(brylee's outfit for this part of the chapter)

First days of school were always special and it was a big step for some people. While most people have their first days planned out, like what they were going to where or what they were going to do with their hair, Brylee had absolutely no clue what to wear or what to do with her have. To be honest, she was panicking. Today was her first day of senior year. She couldn't believe it was senior year already and she definitely couldn't believe that her younger sister was already a freshman. She felt like time flew by really fast. It felt like just yesterday her sister and her friends were starting middle school.

Brylee had forgot to set her alarm the night before since she was too nervous about this day and was overthinking a lot of things about what would happen today. A panicked expression was on Brylee's face when she saw the time on her alarm clock. With wide eyes, she scrambled to get out of bed, yelping when she got tangled up in her sheets. The frantic girl ended up falling off the bed with half of the sheets on the bed and half wrapped around her legs. She landed on the floor with a thud, letting out a huff of annoyance.

Rushed footsteps were heard and she glances at her door when it was opened by her mom. "Honey!" Katy said with surprise, looking at her with concern. "Are you okay? What happened?"

"I fell off my bed." Brylee grumbled, unwrapping the sheets from her legs and got off the floor.

"Oh." Katy nods in realization. She furrows her eyebrows, tilting her head to the side. "Wait, shouldn't you already be heading to school?"

"Yeah," Brylee nods, rushing over to the closet door where she opened it and searches for a shirt to wear. "Forgot to set my alarm clock and now I'm freaking out about being late on my first day."

Katy smiles softly. "Bry, calm down. You have plenty of time to get ready and get there."

"I'll be calm when I get there." Brylee muttered, setting the hanger the shirt she found on the knob on the closet door before she went to look for a pair of jeans. What she said was true because she didn't have time to be calm now.

Katy shakes her head and chuckles lightly. "I'll be in the living room if you need me. Try to at least calm down a little."

As her mom left, she started to get dressed. She stumbled into the bathroom as she put her leg through the other pant leg. She brushed her teeth and then put on her makeup and jewelry (which were the two rings she always wears). Then she brushed out her messy hair, grateful that it was short since it didn't take long to brush it. Grabbing a white colored claw clip, she pulled some hair back and clipped it, so it was out of her face. Rushing back into her room, she threw on some socks and put on some black and white converse. Throwing her backpack on her right shoulder, she grabbed her phone and keys on the dresser near the door. Turning off the light, she then ran to the door.

"Wait, Brylee!" Katy called out to her, standing up from the couch to walk over to her.

Brylee stops by the door, glancing at her mom nervously. "Mom, I gotta go. I'm gonna be late if I don't leave now."

"I know, but I just wanna give my oldest daughter a hug before she starts her first day of senior year." Katy said, opening her arms for a hug.

Brylee smiles slightly and nods. "Yeah, okay. I think I have time for a hug." She walked forward and hugged her mom.

"You're gonna do great, okay?" Katy assured her nervous and anxious daughter. Brylee relaxes slightly and hugs her tighter. "Senior year is easy."

"I hope you're right." Brylee mumbled, pulling away from her mom.

Katy smiles, putting her hands on Brylee's shoulders. "Of course, I'm right." She grins when Brylee giggled. Her face then turns into a serious expression with a mix of concern. "Hey, look out for Maya and her friends, will you? I'm worried about them."

With a soft smile on her face, Brylee nods, putting a hand over Katy's hand on her right shoulder. "Don't worry, mom. I'll watch over them."

****

(bennett's outfit for this part of the chapter)

Meanwhile, unlike Brylee's rushed morning, Bennett had a more calming start to his day. For one, he woke up to his alarm clock and had plenty of time to get ready and actually eat breakfast with his dad.

"Hey, remember how I told you that my niche Riley is starting high school today?" Eric asked him.

Bennett nods. "Yeah." He pauses, looking confused when he realized his dad said niche instead of niece. He furrows his eyebrows, tilting his head to the side. "Wait, by niche don't you mean niece?"

