IN A SURPRISING turn of events, Lucas found himself heeding Kat's advice and was now on his way to join the debate team.

As he walked, he couldn't ignore the irony of taking counsel from Katherine Decker herself. Yet, a nagging feeling tugged at him, suggesting she might actually have a point.

If he didn't want to witness another defeat for his school team, perhaps it was time to take matters into his own hands.

Confidently, he entered Cory's room. "Is this the debate team?"

Sitting on Cory's table, Farkle turned to him. "No, it's the after-school male models' club." He delivers his retort with his signature gesture, "Ha!"

The other two in the room chimed in following suit, "Ha!"

Lucas pressed on. "I want to join," he asserted. Attempting to fit in, he weakly echoed their "Ha!" but it came out awkward.

A teammate questioned, "Shouldn't you be out hitting a home run or something?"

"We don't debate sports or cars," another clarified.

Farkle stood back on his feet, exasperated. "Gentlemen, you're making assumptions, and my current assignment is to consider how assumptions lead to our ultimate downfall. So let's not judge a book by its cover."

"Looks like a book about baseball," one of them quipped.

"Lucas is my friend," Farkle declared, giving him a supportive pat on the shoulder. "Welcome to the team."

Just then, Kat and the girls enter, but the apple-haired girl looks different, sporting a pair of glasses on her face.

"Ladies," Farkle greeted them.

"Farkle," they greeted back.

Lucas quickly notices her new look. "Kat, why are you wearing glasses?... And why do you kinda look like a cute geek because of it?"

To her dismay, Kat suddenly felt her heart skip a beat at Lucas's compliment.

Did you really need to add the cute part that cute idiot?!...Wait, I just called him cute—in my head...Oh no. She thought, and dreaded.

Kat quickly shoved aside her thoughts and put on a scowl. "Call me a cute geek again, and you'll find yourself short a few limbs, Texas," she threatened with a smile. "But if you must know, these are Smackle's. I'm just holding them for her...on mah face."

Riley chimes in, "We want to see if people will treat Kat differently now that she looks smart."

"Even though, I already am a smart woman," Kat interjected pointedly.

One of the debate members turn to her. "Hello, suddenly-approachable-woman...What's your prescription? Mine's 20/800. I can basically only hear you."

She shook her head. "I don't have a prescription, actually. Though I must say, you guys are looking a lot less blurry...Maybe I should go to the eye-doctor after this."

"That's the nicest thing any girl's ever said to us," one of the members remarked.

Kat's lips falter into a frown. "Well, that's sad. I think you guys are pretty nice yourselves."

"That's the second nicest thing a girl's ever said to us."

Farkle draws a fond glance at the Decker girl once more. "I think you look nice any way you are, Kat. You always have."

She pats his shoulder, growing a smile. "Thanks. You wanna go out with us?"

Farkle, taken aback by the request, falls face-first to the ground. He lifts his head hectically. "Out like out on a date?"

"Oh, you wish, genius," Kat chuckled.

She and the girls crouched down by him. "We mean out like out there with the three of us because there's someone else we want to introduce you to," Maya explained.

"Yep. We think you'll really like her," Riley included with a faint smile.

"I have a very specific taste in girls. Is she one?" Farkle inquired.

"Uh-huh."

"That'll do it!"

⤵︎

     LATER THAT AFTERNOON, the trio escorted Farkle to Svorski's, wanting to surprise him with the newly transformed Smackle awaiting her cue.

Riley starts in a presenter's voice, "Presenting your date from the modeling runways of Paris, France... the new face of geek chic..."

"Isadora Smackle," Kat revealed in a fancy french accent as the girls gesture to the door.

Smackle saunters in confidently, before sitting across from Farkle.

However, he doesn't seem impressed with her transformed appearance. "Wow. You made her over?" he remarked.

Riley brushed off Farkle's skepticism. "Just us girls playing with our hair and clothes."

Smackle questioned then, "Are you finally intrigued by me, Farkle?"

