Lollie Parker

"The sun shines during the day." Mr. Matthews stated, "Ms. Matthews will argue the affirmative."

"Good morning, everybody.
You know why people say that in the morning?" She asked.

She walked towards the window and pulled on the blinds to reveal the sunlight.

"Paam!"

She walked towards her podium, "Nailed it."

"How can you possibly lose?" Maya asked.

"Trust me, she can lose." Lollie said.

"First of all, let's understand that day and night are merely words invented by human beings to communicate simple conceptual constructs apropos of nothing." Farkle explained.

"Ooh!" Smackle muttered.

Lollie looked at Lucas, "That could've been us, you know."

"I'm glad it's not."

"Apropos." Farkle repeated.

"Rawr."

"I take it back. I'm glad it's not."

"Thank you. Thank you very much. Anyway, science tells us that the sun is always shining and what appears to be day and night is merely our angle of proximity at a particular time to the Earth's revolution." Farkle explained.

Lollie looked over at Riley who continued to make faces at Farkle.

"And, for extra credit, there's no such thing as time." He said.

Riley shouted, "Time!"

"Our debate topic, therefore, is false. The sun does not just shine during the day, it also shines during the night, just not on us." Farkle said.

"I win." Riley declared.

"How do you win?" Mr. Matthews asked.

"Because I have high hopes.
Because when you believe passionately-"

"And our debate winner is Farkle Minkus!" Mr. Matthews said.

The class applauded for him.

"I don't understand. I said what I believed. How could that be wrong?" Riley asked.

"There's no wrong, Riley.
But there are rules to a debate."

"Okay, who cares about the rules when we know that the sun shines during the day?" Riley asked.

"That's interesting, isn't it? How often do we get so lost in what we think, that we refuse to listen to what the other side has to say, huh? You guys know why we debate in history class? History teaches us that most wars start because we don't listen to the other point of view."

"I'm not trying to start a war.
I just think it's okay to feel strongly about what you believe in."

"Riley, it's not enough to go through life without considering the other point of view."

"Oh, I'm sorry, I couldn't hear you. The sun was in my ears."

"Riley."

"Cory."

"Here we go." Noah smiled.

"This is great." Lollie added.

"I love this class so much." Zay said.

"Being passionate about what you believe in is the only way to live. I don't need your facts, and I certainly don't need your points of view." Riley said.

"Switch." Mr. Matthews said.

"Huh?"

"Switch sides. Argue the other side."

Farkle walked around Riley and stood at her podium.

Mr. Matthews looked at Farkle, "Farkle?"

"The sun shines during the day.
You know how I know? Poom!" Farkle said and pulled on the blinds.

"Hey!" Riley shouted.

"POOM is my acronym for "Polar oscillation in orbital motion." Farkle explained.

"Is it hot in here? It's hot in here, right? What's happening?" Smackle asked.

"It's called love Smackle. I'm glad you're feeling it." Lollie said.

"Farkle, what do you really believe?" Riley asked.

"The sun shines all the time.
When we see it, it's day.
So for us, the sun shines during the day." Farkle said.

"How do we know what you really believe if you can switch sides that easily?"

"I'm not changing what I believe.
But a good debater needs to be able to argue both sides."

"Right." Mr. Matthews said, "And as you continue to grow, you'll find a benefit to understanding the other side of an argument. Because if you know what you're up against, you'll be ready for it."

"Oh, I don't think I'll need to be ready to argue something as simple as whether the sun is out or not."

"Are people naturally good or evil?" Mr. Matthews asked.

"Good." Riley said.

"All of you will argue good. Only one of you will argue the other side. Ms. Matthews."

"You wouldn't dare." Riley muttered.

"You will make the case for evil."

The bell rang and Lucas, Noah, and the rest of the classmates walked out of the classroom.

Zay stood behind and spoke to Mr. Matthews, "Boy, you have killed us all."

"Yes. Yes, I have. Let's go."

"How could people possibly be evil?" Riley asked.

"I don't know, man." Maya told her.

Riley and Lollie looked back at Maya who took the printer away.

"You've got to help me, Lollie." Riley said.