Eric nods. "That's what I said."

Bennett chuckles, shaking his head as he continues to eat the strawberry pop tart he held. "Okay, dad. Whatever you say."

"Well, I want you to look after her and her friends." Eric tells him. He sighs, shaking his head. "I know high school can be tough and I think I would feel better knowing my niche and her friends have someone watching out for them."

Bennett smiles reassuringly. "Yeah, I can watch over them."

****

After arriving to school, Brylee checked the watch she wore and sighed with relief seeing she got there just in time. Like literally just in time, there were only two minutes before the bell rang. Brylee walked to her first class which happened to be the class she hated the most. Math class. But at least it was at the beginning of the day which meant she wouldn't have to deal with math for the rest of the day.

Brylee got to her classroom, noticing most of her classmates were already seated. Chatter filled the room as students talked with each other while some others were laying their head on the desk or getting their books out to be prepared. She walked to the back row, sitting in the right corner seat. She always liked sitting in the back row. It didn't draw any attention to herself, and she liked being able to see everyone. Sitting in the middle row or in the front she always felt like there were people staring at her.

Setting her backpack on the floor beside her, Brylee's heart dropped when she heard the voice of the person who aggravated her the most.

"It's about time you got here."

Brylee glances up, rolling her eyes when she saw Bennett standing there, taking the empty seat beside her left. "Says the one who walked in here after me."

"Maybe I was here the whole time and decided to change seats." Bennett comments with a smirk. He sets his backpack on the floor beside him and shrugs. "The world will never know."

With a heavy sigh, Brylee crossed her arms on her desk and laid her head on her arms, knowing that this was going to be a long day.

****

Bennett talked with his best friend, Thor, at lunch today, letting him know he should go easy on his cousin and her friends. He knew that Thor and his friends, Francesca and Nikki, could sometimes be intimidating and could come off as a bit mean. He didn't want his cousin's or her friend's first day of high school to be awful because of his friends but he had a feeling that will happen. And he learned he was right after Thor had told him he, Francesca, and Nikki had sent the friend group down to the whole that's between the stairs.

That place is normally where Thor, Francesca and Niki sent some freshmen who they knew weren't ready to find out what high school is really like. Bennett knows they're just doing that to help them, to protect them, but he also knew to Riley and her friends (well, not to riley, but most definitely to her friends) it would seem as if they're mean and telling them what to do.

Brylee also had a talk with her two best friends, Francesca and Nikki, at lunch today. They informed her about the whole situation with Maya and her friends. She thought it was a good idea since she knew her friends were trying to the right thing, but she also advised that maybe they could be a little bit nicer towards them.

She didn't want this situation to break Maya and her friends apart. She knows what losing friends is like and it's not good. Brylee had a girl best friend growing up but when they got to high school she thought she was too good to be Brylee's friend. Her best friend tried out for cheerleading and then ignored Brylee the rest of high school. Brylee even joined cheerleading because of her best friend. But she quit cheerleading when her best friend started paying more attention to the other girls on the team and completely ignored her.

When school was over, Bennett had basketball practice to attend to. Meanwhile, Brylee was walking down the higher flight of steps since her last class was on the second floor. She then noticed her sister and friends were in the space between the stairs. Exactly where her best friends and Thor told them to be. She was surprised that they haven't decided to leave yet.

"Hey, guys." Brylee greeted the group with a smile and walked over to the railing on the main floor.

"Sis!" Maya smiles with relief. She then looks at her with a pleading expression. "Get us out of this jail."

Brylee chuckles softly, shaking her head. "Maya, it isn't that bad."

"You're just saying that 'cause you're not down here." Maya muttered, crossing her arms.

"The seniors are trying to help you guys." Brylee reassured Maya and her friends.

