NOT THE HAIR THO.

Emily's POV

"Y'know what I like? Life. And I like it when it doesn't change. We should sing our happy song." Riley says as we are in the hallway. 

"We don't have a happy song." Maya says. I nod. 

"We should have a happy song." Riley says. 

"We will never have a happy song." I tell her. 

"Not with that attitude." Riley says. The bell rings and we walk into class.

"So you don't want anything to change?" Maya asks. 

"No, I don't like change." Riley says when we sit down. I sit down in front of Farkle. "Change fills my pockets with pennies of uncertainty." Maya and I give her puzzled looks

"All right. So should we actually learn about what happened in Belgium in 1831?" Mr. Matthews asks.

"No!" Farkle and I both yell. He looks at us confused. 

"No?"

"I always get my hopes up and then something happens to hurt my little Farkle heart. Well, this time I refuse to believe." Farkle tells him. I gesture to Farkle with a nod. 

"In 1831..." Matthews starts.

"Yes? Wait!" He says and looks at Riley. "Anything going to suddenly happen to you?"

"No changes, lovin' life." She replies

"Anything going to happen to you?" Farkle asks Lucas. 

"Nothing ever happens to me." Lucas says. I nod agreeing, he's right nothing ever does happen to him.

"Maya?" He says and she snores. He looks at me. "Em?"

"No, not unless my dad got out of jail." I say with a shrug. He gives me a small smile.

"Oh my gosh. This is it." Farkle says. 

"In 1831... Belgium-" Mr/ Matthews starts but gets cut off by some one walking in the room.

"What? Y'all started without me?" The kid asks.

"Get out!" Farkle and I both yell standing up. 

"Someone in this room is going to be very surprised to see me." He says.

"Is it me?" Riles asks. I sigh.

"Don't know, sugar, but could you get any cuter?" Zay asks her.

She smiles and says. "Well I can't answer that."

"You got a transcript, kid?"

He hands Matthews a paper. "I do. Check out them grades. Here, let me sing 'em to you. De, de, de, de, de, de... de f." He sings.

Maya smiles and nods. "Yeah, I know that song."

"Isaiah Babineaux. From Austin, Texas." Mr. Matthews says. My eyes widen as Farkle and I share a look. Austin, Texas as in where huckleberry is from? 

"What are you doing here, Zay?" He asks Zay.

"Well, the first thing I'm doing is waitin' for a better reaction from you." Zay tells him.

""Emily, Maya, something's changing." Riley says.

"Okay, Mr. Teach, where do I sit? You know, usually I'm more of a back row kind of guy." He says and Brenda waves and smiles. "Whoa. That's unusual." Zay says. I nod.

Matthews gestures to the seat behind Lucas. "Have a seat right there, Mr. Babineaux."

"Lucas, do you know this Isiah?" Riles asks Lucas.

Zay sits on top of his desk. "Yeah, tell 'em you know me good."

"How 'bout we talk later, okay?" Lucas says to her.

"Well, Mr. Babineaux, if you work out as well as last years new student" Matthews points toward Lucas. "we're happy to have you."

"Wait. What? Lucas, you're doing okay here?" Zay asks and I give him a confused look.

"Why wouldn't he be okay here?" Riley asks him.

"Not currently on probation? No disciplinary actions? They just let you wander free?" Zay asks. 

"Sit down!" Farkle says in a mad voice. Zay sits. "Okay new guy's all settled in and there's still class time left so do it! Do it while I'm still tingly!" I let out a small laugh at Farkle's words.

"So, In 1831, Belgium declared-" Yogi cuts off Mr. Matthews.

"What's the secret of life?" He asks. Farkle, Matthews and I stare at him. "I'm sorry, Mr. Farkle, Ms. Emily." He stands up and faces Matthews. "I know I'm not your daughter, but I too have value in this world. What is the secret of life?"

Matthews chuckles and holds up eraser. "Don't do it! Put it down and no one gets hurt." Farkle says to him. He smiles and erases the board. Farkle screams and pounds his head on the desk multiple times.

"Farkle." I say and he stops.

"Yogi has asked the primary riddle of the universe: What is the secret of life? People spend their whole lives trying to figure it out. I was lucky. I had a teacher who cared about me to make sure I knew. Lucas, You got an opinion on this?"

"Yes, What do you got, Mr. moral compass?" Maya asks him.

"Did you just call Lucas Friar your moral compass?" Zay asks Maya. He hits Lucas in the shoulder. "Ha, they called you moral compass!" Lucas turns around. "Okay."

"Something bad is going to happen, Em, Maya." Riley says.

"Yeah. It occurs to me you're trying to tell us ranger Rick was a little different back in Texas." Maya says.

