"Girl Meets Goodbye" 

TJ walks up the steps the next day of school, furrowing his eyebrows when he heard the screams of Riley and Maya. He walks over to the two girls who stood in the middle of the hallway looking upset. "Uh, what's up with the screaming?" TJ hesitantly asked, not for sure if he wants to hear the answer.

"Riley is moving to London." Maya replied, looking at him with a frown.

TJ's eyes grew wide and he looks at Riley with shock. "What?! You can't go to London! You do know that's, like, over 3000 miles from here? You can't go to London!"

"Yes, I do know that London is very very far away." Riley sighs sadly. She shrugs. "And I don't know if I'm going to London yet." 

"Mind telling me why you might be moving to London?" TJ tilted his head to the side, looking at her curiously.

"My mom got a promotion, but it's in London and she hasn't decided yet." Riley responded. 

A frown tugs on TJ's lips, having a feeling that he knows that Topanga will most likely take the promotion. Who wouldn't? If he was in Topanga's position he probably would especially if he was given a raise. 

TJ follows the girls into the History classroom and goes to sit down at his seat the same time Maya sits down. Riley looks at the class, noticing they all looked upset. "Wow, so much emotion. Why is everybody so emotional when nothing's happening?"

"Because it is happening, Riley." Farkle replied as she sat down. 

Riley looks at him with furrowed eyebrows. "Why are you so sure?"

"Look at the board." Farkle pointed at the board that read 'Belgium 1831'. 

"Belgium 1831." Cory said to the class. "The Netherlands was a group of friendly states who thought they'd stay together forever..."

"Uh-oh." Maya frowned.

Farkle nods. "Belgium 1831 is us." 

TJ frowns. "I don't like this." 

"...Until Belgium 1831 decided it was time to go." Cory continued.

"Uh-oh!" Maya turns to Smackle. "S-Smackle, do something!"

Smackle looks at her with confusion. "What do I do?"

"You-"

"Ask important questions!" Farkle finishes Maya's sentence. "He erases it if you ask important questions." Farkle told Smackle. 

"Gotcha." Smackle nods and stands up. She looks at Cory. "Why are we here? What is the meaning of love? Is there a destiny that shapes our ends? What's the deal with artificial intelligence? If it's artificial, can it be intelligent? Yes."

"Great job," TJ chuckles lightly. "But I don't think it worked."  

Smackle sits back down as Cory continues to talk. "It was decided that Belgium would no longer be part of the United Kingdom of the Netherlands, but its own independent country. Belgium was free."

"Did people visit it?" Riley asked her dad, speaking in a hopeful tone.

Cory looks at her curiously. "People like who?"

"Belgium's friends." Riley replies. "Did they visit it or did they forget her like Kerri Abelson?"

TJ furrows his eyebrows, looking at Riley with confusion. "Who's Kerri Abelson?"

"Oh, yeah, whatever happened to Kerri?" Farkle questioned.

"She moved across-"

"I don't care." Farkle interrupts her. "She's gone."

"She was our third best friend 'til she moved across the street." Maya informed TJ after noticing he was still confused. 

"Oh." TJ nodded in realization.

"At that point, Belgium was no longer part of a group, but its own sovereign nation...Ready to meet the world on its own terms." Cory explained.

Riley worriedly glances at her dad. "What if it wasn't ready yet?"

Lucas nods. "What if none of us our ready for this?" He asks and Riley looks back at him. He shakes his head. "I'm not ready for this, Riley."

"So, Belgium 1831 was gonna be about our own freedom when we left this place?" Farkle questioned, looking at Cory.

Cory nods and smiles. "That was my plan. But sometimes, things happen in life earlier than they're supposed to." 

"So, what do we do?" Zay asked him.

Cory points at him. "We do our best. Like we've always done." He looks at the class. "We leave our good mark and we hope that people remember us fondly."

Riley looks at her friends and boyfriend with tears in her eyes. "I did my best. I hope that you remember me fondly."

TJ looks over towards the back of the class when a girl speaks up, smiling at Riley. "I'll remember you fondly."

Riley smiles at her. "Thank you. Who are you?"

"Kerri Abelson." Kerri told her. 

Maya looks at Riley with shock and Riley frowns at Maya. "Oh no."

"How is a decision like this made?" Cory inquired the class. "Is it tougher to leave something you love or stay when you could be missing an opportunity?"

"That depends on what you're leaving behind." TJ responded. 

"That's correct." Cory nods and looks at the rest of the class. "Anybody else?"

"To be fair, I think it's important to know what's waiting for you wherever you're going." Lucas replied. 