"This isn't hard, Riley. There's always two sides to every story. You've got this." Lollie encouraged.

"Lollie, I can't. Come on. You're smart and you're pretty."

"Not gonna work."

"See. You can totally help me. You're being kinda-sorta evil right now by not helping me."

Lollie looked up at Riley, "You think I'm being evil right now?"

"I mean- no?"

"I'll help you, Riley; because I'm so evil."

"No, wait."

"I'll see you later."

Lollie walked out of the classroom and headed towards Lucas, "I'm helping, Riley now."

"Really? Why?"

"She persuaded me. In that Riley way, she has."

Lucas smiled at his girlfriend and held her hand.

"Hey, I've been meaning to give you this."

Before he could pull whatever he had out, Maya walked up to the two.

"Bay window. Bay window, right now."

"Can it wait?" Lollie asked.

"Ring power."

"What? What is that?"

Maya looked down at Lollie's hand and saw no ring on her hand.

"Okay. Um, friendship power overpowers relationship powers, dude. So come on."

Lollie faced Lucas, "I'm sorry."

"Don't worry about it. I'll catch up with you later."

Lollie nodded and Lucas kissed her on the forehead.

"Gross." Maya muttered.
﹏﹏﹏﹏

"Okay, I think it's best that we do this a little at a time." Maya said.

"Why?" Riley asked.

Maya began to slowly open up the her laptop.

"Close it." Riley said.

"You did great." Maya smiled.

"Lollipop?" Lollie asked.

"May I have a red one, please?" She asked.

Lollie picked up the bowl of lollipops which only contained red lollipops.

She looked back at Riley and back down at the bowl.

She randomly picked a lollipop and gave Riley one.

Riley ripped the plastic off her lollipop, "Okay, so I wasn't prepared. But I'm glad you started out with the worst thing possible."

"You know what? You just tell me when to stop." Maya asked, "Okay?"

Maya began to open up the laptop, "Stop." Riley said and licked her lollipop.

"Go." She sighed, "Please tell me, that is the worst thing possible."

"Yep, it is. There's nothing worse than that." Maya said.

"I don't want to live in a world like this!" She said.

Riley flipped the laptop around and saw a half-shaved goat.

"Riley, you're wearing a wool sweater." Maya said.

"Oh, get off!" Riley said throwing the sweater off.

"It's looking at you." Maya said.

Lollie grabbed the jacket off the floor and threw it on Riley.

"Get it off of me!" She said and threw it out of the window.

"That's the last time I ever loan you anything!" Maya said.

"Okay. What else ya got?" Riley asked.

"You know what? How 'bout we just start with a small, simple, little place like New York City." Lollie said.

She grabbed Maya's laptop, "Let's see what's happening in our own backyard."

The door creaked open and Auggie walked inside, "Hi, guys."

They only looked up at him.

"That's not nice." He said.

Maya and Lollie looked back up and sent him a small smile.

"Okay. Today's local item "No Day at the Beach."" Lollie read.

"What's that?" Riley asked, ""New York City beaches are overrun with trash. Bottles, cans, wrappers litter our beaches to the point where wildlife is endangered and people no longer go barefoot.""

"But I like the sand between my toes." Auggie said.

He sighed and walked out of the room.

"Don't you hate it when people overreact?" Riley asked.

"Totally."

"So, how do you feel?" Maya asked.

"I feel transformed. Evil's gooey tentacles have squeezed my pure heart. But I'll never believe that people aren't good." Riley said.

"You know how I pass the newsstands and the headlines are screaming right at you in the face?" Maya asked.

"I look at the pretty magazines." Riley said.

"But do you ever look at the news? Like, important news?" Lollie asked.

"I know what's trending. I know what's up with what's up." She said.

"So you look at the news every day and see the sad sad whales?" Lollie asked.

"Not every day, no." She said.

"Okay. How about we just look at the headlines from today." Maya said.

"This is now?" Riley asked.

"Right now." Lollie said.

"Where is this?" She asked.

"This is our world, Riley. This is every day."

"Oh, my gosh." Riley said.
﹏﹏﹏﹏

The group excluding Zay all sat around at Topanga's.