"A little? What do they know, exactly? 'Cause I wouldn't wanna say anything wrong. They know you're a year older, right?" He asks Lucas. My eyes widen,

"Yeah." He replies and turns around. "Know they do."

"Oh, yeah, it's my fault. Look at you!" Zay says.

"Okay, that's enough, Mr. Babineaux." Matthews tells him.

"Oh, so you know about him?" Zay asks.

"I know all about my Friar." he replies. 

"Excuse me?" Riley asks her father, shaking.

"Riley, you're shaking." I say to her as she does. 

"Dad? You know something?"

"Back in Texas-" Lucas starts.

"Lucas! You sure?"

He nods. "Back in Texas I did something. I had to leave."

"It was great! I mean, they threw him out of the whole school!" Zay says.

"What?" Riley asks shocked.

"I came here to get a new start. Nobody knew me here." Lucas says.

"I know him." Zay says raising his hand smiling.

"Do I know you?" Riley asks Lucas. 

We were now at lunch.

"Look! We don't know the story yet, let's know the story before you go to Rileytown." I tell the brunette.  

"I'm not going to Rileytown. I'm calm." She replies.

"I like it worse when you're calm. C'mon. Be you." Maya says and lifts Riley's arms. "Y-Y-Y-Yay." Lucas sits with us.

"Deny it." Riley tells him.

"Riley." Lucas says.

"Tell me whoever this Zay kid is, that he can't just come and change you from the Lucas we know. Tell me nothing changes." Riley says to him.

"That's all you have to do, Lucas. You hear me?" Maya asks him then continues. "I just called you by your actual name for the first time ever. That's how important this is to me. Because it's important to her. Deny it." She says.

"I can't." He says. I sigh.

"I like you. I went on my first date with you. Do you think it's right to let me like you without telling me who you are?" Riley asks Lucas.

"You know who I am. I'm ranger Rick. We rode on a white horse. I asked for your father's permission just to go out with you. Who does that?" Lucas asks her.

"Were you thrown out of school?" Riley asks him.

"Yes." Lucas answers.

"For a whole year?"

"Yes." He repeats. 

Maya points and smiles at Lucas. "I finally like you."

"You told me you wanted to be a veterinarian. You told me you gave birth to a horse." Riley says.

I smile and say. "That had to hurt." I say sarcastically.

"Why wouldn't you tell me about this?" Riley asks her.

"It's not something I'm proud of. I thought I could start over. I guess I was wrong. I guess you do something and that's the end of you." Lucas says.

"You think that's what I'm upset about? Whatever you did? Then I don't know you. And you don't know me." Riley tells him.

"Why are you acting like this?" Lucas asks her.

"Friends talk to you and real friends listen., remember?" She says. "I would have listened, I'm your friend. Whatever you did , why wouldn't you trust me with it? People who care about you are supposed to trust you with stuff." She stops then realizes something. "Wait a minute." She stands up. "My father knew about this?" She asks us. I share a look with Maya.

Maya and I soon follow Riley up to her apartment after school.

"Boy are you gonna get yelled at, Mr. Matthews! Oh, we missed it?" Maya asks and taps Riley. "Do it again."

"A normal people sanctuary. I'd like a fountain. Maybe a candle." Topanga says.

"How could you keep something like this away from me?" Riley asks her father.

"Just some place where people don't go hysterical over every little thing." Topanga says.

"Yes, I did know Lucas was expelled." Matthews says.

"What?" Topanga asks. She stands up and slams a book close.

The two whisper and then face Riley. 

"Why would you let me like him if you know something about him?" Riley asks.

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

"Really? Dad? You got anything?" Riley asks him.

The next day we were in class.

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

"I thought we were in history?" I ask him. He sighs and Riley asks. 

"How is this anything?"

"Three minutes twenty-five point seven seconds." Farkle says.

"Wrong!" Matthews says. My eyes widen.

"I'm sorry what did you just say?" Farkle asks him.

"You're wrong." Matthews tells him.

"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 says. I nod agreeing. He's right.

"She's a respected attorney." He says about his wife.

"My father said she should've been my mother!" Farkle says. I turn and give him a weird confused look. He looks at me and shrugs. I slowly turn around.

"What do you want from me?" Matthews asks.

"Mr.. Matthew teaches us about a lot of things. He's open-minded that way." Lucas says.

"He can be open-minded because he knows who we are." Riley says.

"Oh. She took us both out." Lucas says to Matthews. 

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

"Feeny." I whisper. My mom went to school with Mr. Matthews, Shawn, Mr. Minkus and Topanga.

"Did he teach history, English, or math?" Zay asks.

"I don't know. But in his class there was no talking. No interruptions." Matthews replies.

"So you didn't like him?" Zay asks.

"I loved him." He answers.

"Then why don't you teach like him?" I ask him. 

