"Girl Meets High School-Part 2"

The next day TJ woke up to his alarm, took a shower, and got dressed. After grabbing his backpack and phone, he went downstairs and into the kitchen, sighing when he noticed a note from his parents. He didn't even bother to read the note, but he could see the words early and work from where he stood. He assumed that meant they went to work early. He greeted the maids and the butler when he had walked down the stairs, and they greeted him back. He had always been sure to be kind and nice to them unlike his parents, who barely gave them any respect. He didn't understand how people could be so cruel and treat people like that. He thought people should be treated with respect, especially people who work hard every day.

As he ate breakfast, he talked with the staff, asking them about their day and how they were doing. He had always talked with them and checked in on them since his parents wouldn't. He had gotten used to them being there, and it was nice having someone to talk to when he needed advice or wanted to rant about something. They were like a second family to him. Well, honestly they were more like family to him than his own parents were.

Once he was finished, he walked outside and waited for the limo to arrive. It arrived shortly after, and the driver opened the door for him. "Thank you." He smiled politely as he climbed into the back. He set his backpack beside him and pulled out his headphones from his pocket. As he put them on, he closed his eyes and rested his head against the headrest.

The ride was smooth and quiet. He had been dreading going to school in the limo, knowing he would most likely be the talk of the school and he didn't want that. But he didn't really feel like walking to school again either. When the limo pulled up in front of the school, TJ opened his eyes and sighed heavily at seeing some of the students outside looking at the limo and talking to each other. This is exactly what he was trying to avoid. He thanked the driver as he unbuckled and grabbed his backpack. He slid out of the limo and walked towards the school, keeping his head down to avoid eye contact with anyone. He could feel everyone's eyes on him, and he was starting to feel overwhelmed. He could hear their whispers as he passed by, and it wasn't until a familiar voice spoke up that everyone had stopped staring.

"You guys don't have anything better to do?" Maya questioned, raising an eyebrow at them.

The students who had been staring and whispering looked away, and the whispering soon died down. TJ felt a wave of relief when the attention was no longer on him. He glanced at Maya and gave her a grateful smile.

"Thanks." He said as he walked beside her.

Maya grins, playfully bumping her shoulder against his. "No problem. I was getting annoyed with them anyway. Plus, it was fun seeing them get nervous and scared."

TJ let out a small chuckle. "Yeah, I bet. You have a bit of an intimidating presence, you know?"

Maya shrugs, a grin still present on her face. "I've been told that a few times."

TJ smiles a little as he walks inside with Maya. They part ways since he said he needed to head to his locker. Once he had his books, he turns to walk down the hallway. He notices Riley and Maya were in the hole again, watching people walk by. He knew that the others were still not hanging out with Riley and Maya which made him frown. He hoped that they would figure things out soon. He walks over to the girls with a small chuckle. ""What are you girls doing?"

"Watching people." Riley answers as if it was a normal thing to do. She glances at him with a smile. "Wanna join?"

TJ shrugs, smiling slightly. "Yeah, sure. Why not." He walked down the steps and stood beside Maya, holding onto the railing in front of him and rested his head against the railing.

A comfortable silence fell between them as they watched students walk past them. "So, this is all you do?" TJ questioned.

"Yep." Maya nodded.

"Kinda boring." TJ comments. He looks at Riley and Maya with a concerned expression. "But seriously, how are you guys? This must be hard for you two."

"I'm fine, I guess." Maya replied.

"Well, I didn't cry last night." Riley responded.

TJ blinks, not really knowing what to say to that. "Well, um," He slowly nods. "That's-That's good."

"Because I stopped when I passed out from crying." Riley informed Maya and TJ.

"Oh." TJ nodded and looked back at the people walking by them.

"You seem better now." Maya noticed.

Riley shakes her head. "That's where you're wrong."

Maya presses her lips together. "Okay."

"But the seniors wanted us to stand here, watch what goes on, and learn from it." Riley voiced.

TJ furrows his eyebrows while watching people walk by. "What are we supposed to learn from watching people?"

"No idea." Maya shook her head.

"They have their reason." Riley continued, referring to the seniors.

Maya glances at her, raising her eyebrows. "To make fools out of us?" She nods. "Mission accomplished. We're fools with only one friend."

