𝒇𝒓𝒆𝒆 𝒇𝒂𝒍𝒍𝒊𝒏𝒈 — 𝒄𝒉𝒂𝒑𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝒕𝒘𝒆𝒍𝒗𝒆

❝ 𝙡𝙞𝙚𝙨 𝙗𝙚𝙩𝙬𝙚𝙚𝙣 𝙛𝙧𝙞𝙚𝙣𝙙𝙨 ❞

──︒✿ཾ∘∗✽ᜒࠬ. ──

"Riley, I have to tell you something."

"I don't want to know."

──︒✿ཾ∘∗✽ᜒࠬ. ──

The group of friends were back in New York. Amanda and her two best friends were going back in forth on what should or what shouldn't be said.

"Riles, something happened—"

"I don't need to know what happened."

"No, I need to tell you," Maya stressed, "you need to know."

Amanda sighed, "Riles, just listen to Maya. If she thinks it's important, please listen to her."

"Girls, I know a lot of things are going to happen," Riley smiled, looking between the two, "you know what else I know? Maya, you saw how happy I was with Andrew and stepped back for me. And then I saw how scared you were for him. You need to feel however you feel, Maya, how could I ever keep that from you," she shrugged, "whatever happens, happens."

Hearing footsteps, the girls turned to see the guys coming towards them. Amanda smiled as she met Lucas in the middle and gave him a kiss on his cheek, the boy grabbing her hand in greeting.

"You guys are so cute," Maya commented, "it's disgusting."

"Love you too, Maya," Amanda laughed as she and her boyfriend moved to sit at the bench with Farkle.

"My brother," Riley smiled at Andrew as she went in to punch him in the arm.

"Hey! Hi! Hey, Riley," Andrew quickly grabbed her hand, preventing her to hit her target, "you know, um, I want to thank you again for believing in me, and giving me the confidence that I would be okay."

"I will always believe in you, and I will always be here."

"Thank you, Riley," Andrew turned to Maya, "hi."

"Hey."

"Hey."

Riley intervened, "hi."

Andrew looked between the two girls, "wow," and walked into the classroom.

"Hey, Riley."

"Charlie Gardener!"

"Stop it," Riley told her two best friends.

"Cheese soufflé!"

Riley turned around, "Maya, we just got back, how could he possibly know anything?"

Amanda sighed before looking at Zay, "oh no. What did you do?"

The boy smiled sheepishly, "he made me, Riley. He made me."

"How did he make you?"

"I said 'you wanna hear a great Riley story?' and he said 'yes'!"

"I heard you and Andrew are just going to be friends," Charlie said.

"Yes! Actually what we're doing is—"

"I heard you're free," he cut Riley off, "are you free?"

──︒✿ཾ∘∗✽ᜒࠬ. ──

"I don't want this."

"We're confused," Maya responded after Mr. Matthews.

Riley knew she was in over her head when it came to the 'Charlie situation' and asked her parents for guidance. The only person who wasn't sitting at the bay window like the others was Amanda, who was sitting comfortably on her cousin's bed.

"I don't want this either," Topanga shared.

"We're going into high school," her daughter stressed.

"Do you know what your priorities are in high school?"

"High school."

"It's where you further your minds and get an education."

"You know why?"

"So that you're smart enough to not get yourself in situations like this."

"We're not in a situation. Everything's fine," Riley exclaimed.

"Maya?"

"We're in a situation."

"Why do we have to have feelings," Riley asked.

"You don't," her father answered, "get rid of 'em."

Topanga turned to the blonde, "you think you like Andrew?"

"How could you not like him?"

"I didn't think you liked anyone," commented Matthews.

"It's my facade."

"Don't use big words correctly, it's not who you are."

"Don't worry, my fellow relatives," the four turned towards Amanda, "they're Riley and Maya. Nothing could ever come between them. They know their priorities when it comes to each other."

"They are two confused kids who don't know what they're doing," Topanga rebottled, "what do you know?"

Mandy let out a nervous chuckle, "I don't know anything. I'm just here to pick up the pieces."

Matthews took the attention away from his niece, "you know what you two should do? Nothing. Don't do anything."

"Nothing is easy as it seems when feelings are involved," Topanga continued for her husband.

"Mom, it is easy. Andrew is like my brother and I want Maya to be happy."

Her mother scoffed, "you think being the master of a bull is hard? That is nothing compared to being the master of your own feelings, Riley. They will shake you around and they will send you flying. Sometimes you hold on and sometimes you let go. It's the scariest ride there is."

