THE DECKER HOUSEHOLD was cloaked in silence the next morning. Not a single word was uttered about Kat's absence of a letter for her mom on the kitchen table. Instead, they sat down to breakfast, each member of the family grappling with their own unspoken thoughts and feelings.

It left Kat to wonder if she had stumbled into a parallel universe overnight. And even though she tried to brush it off her mind the rest of the morning, it still troubled her.

As his students piled into the classroom, Cory greets them. "Friar. Farkle. Hart-" then as Riley comes in, his tone goes down a notch, "You."

The daughter halts herself in front of him. "Dad, I didn't-"

"Ferp!" he motions her to shut up.

She sighs then, just accepting her father's behavior. "Okay," Riley says defeatedly, before sitting down.

Katherine comes in shortly after, and again he snarls, "You too."

Already, her eyes narrowed at his bitter tone. "Oh shut it, you," she grumbled, leaving the man to gasp as she walked past him to sit down too.

He brushes it off before turning to his class. "Well, guys, I've got your test results on Darwin to give back to you. And, uh, I'm pleased to see some of you have evolved since the last quiz."

Farkle peers around to see if anyone understood his joke, only to realize that no one did. "Ha!" he laughs, as obnoxious as he always does.

Cory's expression falls a little. "Thanks, Farkle."

"Well, you were drowning, sir," he pointed out.

Cory nodded and went to Kat's desk. When he's about to hand over her paper, he trails off again, "You..."

She shoots another scowl. For a history teacher, he definitely was acting as dramatic as some parts of it were. "Just give me my A and go, would you?"

His nostrils flared before handing her paper. And with pride, Katherine smirks at the big A marked in red pen on the top of the paper.

Cory drifts to Maya's desk. "Ms. Hart," he announces, handing the girl her paper.

Maya reached out to accept the paper from him, only for her face to drop at the grade she got.

He steps down behind her to the Texan. "Mr. Friar, nice work."

Lucas grabs his paper and found a grin on his lips. "Thank you, sir."

Cory goes up to Farkle's side after a while. "Mr. Farkle," he says, bright in tone while handing him his paper.

"A" number seven hundred. Huzzah!" Farkle exclaimed, bringing out a noisemaker, and blowing into it to produce a loud cheering noise.

And lastly, when he makes it to Riley's desk, Cory scoffs. "You..." he trails off, giving her paper.

Again, Riley breezes past his behavior as she snatches it from him. Her attention sways to Maya then, noticing the disbelief painted on her face. "You okay, Maya?" she questioned.

Maya shook her head. "He gave me an "F."

Kat's head whipped to hers. "What? Maya, that's nuts. We all know that you're a solid "D" student."

Sure, she wasn't the smartest of the bunch, but Maya Hart always managed to do well enough to pass. So hearing that she failed something, it surprised Katherine.

Cory spoke again as he wandered back to his desk. "Mr. Friar, I took particular note of your position that evolution does not preclude the existence of...How did you put it?"

"A guiding hand that has your best interest at heart," he answered.

Maya waits a second before raising her hand.

"Yes, Ms. Hart?"

A beat of silence passed by before she finally spoke. "You failed me."

Mr Matthews frowns. "Why don't we talk about this after class?"

"What's there to talk about? You failed me. You think I'm a failure." She stands up and hands him back her paper. "There's nothing more for you to teach me."

Cory's attitude shifts again, hearing those words all over again. "Oh, come on! Three of you gotta say that?"

The entire class watches Maya walk to the door.

"What, you mean I lost you three? Maya!" Cory raised his voice, prompting her to stop by the foot of the door, turning her heel to him. "You do not walk out of here."

But honestly, Cory Matthews should've known better. It was Maya Hart after all. Did he think he could just talk her out of her doings?

Of course not.

So without another word, Maya disobeys him and walks out anyway, leaving the teacher disappointed once again.

A brief silence fills the air around them before Kat and Riley slowly raise their hands.

He nods at them. "Go," Cory ordered, watching them follow each other out the door.

Turning back to his students, all their hands suddenly go up after seeing what happened.

"No!" he asserted with a shake of his head.

⤵︎

BY NOW, KAT and Riley were with Maya at her locker, watching her putting stuff from there into her bag. Both were still on edge about what happened earlier. Hell, they didn't even believe Maya entirely when she said she was dropping out of middle school.

She wouldn't just do that, right?

"Redecorating your locker?" Riley asks, obliviously.