"They made their choice." Riley shrugs. "They started their high school careers without us, and I wish them well."

TJ looks at her, narrowing his eyes when he noticed she was trying her best not to look angry. "Yeah, I don't think you do."

"Maybe we just shouldn't think about them today." Maya suggested.

TJ nods. "Great idea."

"Yeah." Riley agreed.

It was silent for a few moments before TJ heard sobbing coming from Riley. He raised an eyebrow as he looked over at her. He looked at Maya with a confused look, and she just shrugged her shoulders.

Riley sighs sadly. "I hope Farkle remembers that science can't explain people, and he keeps himself open to love."

"You're gonna do one for each?" Maya asked in an annoyed tone.

"Yes." Riley nodded.

Maya reaches a hand out to her. "Give me a couple of bucks for a brownie."

"Okay, Maya. I want juice." Riley gave the blonde some money.

Maya looks at TJ, tilting her head to the side. "Want anything?"

TJ thought for a moment before shaking his head. "Nah, I'm okay." He couldn't help the smile on his face, thinking it was sweet that Maya asked.

"Okay." Maya nodded and walked off.

Riley continues her speech. "I hope Smackle looks up from her books every once in a while so that she doesn't miss life."

Maya then asks Riley what kind of juice she wants, Riley replies with grape. "I hope Zay stops using comedy to cover up his inner turmoil." Riley spoke.

Maya told her there wasn't any, so Riley told her to surprise her with whatever juice was there.

Maya walks back over to them with a slight grin on her lips. She hands Riley the grape juice. "They're not really out of grape!"

A small chuckle escapes TJ's lips, and Riley gasps excitedly at seeing the grape juice. "What a nice surprise!" TJ smiled softly, thinking what Maya did was sweet.

"Did she get to Lucas yet?" Maya looked over at TJ, who shook his head.

"Nope. Pretty sure he's next."

Riley nods, confirming what TJ said is true. "I hope Lucas...I hope Lucas...I hope Lucas has a very bad day." She whispered in an angry voice, and TJ looked at her with surprise. TJ didn't think she could get angry.

Maya's eyes widen, not expecting Riley to say that and say it in that tone. She chuckles nervously. "Gosh, you're cute." Riley smiled at hearing that.

"You know what? I'd rather be a fool with you than be anything without you." Maya smiled at Riley, and Riley smiled back at her.

TJ rests his forehead against one of the railings, continuing to watch people walk by. "So...Have we decided what we can learn from here yet?"

Riley was quiet for a moment, and it looked like she was thinking. She then looked up when someone was walking by. TJ glanced over, noticing purple combat boots.

"Hm, here comes purple combat boots." Riley observes. She smiles. "I like her. She walks with confidence."

"And here comes jungle girl." Riley announced as a girl with jungle-printed boots walked by.

"I bet you she's waiting for motorcycle boots." TJ chimed in, and Riley nodded in agreement.

A few seconds later, the three teens learned TJ was correct when a boy wearing black boots walked by and over to the girl with jungle-printed boots.

"Vroom vroom." Maya said, looking at him with wide eyes, and for some reason, TJ felt a little jealous. He quickly shook his head, ignoring the feeling, and focused back on the two girls.

TJ and the girls look at the couple with wide eyes when they start to make out. "Vroom vroom, baby!" Riley exclaimed.

"Riles?" Maya said.

"Peaches?" Riley spoke.

"They're way more advanced in high school." Maya realized.

"We're middle school hand-holders." Riley frowned.

"What if those seniors sent us down here because we think we're so ready for this place, and we're so not?" Maya inquired.

"Well, then I'd be right." Riley responds. She smiles. "And I hope that I'm right."

TJ lifted his head off the railing and looked over to his left, noticing Lucas and Zay. He didn't get much of their conversation since he wasn't paying attention, but he overheard them saying they wouldn't be there if they weren't meant to be there and said who was stronger than them. The football team is most likely stronger than them, he thought while watching them walk past him and the girls.

"Riley, it might help if you stop thinking about them." TJ suggested, looking over at Riley.

Maya nods in agreement and starts speaking in a mobster's voice. "They're gone. Done-zo. Kaput."