Riley furrowed her brow, "well, what do you want us to do?"

"Don't feel," Matthews blurted, "I want you not to feel."

──︒✿ཾ∘∗✽ᜒࠬ. ──

"The Hoover Dam on the Arizona /Nevada border holds back ten trillion gallons of confused fourteen year old feelings that look to smack down the concrete structure of your life and my life, and I can't take it and I don't want it, so everybody sit here and nobody move!"

That was Mr. Matthews opening lecture the next day during class. He continued, "because as strong as the structural integrity of the Hoover Dam might be, just one little tiny drop of water that makes its way through this barrier will chip away at the structural integrity of our lives as we know them and the immediate result is the end of my personal happiness!"

During their teachers lecture, students began to pass around a single piece of paper.

"So, your assignment is to hold everything back until I die. And not let anything through!"

Riley Matthews felt a tap on her shoulder, she saw her cousin with a note in her hand, addressed for her. The brunette took the note and proceeded to read it;

"Since you're free
will you go out with me?
Charlie."

"Riley, what's that?"

The girl looked up at her father and quickly tucked the note away, "nothing."

"Riley. Did something break through?"

"Riley, something happened between me and Andrew."

Riley turned toward the blonde with a somewhat disappointed look in her eyes.

"Oh, boy," Andrew sighed, not meeting Riley's eyes.

Riley looked down and sighed, she looked back up and toward the back of the classroom and smiled slightly, "yes, Charlie. I will go out with you."

"Hoover Dam!"

──︒✿ཾ∘∗✽ᜒࠬ. ──

Riley. Maya. Andrew.

The three names were plastered on the chalk board the next day during class.

"Matthews, we know that everything you teach is about us but this is just lazy," Maya joked.

"I don't have the time," Matthews exclaimed, "I'm going right for it. You don't think I can mash this up with the end of World War II if I wanted to? America loves Russia. Then, America doesn't love Russia. Japan loves France now. Japan asks France to go bowling. So, they go on a couple of dates, but then Japan says, 'I just want to be friends,' so France says, 'I got enough friends.' So, they try to be civil with each other, but there's a certain chill while they're hanging out by the lockers. There's a chill! You don't think everyone in this room is going bowling with everybody else at one point," he motioned to the board, "Riley, Maya, and Andrew is all about everybody in this room, in every room, in the whole world, and the universe! They just got their first! The jerks."

"Dad!"

"You're going to high school," Matthews pointed out to his daughter, "you are growing up in spite of my wishes. It's real now. What's happened already is nothing compared to what's going to happen to you now. I just don't want anything bad happen to you. Don't let anything bad happen to you!"

With that, their teacher grabbed his briefcase and started to make his way towards the exit. Amanda scoffed, "uh, Mr. Uncle? Class isn't over..."

"Nah, I've had it."

──︒✿ཾ∘∗✽ᜒࠬ. ──

Farkle. Amanda.

"Yeah, that's right. I'm calling Farkle time," Mr. Matthews told the two students the next day after class, "you know why? Because every time it's Farkle time, we learn something. And I need to learn something."

"Then why am I here, Uncle?"

"Because you two were in Texas, and I wasn't."

"Yes, we were, sir."

"And would you agree that something happened in Texas that changed everything."

"Yes, sir."

"Do you know what it is?"

"No, sir."

Matthews turned to his niece, "do you know?"

"I don't know anymore."

"Do either of you know how to fix it?"

"No, sir."

"Why not," Matthews asked Farkle.

"Because I'm a scientist, sir. This is all about feelings. Feelings that are new and hard to describe. Look, I'm a genius, but when Isadora Smackle looks in my eyes with that beautiful, goofy face of hers, I get a feeling that I can only describe as; boylalaow! You feel me?"

The two Matthews in the room furrowed their brows at the boy's outburst. Their teacher sighed, "yeah, I feel you, Farkle," he paused, coming closer to the teens, "listen, you are Farkle. And you are my niece. These people have always been important to you two. I need you two to figure out what's going on with the three of them and make everything better."

"I'm on it, sir," Farkle spoke, "I like us just the way we are. I don't want anything to change either."

The two turned toward Amanda, who looked up from the view of her hands, "I'm just here to pick up the pieces."

──︒✿ཾ∘∗✽ᜒࠬ. ──

"You know something, don't you?"