"I'm intrigued that my friends don't realize your hidden genius," Farkle replied, a realization starting to sink into him.

"A pretty evil genius, wouldn't you say?" Kat insisted, still trying to make Farkle interested.

"This is debate preparation, isn't it?"

"What?" Maya inquired abruptly.

"The next debate is 'is beauty only skin deep?' Smackle doesn't want to be like you guys. Smackle only wants to win. You ladies have been played," Farkle reveals.

Kat's reaction showed a mix of disbelief and concern as she sought confirmation. "Is this true, Smackle?

"Affirmative," she smirked.

Taking a glance at Kat, Maya sought to know, "Kat, do I please have your permission to mess her up now?"

She thinks about it for a moment before shaking her head, signaling Maya to stand down. "Negative."

Farkle inquired in thought to his nemesis, "Smackle, did you assume this outward change in your appearance would not affect your inner self?"

"Of course, it won't. I am Smackle. But look, four red nails and one blue one." She shows her colored nails to Farkle. "I don't know why...That said, how could any outward change possibly affect the inner Smackle?"

Lucas strolls in, his presence drawing their attention. "Hi, guys," he greets, walking up beside Kat. He grins at the girl genius. "Wow, Smackle, you look good."

Smackle's gaze meets his, driving a giggle to escape her lips. The sound surprises her so much that she blinks in disbelief. "Did that really just come from me?" she questioned.

Another realization dawns on Farkle, prompting him to glance at Lucas. "Smile at her," he instructed.

Lucas complied, offering a warm smile in Smackle's direction.

She stumbles out, "Omigosh." Then, in realization, Smackle panicked. "Did I just say 'omigosh'? Like, awesome. Question?"

Kat coughs out an impressed breath. "Well, well, looks like your charming presence has finally found a purpose, Romeo."

Lucas arched a challenged brow. "Are you saying I'm charming, Juliet?"

"I will break your face if you keep talking," she retorted, her threat sharp and swift.

Meanwhile, Riley's concern for Smackle was evident. "Are you okay, Smackle?"

"I don't understand what's happening to me," Smackle admitted, her voice faltering.

Farkle thought out loud, "Why don't you sit next to her, Lucas?"

As the Texan boy obliged, Smackle's uncertainty grew. "No one who's ever looked like you has ever sat this close," she confessed, leaning towards him. "Are you sitting here because you want to be my mate?"

Lucas's response was straightforward. "I'm sitting here because the seat was empty."

Smackle commented as she kept observing him, "You smell like pine trees."

His stare at her turns perplexed. "Thank you."

"Our feet are touching."

"You're doing that."

"...Wow, I've never seen anything more pathetic in my life," Katherine muttered under her breath at the sight before her.

Farkle, however, found the situation amusing. "Hmm. Smackle, what is the square root of 36?"

Smackle's distracted response was telling. "Who cares?"

Realizing the potential distraction, Farkle addressed the Texan. "Lucas is on our debate team. Will that be a problem for you?"

"Should be, yeah," Smackle replied.

"Good," Farkle nodded, turning to Lucas. "Let's go. We've got a debate to prepare for."

And just like that, the boys left the bakery, leaving Smackle in bewilderment.

As Riley and Maya settled across from Smackle, with Kat by her side, the weight of Smackle's transformation lingered in the air.

The genius couldn't contain her turmoil. "What have you done to me? I feel broken. I feel... pretty. I'm confused," Smackle spilled out of her, not expecting her experiment to slightly backfire on her.

Kat offered a comforting pat on her shoulder. "We can help you go back to how you were."

But Smackle's resolve was clear. "Oh, I'm not going back!" She takes a look at her nails assuring, "I'm not that confused."

⤵︎

     AS THE SKY darkened outside, Farkle found himself drawn to Riley's bay window for advice. But to his surprise, he discovered Auggie was there, alone, lost in thought.

"Hi, Auggie," Farkle greeted simply, sliding the window open.

Auggie returned the greeting. "Hi, Farkle. Riley's not home."