"Nope," Maya replied, snagging a headless doll from her locker and placing her head on the missing part. "Cleaning it out." She shoves it into her bag before grabbing a cotton candy stick from her door. "You want one, Riles? Cause it's the last one you're gonna get."

The Matthew's nods before Maya uses her cotton candy maker inside her locker, whirling the stick around to make an enormous ball of cotton candy.

When she's done, Maya hands the stick to Riley while Kat questions, "Sweetie-pie, you know it's just one "F." Right?"

"It's not about the paper, Kat. Your Godfather failed me."

"Yeah, I know. And Riley's not going on the Cyclone and I'm pretty sure he's mad at me because I agreed with her yesterday. In a way, we have failed him too. Can't we just call it even?"

"No, we can just call it I'm leaving," Maya disclosed, her voice carrying a weight of finality as she gripped her bag off the floor to put it over her shoulders.

"Maya, we know you. You'll make a big deal about this, pretend to leave school forever, and you'll be back by gym class," Riley insisted knowingly.

Maya shook her head. "No, this time I mean it."

As she brushes past Kat and Riley, the apple-haired girl says, "Yeah, okay, Maya. We'll see you tomorrow."

Maya peers back at them before hiking up the stairs. "No, you won't, Kitty-Kat."

Riley shakes her head, still not believing she was serious about this. "Sure...you'll pick me up at 7:00 and then we'll pick Kat up afterward."

Again, Maya looks back at her girls, already a couple of steps up. "I won't be there."

And with that, she's soon gone from their sights.

⤵︎

THE FOLLOWING DAY, Katherine found herself back at the library again by the bay window. The reluctance to head home lingered within her, which was very much unusual on her end.

But determined to break free from the weight of her emotions, she discarded her previous letter, opting to start afresh. This time, she didn't even address it to her mother. She wanted her words to flow freely, untethered by expectation.

With a deep breath, Katherine gazed at the blank page before her, ready to pour her heart out onto the paper.

Sorry I haven't written to you in a while. I know you thought that my last letter got lost in the mail somewhere, but the truth is, I didn't actually write to you. I know it may seem surprising to hear, but I have a reason actually.

She pauses as her throat tightens, and her chest gets heavy. She doesn't know why she's reacting like this, or why she stopped. Her mother deserved to know that she knew. She couldn't just write to her this time without acknowledging it.

Katherine collected a breath before pressing her pen on the paper again.

I know what you did to me when I was little. That you took my two-year-old self to the woods with you, and you told me that we were gonna play hide and seek. Only, I was just hiding, and you weren't going to seek me out. You weren't going to find me. You didn't want to. Or at least, that's what you told the police on record.

Her heart sinks. Her words were quite brutal (ironically, like her). She knew she'd be reminding her mother of what she did, probably for the millionth time ever. But it had to be talked about.

And now, I

She halts herself again in thought.

And now, I don't know how I feel about you anymore. I mean, you're my mom. I've loved you all my life. And if anything, I've learned that even in situations like this, you can't truly stop loving someone you've loved all your life.

Kat doesn't realize it yet, but her eyes were starting to sting with tears as she continued writing.

Kim told me that you still regret what you did. I believe her. I know I have reasons why I shouldn't, but not only do I believe my own sister, I also like to think that I know you, Mom.

You seem better now. I mean, the way you write in your blog makes it seem like you're happier and more healthy. I can also tell how much passion you have for adventuring the world. It almost makes me want to do the same. I've still been begging Dad to take us Paris but he always says no. I could never understand why, but that's the fella you married once upon a time.

I know I'll go there eventually. Who knows, maybe I'll go there with you. And maybe by then, I'll be ready to see you again physically. But for now, I think letters and postcards are good enough for me.

Kat pauses again, only now noticing the pool of tears in her eyes. She quickly wiped them away and sniffled. Her heart felt heavy in her chest, but she knew what she was doing was necessary.

The next fifteen minutes were spent writing the rest of the letter, with accidental tears dropping to her paper. Undoubtedly making her slightly mad, but she brushed it off.

When she finishes, she lets a relieved sigh leave her before finally putting Dear Mom after.

Katherine knew this was only a quarter of what she had in her mind, but she'd probably be writing a five-paper letter if she tried to.

So no, she wasn't about to give her mother a headache.

She folds the paper up afterward and puts it in her pocket. And as she wiped away the rest of her tears, Kat leaves the library once more. Feeling a little lighter, like a feather.

