Photograph [Maya Hart]

03 ~ the hole

The hallways were empty. After class earlier History class earlier that day, Harley had a feeling where Riley and her friends were at.

He and Cassie looked down at the hall only to see them there, as they expected.

"You guys are seriously down here?" Harley raised his eyebrows.

"Thank you!" Gabriel said. "Thank you! I'm not the only one who thinks this is stupid."

"School is over," Farkle said. "Can we go home now?"

"Who wants a hug?" a girl named Smackle asked.

"Stop with that!" Zay snapped.

"This is not how I'm going to live my high Schoo life," Lucas said.

"Yeah, me neither," Gabriel said.

"Why are you guys listening to those seniors anyways?" Cassie asked.

"Yeah, Riley," Gabriel snapped. "Why are we listening to them?"

"They are more experienced," she said.

Gabriel rolled his eyes.

"What if there's a good reason the seniors wanted us here?" Riley asked. "What if it's to teach us something?"

"Teach you want?" Harley asked.

"I don't know," Riley said.

"What id you just have too much faith in people?" Farkle asked.

"What if I have exactly the right amount of faith in people?" Riley snapped at Farkle.

Maya who was leaning against the wall, cooly, pointed and said, "Bird."

"Where?" Riley said, getting easily distracted.

"How am I in a triangle with that when there is no triangle?" Maya demanded.

"Triangle?" Harley repeated."

"Long story," Gabriel said. "Okay, you know what? That's it. I'm going to look around. Come on, Caleb."

Gabriel and his best friend, Caleb, came up.

Harley and Cassie stood up properly. They were leaning against the railing.

Everyone soon left.

"Undiscovered country in every direction," Caleb said.

"What are you guys going to do?" Gabriel asked Harley and Cassie.

"I don't know," Harley sighed.

They turned around when Riley and Maya sat in a small bench.

Two cheerleaders came.

"You're in our spot," one of them said.

"This is where we sit," the other cheerleader spoke as if Riley and Maya were children.

They got up and Maya wasn't thrilled about it.

"In the window?" Riley said. "And you guys talk about life?"

"No," the first cheerleader said. "We sit in the window..."

"And go like this," the second cheerleader said.

They flipped their hair and crossed their leg.

Riley's and Maya's jaws dropped in shock.

Harley looked at them confused.

"Hi," the cheerleaders noticed Harley, Gabriel, Caleb and Cassie.

"Gabe," Gabriel said. "And these are my friends."

"Including these two?" the second cheerleader asked, referring to Harley and Cassie.

"Yes, they are," Caleb said.

"Hi, my name is Caleb," Caleb said.

He winked at the cheerleaders.

"Hi, I'm Cassie," Cassie said, smiling. "This is Harley."

"Hey, Harley," the first cheerleader said. "I hope to see you around sometime."

"Thank you for distracting us until the football team finishes practice," the cheerleader said.

Just as she said that, the football team showed up.

"O - oh, we gotta go," Harley said, referring to himself and Cassie. "C'mon."

"Wait -" Gabriel began but Harley and Cassie left.

Neither one of them wanted to be dragged into whatever Gabriel, Caleb, Riley, Maya and their friends were in.

Harley and Cassie ended up becoming really good friends.

They went over to Cassie's apartment, where he met Cassie's family.

The two of them spent the entire day, talking and hanging out.

Towards the end of the day, Harley headed home. Cassie's dad dropped him off at home.

In the hallway, Harley ran into Riley and Maya, who were heading over to Riley's apartment.

"Hey, guys," he greeted them as he took out his keys. "How's it going?"

"Alright," Maya said.

"How was your day?" Riley said.

"Pretty good," Harley shrugged.

"Where you with Cassie?" Maya asked.

"Yeah," he nodded.

"Did you have fun?" Riley asked.

"Oh, someone seems to be interested in my day," Harley noticed.

"Yeah," Maya noticed. "Someone seems to be interested despite a horrible day at school."

"Let's not talk about this right now," Riley said. "What did you and Cassie do?"

"We just hung out in her apartment," Harley shrugged. "I'll see you guys later."

Harley entered his apartment.

Lexi and Peter were at the apartment.

Lexi was helping Peter build a LEGO set that Peter had bought in the summer but never got around to build.

Elizabeth was in the kitchen, cooking dinner.

"Hey," he greeted them.

"Hey," Elizabeth greeted him with a smile on her face. "Where were you all day?"

"Oh, um, I was at a friends place," he said.

"You made a friend?" Lexi said. "That's great."

Harley smiled. "I'm going to my room. I'm kinda tired."

"We'll call you when dinners ready."

Harley nodded and went to his room.