"So what are you doing sitting in the bay window?" Farkle questioned.

"I just wanted to see if sitting here would fix my woman trouble," Auggie confessed, as Farkle joined him at his sister's window. "Riley always sits here. But I guess it only works for her."

"What happened?" Farkle asked, sensing Auggie's distress from a small distance.

"Ava said we might not be together forever."

"And you expected that you would be?"

"Yeah, because I'm only this many," Auggie raised five fingers, "and I still have high hopes."

Just then, Topanga appears at the door as Farkle gives Auggie a high five. "If you like her, she must be really something."

The mother nodded in agreement. "Oh yeah, she's really something... You know, Farkle, we have a front door."

"I know, but I'm here on business," Farkle replied, determined.

As Kat and the girls returned, Riley took charge of the room. "Okay, who's first?"

"I am," Auggie spoke up pointedly.

Riley and them head over to the bay window as Maya notices Farkle there. "Farkle, do you have an appointment?"

"Nope, just a walk-in," he replied.

As Riley and Kat settled down, Kat placed Auggie on her lap as she explained, "Well, I'm sorry, Farkle. But feel free to read one of our waiting room magazines." She gestures to the magazine on Riley's chair. "We're jammed."

Farkle nodded, grabbed the magazine, and walked by the door with Topanga to read it.

With Maya seated, Riley nodded to her brother. "Go ahead."

"I want to be with Ava until I die," Auggie confessed, more straightforward than the girls expected.

Kat softly chuckles at his bluntness. "That's pretty intense for someone your age, huh?" she teased, raising five fingers.

"But it's true, Kitty-Kat. I don't want anyone else," Auggie insisted.

"But does she feel the same way?" His sister asked.

Auggie sighs out an exhausted breath. "She's vague, man. She's messing with my mind."

However, Riley pointed out, "But it doesn't matter what she says, it matters is what she does."

"Did she actually break up with you?" Maya sought to know first.

Auggie shook his head. "No."

By the door, Topanga suddenly became shocked. "What?! Wait a minute," she exclaimed, joining them by the bay-window. "Auggie, I assumed you guys broke up."

Kat shrugged off the assumption. "Oh, Aunt Topanga. You should never assume. Didn't Uncle Cory teach you that or something?"

Maya chimes in, "Don't you get the home versions of these lessons? You're married to the guy."

Topanga scoffs the question. "Of course I do. There's just so many of them." Then it hits her. "Oh no, I married Feeny..."

Riley redirects the conversation to its topic again. "So how is Ava messing with you?"

"She says we might not be together forever. But she also says we might," Auggie explained, confused but sullen at both dilemmas.

"So you still have a girlfriend," Maya pointed out.

Topanga added humorously, "And I let you eat cake and whipped cream."

Auggie stood up off of Kat's lap and smiled at a realization. "Hmm, so I had a pretty good day!"

Topanga found herself smiling as well as they leave the room soon after that.

"Next," Riley called out, summoning Farkle to approach.

He jokingly attempts to sit on Kat's lap, but she pushed him aside. "Don't even try it," she warned, making space for him to sit beside her. "So, what's troubling you, genius?"

"I'm not troubled, to be honest...I'm more tortured," Farkle confessed, his face showing it clearly.

Riley pressed for details, "What about?"

"Smackle's not gonna be at her best at the debate."

"Why not?" Maya wanted to understand.

"Because you guys made her better. Except you didn't."

Riley pursed her lips at his words. "You want us to change her back?" she asked.

"If we do, Farkle, you'll lose the debate," Kat pointed out, unsure of this idea.

"I only want to beat her when she's really her. She's the best arch-nemesis I could ever have," Farkle asserted, casting a glance at Kat. "It kind of reminds me of you and Lucas."

She raised a brow, puzzled by his statement. "What do you mean?"

A small grin wrote itself on his face. "You really don't notice it, do you?"

"Notice what?" Kat queried, growing more curious.

"Why he makes fun of you."