⤵︎

     IN AN UNEXPECTED turn of events, Kat found herself at the Matthew's apartment after dinner, though it wasn't entirely her choice. Riley had practically dragged her there, insisting on a visit to her bay window, where Maya awaited.

Despite the gathering, Katherine couldn't shake her disappointment over Maya's absence from school that day.

"Okay, you made your point, Maya," Kat spoke, sitting in her usual spot in between Riley and Maya—who had her computer on her lap. "You didn't come to school today and your teacher is really upset with you."

"He's not my teacher anymore. I now attend a prestigious online academy," Maya responded.

"A what now?" Kat questioned, already in denial of what she'd just heard.

Pressing a button on her laptop, Maya turns her screen to the girls.

"Welcome to the Frank Mantucci on da computer school, where youse get out of it what you put into it. And what you need to put into it is 400 dollars. Gimme."

As Maya brought her laptop back to her view, Riley inquired, "You paid that?"

"Free trial," the blondie assured, "I took the test to see if I qualify for the free trial."

Katherine's face flashes with disbelief. "Maya, that website has SCAM written all over it."

"Congratulations!" the man on the laptop proclaims.

Maya's eyes light up with excitement as she shares her news. "I got in!"

"You are the first person to ever fail the Frank Mantucci on da computer school," he spat out, his words leaving Maya's head to drift to theirs in irritation. "How'd you do dat?"

"How'd you do dat?" Kat and Riley mimic together.

"We asked: "Name?" You didn't put nuttin'."

Riley shook her head. "Well, at least you were smart enough not to give them your name."

"It's not that I'm smart enough," Maya argued.

"Then what's the point in all of this, Maya?" Kat sought to know. What did Maya want to prove by doing this? Was there even anything to prove at all?

Maya's lips form a tight line. "Maybe sometimes... I'm not so proud of who I am," she confesses.

Topanga enters comes in suddenly, cutting through the tense atmosphere. "How's it going in here?" she inquired.

As Kat scoots herself towards Maya's side, Riley insists to her mother, "Mom, tell Maya to come back to school... regular school."

Taking a seat next to Riley, Topanga raises a quizzical brow. "Hm...so you don't like this, huh?"

"Of course not! Maya always comes to school with us! She always picks me up at 7:00, then we go and pick Kat up afterward and I always look forward to it!"

"Like a tradition?"

"Yeah!" And with that, a realization hits Riley's head like a coconut falling from a tree. "Ohh..." she trails off into a laugh. "You know, even though you're a mother, that was creepy good."

The mother grins. "So, Maya doesn't show up like she's supposed to and how does that make you feel?"

Understanding what she was insinuating, Riley's hand darts to her heart. "Oh..."

Topanga insists firmly, "Honey, you have to go to him. He feels bad. You have to go to your father." She then turns to Kat, her expression earnest. "You too."

"What?" the apple-haired girl asked with a frown, her curiosity piqued. "What do you mean?"

"Your father told me and your uncle about what happened a couple days ago. You know, with the whole not wanting to write to your mother whole deal."

"Oh..." Kat trails off, her gaze slipping to the ground.

Topanga plants a hand on her shoulder. "I know your father, and I also knew your mother, Kat." She pauses for a second as a flood of memories crashes into her world. "Your mom was a good person. And I've known your father since we were kids. He just doesn't want what happened with him and his father to happen with you and Kim."

Katherine nods. "Yeah—I know."

The godmother fondly rubbed her shoulder. "Talk to him and your godfather too, Kat. You know they feel bad."

"I feel bad," Maya chimes in. "Will he come to me?"

Riley shook her head. "No, he's your teacher. He doesn't have to."

"But he will," Topanga promised.

"What?" Maya slightly frowned.

"He doesn't have to, but he will."

"Why?" Katherine asks.

"Because he's always there."

The door abruptly opens as Cory walks up to them, holding his hand out to Maya.

She takes a good—confused look at him before reluctantly grabbing his hand and following him out of the room.

"Always," Topanga reassured, letting the girls' heads fall on her shoulders.

⤵︎

     KATHERINE AND RILEY quietly entered the living room then, spotting Maya seated at the kitchen table. Cory stood nearby, engaged in conversation, while Maverick sat across from Maya, adding an unexpected dynamic to the scene.

"Dad?" Kat furrows her brows at the sight of him. "W-what are you doing here?"

He glances at Cory and grinned. "Helping my best friend."

The history teacher, with Maya's paper in hand, hands it to her and advised, "Read it."

