𝒇𝒓𝒆𝒆 𝒇𝒂𝒍𝒍𝒊𝒏𝒈 — 𝒄𝒉𝒂𝒑𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝒕𝒘𝒐

❝ 𝙘𝙖𝙧 𝙬𝙖𝙨𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜  ❞

──︒✿ཾ∘∗✽ᜒࠬ. ──

Amanda and Lucas clicked instantly. On their date earlier in the day, they talked about everything and anything for hours, Amanda getting home from the 'date' around eight. They first got to the bakery around four. Lucas told her about Texas, and Amanda told him about her home life as well, leaving out the reason why she moved to New York. She wasn't ready for anyone to know that yet. All in all, Amanda was already attached to the boy, and you could say the same thing about Lucas toward the girl.

Amanda sat with Riley at the bay window after her date with Lucas, catching up, talking about family gossip. The girls didn't see much of each other in their childhood, but they wished they had. Amanda would sometimes visit for a couple days to see Riley, where she met Maya and Farkle during a visit. Whenever they were around each other, you could tell they were better together than apart.

"So, you and Lucas," Riley asked, teasingly smirked.

"It was one date," Amanda stressed, "I was only doing it because I felt bad."

"So, a pity date," Riley cringed.

"No," Amanda answered, "no, never. Lucas is a great guy. We talked about all kinds of things for four hours straight. Sure I felt bad about what happened between you two, so I offered to cheer him up, but I wasn't hanging out with him because I pitied him."

"Good," Riley said with a smile, "because he is a really nice guy, who deserves someone great like you."

"Thanks, honey bun," Amanda pulled her cousin into a much needed hug. With her cousin by her side, what could go wrong?

──︒✿ཾ∘∗✽ᜒࠬ. ──

"You know what I like? Life. And I like it when it doesn't change," Riley told Maya and Amanda at school, "we should sing our happy song," she suggested.

Maya quickly opposed, "we don't have a happy song."

"We should have a happy song."

"We will never have a happy song," Maya shot at Riley, her voice low.

"I could go without a happy song, today."

"Why do you say that, Amanda," her cousin asked.

"Nothing, just not in the mood is all," she replied, making sure to smile so she doesn't get questioned again.

"Well, we'll never have a happy song with those attitudes."

The bell rang, bringing the three girls into history class where Maya began speaking again, "so.... you don't want anything to change?"

Riley shook her head, "no, don't like change. Change fills my pockets with pennies of uncertainty."

Mr. Matthews starts his lesson, "alright, so, should we actually find out what happens in Belgium 1831?"

"No," said Farkle, surprising everyone.

"No," Matthews repeated in disbelief.

"I always get my hopes up, and then something happens to hurt my little Farkle heart."

"You're adorable," commented Amanda.

"Thank you, beautiful lady," he smirked, "well this time I refuse to believe."

"In 1831...." Matthews started.

"Yes," Farkle eagerly leaned forward in his seat, "wait anything going to suddenly happen to you," he asked Riley.

"No changes lovin' life," she answered.

"Anything gonna happen to you," he turned to Lucas.

"Nothing ever happens to me."

He turns to Maya calling out her name, only to be greeting by her snores. He widened his eyes in excitement, "oh my gosh, this is it."

"In 1831, Belgium...."

"What? Y'all started without me?"

"Get out...." Farkle growled, waking Maya up from her slumber.

But his plea was ignored, "somebody in this room is going to be very surprised to see me."

Amanda ducked her head, but was waiting for the inevitable.

"Is it me," asked Riley.

"Don't know, sugar, but could you be any cuter," the boy complicated, with a smile.

"Well, I can't answer that," she responded.

Matthews stepped toward the boy, "you got a transcript, kid?"

"I do," he said, handing it to Mr. Matthews, "check out them grades. Here, let me sing 'em to you. De De De De De, De F."

"Hey, I know that song," Maya nodded with a smile.

"Isaiah Babineaux," Matthews announced, "from Austin, Texas."

All eyes found Lucas's quiet form, "what are you doing here, Zay?"

"Well the first thing I'm doing, is waiting for a better reaction from you. But we'll work on that later. There is another person in this room that would also be surprised to see me," Zay turned to Amanda.

"Hey, Zay," she greeted from her seat.

"Mandy, you know this Isaiah as well?"

"I went down to Texas for the summer before I came here and we met. He knows a lot about me and why I left," she revealed.

