me in the corner of my desk. I didn't know how it happened, it had started after I'd written underneath a doodle of a rose, "pretty." The artist then replied, shocking me into radio silence for a day or two. I hadn't expected a response but nonetheless there was a simple, "thanks" awaiting me. 

And despite my days long silence I felt that I had to respond and somehow it had become a thing. Whoever the artist was would reply to whatever I wrote. I had no idea when the person had the class or who it was but they were smart, funny and talented as hell if their doodles were any indication. Today awaiting me was a question. "What period are you in? I've been dying to know!" 

I stare at the question for a long time, unsure if I should answer or not. The more personal we got, the more likely it was that we'd figure out who one another was. And I wasn't sure I was ready for that yet. Which was admittedly a little ridiculous considering that we were just friends, strangers even. I sigh, readying my pencil to reply. What would happen anyway? There were twenty-some people in this class so what were the odds of the mystery person figuring out that it's me. 

That's right. Slim to none. So, in my best handwriting I write second and add a smiley face before turning to pay attention to the rest of the lecture. Of course it drags on forever but eventually I'm walking out of the room and running right into my smiling best friend, Maya. 

"Hey honey" she greets me. It's no romantic...at all. It's just what she calls me, or actually what I call her but she'd taken to it too a while ago and I just went with it. "How was class?" 

I groan making her laugh as the two of us head down the hall, bumping shoulders every so often. We exchange small talk, me mainly complaining about how horrible school is and her joining in every so often until we reach the art room, her haven. "See you at lunch?" I nod and she smiles, walking off without a second glance. 

Perhaps the reason I didn't want to meet my desk buddy was because then I'd have to decide what was real? The feelings that my best friend stirred up inside of me or the butterflies that erupted in my stomach every time I walked into history. I sigh, deciding to let the thought go for now and instead head to geometry. 

I slide into my seat as per usual and open up my notebook, ready to take notes when the phone on the wall rings and our teacher, Ms. Lamb walks towards it to answer. "Hello?" She has a high-pitched, chirpy voice that drives me insane but she was nice enough. "Oh, alright." She hangs up the phone then and finds me in the sea of student. "Riley, you're going room to room next period to talk about homecoming ballots." I groan. I had literally almost killed Farkle when he signed me up for the dance committee. The last thing I wanted to do was go class to class to tell people the importance of voting for their king and queen and the seriousness of cheating. I could roll my eyes just thinking about it. 

Math of course flies after that and soon enough I'm joined with Farkle, ready to go room to room. He's of course thrilled while I wish this was already over. "You're such a debbie downer" he complains, bumping his hip with his.  "Does anything get you even remotely excited?"

Maya. My history desk. Snuggle Bunnies. But that last one was my deepest, darkest secret. 

We stop in a handful of rooms, giving the same spiel every room and in every room everyone looks just about as interested as me. Finally though we make it to the history room and what I don't expect upon walking in is to find Maya...sitting at my desk. Of course it could be a coincidence but her pencil is already moving in the corner. My heart stops. 

Maya was my desk buddy. 

"Oh my god." The words leave my lips of their own accord and upon hearing my voice Maya's head snaps up. I can tell she's confused for a moment until she realizes that my gaze isn't on her, it's on her pencil. Her lips part in shock, the pencil falling out of her hand. 

"Class, Riley and Farkle are here to talk to you about homecoming." I look towards our history teacher, words unspeakable. I couldn't give this speech right now, it was short and unimportant in comparison to the conversation I needed to have with Maya. 

"I-uh-I can't." I stutter, racing out of the room and I hear it, her footsteps running after me. I get past a handful of lockers, putting a few feet of distance between us but she catches up with me. 

"Riles." I stop, slowly turning around to face her and finding that the distance between us isn't as large as I originally thought. "You've been the one writing to me?"

"I-." I open my mouth to respond but nothing comes out. She takes another couple steps towards me and effectively closes the distance completely. 

"It makes sense" she says, laughing to herself. "I always thought that the person reminded me of someone but I just couldn't put my finger on it until now."

My breath hitches in my throat as her hand reaches out to caress my cheek. "It's always been you Riley." And somehow I know she's not just talking about the identity of her desk buddy. I watch as her eyes flicker downwards, something that I've seen in too many movies to count; that moment when the person looks at the other's lips and the person just knows they're about to kissed. "You're gonna kiss me" I murmur, staring into her stunningly breathtaking blue eyes and ever so slightly she nods and leans into me. 

"Yea. I am." And then her lips land on mine.