"I don't want to do this, Mr. Matthews," Maya says, her voice laced with reluctance as she rose from her chair.

"Sit down," Riley ordered.

"You can't tell me-"

"Maya, sit down," Kat commands, her tone sharper than Riley's earlier request.

Casting a glance at the men in the room, they echo the sentiment with nods, silently urging Maya to comply. And with a defeated sigh, Maya listens and sank back into her seat.

"Thanks," Kat sighs, as she and Riley sit, with the younger Decker taking Cory's usual seat and Riley sitting next to Maya.

"Go ahead," Riley insists, scooting herself in her seat.

Maya flips through her paper and reads, "Darwin animal studies were thought to be when the travels he took on the boat with the Beatles."

"Oh my god, are you actually kidding me?" Kat abruptly sputters out in question.

Maya jabs her finger towards Kat. "Does she have to be here?"

Maverick shoots her a firm look. "Maya, play nice."

She rolls her eyes as Cory urged to know, "What were you trying to do?"

Maya shrugged. "I tried to write it like I was smart—like I was Kitty-Kat over here," gesturing to the girl to her left.

"You are smart," Riley assured, gently squeezing her hand.

"Yeah, and you don't need to write like me to be smart either," Kat adds, her words echoing Riley's sincerity.

"What did you mean to say?" Cory reiterated.

Maya exhaled, feeling the weight of the question. "Darwin studied animals."

"What kind?" Cory prodded further.

"I don't know," Maya replied with frustration evident in her tone.

"She does know," Riley insisted.

"I don't know. You think I don't know what I don't know?" Maya snapped back.

Kat chimes in, "Well, I think you know more than you apparently don't know, but you don't know that."

Maya's annoyance flares as she directs her gaze to Kat. "You know what?"

Riley interjects, trying to steer the conversation back on track. "What did Darwin study?"

Maya's attention returns to Cory. "Birds."

He nods in acknowledgment. "There you go."

"Really? I got that one wrong," Riley commented.

Cory suggests thereafter, "You want to be smart, Maya? Say what you mean. I understood that perfectly, and you're correct."

"That's all I had to say?" she echoed in disbelief.

"That's all, Maya," Maverick affirmed, a reassuring grin spreading across his face. "Now tell me, what was the name of his boat?"

"The Beatles."

Cory scrunched his face at her answer. "The beagle," he corrected gently, his tone firm yet encouraging. "It's a tiny difference, but an important one. Because if you know it, Maya, you don't fail."

Maya's lips formed a thin line as she absorbed his words. "I want to not fail."

As Cory settled beside Maverick, his gaze shifts to Maya, a hint of curiosity gleaming in his eyes. "What kind of birds did he study?"

"I don't know."

"Maya..." Kat trails off.

With a resigned huff, Maya relented. "Okay fine. Finches, there," she grumbled out.

"And what else?" Riley asks.

"Finches and mockingbirds."

"Yes," Cory nods.

"Yes," his daughter also says along with him.

Cory grew curious to know, "How did you two know she knew?"

Katherine replies with an effortless grin, "Because I know she listens to you. Even if it may seem like she doesn't-" her head twists to Maya's, "I know she does."

The blondie admits sheepishly, "I listen to you."

Cory's smile widened, pride evident in his features. "Then you won't fail...And neither will I."

From the hallway, Topanga suggests out of the bloom, "How about some Turkey sandwiches?" as she strolled to the refrigerator.

"Darwin didn't study turkeys," Maya corrected her. "He studied finches and mockingbirds. His boat was the beagle."

"And for extra credit?" Cory raised his brows.

"Galapagos. The islands he studied were the Galapagos," Maya answered confidently.

Kat couldn't contain her excitement, her hands coming together in applause. "Oh, I love it when my friends have their smart moments," she exclaimed with genuine delight.

Soft laughter filled the room for a bit as Cory glanced at his wife from the kitchen. "Because she listens to me," he declared, proudly

Turning back to Maya, Cory reached for a red sharpie beside Maverick's hand. "Hey, Maya," he called out, flipping the paper over. "Watch this."

All of them watch him turn the F into a big A.

Maya's face brightens. "You're giving me an "A"?"

"No," he shook his head, as Topanga sat in between him and Maverick. "I'm giving you a "C+." But I want you to see how easily an "F" can become an "A."

Riley beamed at her best friend. "Nothing to be ashamed of anymore, Maya."