She shrugged. "I would think it's obvious why he does, Farkle. It's because I do the same back. It's not that hard to understa-"

"Sure, that's part of it, but—he challenges you, Kat. And I'm fairly sure he knows he does," Farkle interjected.

Kat's demeanor falters in an instant. "What?"

Farkle shifts in his spot on the bay window. "In the same way that me and Smackle challenge each other with our academics, you and Lucas challenge each other in everything else..."

But Kat needed to understand further. "Elaborate."

Farkle scoffs out a breath. "Must I have to be the genius all the time?" he commented, earning a glare from Kat. "Look, from what I've observed about you two, is that sometimes he pushes your buttons on purpose. Not to make you angry, though sometimes it is, but—remember when he said that you wouldn't showcase your art at the exhibit because you're too shy? He said that because he knew you'd do it to not prove his point."

The realization suddenly hits her like a lightning bolt. The realization that it made sense because it did work. She did end up doing it, especially because his words challenged her. Because he—challenged her. And it helped.

"He helps you, Kat. And you don't even notice it," Farkle added, emphasizing his point.

"Yeah, all year you've spent it hating him so much, that you haven't even realized what he's been doing for you," Riley piped in from her left.

Maya adds a comment from her right, "Seems like you were too blind to see what was right in front of you, Kitty-Kat."

And at that moment, it was like the ground beneath Kat had shifted.

Kat felt like everything she thought she knew about Lucas was suddenly shaken. It was like a lightbulb moment, even stronger than when she realized she liked him. She could even feel her defenses weakening.

But instead of beating herself up about it like usual, she found herself grappling with the realization that perhaps there was more to Lucas than she had ever cared to admit.

That perhaps, this was a reason to like him after all.

"I—guess I never thought of it like that," Kat spoke, her tone coated in perplexity.

"Of course, you didn't," Farkle reassured her, understanding her disbelief. "You and I didn't realize these things about our nemeses until now."

With a heavy sigh, Kat allowed her shoulders to slump. "I—I guess not, Farkle."

Sign #6: He's been helping me...and I haven't even noticed it.

⤵︎

     THE NEXT DAY arrived, and despite the trio's persistent efforts, there was no reversing the changes they did to Isadora Smackle.

As Farkle entered the debate room, the first thing he notices is Smackle's unchanged appearance. It makes him walk over to the girls in the audience. "You promised you'd change her back," Farkle urged to them.

"We tried," Riley assured.

"She wouldn't go for it," Kat explained, adding defeatedly, "We're sorry, Farkle."

He sighs at this before approaching his nemesis. "I didn't want to win this way, Smackle. I hope you enjoy being beautiful."

She shrugged. "Oh, I do."

As he walked away, Farkle muttered, "How the once-mighty have fallen."

Regaining his composure, he stood at the center of the room and began his argument, "The nation of Troy was charmed by a beautiful wooden horse. They neglected to consider what was inside. And they lost everything because of outer beauty. Don't be fooled by a pretty wrapper. I mean, who keeps the wrapping paper?"

Riley raised her hand, having a ribbon on her wrists and head. "I wear ribbons."

Farkle weakly chuckles at her. "Okay... And now, our concluding statement will be made by Lucas Friar."

In a beat, Lucas rose from his seat and went to speak. "There can be absolutely no debate that the quest for outer beauty at the expense of one's inner self is a road to personal destruction. People make assumptions. I've been labeled a jock and a cowboy, and this is from my friends. But here's a little secret. I like school and I do pretty well. You might look at me and assume baseball player. I look at me and I know I'd better get good grades, because what's on the inside has to be more important than what's on the outside to get into a good college and into a good life. Because beauty is not skin deep. Thank you."

Katherine wouldn't confess it, not even to herself, but she was captivated watching him articulate his thoughts. One could tell by the small smirk on her face listening to him. Listening to him speak his truth on the matter.

Of course, this left her mind to be sour, but in her heart, she was proud of him.