Lucas looks at her with disbelief. "Help us? By keeping us down here and not letting us explore the school?" He scoffs, shaking his head. "That's not what helping is."

Brylee smiles sympathetically at him. "You'll eventually understand what they're doing. Trust me, it's for your own good."

"Are you sure?" Farkle questioned, looking at her with concern.

Brylee smiles softly, knowing that he was worried about his friends, and she thought that was sweet. "They're good people and I believe they're doing the right thing." She pauses before she grimaces and shrugs. "Maybe not in the best way they could do it, but I believe they're doing the right thing." She wasn't for sure if Maya and her friends understood what she meant by that, but she was referring to Thor, Francesca, and Nikki doing this to them as a way of looking out for them.

"See?" Riley smiles brightly at her friends, gesturing at Brylee. "Even Brylee thinks the seniors are nice people."

"I feel like she's just saying that 'cause she's friends with them." Zay commented and Brylee rolled her eyes.

"Okay, you know what? I'm going to look around." Lucas said, finally having enough of being stuck down there. He stands up from the steps he was sitting on, gesturing for Zay to follow him. "Come on, Zay."

Riley watches Lucas and Zay leave with a frown. "They left?"

"Maybe they have the right idea." Smackle said.

"Yeah, I don't know what we're supposed to be learning down here." Farkle admitted and then he left with Smackle.

Riley puts on her backpack, stomping her foot. She turns to face Maya and stomps her foot again. "Okay, everybody!" Maya blinks with surprise and an annoyed look forms on her face when Riley yelled. "Follow me!" Riley walked up the steps with Maya following her.

Brylee walks over to the two girls and stands beside Maya. She smiles slightly, throwing her arm around Maya's shoulders. "Hi, M."

"Hi, B." Maya greets, leaning her head on Brylee's shoulder with a pout on her face. "Why didn't you warn me high school was hard?"

"I did." Brylee laughs. "Many times. You just said that you didn't care."

"I care now." Maya mumbles and Brylee rubs her arm to comfort her. "High school sucks." Maya added.

"That's a fact." Brylee nodded in agreement.

"Undiscovered country in every direction." Zay spoke, glancing around with a smile.

When something caught her eye, Maya lifts her head off Brylee's shoulder and her face lit up. "Riles!" She said to Riley and Brylee took her arm away from the blonde as Maya began to move and walk away. Brylee smiled a bit upon seeing Maya found a window seat. She grimaced when she remembered that's her, Francesca's and Nikki's spot.

Riley and Maya sit down and smile at each other. "I think this may just turn out fine." Riley voiced.

Now dressed in cheerleader uniforms, Francesca and Nikki walk over to the two girls. "You're in our spot." Nikki told Riley and Maya.

"This is where we sit." Francesca chimed in.

Riley and Maya stands up and walks over to stand by Lucas and Zay, letting Francesca and Nikki sit down. "In the window?" Riley smiles excitedly. "And you guys talk about life?"

"No. We sit in the window..."

"And go like this." Francesca finished Nikki's sentence, flipping her hair dramatically and crossing her legs the same time Nikki does. Riley and Maya stared at the two girls with shock since that was the same thing they did.

Brylee then decides to join the group. "Done with cheerleading practice, I guess?" Brylee questioned, smiling at her two best friends.

"Yep." Nikki smiles at her. "You know, you should try out for cheerleading again. You were great at it." She complimented.

Brylee shakes her head with a shy smile. "Thanks, but I'm done with that."

Maya gasps dramatically, looking at Brylee with wide eyes. "Hold on, you were a cheerleader? How come you never told me that?" She looks down with furrowed eyebrows. "How come I never found out about that?"

"I was a cheerleader for, like, not even half of my sophomore year and I made sure only mom knew about it. I knew you would tease me about it which is why I didn't tell you. I did like it, but I found out I like writing more." Brylee shrugs. "Plus with writing you don't have to be flexible, and I was never that flexible."