However, the blonde spoke up otherwise, "My Dad doesn't live with-"

"Maya," Kat quickly interjected. She didn't want her best friend to say something she didn't need to say out loud. "I-It's okay."

Maya's lips formed a line again, but she pressed on, "He's got this new family."

Maverick tried to intervene as well, "Maya, you don't have to-"

"I do have to, Uncle Mav," Maya insisted, her tone resolute. "I have to be able to talk to you guys." She took a moment, collecting her thoughts before continuing, "If you give me an "F," if you decide I'm not worth working on..."

"Maya, take a look around you," Cory advised gently. Maya obliged, letting her gaze wander around the room to the faces of those who cared about her. "We're all here for you. Does this look like we think you're not worth working on?"

"I just don't want to fail, Mr. Matthews," Maya confessed quietly, her grip tightening on her paper. "Thank you."

In the midst of the heartfelt moment, Riley suddenly erupted, "I don't want to go to the dance! The dance doesn't matter to me at all! I want to go on the cyclone with you more than anything in the world!"

However, Cory insisted, "You're going to the dance," he assured.

"Hooray!" Riley breathily gleamed.

Cory gestures to him and Maverick as he adds, "Me and Mav are actually going to chaperone."

Kat's face contorts in dismay at this unexpected news. "Oh, you're actually kidding."

Riley, ever the curious one, raises her hand. "Kat, what does that mean?"

"It means our fathers are going to be watching us—the whole night," Kat explains, her tone laced with sarcasm and a hint of annoyance. "Hooraay..."

Riley frowns slightly. "I thought you said you didn't know if you were going or not?"

Kat's eyebrows shoot up in realization. "Oh! Well, considering my dad is coming," she pauses to shoot a pointed look at Riley, "And you being you, I know I'm going to be dragged there anyway."

The Matthew's daughter merely smiles, knowing Kat was right. Meanwhile, Maverick shook his head, before watching her fumble through her front pocket to grab something.

"Speaking of," Kat began and handed him a folded paper. "There." His forehead puckers as he takes it from her grasp. "I don't think mom will mind that it's super folded, right?"

Maverick's face falters, his gaze flickering from the letter to Kat. "This is for your mom?"

"Yeah, it's my letter to her," Kat admits, nodding. "I took some time to think about it, and although I know what she did, it shouldn't mean that I have to completely change how I feel about her. Because—she's my mother, and I'll always love her. I should allow her to prove that she isn't that person anymore."

Looking at the paper in his hand one last time, Maverick found himself standing up from the table, bringing his arms out for Kat to hug.

Of course, she doesn't hesitate in going for his hug, wrapping her arms around his figure as he did the same back to her.

They stay like this for a couple of seconds. In silence, a loving, calm silence this time.

Katherine tightens her grip around him, her emotions crawling up her throat as she whispers, "I love you, Dad."

He pats her back. "I love you too, Kat." But to her demise, he also adds, "Oh—and by the way, Kim also wanted to volunteer for Friday too so-"

"ARE YOU KIDDING M-"

⤵︎

AFTER THEY CAME HOME, Maverick walked into his room and sat down at his table. It had been a tiring couple of days, and honestly, he was relieved that he and Kat didn't have this weird tension between them now.

He takes her letter out of his pocket and looks at it for a bit.

"Told you to give her time," Kim's voice abruptly echoes behind him.

Spinning around, he finds her at the foot of his door. And already, Maverick slightly scrunched his face at his daughter. "Yeah, whatever. Go to sleep, kid," he scoffed.

Of course, in Decker family fashion, she scoffs back and shakes her head before closing his door for him.

Maverick lightly wheezes before drawing back to Kat's letter. A grin emerges on his face before he folds the paper and grabs the red envelope next to him to put the paper in.

He puts a post mail stamp and Kassandra's address and sits the envelope beside Kim's one. Ready to send out as mail for tomorrow.

Dear mom,

Sorry I haven't written to you in a while. I know you thought that my last letter got lost in the mail somewhere, but the truth is, I didn't actually write to you. I know it may seem surprising to hear, but I have a reason actually.

I know what you did to me when I was little. That you took my two-year-old self to the woods with you, and you told me that we were gonna play hide and seek. Only, I was just hiding, and you weren't going to seek me out. You weren't going to find me. You didn't want to. Or atleast, that's what you told the police on record.

And now, I don't know how I feel about you anymore. I mean, you're my mom. I've loved you all my life. And if anything, I've learned that even in situations like this, you can't truly stop loving someone you've loved all your life.