TJ looks at her weirdly. "What is that voice? Stop that."

"But it's so fun." Maya spoke in the same voice again, looking at him with a grin. He shook his head, looking down to hide the smile on his lips. He couldn't help but smile because of her cuteness.

Riley frowns. "Everything's changing. I lost my friends, we dragged TJ into our mess, and you're a mobster."

"I actually don't mind. You guys are the only friends I made in a long time." TJ admitted, sending the girls a smile, and the girls smiled back at him.

"Did you stop thinking about 'em?" Maya asked Riley, looking at the brunette-haired girl.

"Yes." Riley quickly replies. "I wonder how everybody else is doing except for them."

****

Cory draws a line under the word massacre that's on the board the next day. Marly then questions, "Why 'massacre'? Why you got 'massacre' up there? Why can't you just teach us names and dates?"

"Marly Evans and what she learns today!" Cory responds. He looks at her. "That's the name and date I care about." He looks at the class and points at them. "All of you, and right now, are you listening to me?"

Marly hums in response. Cory smiles. "Good. It was patriots who founded our new land, and it was patriots who fought for it. Why do we remember the Alamo?"

He points to Farkle and Smackle and tells them to explain. Farkle stands up. "The Alamo was a small, isolated fortress with a handful of patriots inside who felt it was important to stick together and fight for what they believed." He gestured to Smackle and sat down.

Smackle then stands up and finishes explaining. "They were surrounded by a much larger number of people, coming at them from all directions, who believed this place belonged to them." She gestured to Cory to continue with a smile on her face and sat back down.

"The patriots desperately wanted reinforcements, but reinforcements never came." Cory explains. "What happened to 'em?"

"They stayed in their fortress, and gave everybody a friendly smile, and eventually, they walked upstairs." Riley answered.

"They were massacred." Cory told her.

"Then they walked upstairs?" Riley asked hopefully.

"No, but that battle gave birth to a slogan." Cory replies to her. He looks at the class. "What was the slogan?"

"Remember the Alamo." Lucas responded.

Cory nods and points at him. "Remember the Alamo! And why do we remember the Alamo?" He then told Lucas and Zay to explain this one, and the two boys stood up.

"Because the patriots gave their lives for a greater good." Lucas started.

"That battle had only just begun, and some years later that land became ours, and that name of that land was..." Zay continued.

"Texas!" Lucas finished, slapping the dark-skinned boy beside him on the back as he grinned.

Zay sends him a slight glare. "Stop it!"

The two boys sit down as Cory speaks. "Right, Texas, your home." After hearing that, TJ realized Lucas and Zay are from Texas. It made sense because Lucas had kind of had a country accent. Cory looks at the class. "So, guys that's why we remember the Alamo and why we remember all the battles that we fight in an effort to make in an effort to make a new place our home." Cory explains. "Now, you can stay massacred, or you can realize your battle has just begun."

"We were kings, Matthews." Maya sighed.

Cory nods, smiles sympathetically. "Kingdoms fall." He looks over at Farkle. "Everyone who believes they're gonna rule the world falls." He then looks at Lucas and Zay. "Everyone who believes they're strong eventually comes up against something that's stronger."

"And every patriot fighting for a cause, they're only as strong as the cause you're fighting for." Cory informed the class.

Marly nods. "Even I know the next thing he says, real important."

"What's the cause you're fighting for?" Cory questioned the class.

****

When school was over TJ headed home and was surprised to see his dad was home early. "Hi, kiddo." His dad greeted him once he walked inside.

TJ furrows his eyebrows, starting to think this was some sort of trap. "Hi." He slowly says, closing the front door behind him. "You're home early." He observed.

His dad shrugs his shoulders after taking a sip of his coffee from his mug. "I got done with what I needed to do today at work and decided to come home early."

TJ bites his lower lip, not really for sure if he believes his dad. He slowly nods. "Yeah, sure. Whatever. Kinda hard to believe." He muttered the last part, walking over to the refrigerator to get a bottle of water. He shut the fridge door once he had a water bottle and walked out of the kitchen.

His dad frowns. "Don't be like that, TJ. You have nothing to worry about. I'm being serious."