"You told him, but not us," Riley furrowed her brows, "not me?"

"It's not something I'm proud of sharing. I'm sorry."

"Don't apologize, niece. I know all about it."

"Dad, you know something?"

"Riley, you're shaking," Maya pointed out Riley's shaking hands.

"Back in my hometown, something happened, I had to leave," Amanda shared, the view of her hands most intriguing.

"It was great, I mean she shut down the whole school," Zay expressed.

"What?!"

Riley's outburst was ignored, "yeah, it was almost as bad as my boy, Lucas, and what he did."

"Zay," Lucas warned.

Amanda's eyebrows furrowed, "what did you do," she turned to Lucas.

"What did you do?"

──︒✿ཾ∘∗✽ᜒࠬ. ──

Amanda was sitting with her two bestfriend's at lunch, she wasn't contributing to the conversation like she normally would, her mind somewhere else. Riley and Maya knew to talk to her about it later, in the bay window.

"Look, we don't know the story yet. Let's know the story before you go to MandyLand."

"I'm not going into MandyLand, I'm calm," Amanda reassured the girls.

Just then, Lucas Friar joined the three girls at the table, the boy looking at Amanda, looking eager to start a conversation with her.

Amanda caved, "deny it."

Lucas sighed, "Mandy."

She waved him off, "tell me, that Zay can't just come in here and change you from the Lucas we know. Tell me nothing is changing."

"Tell me why you had to leave your old school," Lucas offered with a raised brow.

"Touché."

──︒✿ཾ∘∗✽ᜒࠬ. ──

"You knew," Riley stormed into the apartment, slamming the front door in the process, eyes blazing.

The door opened again, "oh, are you going to get yelled at, Matthews," Maya laughed, "oh, I missed it, do it again," she nudged Riley.

"I tried to stop her, Uncle, I really did," Mandy came through the door, defending herself.

"How could you keep something like this away from me?"

"Riley, it's not that big of a deal," Amanda tried to reason with her cousin.

"Yes, I did know that Lucas was expelled. And I also know what happened at Mandy's old school."

Topanga, who was sitting on the couch, shot out from her seat, "what?"

"Topanga, you know this, I told you all about this."

"Yeah, I know you told me all about this, but I want nothing to do with that," the mother turned to her daughter, a frightened look on her face.

"You know I used to like him. Why would you let me like him, if you knew something about him?"

"Riley, honey," Topanga started, "whatever this is about Lucas and or Mandy, that I know nothing about. I'm sure your father knows exactly what you need to learn from it."

"Really dad? You got anything?"

Matthews didn't offer a response.

──︒✿ཾ∘∗✽ᜒࠬ. ──

"Al washes a car in six minutes. Fred washes the same car in eight minutes. How long does it take for Al and Fred to wash the car, together?"

Amanda raised her eyebrows, "Mr. Uncle, what does this have to do with anything?"

"Three minutes and twenty-five point seven second," Farkle blurted out.

"Wrong," Matthews denied.

"I'm sorry, what did you just say?"

"You're wrong," the History teacher repeats.

"I'm wrong? You're a History teacher teaching, English, Science, whatever you got going on at home. You waltz your wife in here on Career Day," Farkle raved.

"She's a respected attorney," he defended.

Farkle narrowed his eyes, "my father said she should've been my mother."

"What do you want from me?!"

"Why do you teach this way, Uncle Cory?" Amanda asked.

"I teach this way because in my old school, I had a very strict teacher."

"He teach History, English, or Math?" Zay asked.

"I don't know," the teacher answered, "but in his class, there was no talking, no interruptions."

Zay spoke again, "so you didn't like him?"

"I loved him," Matthews stressed.

"Then why don't you teach like him," Farkle asked.

"Because I would never try to be like him. I could only fail. I only succeed with you guys if I get my teaching across as effectively as he did."

"You do," reassured Maya, she turned to the class, "he does."

"Thank you, Maya. And I will now," he paused, "Al washes a car in six minutes. Fred washes the same car in eight minutes."

"He thinks it's Math class, somebody stop him," Zay exclaimed, "you, what's your name," he asked Farkle.

"Farkle," the boy answered.

"What'd you call me?"

Farkle sighed, "my name is Farkle."

"Who would do that to you.."

Matthews brought the class back to the task at hand, "so your assignment today, is to wash a car. Together."

"With her," Riley motioned toward Amanda.

"With him," Amanda motioned toward Lucas.