Kim told me that you still regret what you did. I believe her. I know I have reasons why I shouldn't, but not only do I believe my own sister, I also like to think that I know you, Mom.

You seem better now. I mean, the way you write in your blog makes it seem like you're happier and more healthy. I can also tell how much passion you have for adventuring the world. It almost makes me want to do the same. I've still been begging Dad to take us there but he always says no. I could never understand why, but that's the fella you married once upon a time.

I know I'll go to Paris eventually. And who knows, maybe I'll go there with you. And maybe by then, I'll be ready to see you again physically. But for now, I think letters and postcards are good enough for me.

Anyways, here's a little update on my life.

I've grown accustomed to New York. I've found my new comfort places which are my room, Riley's bay-window (yes, the same one I always talk about whenever I visit them), the public library nearby, and Auntie Svorski's bakery (she gives us free food all the time). I like New York now. I may miss being in Philly but Grandma Gemma moved back into house so it's still there, and sometimes we drive back there just to check up on her, or if we're feeling homesick. Which is mostly dad's fault for missing grandma often, but you can't blame the man for being a mama's boy.

Speaking of Dad, he's been mad at me lately. Or, I don't know what he is. We haven't had a full conversation in the past couple of days. It's mostly been just, "Here's your pancakes,"-"Here's your toast." It's weird. He's mad that I didn't want to write to you. I want to be mad at him too, but you know I can't. I love him too much to actually be mad at him about anything. Well, except that one time he "accidentally" ate six of my brownies that I was saving as my afternoon snack. Everyone knows not to mess with me and my brownies, haha.

I just hope we make up after I give him this letter. I really hope so. You know I don't like to make people mad. Especially dad. I know he only just wants the best for me, even though sometimes he can be a difficult sometimes. Okay, I'm being too kind. He can be difficult a lot of the time, but that's what fathers are.

If anything, I also hope you're doing well, Mom. Wherever you are these days. Hopefully happy anywhere you are in this world. I can't wait to read your next blog about it.

Love,
Your Kitty-Kat.

⤵︎

FRIDAY NIGHT CAME sooner than later. The middle school gymnasium was now all decked out with banners, tables, dimmed-colored lights, and more as a slow-paced song filled the room around them.

On the dance floor, Katherine was accompanied by Farkle as it was her turn to dance with him for the night. And as the music played, she anticipated a slow, romantic rhythm, but Farkle seemed to have other plans.

He twirled her around with unexpected vigor, then brought their hands back together with a bit more force than she expected. "You likin' our dance, darling?" he asks, smirking.

Kat couldn't help but laugh nervously. "Uhm—sure," she replied, a bit uneasy. "But you do know how to dance on beat, right? Because I'm pretty sure judging by everyone else around us, we're not supposed to go all—fast."

Ignoring her concern, Farkle continued with his vision. "Don't worry, Darling. I'm just getting you ready for our future wedding. We're going to have it in the Bahamas and our honeymoon in Italy. Sounds nice, right?"

Kat's face contorts. "Uhm..."

"Excuse me, sir," somebody's voice emerges by their side suddenly.

Their heads turn together to find that it was Lucas.

With a playful smirk, Kat quipped, "Well, well. If it isn't the Rodeo King himself."

Lucas's grin widens as he turned to the genius beside her. "Hey, Farkle, if it's alright with you, I'd kinda like to steal your date for the rest of the song."

"You wanna steal who to do what?!" Kat's voice pierced the air with a mixture of shock and disbelief. Peering back at Farkle, her eyes widened, and she begged, "Please don't let him do th-"

"You certainly can, Lucas!" Farkle's response echoed with unexpected approval, causing Kat's eyes to widen. "I'm sorry, Kat. But it seems like your time with me has been cut short." His gaze shifts to the table where Riley and Maya sat, a mischievous smirk playing on his lips. "It's Maya time, now."

And with those as his parting words, he bolts himself off the dancefloor.

Veering back to Lucas, Kat glared at his amused figure. "You just love ruining my days and nights, don't you, cowboy?"

"Only when it comes to you, red," Lucas assured, smirking before her. "Just accept my dance, would you?"

She continues to glare at him before reluctantly accepting his request, bringing her hands to his shoulders.

As his hands rested on her waist, a sudden sensation surged through her, catching her off guard at first.

It was like a strange flutter in her chest. Something she'd never really felt before. Though, it felt—oddly nice.

But evermore, she kept her composure and continued to glare at Lucas.