"You say that now, and it's probably just another one of your lies." TJ scoffed, heading towards his room. The workers who he walked by sent him sympathetic glances, and he ignored them, not wanting their sympathy. He's had enough sympathy for a lifetime. He got to his room and shut the door. He leaned against it and slid down until he was sitting on the floor. He sighed, bringing his knees up and resting his arms on them. He didn't know if he could trust his dad. If his dad is really being honest or not, but it wouldn't hurt to try and give him a chance. Right? Maybe he should. It could end up with his dad betraying him or his dad could actually try and be a good dad. Only time will tell, he guessed. He stood up, setting his water bottle down, and changed his clothes, getting dressed into something more comfortable.

As he finished getting changed, he got a notification on his phone. He grabs his phone off his nightstand he had set it on, smiling at seeing Maya's name pop up. He clicked on the text, his smile widening at the message. He read the message, seeing Maya had texted him that she and Riley had a plan to get their friends back and that they wanted him to help out. Of course he was going to help them. He texted back a reply and put his phone back down, deciding to go over and help them out right now. He grabbed his jacket off the back of his desk chair and pulled it on. He left his room, not even bothering to check if his dad was still home. It's not like he'd care anyway.

****

He met up with Riley and Maya at Riley's house, and they told him the plan. Once they got the rest of the group, they headed over to Topanga's. He pushed Lucas into Topanga's while Maya had pushed Zay, and Riley had pulled Farkle and Smackle with her. The three of them pushed them over to where they usually sit, and the girls told them each to look at them.

"We're sorry." Riley apologized.

Lucas looks at her with confusion. "You're sorry?"

"What are you sorry for?" Farkle asked her, looking at her, Maya, and TJ with furrowed eyebrows.

"We're the ones who left." Zay reminded them.

"We should've realized something happened to you." Maya sighed.

Zay shakes his head. "But nothing happened to us." He spoke, pretending nothing happened, and TJ noticed a slight change in the dark-skinned boy's voice. It sounded almost as if he were trying to sound tough.

"Something definitely happened." TJ remarks, raising an eyebrow. "If it didn't, you wouldn't have tried to cover it up." He told him, sending the teen a pointed look and Zay looked away nervously, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Why do you think something happened to us?" Farkle inquired, trying to pretend nothing wrong happened to them.

"We found out we're stupid, and they got beat up like pipsqueaks." Smackle informed TJ and the girls, earning a slight glare from Lucas, Farkle, and Zay for telling the girls and TJ what happened.

"I knew the football team was gonna pummel you guys." TJ chuckled while he looked at Lucas and Zay.

"Then why didn't you stop us?!" Zay exclaimed, glaring at TJ.

"'Cause it was something you wanted to do, and you guys barely know me, so I knew you wouldn't listen to me." TJ replied with a shrug of his shoulders.

"True. But still, it would've been nice if you tried to stop us from getting beaten up by the football team." Lucas sighs with a look of embarrassment on his face. TJ nods and sympathetically smiles at him. Lucas looks at the floor with a frown. "Just don't look at me."

TJ raises his eyebrows with surprise when Maya suddenly grabs a fist full of Lucas' shirt, pulling up off the chair, now having him standing in front of her. "I'll look at you whenever I want to look at you, Huckleberry."

"Everybody's stronger than me." Lucas complained. TJ couldn't help the small snicker that left his lips at hearing the teen say that as he looked at Lucas with amusement.

Maya lets go of his shirt and Lucas sits back down. "None of this matters." Riley voiced.

"Guys, the only way we're gonna get through our one year of high school is together like we always have." Maya said.

Looking at Maya, TJ furrows his eyebrows with confusion. "There's actually four years of high school, Maya."

Maya looks at him with surprise. "What?!" She shakes her head, annoyance replacing the surprised look on her face. "I'm out!" She starts to walk out of Topanga's, but TJ shook his head and quickly grabbed her arm to pull her back. "Oh, come on, Canada! Let me leave!" She whined, not moving from her spot as she was pulled back, and instead crossed her arms across her chest.

"Nope. I'm not letting you leave." TJ chuckles, shaking his head at her. "You're not going anywhere."

Maya lets out a huff. "Fine." She grumbled.