"Do you guys know what goes on out there?" Riley asked.

The group nodded.

"Climate change, poverty, war?"

"Yeah." Lucas said.

"This is the way that the world is?" She asked.

Farkle looked at her, "We try to keep it from you."

"You're all in on it?" She asked.

"The Riley Committee." Maya said.

"I pay dues." Farkle smiled.

"There are no dues." Noah said.

"Quiet." Maya said.

"It's worth it anyway." Farkle said, "I think it's wonderful to have somebody among us who looks for the good in everything."

"Well, that's over." Riley said.

"Good." Lollie said.

"Why?" Farkle asked.

"It's reality. We have to learn to either live with it or change it. No matter how much we want to keep it from her."

"Wow, Lollie. That's kind of-" Farkle started.

"Mean-spirited, harsh, evil?" Lollie asked.

"I didn't mean it that way."

"But you did Farkle, you were gonna say it. All of you are thinking it. Sorry I'm living in the twenty-first century, Where we have to figure out these problems. I get it, we protect her from all these bad things that are happening. It's better that she learns them now instead of waiting for something evil to happen when she's like, eighty."

Farkle sighed at his best friend.

"I've seen things. I'm not Simple Riley anymore."

"Riley, don't let reality change you." Farkle said.

"Yeah, reality's only as powerful as you let it be." Smackle explained, "Sometimes you can create your own reality. Right, me and Lucas in Hawaii?"

Lollie looked at Lucas, "I have nothing, physically or mentally to do with that. I swear." Lucas said.

"Smackle, inside-your-head voice." Farkle muttered.

"Knowing things changes you.
I'm supposed to argue that people are evil, and now I can." Riley said, "I have started my research, and I will continue down this dark journey that I can only call, "Riley Matthews: evil person."

The group looked at each other and laughed.

"What, you guys don't think I could be bad?" She asked.

"Okay." Lollie started, "Do the worst thing that you can think of right now."

"Hi, to everybody but you!" She said.

Riley looked at Lollie and covered her face, "I'm sorry."

"Guys, we're gonna be fine." Maya said.

"Are we?" Lollie asked.

"My cookie came." Zay said.

He held the cookie in his hand and smiled.

"Cookie day!" Lucas said.

"Everyone say it!" Zay demanded.

"Cookie day." They said nonchalantly.

"What the-"

Farkle quickly covered Smackle mouth.

"I hold in my hand one Grandma Gandy cookie. Now Grandma Gandy could send me a whole batch, but she doesn't 'cause then she knows I wouldn't appreciate it as much." Zay said.

"Looks like she's right." Noah said.

"I mean, grandma says that there's value in just one thing, that you appreciate it more because there's just one. Maybe so, because when I look at this, I think about her making it for me, and her thinking about me the whole time." Zay explained.

"That's really sweet of her, Zay." Lollie said.

"Ah, come on, Lollie. Don't fake it."

Lollie stood up and walked towards Zay.

"What do you mean?"

Lucas stood up behind her and tried to signal for Zay to stop.

"I mean, I know you don't mean it."

"You know I don't mean it? What are you talking about? I wish my grandma did things like that for me. All she does is repeat the story about how she met my grandpa."

"Come on, Lollie. I know you. Either way, I think it's really nice how she does that stuff for me."

"That's a good thing she does, Riley." Maya said, "Doesn't Grandma Gandy seem like a good person?"

"My grandma's getting pretty old now. This could be the last cookie I'm ever gonna get." Zay said.

Riley stood up and bit into Zay's cookie.

Lollie slapped her hand over her mouth.

"Riley!" Noah shouted.

"Are you kidding me?" Zay asked.

"Okay, that was bad." Maya said.

"Bad? What could she do worse than that?" Zay asked.

"This cookie is only okay." She said.

"It was his grandma's, Riley. It really meant a lot to him." Lollie said.

Riley faced Lollie and whispered, "He already thinks you don't care. They don't like how this is you facing the reality. Show them."

"I'm gonna go." Lollie said, "I have research to do."

"Lollie, wait."

Lucas grabbed her by the arm, "You know, Farkle and Zay didn't mean what they said."