Cory points at him. "Right." He looks at Lucas and Zay. "Lucas and Zay both left someplace they loved."

"They were right to love Texas." Riley smiles, glancing at Maya. "We had the best time there."

"And we've had the best time here." Lucas gestured to himself and Zay.

Cory then points at TJ. "TJ has also left someplace that he loved." 

"I didn't really loved it." TJ admits, shrugging his shoulders. "But it wasn't bad. I just like being here a lot better." He smiled at his friends and girlfriend, and his smile widened when they smile back at him. 

"So, Belgium left the United Kingdom of the Netherlands, then what happened?" Farkle inquired.

"Everybody was happy forever." Riley quickly answers with a hopeful expression on her face. "The end."

Cory chuckles lightly. "Okay. Anybody else want to try?"

"The United Kingdom of the Netherlands fell apart." Maya answered. 

Cory looks at her with surprise. "Maya, you look something up?"

"No." Maya shakes her head. "I didn't have to. You don't really have to be smart to know what's coming." She points at Farkle. "It's Farkle who's been smart. It's Farkle who always wanted to know what Belgium 1831 was ever since it went up on the board. It's Farkle who always loved us and tried to protect us."

Maya then stands up and goes over to kiss Farkle on the cheek. Farkle's eyes grow wide and then he faints. Maya sheepishly smiles, glancing back at Smackle. "Sorry, Smackle." She sits back down, looking at TJ with an apologetic expression. "Sorry, T." 

TJ chuckles. "It's fine, M."

Cory looks at his daughter, smiling reassuringly at her. "Riley, I know your mother. I know she'll seek out the advice of everyone close to her. I know she'll listen to what we have to say. And I know her decision will be the right one."

Riley looks at him with a nervous expression. "No matter what it is?"

Cory nods. "No matter what it is, we go with her."

****

Later that day, the gang is at Topanga's where they usually sit. After school TJ finished writing a song he has been working on. With what's going on, he gotten some inspirations to finish it, and he was planning to play for everyone hopefully before the Matthews' family leaves. He honestly hope they don't leave because things wouldn't be the same without them.

"Something happened with me and Farkle, Riley." Smackle spoke, looking at the brunette who sat beside Maya and TJ. 

Riley looks at her with a small smile. "What?"

"Well, we were studying molecular structure, and it occurred to us that we are all made with particular molecules." Farkle responded.

Smackle nods. "And if anything changes, then we're simply not who we were. We are actually different."

Riley smiles at the couple, but still looked at them with confusion. "That's very interesting, guys."

TJ looks at her with surprise. "Wait, you actually understood what they just said?" TJ looks back at Farkle and Smackle with confusion. "Please talk to us in a way we will understand 'cause I'm confused."

Farkle chuckles lightly and looks at Riley. "If you leave us, we will actually be different."

"And that's when it occurred to me that I was feeling sadness." Smackle said. "I identified it as sadness because I was crying. 

Farkle looks at her. "You don't cry." 

"I don't cry." Smackle agrees. She looks at Riley. "But now I know that it was because nothing has ever made me sad enough before." 

She stands up, looking at Riley with a smile on her face. "I just wanted to say thank you for these feelings, Riley." She opened her arms and once Riley stood up the two hug each other. 

"Oh! Smackle! You're getting so good at these." Riley commented as they pulled away. Smackle smiles and sits back down. 

"Hey, Riley." Zay voiced.

Riley looks at him with a smile and sits back down beside Maya and TJ. "Hey, Zay." 

Zay wraps an arm around Lucas. "Just wanted to let you know that I'll make sure Lucas is okay." 

"Yeah," TJ chimes in. "Me too." 

Zay gestures to him. "Yeah, he'll help." 

Riley smiles at the two boys. "You will?"

Zay nods and looks at Lucas. "Oh, we'll walk him and feed him."

"And we'll make sure he'll never forget about you." TJ added. 

Lucas chuckles lightly while looking at Riley with a soft smile. "I will never forget about her."

Zay ruffles Lucas' hair. "That's a good boy! Good Boy!"

"Thank you, guys." Riley said, smiling at TJ and Zay. She looks at TJ and then at Zay. "You two want to know something?"

"Always." TJ nodded.

"Our circle of friends wasn't complete until you both showed up." Riley told TJ and Zay.

"I don't like this!" TJ exclaimed when he started to get teary.

"Smackle, I'm feeling somethin'!" Zay exclaimed, looking like he was trying his best not to cry.

Smackle points at him. "Sadness!" She crosses her arms as a proud smile tugs on her lips. "I'm good at emotions now."

Farkle looks at Riley with a small smile. "I've loved you since the first grade."