TJ smiles and ruffles her hair, and Maya rolls her eyes, fixing her hair. He let go of her arm once he knew she wouldn't try to leave again, and she ignored the way she missed his touch when he pulled his hand away. TJ looks at the rest of the group. "But Maya is right. We have to stick together if we wanna make it through high school. We're the strongest when we're together."

"Exactly." Riley agreed with a smile.

"Could somebody please explain to me what's going on here?" Farkle questions. "Because I guess I don't really know anything anymore." He frowned, sadness filling his eyes.

"I think they're forgiving us for behaving badly." Smackle assumed.

"Smackle, you didn't behave badly." Riley said softly.

"The point is we should've went with you when you left." TJ chimes in. "I gotta be honest, I never had a group of friends like this. It's kinda weird, but it's nice too. I didn't expect myself to like you guys this much." He admits, rubbing the back of his neck. "And I know I don't really know all of you that well yet, but the thing I'm sure about is that this group will be the one to last. The bond I've seen with all of you, I've never seen that kind of bond before." He explains, looking at the group with a small smile. "So, yeah, I know I don't know you guys that well yet, but this group should stay together. It's rare to have a group of friends like this."

"Awe, Canada. You do care about us." Maya teased, poking his cheek. TJ laughed, playfully swatting her hand away as he rolled his eyes at her.

"Of course I care about you guys. I wouldn't have stuck around with you guys this long if I didn't care about you." He chuckled.

Maya nods in understanding. "Good point." She couldn't help but smile a little. It made her feel better to know that TJ actually cared about them. She figured he did, but it's nice to hear it from him.

Lucas shakes his head with a frown. "No, when you stayed we should've stayed with you. I don't know what's the matter with me."

"Lucas, you left because you don't think you can protect us here." Riley informs him. "She looks at each of her friends. "We all need to protect each other here. Okay? No matter what happens at high school, we're the cause worth fighting for. Us. Nobody leaves."

"Even if we get massacred?" Lucas inquired, looking nervous. TJ didn't blame him for looking nervous. He was also nervous about this new school, but he had a feeling his new group of friends will be there to help him and vice versa.

Maya nods. "We're gonna get massacred no matter what we do." She shrugged with a small smile on her face.

"But at least we'll be together when that happens." TJ added, smiling a little.

"I'd like to say that we've never gotten hurt when we're together," Lucas said. He looks at the girls and TJ. "And it was my fault that we weren't. And I'm truly sorry about that, and I hope it never happens again."

"You guys showed us what it means to be strong..." He glances over at Farkle and Smackle. "And smart."

TJ sits beside Farkle and Smackle while Riley and Maya sit on each side of Lucas. "You still like him?" Maya asked Riley.

Riley nods. "I still like him." She smiles at each of them. "I like us all."

****

The next day TJ walks into the History classroom, furrowing his eyebrows when he sees it empty. "Should I be concerned?" He mumbled, wondering if he was in the wrong classroom. There were no chairs or desks in the room and he was so confused.

Marly sighs. "Our classroom is empty."

"I think we were robbed." TJ commented.

"We weren't robbed." Maya scoffs. She looks at Riley with furrowed eyebrows. "Right?"

"I'm sure this is something my dad did." Riley replied.

"Oh, come on. Who does this?" Marly questioned, looking at Cory with annoyance.

"Me." Cory answered with a smile.

Marly scoffs. "Okay, so what I want to ask now is why?"

"Everybody take a seat." Cory tells the class. When everyone is hesitant on what to do, he encourages them. "Go on, go on. Take a seat."

Everyone sits on the ground where they usually sit. "What have you learned in high school so far?"

"We're not kings anymore." Lucas replied.

"We're Abigail Adams Patriots." Riley smiled.

Cory points at her. "Abigail Adams once said, 'To be good and to do good is the whole duty of man.'"

Marly looks at him with confusion. "'Do good'? Don't you mean do well?"

Cory looks at her with a small smile. "Do you know what the funny thing is about History, Miss Evans? It repeats. I mean 'do good'. That right up there." He points to a sign above the chalkboard that everyone looks at. The sign read 'dream try do good'. "That's always gonna be my lesson plan."

"Now when the patriots looked out at this new undiscovered land, it was what?" Cory inquired.

"The new undiscovered land was rough and undeveloped." TJ answered.