Maya looks at her with offense. "I wouldn't have teased you about it!" Brylee raises her eyebrows at her, and Maya eventually nods. "Okay, yeah. I would've, but you still could've told me." Brylee shrugged again and apologetically smiled at her in response.

Francesca smiles over at Zay. "Hi."

"What's your name?" Nikki asked Lucas and Zay.

Lucas walks over to stand behind Riley and Maya, putting his arms around them both. "Lucas. And these are my..."

"And this is where it gets complicated." Brylee remarked.

Lucas glances at Riley, tilting his head to the side. "How would you like to be called?"

"Uh," Riley looks nervous for a second but then smiles. "Girlfriend."

Lucas looks at Maya and repeats the question. "Girlfriend equally as much." Maya nodded.

Brylee smiles with amusement and nods. She looks at her best friends, pointing at the love triangle. "See what I meant by complicated?"

Francesca and Nikki chuckle lightly and both nod in response. "Hi, my name is Zay." Zay waves at Francesca and Nikki with a wide smile. "I'm completely available."

Francesca glances back at the love triangle with raised eyebrows. "Girlfriend-eses?"

Maya nods. "Like my sister said, it's complicated."

"You know what's not complicated?" Zay asks. He points at himself. "Zay. Available."

"We get it, buddy." Brylee chuckled, patting his shoulder.

Nikki smiles at the love triangle. "Well, I'm sure you're all adorable together."

"And thanks for being a distraction until the football team finished practice." Francesca added.

Zay raises his finger and grins. "I'm trying out for football."

Brylee looks at him with surprise. "Are you asking for a death wish?"

"Yeah," Nikki agrees. "Good luck to you."

Riley steps to the side, standing by the windows while Maya and Lucas move to stand by Brylee and Zay when the football team walked over to them. Since she was standing behind one of the football players, Riley moved to the side and peeked her head over so she could see everyone.

Lucas looks at the football players who were twice his size. His eyes widen in disbelief. "You're the football players in high school?" A nervous expression forms on his face when they all nodded in response. "Hey, that's great."

Riley glances at Francesca and Nikki. "You're the cheerleaders in high school?" Francesca and Nikki both nod. "Hey, that's great." Riley smiled nervously.

Brylee watches with wide eyes and an amused smile when Farkle and Smackle pushed past the football players with an upset expression on their faces. "The scientists here are gigantic." Farkle whined and Smackle raised her arms to show everyone how tall they are before she and Farkle walked away.

"So, you guys decided to come upstairs, huh?" Thor inquires. He glances at Lucas with raised eyebrows. "You think you're ready for the big time?"

Lucas is quiet as he looks around at everyone. "Maybe not just yet." He sighed, walking away from everyone.

****

"Hey, Ben!" Cory called over his nephew when he noticed he was walking by. Bennett had just got done with basketball practice so now he was wearing basketball shorts, Abigail Adams shirt and tennis shoes. He walked over to his uncle as he held his duffle bag.

"What's up?" Bennett questioned.

"Why'd your friend and Brylee's friends pick these guys out of the whole freshmen class to put them down here in this whole?" Cory asked him.

Bennett glances down at Riley and her friend group and smiles softly. "They did it for a good reason."

"Yeah, well, what's the reason?" Lucas asks him, his voice laced with annoyance. "'Cause so far it doesn't seem like there is one."

Bennett walks over to stand next to his uncle and sets his duffle bag down. He then crosses his arms and sets them on the railing. "Let me guess, you're annoyed because Riley sees the good in people?"

"She always does." Lucas sighed heavily.

"I think that can be a good thing." Bennett smiled and Riley smiled brightly at him.

"Why do you think they picked out just you?" Cory asked the group.

"They said that we'd thanked them for this." Riley replied.

"We're never thanking them." Lucas argued.

"Never say never." Bennett smirked.

Riley looks at Bennett with annoyance. "Ben, would you tell him that there's a purpose here?"