Riley looks at him, smiling a bit. "I know."

Farkle nods. "I always will, wherever you are."

"Thank you, Farkle, but maybe you shouldn't say that in front of Smackle." Riley said to him.

Smackle looks at her with an unphazed expression. "Riley, explain the role of uranium in nuclear fission."

"Uh," Riley shrugs. "I don't know."

"Yeah," Smackle scoffs and sarcastically comments, "You're a threat."

"Guys," Maya speaks up, turning the attention to her. "No decision has been made yet. There's a good chance she's not going anywhere. Actually, I know she's not going anywhere because life knows there's no replacement for her because nobody cares about me as much as she does, so that's how I know she's not going anywhere, so ha."

TJ clears his throat rather loudly to get her attention and Maya looks at him with narrowed eyes. "Uh, what 'bout me, huh?" TJ asked, looking at her with offense.

A smile tugs on Maya's lips and she intertwines his hand with hers. "Oh yeah, and then there's you." She looks at him with a innocent smile. "I was going to mention you, I, um, just forgot." 

TJ rolls his eyes playfully and nods. "Uh-huh. Sure." He places a kiss on her cheek. "I love you." He whispered to her before he pulled away, chuckling at seeing her red face. 

She giggles a bit while smiling widely at him. "I love you too." 

"Hey." 

Everyone looks over when they see Josh Matthews walk into Topanga's. Maya narrows her eyes at Josh. "What do you want?"

"Well," Josh takes a stool from a table nearby and brings it over, placing it beside the group and sits down. "I was just thinking about you guys and what you all must be feeling. Thought I should come over. Would it be okay if I sat with you guys here?"

"Oh, my gosh. I know what this is." Maya realizes. She glances at the brunette haired girl who sat next to her left side. "Life is trying to replace you. Life moves fast." She looks back at Josh with a small smile. "Life does a good job." 

"Maya!" TJ scolded her, looking at her with a pout. 

Maya looks at him with an apologetic smile. "Sorry! I love you." She quickly added, hugging onto his arm. 

TJ sighs, knowing that he can't be upset with her for long. "Love you too." 

"Wait." Maya said, looking at Riley with an upset expression when she realized something. "You're actually leaving. You're really gonna go."

Riley sadly smiles and looks at everyone else. TJ didn't miss the fact that she has tears in her eyes.  "You guys are gonna be fine." Riley reassures everyone. "We all will be fine. We have to be fine. Okay?"

Lucas stands up and walks over to the door. He looks back at Riley, gesturing with a nod of his head for her to follow him. Smackle stood , acting like she was going to follow him, but she sits back down and wraps her arms around Farkle when he said her name. Riley stood and followed Lucas outside.

"So, I've finished writing a new song." TJ speaks up after a few seconds of silence. He glances at Maya. "I was going to preform it before the Matthews' leave and I was wondering if you wanted to sing it with me." 

Maya looks at him with a surprise, but a wide smile tugs on her lips. "I would be more than happy to sing with you." 

"Ooh, we get to hear you sing?" Smackle looks at TJ with a grin. "Right now!"

TJ chuckles lightly and shakes his head. "You'll have to wait." 

"Fine." Smackle sighs. "I'll wait, but it better be worth the wait." 

Later that night TJ rehearsed his new song with Maya after she got the good news from the Matthews' family that they weren't leaving. TJ was beyond happy that Riley and her family were staying. He couldn't imagine them not being there in New York. TJ also talked to Topanga, asking her if he and Maya can preform a song at her bakery the next day and he was glad she was letting them do it. 

****

At the next day of school TJ stood in the History classroom next to his girlfriend who sat on top of her desk in front of where Riley sat. The rest of his friends stood beside them and Cory stood in front of the friend group.

"Belgium 1831." Cory said to the students who were the only ones in his classroom. "What have you learned?" When he was met with silence, he glances at Farkle. "Farkle?"

"There comes a time when the right thing to do is to leave the friends you know," Farkle responds. "See what's out there, and face a new world."

Cory raises his eyebrows at Farkle. "Yeah? What do you have to say about that?"

Farkle walks over the board, picks up the eraser, and erases Belgium 1831 off of the board. He looks back at the others with a smile. "Not yet."

****

That night at Topanga's the gang plus Cory and Topanga, Auggie and Ava, Josh, and even Katy and Shawn were there. Each of the kids was sitting at their usual place while the adults stood beside them.

Cory smiles at the group. "There are lots of places you'll go. I remember another time we were all going someplace. And what I said to...You," Cory points at his younger brother, who smiles at him. "Seems like yesterday."

"You're gonna learn from the world everyday." Cory said, looking at the teens.