"You're lucky I'm letting you be this close to me, Huckleberry," Kat snarled as they swayed to the slow beat.

He chuckles. "I don't know if that's a lucky thing at all, but you could say that," he assured with a tilt of his head. "But I've been meaning to ask, why did you end up coming? I thought you said you wouldn't."

"Well, I guess I had a change of heart recently, which I can see backfired horribly considering I'm dancing with you now," Kat retorted, her nose crinkling in mock offense.

"Right," Lucas replied, a hint of sarcasm lacing his tone.

She rolls her eyes. "But I guess since you're here—I've also been meaning to thank you for what you did a couple of days ago."

His forehead puckered, as he didn't understand what she meant at first.

"You didn't need to be concerned about how I was earlier this week... and you certainly didn't need to make sure I was fine, but you did...And I guess I wanted to say somewhat of a thanks for not trying to pry into my personal life when I was talking about my mom. Most of my old friends, especially boys used to do that, but you didn't. So...thanks I guess."

To her sentimental words, he pouted. "Aww, is somebody warming up to me?"

"Oh you wish, Texanator," she scowled.

Disgust flashes all across Lucas' face. "I think that's the worst nickname you've given me, to date, red."

Kat couldn't help but follow his reaction. "I know. That hurt to even say out loud," she spat out, only to chuckle along with Lucas. "So, anything but that, then?"

"Anything—but that, please," Lucas begged.

She smiled mischievously. "So Texan Tycoon is better?"

His face scrambles with mock horror. "How many nicknames have you thought of for me?"

"I've only gotten through 1/4 of my ongoing collection, so you're gonna have to spend the rest of the year hearing them all," she assured, her smile expanding.

Lucas shook his head. "You really are insufferable, you know that?"

"Oh, I know, Armadillo," she replied, patting both his shoulders at the same time, enjoying their banter.

Maya and Farkle soon trail their way by them then, as Farkle dramatically leans Maya back.

"So, the hat's just for me, isn't it?" the blondie inquired, meeting Lucas' stare. He nods, and it leaves her eyes to tighten at his figure. "You really are such a yeehaw, aren't you?"

Lucas took off his cowboy hat and pulled out a rose. "I know I am," he replied, placing the rose between her teeth.

As usual, her reaction was to shudder. However, this time, Farkle seized the rose from her and placed it between his teeth, mirroring her shudder before dancing away from Kat and Lucas' side.

As they leave, Kat turned back to her dance partner. "So Maya gets a rose and I get what? A dance. That's pretty romantic of you, but you know I'm still not interested in you at all, right, Huckleberry?"

He shook his head at her teasing tone. "Well now, that you reminded me, I actually did get you something—sort of."

Kat's curiosity piqued as she watched him fumble through his pocket to take out his phone.

"I keep forgetting, but here's the photo of the beautiful palomino I talked to you about," he explained as he swiped through his gallery. He stopped and showed her the photo.

Kat's eyes flashed in awe as she gasped. "Oh my god, she's so cute!" she gleamed at the photo, snatching his phone from him.

The picture before her depicted Lucas standing next to the horse, his eyes closed but with a bright, childlike smile on his face.

"And god, even at a young age, you still look as obnoxious as you are now," she remarked, chuckling.

He scowled at her playful jab but kept his gaze on her. In the midst of doing so, he couldn't help but let it linger longer than intended, particularly on the smile she wore while looking at the palomino on his phone.

Kat noticed his stare after a while and felt her heart skip a beat as she stared back at him. But before either of them could dwell on it further, Kat did what she always did in such situations.

She playfully punched his arm, snapping him out of his reverie.

"Ow!" he winced, rubbing his arm. "Will you ever get tired of doing that?"

Kat shrugged. "Probably not, Ranger Rick," she grinned with mischief written all over her lips. "Get used to it."

From afar, Kim and Mav observed Kat and Lucas with Riley beside them. Both girls were grinning at the sight, but Maverick wore a curious expression.

"So, that's the Lucas guy she really doesn't like—right?" he asks.

Kim nods. "Yup."

"Yet—she's letting him dance with her?"

"Seems so, Uncle Mav," Riley replied, bumping his arm.

And in that moment, a slight grin crept onto Maverick's face as a wave of nostalgia washed over him, just watching the two from a distance.

"So that's your dad over there? The one who's staring into my soul like I'm dead meat?" Lucas asks Kat, mainly in concern.

She responds with a happy smile. "Sure is, Buckaroo. But don't worry, I won't let him hurt you," she reassures, giving his shoulder a pat. "That's already my job."