Bennett glances at Lucas. "There's a purpose here."

"Mr. Matthews," Lucas said, looking at Cory. "Will you please tell her that they were messing with us?"

"This is on me." Cory nodded in realization.

"Not surprised." Bennett muttered.

Riley stares at her dad with surprise. "What?"

"You were kids. I taught you to always look for the lessons that life is trying to teach you." Cory explains. "Now you're not kids. It's day one in a bigger world. You've asked me if I've prepared you for it." He nods. "We'll see." He smiled at the group of kids then he patted Bennett's shoulder, sharing a smile with him before he walked away.

"It's not just a hole." Riley stated.

"What is it then?" Lucas asked her, raising his voice at her.

"You don't have to get angry." Riley spoke and Bennett couldn't help the frown that was forming on his lips. He could tell that she had teary eyes and he always hated it when his cousin was upset.

"I am angry, Riley." Lucas tells her. "This isn't how I want to start high school. I want to walk anywhere I want. I want to go out for the football team."

"Lucas, you'll get killed on the football team." Riley voiced.

Zay's eyes widen. "Woah."

Bennett grimaces. "Yea, Riles, probably shouldn't have said that."

"Really?" Lucas stares at Riley with disbelief. He nods and by the next look on his face it was clear he was hurt. "That's what you think?" He furrows his eyebrows. "So you'll put faith in some random seniors you just met, but you don't have faith in me?"

"I don't think that they're random. I mean, one of them is my cousin's best friend and two of them are Maya's sister's best friends. I don't think that anything that ever happens to us is random." Riley replied.

"Sometimes you are just too much for me, Riley." Lucas confessed.

"Guys, can we just calm down?" Maya quietly asked.

Brylee happened to be walking by from just leaving the library (yes, she was already getting books on the first day of school) when she saw what was going on. When she heard her sister sounding so sad, she was on full alert. She walked over to Bennett, looking at him with concern in her eyes.

"What's going on?" She whispered.

"Nothing good." Bennett whispered back to her, watching the group with sad eyes.

"This isn't who we are." Maya continued.

"Yeah?" Lucas turns to face her. "Who are we?" And with that question, he left.

Zay looks at Riley, pointing at Lucas. "I better-you-you know, this is when he does something." He stammered out a sentence and followed Lucas.

Maya glances at Farkle and Smackle. "You guys are the geniuses. You got this all figured out?"

"Your dad's right." Smackle said to Riley. "You do always look for the good in people, Riley."

"You were a great leader in middle school, Riley." Farkle comments. "You always made us believe the world loved us."

"This just isn't the same world." Smackle added.

"What if this one just doesn't love us as much?" Farkle questioned.

Brylee smiles sadly, glancing at Bennett and he glances at her when she spoke. "I think the geniuses are beginning to figure things out." She said this because high school wasn't always going to be good for everyone. It usually depended on the person and how that person was going to act during high school.

"Yeah." Bennett nodded in agreement.

"No matter how optimistic you are, Riley, I think this time, you just led us down a hole." After saying that, Farkle left with Smackle.

Riley and Maya back up against the wall and slide down it to sit on the floor with teary eyes.

"I think our family need us." Bennett noticed, glancing at Brylee with a small smile.

"I think you're right." Brylee speaks, her eyes widening when she realized what she said. "Oh, ew," A disgusted look forms on her face "Did I just say you're right about something?"

Bennett grins. "Yes, you did, and I'll never let you forget it."

With a roll of her eyes, Brylee walks down the steps and sits beside the right side of her sister. She smiles sympathetically at her sister, who looks at her with a sad expression. Maya leanrf her head on Brylee's shoulder and wrapped her arm around Brylee's waist. Brylee then wrapped her arm around Maya's shoulder and leaned her head on top of Maya's head.