Shawn nods. "Gonna make mistakes." He smiles. "You're gonna make good friends, too."

"And even though it'll seem like the world goes out of its way to teach you hard lessons..."

"It's the same world that gave you your friends and your family." Topanga finished Katy's sentence.

"You'll come to believe the world is gonna protect you, too." Cory added.

Riley smiles. "'Girl Meets World'."

Maya nods, glancing back at TJ, who stands behind her. She smiles a bit. "Now I get it." He chuckled and shook his head.

"'Topanga's'?"

Everyone looks at the door when a customer walks in. Topanga looks at him with a smile. "Yeah. 'Topanga's'. That's me."

The boy smiles. "You still open?"

"Yeah." Topanga nods, glancing back at the teens with a smile. "We're not going anywhere."

"You two wanna perform now?" Topanga asked, looking at TJ and Maya with a smile.

"Yes!" Smackle cheers. "Right now!"

Maya and TJ chuckle at her. "I guess so since Smackle seems really excited." Maya replied to Topanga.

"Alright, then perform whenever you're ready." Topanga said to Maya and TJ and then went to the counter to take the customer's order.

"Well, TJ got me all excited and made me have to wait to hear you guys sing." Smackle grumbles and crosses her arms. "I blame TJ."

"Sorry." TJ apologized, looking at her with an apologetic smile as he moved over to where his microphone was set up. He was set up beside where Maya's microphone and acoustic guitar on its stand is set up. Maya got up and went over to her spot, putting on her acoustic guitar while the others turned to face them.

"This is a song I wrote called 'Edge of Great'." TJ told them, looking at each of them with a smile. He looked at Maya to make sure she was ready. She nodded at him and smiled.

https://youtu.be/JSYX7bIDSdI

TJ plays the first chord that starts out the song and Maya started singing. "Running from the past. Tripping on the now. What is lost can be found, it's obvious." Maya joins TJ with playing her own acoustic guitar and they glanced at each other, looking at each other with smiles. "Like a rubber ball we come bouncing back. We all got a second act inside of us." 

"I believe, I believe that we're just one dream." Maya sings beautifully with her and TJ playing acoustic guitar for the music. TJ is the lead guitarist while Maya is the rhythmist guitarist. "Away from who we're meant to be. 'Cause we're standing on the edge of something big, something crazy. Our best days our yet unknown that this moment is ours to own. 'Cause we're standing on the edge of great."

He smiles when he noticed it seemed like the others were liking it already. He steps closer to his microphone when it gets to his part he sings. "On the edge of great." 

Then Maya repeats the last word that he sings. "Great."

"On the edge of great."

"Great."

"On the edge of great."

"'Cause we're standing on the edge of great." As she finished singing the chorus, she looked over at TJ with a smile.

He smiles back at her before looking back at the others as he sings the second verse. "We all make mistakes, but they're just stepping stones. Taking us to where we wanna go. It's never straight, no." 

While Maya harmonizes her voice with his, TJ notices that some people walk in, and he kind of hoped it was because they heard the music since the door was open. "Sometimes we gotta lean. Lean on someone else to get a little help until we find our way."

"I believe, I believe that we're just one dream. Away from who we're meant to be." By now their friends had move over to stand in front of them, each enjoying the song they were playing. As Maya and TJ continue to sing the chorus, a small crowd has gathered in Topanga's because of the music Maya and TJ are playing, swaying along to the music they're enjoying. 

"'Cause we're standing on the edge of something big, something crazy. Our best days our yet unknown that this moment is ours to own. 'Cause we're standing on the edge of great."

 "On the edge of great." Once again Maya repeats the last word he sings. "Great." 

"On the edge of great."

"Great."

"On the edge of great."

"'Cause we're standing on the edge of..." Maya sings the last verse of the chorus before TJ joins her for the bridge. 

"Shout, shout. Come on and let it out, out. Don't got to hide it. Let your colors blind their eyes. Be who you are no compromise. Shout, shout. Come on and let it out, out."

For the last line of the bridge of the song, only Maya sings. "What doesn't kill you make you feel alive. Ooh, oh." 

"I believe," Maya and TJ turn to face each other, both smiling with each other. Maya had stopped playing her guitar for this part of the song, so it was just TJ playing. "I believe, that we're just one dream." A few cheers are heard from small crowd that formed in Topanga's while Maya sings the chorus. Maya grabs her microphone, continuing to sing as she walks closer to TJ, the smile on both of their faces never going away. "Away from who we're meant to be." 

She stops walking when they were face to face. Now that they were standing in front of each other, their height difference was clear to see. TJ honestly didn't mind their height difference, he thought Maya's height made her even more adorable. 'Cause we're standing on the edge of great."