Zay nods in agreement. "Just like us."

"Very good, Mr. Babineaux and Mr. Jameson." Cory smiles at each of them and the two boys exchanged a smile. Cory looks at the class with a smile. "But they stuck together and they made it to their new home. So will we. Let's fill this room. Let's fill this room with knowledge. What do you know?"

"I have faith that in a new place you can learn from the people who have already been there." Riley answered with a smile.

"Very good." Cory comments, looking at her with a proud smile. "Go get your desk."

Riley stands up and walks to the back door as Maya stood up. "Woah, woah, woah." Cory stops Maya from going out to the hallway. "Where are you going?"

She turns to face him. "In any new place, or old place, or any place at all, I stay with her." She points at Riley, who had got back to the classroom, now carrying two chairs. "I'm always with her. But I knew that a long time ago." Maya turned around and went out to the hallway to get their desks. TJ smiled softly, thinking that was sweet. He admired their friendship and was honestly jealous of it. Jealous he didn't have a friend like that. Maybe he will someday.

Cory points at Lucas. "Lucas, what do you know?"

Lucas and Zay stand up as Lucas said there are stronger people than them at high school. Cory then asked what they were going to do about it, and Zay replied with them getting stronger. The two went to go get their chair and desk while Cory asked Farkle and Smackle the same 'what do you know' question. After Farkle and Smackle answered Cory's question, they leave to get their desks and then Cory turned to TJ.

"TJ, how about you? What do you know?" Cory questioned.

"I know that when you go to a new place it can be scary at times, but if you're with the right people then everything will eventually turn out fine in the end." TJ answered, smiling at his new friends, who smile back at him.

"Very good." Cory smiled and gestured for him to go get his desk and he did.

After getting his chair and desk back to the classroom, he sat down while Cory speaks to Marly. "In this room, we find out how History relates to your present and how you can't get by on the successes of your past."

Cory looks at the class with a smile. "This is your new school, guys. Stick together. Do good. That's how you're gonna have your best future. In this room, I'm your teacher...But we are going to discover this new land together."

Marly has a slight smile on her face as she glances at Riley. "This is how he teaches?"

Riley smiles. "Every day."

Marly nods and moves to the back door. "You going to get your desk, Miss Evans?"

She stops, turning to look back at Cory with a smile. "No, I'm going to get yours."

****

The gang was back in the whole the next day, each watching students walk by them. TJ stands between Maya and Zay, and he looks at Maya when she speaks. "Ready?"

"Ready." Riley nodded.

The gang walked up the steps, being met with the three seniors who put them there. "I'm glad you guys picked me and my friends." Riley was the first to speak.

"We wish someone would've done it for us." The brunette senior voiced.

"You really put us through it." Lucas told them. Then he and the boy senior went back and forth.

"I know." The brunette-haired senior boy nodded with a smile.

"You messed with our heads." Lucas continued, but his lips were curling upwards into a smile.

"I did." The brunette-haired senior boy responded.

"We'll be better friends because of it." Lucas realized.

"You will." The brunette-haired senior boy agreed.

"Thank you." Lucas said softly, sending him a smile.

"You're welcome. We'll be there for you guys anytime." The boy senior smiles back at him and nods. He turns to Lucas and Zay. "You trying out for the football team?"

"Nah." The two boys replies, and the boy senior asks them the same question again. Instead of replying with 'no', Lucas and Zay grin at each other. "Yeah!" TJ chuckled, looking amused.

"Now that we're seniors and we've learned so much in this place..." The brunette senior started.

"We wanted to leave somebody a-"

"Legacy?" Riley interrupted the blonde senior with a bright smile.

The three seniors nod and smile at each of them. "Yeah, a legacy. Pass it on someday." The boy senior said to them and then left with his friends.

"We will." Riley smiled.

Maya nods, glancing at her friends with a smile. "When we're kings."

The bell rang, and the gang huddled up to each other, wrapping their arms around each other so they wouldn't get separated when the hallway is flooded with students. TJ got squished between Maya and Lucas. The gang managed to still stay together, and TJ hoped that he and his new friends will always be together.  

A/N you guys met tj's dad, that's exciting i guess! don't worry, you're gonna meet his mom as well! & ngl i love tj so much