Bennett sits beside the left side of Riley, wrapping his arm around her shoulders and rubbed her arm to comfort her. She sighs sadly, leaning her head on his shoulder. With her head still on Bennett's shoulder, she looks over at Maya with sad eyes. "You sure you still wanna know me?"

Maya reaches her hand over to Riley, holding onto her hand and holds onto Riley's arm. "Always." Maya responded. Brylee and Bennett glanced at each other and smiled, both happy that Riley and Maya had each other during this tough time.

****

That night at Topanga's, Bennett was working. He had got a job there over the summer before his sophomore year to help out his aunt since it seemed like she needed some help. Then he found out he actually enjoyed working there which was why he continued to keep working at the bakery.

Riley and Maya were there sitting at their usual place, working on homework. They always came to Topanga's after school to work on homework, but this night was different since their friends didn't join them. Bennett felt bad for them for what they're going through. But he was thinking that maybe being away from their friends would help them realize how different high school is than middle school and that they wouldn't always be with their friends in high school.

He glanced around the bakery with a small smile. The bakery was filled with its usual customers, but one blonde caught his attention. From his place behind the counter, he walked over to the right side at the end where Brylee was sitting at, typing on her laptop.

"Do you come here often?" Bennett asked flirtatiously, leaning his elbow on the counter.

Brylee looks up from her laptop at him with raised eyebrows. "What are you doing?"

"Getting your attention." Bennett chuckles, standing up straighter. "And it worked."

"What do you want?" Brylee narrows her eyes at him. "Are you trying to annoy me? 'Cause you are annoying me."

"Ouch." Bennett dramatically covers his heart with hand and had a grimaced look on his face, but he had an amused glint in his eyes. "No need to be rude."

"I can do whatever I want." Brylee stubbornly said.

Bennett rolls his eyes. "I just came over to ask if you wanted something to drink or eat."

"Oh, then I'll take a iced-"

"Coffee with a chocolate chip muffin." Bennett interrupted her sentence as he pointed at her.

Brylee scoffs, shaking her head, ignoring the way her heart fluttered at the fact he knew her order. "If you already knew what I wanted why'd you ask?"

Bennett smiles with amusement and began getting her order ready. "'Cause I wanted to."

Brylee stared at him with annoyance before she went back to typing. She was working on an assignment for her writing class she had. She had to write a short romance book and it was due at the beginning of next week. She didn't like the fact she already had homework on the first day, but she loved writing, so this wasn't exactly like homework for her. But she was worried about everything she was going to write about. She didn't know anything about romance. She was in a relationship before, but that was a complete mess and ended in a disaster, so she knew her past experience with love wasn't going to help.

Brylee sends Bennett a small smile when he set her coffee and then her muffin on a plate beside her laptop. "Has any of Riley's and Maya's friends come in?"

"Nope." Bennett replied, glancing over at the two girls, who were talking to each other. Overhearing part of their conversation, he found out they were talking about how their friends weren't going to show up and that they're upset with Riley.

Brylee turns her attention back to her laptop, but then sighs when she thought of something and glances at Bennett with concern. "Do you think that they'll make it through this?"

Bennett's eyes soften and he nods. "Of course they will. They're just learning things about high school. It will take time, but I know the friend group will get back together." He smiles. "They have a strong bond that even high school can't break."

"Yeah," Brylee smiles softly and nods. "They do."

"Ha!" Bennett points at her with a grin. "You just agreed with me again!?'

"Gross," Brylee grimaces, shaking her head. "Why do I keep agreeing with you?"

Bennett grins. "'Cause I'm always right."

Brylee picks up her muffin, beginning to take the wrapping off of it and she
points at Bennett. "That is a lie, and you know it."

A/N pls I love brylee & bennett so much!! if it wasn't obvious yes I did base their relationship off of aiden's & katie's from alexa & katie cause I also love them so much! I'm loving the sister relationship brylee has with maya & the cousin bond between riley & bennett <3