"I have stuff to do."

"Can I come?"

"Stay. I think Zay needs you more than what I do."
﹏﹏﹏﹏

Lollie sat in her room, and worked on her laptop.

She heard a knock on her bay window and saw Lucas sitting outside of it.

She sat her laptop to the side and walked towards the window.

She lifted it up and let him inside, as she began to close it, Zay and Farkle followed suit.

Once they were all inside she sighed and shut her window.

She turned around and saw all three of them sitting on her bed.

"Can I help you, boys?"

Lucas looked at the two who just stood there.

Lucas rolled his eyes and pushed Zay forward.

"I'm sorry."

"We're sorry." Farkle said.

Lollie looked between the two, "Cool."

"Cool?" Zay questioned.

"I mean, truth hurts doesn't. You said what you meant and now I understand. I don't show you guys how much I care and I'm gonna start showing every emotion ever."

"Lollie, come on. We're sorry, and you're right. I need to show Riley the truth." Farkle said.

"My mom made cookies, but she worked really hard on them."

"You knew we were coming." Lucas said.

Lollie nodded, "I could tell that you were sorry by the looks in your faces. I'm sorry, for saying things in a not so positive way. I just have to learn how to say it nicely."

Zay walked up to Lollie and hugged her, "Your mom is still downstairs?"

Lollie let go, smiled, and nodded.

Zay walked out of the room and headed downstairs.

Farkle followed after, hugging the girl, "You're my best friend, you know?"

"And you're mine."

Farkle let go and headed downstairs with Zay.

Lollie faced Lucas, "Thanks."

"Anything for you."

Lollie walked up to him and stood up on her tippy toes and kissed him.

Her hand rested on his cheek.

Lucas pulled away from her but was still relatively close.

"I have something for you."

Lollie smiled, "Right. You tried to give it to me earlier."

"That was then and this is now."

Then, someone banged on her window.

Lollie looked over at it and looked back and, Lucas.

"Continue."

The banging continued.

Lollie let out a heavy sigh and opened her window.

"Ring power!" Maya shouted.

Lollie shook her head, "What are you talking about?"

Maya grabbed Lollie's hand and put a ring on her finger, "You are officially our, boom. If one of us, that one of us being, you, Riley, and or myself, calls ring power we must go to them with anything."

"But Maya-"

"Ring power!"

Lollie shut her eyes and sighed, "Give me a minute."

She shut her window and looked at Lucas.

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be. Go."

Lollie walked up to him and kissed him on his cheek, "I'll promise it just be us soon."

Lucas nodded and Lollie headed out the window.

Zay peaked around the corner, "You've gotta try these cookies, man."
﹏﹏﹏﹏

"I'm evil now." Riley said.

"This is what you've pulled me away from?" Lollie asked.

"It's important." Maya said, "Yeah, you're my new dark leader."

"What's next? That heavy metal?" She asked.

"What's next is apologizing to Zay." Lollie said.

"The evil don't apologize, Lollie, and now I have to tell you two something, and it's gonna shake you up real good." She said.

"Riley, your five evil minutes are up. Okay? Snap out of it." Maya said.

"Maya there is part of me that liked it. Seeing that look on everybody's face there was a part of me that liked it."

"You shook?" Lollie asked Maya.

"I'm a little shook."

"Riles, we all have that, okay? That's how we're made. We all have a little angel and a little devil that sit on our shoulders and try to win us over." Maya explained.

"I have a devil?" She asked.

"Even you." Lollie said.

"She's wearing a red, sparkly halter top." Riley said.

"What's her name?" Maya asked.

"Sassy Haltertop." She said.

"Mine's Stabby McGee. We should get 'em together."

Lollie felt herself dip down and looked over and saw Lucas sitting beside her.

"Riley, apologize." Lucas said.

"We came over to give you the chance to apologize." Farkle said.

Zay and Noah followed after.

The door creaked opened and Smackle came inside.

"Came in through the front door 'cause I'm wearing a skirt. Didn't know it was window day." She said, "We know you feel awful about what you did."

Riley smiled.

"Doesn't look like she feels awful." Zay said.

"Would you just say you're sorry?" Noah asked.