Lucas shoots her a playful scowl before the song comes to an end, their dance concluding with a round of applause before they retreat to the sidelines.

Cory walks to the front stage and spoke into his mic, "Well, guys, it looks like the night is winding down. We hope you all enjoyed the dance. But before we go, I notice some fathers have arrived to pick up their daughters. I wonder if we might have one last dance."

Everybody in the room cheers at the idea.

Cory sways his gaze to Maya and them. "A father-daughter dance," he adds.

Everybody and their fathers go on the dancefloor with their daughters for the dance.

Cory walks down from the stage, and then up to Riley. But, as if they both knew, she moved away for him to stand in front of Maya.

Immediately, her gaze turns a confused one before Cory asks, "May I please have this dance?"

Maya hesitates for a moment, her uncertainty evident in the furrow of her brows. But she ultimately takes his hand as she follows him onto the dancefloor.

Maverick grins as he turns to his youngest daughter. "May I have this dance with you, Kat?" he asks, extending his arm toward her.

She met his gaze and returned the gesture. "Sure, Dad," Kat replies, linking her arm with his as they make their way to the dancefloor.

Standing together in the center, they begin to sway to the gentle rhythm of the music.

A thought crosses Maverick's mind then. "So, you and that Lucas kid..." he begins, raising an eyebrow inquisitively.

Kat lets out a chuckle, knowing where this conversation was about to go. "Yeah? What about him?"

"You really don't like him that much, do you?"

She steals a glance over her father's shoulder, where Lucas was, before responding with a nonchalant shrug. "I think he's alright."

Little does Maverick know, this is the first time Kat has ever expressed anything remotely positive about Lucas. It's a revelation that catches him off guard.

"Everyone seems to think you hate him," he remarks, sensing there's more to the story.

"Oh, I do," Kat confirms, her tone firm. "But, there are some moments I have with him that make him—more tolerable than others, I guess."

A subtle grin tugs at Maverick's lips. "You think you'll grow to like him?"

"I highly doubt it," she responds with another shrug. "But I wouldn't say never. I've learned that you can't always have such a fixed mindset on someone, because people can change...like mom."

The father's grin wavers slightly. "You know, you don't have to forgive your mother for what she did, Kat. If you don't want to talk to her again, I'll be fully fine with it. Because it's your life, and I want you to have control of what you do with it too."

Kat's expression softens. "And I appreciate that. But I do still want to have Mom in my life, even if I'm still unsure if I forgive her or not," she assures him. "I know I don't have to, but, like you said, it's my life. I have control over what I want to do with it."

"And that's what makes you one of the best people I know, Katherine," he assured.

Kimberly appears at their side suddenly, her hands confidently resting on her hips. "That is true, sis," she agrees with a smile. "You won't mind if I intervene in this slow dance, would you?" she questions her sister.

Kat shakes her head, a grin spreading across her lips. "Not at all."

With smiles exchanged between the sisters, they form a small circle, and Maverick takes the lead, twirling Kat around first, her laughter filling the air. Then, he moves to Kim, who joins in the fun, her laughter blending with Kat's as they spin around the dancefloor.

In this world, a father's love for his daughters is something that is known as a sacred thing. One of the many examples was the way Maverick Decker loved his daughters; Kimberly and Katherine.

He never wanted to be like his father; absent, and lacking the decency to show that he loved his son. It grew to become his worst fear. But now, being in this movement, dancing with his two daughters, alongside his best friend's daughters, he realized he had nothing to be afraid of.

Because, unlike history, he wasn't going to let it repeat with his own family, and honestly, that's all that mattered.

That's all that mattered to him—in his world.

lani's talking!

in a weird way, writing this fanfic trilogy (and yes, im already pre-writing for the future books of this trilogy) is actually healing my inner child. like I genuinely get like all giddy and excited writing for this book and i can feel my inner chaotic child being happy with how I'm navigating through this story.

especially because my childhood self knew that lucas deserved much better than what he got !! and now she's proud of me for bringing him justice 😭

but as i say it all the time, thank you all for the support you've been me and this story especially.

and, I usually don't like to ask this (bc I don't want to seem desperate lol) but pls comment! whether it's about thoughts throughout the chapters, or just your thoughts about the book in general. I literally love hearing about what you all are thinking about or reacting to while reading. it makes my day sm.

anywho, i reaaally appreciate you all and i will see you guys later!

byeeee <3