Amanda turned around to see Farkle and her boyfriend looking at her in concern outside of Topanga's. Maya and Andrew were inside, on a date, not doing anything, with Zay observing them from a bar stool.

"What," she asked airily, making it seem she didn't have a clue, when she did.

Lucas stepped forward, "you know something, little darlin'?"

"Oh, you know whenever you use that nickname, I can't resist," Mandy winced, then eventually sighed, "yes. I know something."

"Can you tell us what it is?"

"I don't know," she answered Farkle, "it's something that I promised I wouldn't tell if it wasn't absolutely necessary."

"Amanda," Farkle stepped forward, "if this could help the situation between the three of them, share it. Because we don't like secrets in our group. Everything is just going to get worse if someone doesn't say something soon."

Amanda's voice went to a whisper, "Riley still likes Andrew."

──︒✿ཾ∘∗✽ᜒࠬ. ──

Amanda and Lucas sat at the corner booth in Topanga's with Zay when they saw Riley come in the bakery for her date with Charlie.

"Hey, Riley."

"Hey, Charlie."

"Riley, I can't be your brother anymore."

"Hey, McHolland! Do you think you can pick a better time for this announcement? Riley and I are going to go on a date."

"You are?"

Charlie smiled, "no holding hands or talking. Best date ever. I know it's not but it's what I got."

Andrew scoffed, "those are the rules? Whose goes on a date but doesn't talk to each other," he went back to his seat next to Maya, "oh, yeah, we do. Hey."

"Hello."

Back at the corner of the room, Lucas was trying to convince Amanda to talk to Riley before it's too late, "just grab her and talk to her outside."

"I've already tried to talk her out of this! It's not working! Someone has to come with me!"

"I got this," the couple turned to Farkle, "I'll come with you."

Amanda deeply sighed as she got up from her seat and went over to her cousin who was having an argument with Andrew, asking him if he wasn't her brother, then what would he be?

"Riles, I need to talk to you," she gained everyone's attention, "now," she grabbed her cousin by the arm and dragged her out of the building with Farkle right behind them, closing the door to the bakery behind them.

"You need to tell the truth," Farkle was the first to speak as soon as the door shut.

"I am telling the truth."

"Stop lying to yourself, Riley," Amanda shouted, she didn't care if the others could hear her, "you are miserable! You think I didn't hear you earlier, crying on Aunt T's lap? 'Cause I did," she lowered her voice, "we know you don't like Andrew as a brother. You always fight for others. Fight for yourself! If you like him, stand your ground!"

"I'm just doing what's best for everyone concerned."

"When are you going to get this through your head? We're a strong group of friends! We can work anything out that comes our way! We just need to stick together," she took a seat at the stairwell and let Farkle take a turn.

"You're a liar."

"Farkle!"

"You're lying to yourself."

"I think I know my own feelings..."

"Do you?"

"I don't think you do, Riley," her cousin said from her seat, not being able to help herself, "and it's just going to get worse. You express to me that you like Andrew, and then you're spitting lies to everyone else, telling them the opposite? We're only fourteen years old! Our brains and our feelings can't handle this much back and forth. I wouldn't be surprised if you didn't  even know what you want anymore."

"Amanda!"

"I'm serious, Riley. What I said was true, I'm here to pick up the pieces. But I am not going to stand here and let you throw away a chance to be happy for someone else. No matter who it is! You do everything for that girl in there," she motioned toward the building and walked closer to her cousin, "and as not only your best friend but your cousin, it is my job to help you through life and help you grow. And the one thing you've never done is do something for yourself. That will help you grow more then anything."

Riley felt a tear drop down her cheek, "you can't tell anybody," she mumbled to her two best friends.

"We will if you won't."

"Why," she asked Farkle.

"Because, Amanda's right, we're growing up. And we don't lie to each other. Especially about feelings we're all trying to understand."

"We don't lie to each other, Riley," Amanda repeated the boy's statement.

"You're both right," Riley paused, "this is just really hard and maybe I just need some time."

"We're always here for you," Farkle reminded as the three of them shared a hug.

"I love you guys."

"We love you."

Farkle smiled, "now go on your date."

As if on cue, Charlie comes out of the building, "you ready to go?"

"For the previews of coming attractions," Riley laughed slightly, wiping her cheeks.

"Yeah, I'm sure we're all wondering what happens now..."

──︒✿ཾ∘∗✽ᜒࠬ. ──

edited: 27 feb 2021