"I can't." She said.

"Why?" Zay asked.

"It wouldn't be honest."

"You ate my cookie, man!"

"And I liked doing it, okay? I've never done anything like that before and I would never do anything to hurt anybody, but something red and sparkly inside of me liked it." Riley said.

"Well, okay for you, then." Zay said.

He headed out the window with Farkle and Lucas.

"Riley, please apologize." Noah said.

"I'm going through the front door." Smackle said.

"Maya, Lollie, I don't get it. I've seen headlines now. I know things now. Why is this such a big deal?" She asked.

"Because... Because you see that door? When it's shut, it's shut.
I can pull on it as hard as I can, it doesn't open. But just the slightest crack throws the door wide open. You opened the door, Riles. And the first bad thing makes it easier to do the next bad thing." Lollie explained.

"I think I already did the next bad thing." She said.

"What'd you do?" Maya asked.

"I didn't give Two Shoes Louie a dollar today." She said.

"What?!" Maya questioned.

"Who?" Lollie asked.

"You give him a dollar whenever you see him. You go, "Here you go, Two Shoes Louie." And he goes, "Thanks, Bright Eyes. Now I'm one dollar closer to getting my new pair of matching shoes."" Maya said.

"Aw, that's sad." Lollie said.

"But, he asked for two dollars today." Riley said, "And tomorrow is spaghetti and hot dog day, and I want me some of that."

"So you didn't give him anything?" Maya asked.

"No, Maya, an extra dollar wasn't going to change anything, okay? And besides, it's a scam." She said.

"What?" Maya asked.

"Yes, it's a scam, okay? We don't know what he does with that money." She said.

"Riley, it's possible he's saving up for a new pair of shoes." Lollie said.

"Or it's possible people are evil." She said.

"I can't help you anymore." Lollie said.

"What?"

"You're taking this evil thing a little too far and I'm not evil and if you think that I am I understand but working on how I say things, starting with this. I'm not helping you no matter how evil you think I am."
﹏﹏﹏﹏

The class stood on one side of the room and Riley on the other just for the debate.

"So, what did you find out?" Mr. Matthews asked, "Are people good, or evil, or what?" Mr. Matthews asked.

"We miss Riley." Farkle said.

"That's your opening statement?" He asked.

"Yes, and it's genius." Farkle said.

"Why is that?" Mr. Matthews asked.

"Because the change in Riley's behavior has changed the world we live in." Smackle said.

"And if we didn't notice the change, it would mean we are not possessed of a natural goodness that helps us recognize it in others." Lollie said.

"I was gonna say that." Maya muttered.

"I'm sorry." Lollie muttered back.

"Zay, what have you found out?" Mr. Matthews asked.

"I noticed she ate my cookie." He said.

"Do you forgive her for that?" He asked.

"No."

"And do you not forgive her because you're an evil person?"

"No. I do not forgive her because I'm a good person who lost a good cookie."

"Well, do you think you could ever forgive her?"

"It's possible I might forgive her in time."

"Why do you think that is?"

"Cause I was raised right. I don't know who raised her."

"Okay. Why do you think you might forgive her?"

"Because I know what she did isn't who she is. Sometimes good people do bad things."

"Thank you. So, can I hear from the other side?" Mr. Matthews asked.

"This is a world of poverty, hunger, and climate change. And we know it, and we tolerate it, and we have not changed it. So if the world creates opportunities for us to do something good or something evil every day, and that world is full of poverty, hunger, and war then doesn't the state of the world answer the question? Doesn't it prove that the world is evil? That we are evil?" She asked.

"You win, Riley." Mr. Matthew said.

"Oh, I didn't want to." She said.

"Excellent debate, Ms. Matthews."

"It was, Riley. You beat us." Noah said.

"Congratulations." Lollie said.

"So, that's it? People are evil?" She asked.

"Well, let's find out. Switch sides." He said.

"This is a world where children wake up at four o'clock in the morning to save starfish because something in them knows that it's the right thing to do." Riley said, "Why do we lose that? Where does that go? We are born with the choice of good or evil inside of us and as much fun as it was yesterday to do something bad, now it's today, and I know that doing a bad thing isn't fun at all."