"Because I would never try and be like him. I could only fail. I only succeed you guys if I get my teaching across as effectively as he does." He tells us.

"You do." Maya says to him. "He does." She says to the class.

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

"He thinks it's math class! Somebody stop him!" Zay says and points at Farkle. "You, what's your name?"

"Farkle." Farkle replies. 

"What'd you call me?" Zay asks. I roll my eyes.

"His name is Farkle." I say. Zay looks at me then Farkle. 

"Who would do that to you?" Zay asks him.

"So your assignment today is to wash a car, together." Mr. Matthews says/

"With him?" Riles asks and points back at Lucas.

"Especially with him." Her father replies.

"If you do it correctly, You will find the answer is three minutes twenty-five point seven seconds." Farkle says. 

"If you do it correctly, You will find the secret of life." Matthews says and exits the class.

We were now outside. Maya was finishing washing the car. I finished washing it in ten minutes, right now I think she's about to hit twenty minutes.

"Done." She says. 

"Amazing." Farkle says.

"How long?" She asks I'm. 

"Nineteen minutes, forty-two seconds." He replies. Ha, I was right. "You are the worst car washer in the class." He tells her. 

Maya throws down the rag. "Oh, You mean no one will ever ask me to wash a car for them? Say it."

"You're a genius." Riley and I both say. 

Maya flips her hair back and says. "Oh stop."

"The only two who washed the car in six minutes and eight minutes was Riley and-" Maya cuts Farkle off.

"Lucas? Was it Lucas? Could've been Lucas? Lucas?"

"Yeah, Lucas." He says. 

"I'm not washing a car with him." Riley says.

"Oh yes you are, in three minutes twenty-five point seven seconds and I will go back to your father and say, Ha!" He says. I let out a small laugh. "Now pick up that hose!" He says to her. 

"Fine!" Riley says.

"Now pick up that bucket." Farkle tells Lucas.

"Yes, sir." Lucas says.

"And... Go! No, no. Work together. The equation doesn't work if you don't work together." He tells the two who were working on two separate sides of the car.

"Riley, I could use some water over here to rinse this off." He says.

"Oh. Water? You want some water?" Riley asks and turns around.

"Yes, Please." Huckleberry says.

Maya walks towards Lucas. "Oh, Huckleberry, Huckleberry, Whatever bad, bad things you did at your school, you are still a Huckleberry." She says.

"Why? You need water to rinse off-" Riley cuts him off by spraying him with the hose. He jumps over the hood of the car to get to the other side and hides.

"Tell me what you did!" Riley yells.

"Nothing this bad!"

"They threw you out of school!" Riley says.

"Wash the car! You're supposed to be washing the car! Why aren't you washing the car? Wash the car?" Farkle says.

Riley almost sprays Farkle with the hose. "Okay."

"When are you going to tell me what you did?" She asks him.

"Fine! You want me to tell you what I did?" Lucas asks her.

"Everything!"

"Okay." He slowly walks towards Riley." "Good girl, Just give me the hose, and I'll tell you. Good girl."

"Fine." She says and hands Lucas the hose. "Thank you."

Maya hits herself in the head and walks away as I sigh and stand next to Farkle.

"No, thank you." Lucas tells her.

"Maya! Emily!" She exclaims right before Lucas sprays her with the hose. She screams and walks towards the fence and gets sprayed more.

"Wait a minute! Wait, wait! Lucas, I lost my contact lens." Riley says and bends down to start looking for them.

Lucas gets down to help Riley. "Oh my gosh. Riley, I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to do that."

Riley walks away and grabs a bucket full of water.

"Wait. Since when did you wear-" Lucas gets cut off.

Riley dumps bucket of water on Lucas head, leaving the bucket on his head and grabs his arms. She pins Lucas against the car. "Well, you... were the first boy I ever liked! ...That's a big deal for me. Are you worth it? Tell me and I'll believe you. I want to believe you. Are you worth it?" She asks him.

"Yes." He answers her.

Riley sighs. "Okay." She takes off bucket from Lucas' head.

"You have completely ruined this experiment for me! You are significantly over three minutes-" Riley cuts off Farkle. 

"By how much?"  

"A day!" I say. Farkle points to the car and says "And you haven't even dried the car yet." Lucas and Riley smiles and picks up Farkle and dries the car. I laugh. "Okay, okay. I think It's dry!"

Maya walks away from Zay. "Hey! Farkle's right! This is a serious assignment! Now line up right there!" Maya says. I give her a confused look but do so. I stand next to Farkle. "Stand up Straight! Straighter! I'm gonna show you how you do this right! Open your mouths! Open 'em!" We do what she says. "Amateurs." She says and sprays us with the hose. I let out a scream and then start laughing.

We were back in class.