Maya and TJ turn to face the small crowd at the same time. As Maya belts out the word 'great' cheers erupt in the room while TJ continues to sing the rest of the chorus. "Something big, something crazy. Our best days our yet unknown," 

Maya then sings with him for the next verse as they continue playing their instruments. "That this moment is ours to own. 'Cause we're standing on the edge of..."

"Great. On the edge of great." TJ sings, smiling widely at the small crowd who continued cheering for them.

"On the edge of great." Maya sings the same thing he does, but drags out the word 'Great'. 

"On the edge of great." 

"On the edge...Woah." Maya sings just before TJ sings, "On the edge of great." 

"'Cause we're standing on the edge of..." As she sings, Maya glanced over to her right, just then realizing that TJ had moved over to during the song because he was now standing beside beside her. She turned to face him with her microphone in her hand.

The two smile at each other, both of them sharing Maya's microphone. "Running from the past, tripping on the now. What is lost can be found, it's obvious." 

They didn't realize they were staring at each other longer than they meant to until the room was erupted with cheers. TJ was quick to step away, smiling widely at the crowd and hoped no one could see the blush on his face. Maya had a grin on her face as she looked at the crowd, trying her best to ignore the fact that her face was most likely a bright shade of blush.

TJ puts his guitar so it's resting on his back and Maya did the same thing with her guitar as their friends rushes up to them. "I loved it!" Riley exclaims, pulling her best friend into a tight hug. "It was amazing!"

Maya pulls away from the hug, she and TJ looking at Riley with a smile while they both reply the same thing at the same time. "Thanks." Riley then hugs TJ before Lucas could hug him. After Riley and TJ hugs, Lucas pulls his brother into a hug. "Yeah, TJ, it was great." 

TJ smiles and hugs him back. "Thanks, Lucas." 

"Like, the talent you have is insane." Zay commented, looking at the couple with a grin.

After pulling away hug, TJ grins at Zay. "Thanks, Zay." TJ looks over at Smackle, who was grinning at him and Maya. "So, Smackle, was it worth the wait?"

"Definitely!" Smackle nods. "It was phenomenal." 

"I agree with her." 

The seven teens look over in the direction they hear a unfamiliar voice. They're surprised to see a woman nether of them saw before. She had dark red hair that was straight and it stopped just above her shoulders. She looked all business-y and looked to maybe be in her early thirties. Maya's and TJ's friends step to the side so there's a path for her to walk over to the couple.

She smiles at them and shakes each of their hands. "Hi, I'm Bea Wright and I'm a label manager. I think you both have the talent to make it big and I would love to speak to you two in the near future."

Maya and TJ look at her with shock. TJ felt like he could barely register what was happening. He couldn't believe it. He had always dreamt to get his own manager and possibly be famous enough to have his own tour, but the fact that this was actually happening was a surprise to him. TJ tried to speak, but when he opened his mouth no words came out. His heartbeat increased more as she hands him a card. He was surprised he didn't drop it when he got it because of how shaky his hands are at the moment. 

"That card has the record label company I work for and my phone number." Bea informs Maya and TJ. She chuckles lightly at seeing their shocked expressions. "I know this is a big decision for you guys, especially at your age, but just take time to think about it and call me whenever you make your decision." 

She smiles at them before leaving Topanga's. Lucas hits TJ's shoulder seeing that he was still shocked and that brought him back to reality. TJ blinks, looking at Lucas with wide eyes. "Did-Did that seriously just happen?" 

Lucas grins. "Yeah, TJ. That just happened. I'm proud of you." 

A wide smile tugs on TJ's lips at hearing that. He doesn't remember anyone ever saying that to him so the fact that someone who's family to him now said it made him happy. 

"We're gonna be famous!" Maya exclaimed, jumping up and down along with Riley who had a grin on her face.

"We don't know that yet." TJ said with a nervous expression on his face, turning to face the two excited girls, who immediately stopped jumping. He didn't want to get excited about something and then it not working out. "Let's not get our hopes up." 

While the two girls pout TJ had to admit he thought that this manager might actually be the chance for his dream to come true. How could he not be excited about that? "Oh, what the heck?" He looks at his girlfriend with an excited expression. Maya looks back at him with a grin, just as excited as he was and he exclaims, "We're gonna be famous!"

A/N and there's the last chapter! wow, i'm gonna miss writing tj so so much. i loved creating him & writing him!! it makes me so happy that it seems like you guys like him as well! thank you for all of your love & support on this book! but don't forget, guys, i still have a lot of other books you can go check out & support! <3