"Together," was Matthews only answer.

"If you do it correctly, you will find the answer is, three minutes and twenty-five point seven seconds," Farkle gleefully reminded the class.

Matthews sighed, "If you do it correctly, you will find the secret of life."

──︒✿ཾ∘∗✽ᜒࠬ. ──

The group was outside at the gymnasium parking lot. Zay was in the car that Maya had just finished washing, "done."

"Amazing."

"How long?"

"nineteen minutes and forty-two seconds. Congratulations, you are the worst car washer in this class," Farkle deadpanned.

Maya groaned, "oh, you mean no one will ever ask me to wash a car for them," she sarcastically said, "say it."

"You're a genius," Riley complimented.

The blonde smirked, "oh, stop."

"The only two who washed the car in sixth minutes and eight minutes exactly were Riley and-"

"Mandy? Was it Mandy? Could it be Mandy? Mandy," Maya guessed.

"Yeah, Mandy."

Riley grumbled, "I'm not washing a car with her."

"Oh yes you are. And you are wishing it in three minutes and twenty-five point seven seconds and I will go back to your father and say, heh," Farkle ranted, "Now pick up that hose," receiving a 'fine' from Riley, "and pick up that bucket," receiving a salute from Amanda.

"And..... Go!"

The two girls took opposite ends of the car, Riley in the front, and Amanda in the back.

"No. No. Work together. The equation doesn't work if you don't work together."

Amanda sighed, "Riles, I could use some water over here to rinse this off."

Riley chuckled, "water? You want some water?"

Mandy quirked an eyebrow, "yes please."

Maya went up to Amanda, "oh, Mandy, Mandy, Mandy. Whatever happened back at your old school, I'm sorry about. But Riley isn't going to let it go, so just save us some trouble and tell. Oh and you're stupid for asking for water."

"I'm sorry too, Maya, but I'm not ready to share. It's not something I'm proud of," she paused, "and why would I be stupid to ask for wat-"

She was cut off by Riley, who had a hold of the hose, spraying it at Amanda. Amanda quickly ran to the opposite side of the car and taking cover. It was only when she heard the hose turn off that she came out of hiding, "tell me what happened," her cousin commanded.

"Riley, it wasn't that bad. I promise," she ducked again, missing the water that was aimed toward her.

"When are you going to tell me what you did?"

"Riley, something's are better left unsaid," Amanda wasn't having fun anymore, "if you care about me at all, let me tell my story on my own time," the girl left, soaking wet, toward the front of the school.

The group was left in silence.

Lucas sighed, "I'll go after her."

──︒✿ཾ∘∗✽ᜒࠬ. ──

Amanda found herself sitting on the steps of her school, still soaking wet. There were suds in her hair and her shoes wouldn't stop squeaking whenever she moved them. She sniffled, feeling cold from the water she was drenched in. Suddenly, she found herself wrapped in a warm towel. She looked up to find Lucas Friar, who had just finished wrapping the towel around the girl.

Amanda thanked him silently with a smile and wrapped the towel around herself tighter, "if you're going to lecture me, please save it."

"I'm not gonna lecture you," he shook his head, "you just look like you need someone to talk to. I'll share if you share."

Amanda contemplated his suggestion, before agreeing, she trusted him, "okay."

"I had to leave my school in Texas because I picked a fight with someone, sticking up for Zay," Lucas revealed.

"I'm so sorry," Mandy put a hand on his shoulder.

"Don't be," he smiled, "In a way, I'm glad I left. The friendships I've made here doesn't even compare to the ones I had in Texas."

"In a good way, I hope," the girl joked.

"In the best way."

Amanda took a breath, "I posted something on social media, something my classmates didn't like. It wasn't anything bad, a joke, but they didn't take it that way. I was bullied and harassed throughout my whole seventh grade year. It got so bad that my mom shipped me here, where she knew it was safe."

Lucas grabbed her hand in his, a sign of support and comfort, "you don't have to go into detail, if you don't want to," he reassured.

"Thank you."

"So, you think anything different of me now that you know?"

"I was worried because I think a lot of you. But no, you're still the same Lucas Friar I talked to for hours at the bakery, still one of the best people I've ever met," she smiled at him.

"I could say the same thing."

Nothing else was said, Amanda put her, still sopping wet, head on Lucas's shoulder. And they stayed that way, for a long time.

──︒✿ཾ∘∗✽ᜒࠬ. ──

edited: 25 feb 2021