And as the audience erupted into applause for Lucas, Kat joined in, clapping for him.

Smackle comes to the front and speaks her side. "Omigosh, I'm like so totally unprepared and scared," she starts obnoxiously.

"We finally got her," one of Farkle and Lucas' teammates whispered, their plan seemingly unfolding as expected.

However, Smackle's next words catch them off guard. "Maybe that's what you would assume I would say, considering the effort I put into my appearance."

"Uh-oh," murmured another, realizing they hadn't quite anticipated the full extent of Smackle's readiness.

"I'm here to argue today that beauty actually is skin deep. So I've done some research and I've learned...That it is. When you get compliments from people who don't ordinarily compliment you, when people look at you differently, packaging does matter. I wasn't pretty, then I was. This is a world where pretty seems better somehow. Which is too bad, but it's not debatable. However, I also learned that if you get swept up by what you are on the outside you can lose who you are on the inside. Even though it is easy to be fooled by the beauty of a trojan horse, its real power comes from the army within... intelligence, compassion, integrity, courage. That army is the real you, no matter what you look like. So even though beauty may be skin deep, beauty is nowhere near as important as the army inside. And I'll try not to forget that."

Smackle returned to her team's table and puts her glasses back on. "Well, look at all of you. You're all very deeply beautiful," she remarked to everyone, before looking at her nemesis. "Especially you, Farkle."

And to her words, he grins back her way.

Turning back to the audience, Smackle continued, "Thank you," prompting a round of applause from their peers.

Glancing at Farkle, Lucas noted, "She beat us."

Farkle nodded, acknowledging the defeat but accepting it truly. "Yeah."

Smackle finds her way to Kat and them then. "Thank you for taking me in," she said. Her gaze veers to Kat solely as she sighs. "You're the prettiest person I know, Kat. And I know I'll never live up to your beauty no matter what I do to fix how I look."

Kat frowns before her. "Smackle..."

She shrugs. "But I hope we can be friends though," Smackle added, hopeful.

Maya grinned and nodded. "Cool...We've got a lot to learn from each other."

Kat extends her arms for a hug, but Smackle hesitates for a moment before bringing her's around the Decker's figure, stiffly.

As they parted ways, Riley placed her ribbon on Smackle's dress. And as they watched Smackle walk away, Riley couldn't help but express her confusion. "I continue to not understand anything."

Maya offered a reassuring smile. "That's what's so beautiful about you."

⤵︎

AFTER THE DEBATE concluded, the gang reconvened at Svorski's for a post-debate snack session. Seated around a table, the trio sat on one side while the boys occupied the other, with Smackle on a chair to the side.

"Valiant effort, Lucas. Perhaps a smoothie would take the sting out of my latest victory," Smackle sought out, leaning in provocatively.

Kat rolled her eyes. "Oh, Smackle, I'd rather you set your eyes on boys who are pretty-looking but less annoying than cowboy, over here."

Lucas shoots her a glare. "Will you ever not be insufferable, Juliet?"

She grins in return. "Nope, only when it comes to you, Romeo."

Farkle spoke up then. "I think Smackle is just relishing in some newfound confidence, Kat."

Smackle flashes a grin at him. "You know me too well, arch-nemesis."

This drives Maya into a sudden realization. "She was using you to make Farkle jealous," she reveals, glancing at Lucas.

He looks genuinely surprised by this. "Well, that's a new one."

Shifting to Farkle, Smackle posed a thought-provoking question. "Tell me the truth, Farkle. If Kat, Riley, and Maya weren't beautiful, would you still love them?"

Farkle paused, considering his response as he gazed at his friends. "They're beautiful?...Oh yeah, I never really noticed."

The trio exchanged knowing smiles, understanding the affectionate sentiment behind Farkle's words.

lani's talking!

ITS STARTING TO COME TOGETHER PEOPLE AHHHH

lol but anyways, as I always say, thank you all sm for the love and support for this story, it means a lot to me that you're enjoying the story! and I will see y'all later :)

byeeeee <3