"Al washes a car in six minutes. Fred washes the same car in eight minutes. How long does it take Al and Fred to wash the same car together? Farkle?" Mr. Matthews asks. 

"They were snapping towels at each other! I said, "The car's not even dry yet!" and they went..." Farkle says and stands up and imitates the sound of a hose. "Whoa! She's the fountain!" He imitates gurgling noise.

"So, not three minutes twenty-five point seven seconds?" Matthews asks him.

"I was "Wruh" Farkle says trying to say wrong. I turn and look at him, raising an eyebrow. 

"Excuse me?" I ask him smiling. 

"I was "Wruhh!" He says and I let out a small laugh. 

"Well... Takes a big man to admit when he was "Wruhh!" There is no answer to this equation. Except on paper. Except in a math class. Which this isn't."

"Is there an answer to life?" Lucas asks. 

"Ah. Now we have arrived at the secret." Matthews answers. 

"Lucas' secret?" Riley asks.

"Bigger than that." Her father says.

"Riley, sometimes things come out when they're supposed to come out." Lucas says.

"As long as you're not different than I think... because I think a lot of you." Riley says.

"I used to be different than I am now." Lucas says.

"What happened?" Riley asks.

Lucas smiles. "I came here." He says. 

"And there's your answer, Yogi. There's the secret of life. People change people. No matter what I teach you in here, learning from the people you care about is more important than words on any page. That's why I let you talk in here sometimes. That's why it's interesting. Mr. Babineaux might've appreciated that, if he was here. Where's your friend, Mr. Friar?"

"I don't know. I can't always be responsible for him." He answers.

"Sure you can. But maybe in a different way." Cory says.

"Look! Zay's mouth is what gets him into trouble. He may act tougher then he is, maybe. But he's my friend. And I care about my friends. Riley, You should know more about than everyone else. What was I supposed to do? I'm sorry, again. I'm working on it, okay?" Lucas says.

"Lucas!" Zay yells from the hall.

"Oh, not again... I'll be right back, sir." Lucas says and stands up.

"Lucas?" Matthews asks.

"I'm okay, sir." Lucas says and goes to leave. 

"Lucas?"

He stops at the door. "I'm okay, sir. If I manage not to come back expelled, you have all changed me." He leaves classroom.

"Dad?" Riley asks her father. He leaves then me, Maya, Riley, and Farkle leave following.

"Are you the one? Because there's one in every school, isn't there? So, in this school your the-" Lucas asks him and gets cut off. 

"Yeah, It's me." Joey says.

"Daddy, are you going to stop this?" Riley asks her father.

"Not yet." He answers. 

"I couldn't help but notice your pointy boots. Back in Texas we appreciate a nice pointy boot. They can end a fight real quick." Lucas says and pins Joey against the lockers. "Unless somebody knows how to put his heel on the soft part where all your toes are."

"Ow." He says.

"Now I'm sure you'd like to throw a punch. Except I got both your wrist and I'm as strong as a horse. I don't even work at it. I just am." Lucas says.

"The way I see it. All that matters is what happens after you let go." Joey says.

"Yeah. I know it'd be simpler to just start takin' shots at each other, But I'm going to tell you something, and you really need to hear this. In the end, you're going to be the one on the floor. And I'm going to be the one who walks away." Lucas tells him.

Maya shudders. "Ohhh."

Riley smiles and nods. "He's going to be a veterinarian."

"So, I'm going to do you a favor. And let you keep your reputation. Now I'd like you to keep mine," Lucas backs up. "otherwise we're going to be twenty and still be in middle school. You want that?"

"I am twenty." Joey answers and walks away.

"People change people." Riley says after Zay and Lucas walk in the classroom after talking. 

"Secret of life." Mr. Matthews says and smiles and walks away.

Maya, Riley, Farkle and I walk into class.

Later that night Maya and I were eating dinner with the Matthews.

"I can drive daddy crazy in eight seconds." Riley tells her brother. 

"I can drive mommy crazy in six seconds. How long does it take for Riley and Auggie to drive mommy and daddy crazy together?" Auggie asks. 

"You feel like a movie?" Matthews asks Topanga. 

"Love to." She says. They both stand up and head for the door.

"Hey!" Riley says.

"What?" Auggie asks. 

"You can't just get up in the middle of dinner and walk out on them before they drive you crazy." I tell them.  

"We can do whatever we want. See we couldn't when we were kids, so that's why we became parents." Topanga says. 

"Well what do you call that?" Riley asks.

"Secret of life. there's lots of them." Mr. Matthews says. Topanga and him both run out the door.

Auggie and I laugh.

Yay! This chapter is done. What do you guys think? There wasn't a whole lot of Farkle and Emily but it'll change as the season goes on. Please comment. Thanks for reading. Bye.

-Kelly.