Lucas looked towards Zay, "She feels bad, man."

"I don't care. I want my cookie back." He said.

"Zay, I feel terrible. But I know that you're going to forgive me. I know that you're a good person." Riley said.

"Possibly. In time. In a thousand years." He said.

"Now. I am asking for your forgiveness now." Riley said, "So I wrote this cookie song."

Zay quickly replied, "I forgive you!"

"Please, really forgive me." Riley said.

"Why?"

"There are two voices in us. Both sides know how to present their point." Mr. Matthews said.

"Which voice wins?" Maya asked.

"That is the only debate that matters. That's the only reason the sun shines in the middle of the night. There is good and there is evil. I found that if you choose good, the world is more than willing to help you out." Mr. Matthews said.

"Zay, this is the fault of Sassy Halter top. She sits on my shoulder and she told me to do a bad thing." Riley said.

"Yeah, I think everyone has that, but why did you listen?" Zay asked.

"Because I never did before." She said.

"There are two sides. You consider both, and you decide who you are." Mr. Matthews said.

"Look, Riley, I know who sits on your other shoulder, and Sassy Haltertop doesn't stand a chance against you." Zay said.

"So, you forgive me?" She asked.

"Yes, I do. Because I know who you really are. So I forgive you right now." He said.

"Thank you." She said.

She walked towards him and hugged him.

"And Lollie? I'm sorry, for everything. I shouldn't have done that to you."

"What did you do?" Farkle asked.

"Doesn't matter. She's sorry, I can see it on her face." Lollie smiled.

Riley smiled back and faced Zay, "Flour and sugar and butter and love That makes a cookie, I'm sorry I tookie forgive me!" She sang.

"Let go, woman!" Zay told her as she dragged him out of the classroom.

"No, you need to sing back." She sang.

"Lucas!" Zay said.

"You gotta sing, man." He said.
﹏﹏﹏﹏

Lollie sat at her bay window reading a book.

She had her back pressed against the window as she bopped her head to the beat of the music.

She felt the window began to open and moved leaned forward.

Lucas managed to squeeze past her and shut the window.

"How are you?"

Lollie looked up and him and laughed, "I'm fine. You?"

"I'm good, great even." He smiled and sat down beside her.

"What are you reading?"

Lollie tilted the book towards her and let him read the title.

"Five Feet Apart. How many do pages?"

"Two hundred eighty-one." Lollie looked over her glasses, "Are you stalling?"

"Yes."

Lollie closed her book and sat upright.

"Why?"

"I don't know if Maya is going to pop up."

"She's not. She's with Noah, at the arcade. They left about ten minutes ago."

Lucas smiled, "Good. Because now. I can finally show you what I got."

"Oh, yeah. I'm really sorry about the times before."

"It's not you're fault."

Lucas faced more towards Lollie and pulled out a box.

Lollie's eyes widened, "Um, Lucas this is great and all but I'm not ready to-"

"It's not that." He laughed, "I really like you, Lollie."

"I like you too, Lucas."

"Close your eyes."

She did what he had asked, he lifted her hand and she felt something cold against her wrist.

"Okay. Open."

She slowly opened her eyes and saw the bracelet on her wrist.

"Lucas."

"Wait." He said, "I really care about you, Lollie and if you don't want the bracelet I completely understand. I mean- I thought you would like it and it kinda sorta reminded me of you-"

Lollie placed her hand on his face and kissed him; he grabbed her arm softly that was pressed against her face.

Lollie pulled away and rested their foreheads on each other.

"I love it. Thank you."

"Good. I was nervous you wouldn't like it."

"You had no reason to be."

Lucas looked Lollie in the eyes, "I love you, Lollie."
﹏﹏﹏﹏

Word Count: 4501

Episode: Girl Meets Real World

Pages: 71

Oh, my god he love her!.!.!.

How are y'all? I'm good thanks for asking.

Amanda has NO REASON BEING THIS PRETTY WTF AHAHAHAAHHA

Also this book is gonna be over soon and it makes me sad :( I might go back and put in other episodes I didn't do because I don't want the story to be over. AH!