IT WAS a known fact that Aleena York and Charlie Boone did not like Riley Matthews, Lucas Friar, Farkle Minkus, Isadora Smackle, and Zay Babineaux... actually, they tolerated Zay, he wasn't so bad and had been the most comfortable person out of that friend group that Aleena and Charlie could see themselves hanging out with... you know, besides Maya.

But that fact didn't seem to pass by Riley Matthews. Ever since Aleena and Maya began to date it was like Riley had been their child rather than a friend and Aleena wouldn't wish that upon anyone.

She did not like Riley Matthews and couldn't see herself being friends with her unless Maya was on the verge of breaking up with her... which she wouldn't because why would she?

Aleena stood by her locker and grabbed her books from inside it. She held her tote bag over her shoulder which she claimed was a backpack and stuffed whatever she needed.

"Good morning!"

Aleena rolled her eyes but turned seeing Riley and Maya now in front of her.

"I really like what you're wearing." Riley complimented. "Great hair, nice eyes, good knees. I see why Maya likes you." Riley leaned to the side, whispering to Maya. "Watch this, Maya."

Aleena sighed and cocked her eyes over to Maya who gave Aleena a worried smile. Now, she could either lie and not her Riley's feelings and hopefully keep her relationship with Maya intact or she could tell Riley the truth and move on with her life by knowing that she could finally tell Riley Matthews how she felt about her.

"I don't like you."

She said faster than she thought it and trust, she thought about it a lot, but as soon as the words left her mouth all she did was smile at the girl.

"She- she don't like me." Riley muttered.

"Watch whatever happens next." Maya said, leaning towards Aleena.

Riley began walking backward until she stopped, she then moved forward and stood next to Maya.

"Hi, Maya." She smiled. "Oh, hi Aleena, I've heard so much about you. Any friend of Maya is a great friend of mine."

Aleena sighed. "You're persistent. I don't like that... or you."

With that Aleena sighed and shut her locker, leaving Riley to sink to the floor and into Maya's arms, but Aleena wasn't gone long as she rolled her eyes once more to return to her locker, Riley's eyes shut as Maya held her.

Maya looked up at her girlfriend. "You couldn't lie?"

"To her? No."

Then the bell rang.

"Oh, yay." Maya sighed.

Riley sprang from Maya's arms and turned to look at her.

"Maya, I had the worst dream!" She exclaimed. She looked up, seeing Aleena now pressed against her locker. "You were in my dream!"

"Don't dream about me." Aleena said.

Riley began to breathe heavily and fell back into Maya's arms.

Lucas, Zay, Farkle, and Smackle made their way up the stairs, looking down at the two girls who sat on the floor.

"How's it goin'?" Lucas asked.

"Aleena doesn't like Riley, my legs are asleep, and we have Health class."

Lucas sighed, grabbed Riley's hands, and threw Riley over her shoulder. Taking the two of them to Health class.

Aleena felt a tug on her thump against her boot and looked down at the floor to see Maya looking up at her.

Aleena sighed once more and pulled Maya up by her hands and tossing her fairly short girlfriend over her shoulder.

"You must really like me, York." Maya smiled.

"Shamefully so."

Aleena followed behind Lucas and soon dropped Maya to her feet as she took her in front of Charlie.

"Missed you this morning." Charlie sighed.

"Trust me, you'll be glad that you missed me." Aleena said, slumping down in her seat.

Charlie felt a tap on his shoulder and turned in his seat with furrowed brows.

"Do you like me?" Riley asked.

Charlie blinked, turning to look at Aleena who only smiled at him. With a sigh, Charlie turned, looking back at Riley.

"I don't."

Before Riley could panic, their Health teacher, Mr. Fanucchi stood before the class.

"All right, all you creepy little child-adults, settle down. Let's get this over with, huh?"

Riley quickly raised her hand, but Mr. Fanucchi dismissed her.

"Ugh." He scoffed. "Put your hand down, Sunshine. You'll all pass no matter what. You know why? 'Cause if I fail ya, I gotta meet your parents. I don't want to meet your parents. I don't want to meet you. All right." He snorted. "Let's talk about your bodies."

With that said, Farkle had passed out in his seat.

"Yeah, I don't blame him."

"Are you sure that you're the right person to teach us this?" Riley asked.

"Are you saying you don't like Mr. Fanucchi, Riley?" Aleena asked. "Because that would be highly hypocritical of you."

"Why don't you give me a chance?" Mr. Fanucchi asked. "I might surprise ya."

"I'm not saying I don't like him, I just want this to be taught to me in a delicate and sensitive manner." Riley reassured.

"Yeah?" Mr. Fanucchi asked. "Well, surprise."

"You can't control this either, Riles." Maya said.

"All right, everybody open your Health textbooks to page 73." Mr. Fanucchi instructed.

Again, there was a thud. Farkle passing out as soon as he regained consciousness.

"He is the only one here that knows what he's doing."

ALEENA YORK really liked Maya Hart but the downfall might just be Riley Matthews and the way she handled things that go on in her life. She had somehow, someway, once again, meddled a problem of her own and made it everybody else's problem.

Aleena stood in front of the group of students with her arms crossed over her chest as Maya and Riley stepped into the classroom.

Aleena was pissed and would hold her tongue until the time was right. She was so sick and feeling like she was being walked on. From middle school to her freshman year of high school. All of it, everything in her life had to be about Riley Matthews and what she wanted, who she wanted, and who she wanted to be seen with and Aleena was over it, especially when her mother had gotten an apparent call from Riley's mother, Topanga, called the house and asked her mother why she didn't like her daughter.

But for now, the girl stepped to the side with the other students and took her seat so Maya and Riley can seen that Mr. Fanucchi had been replaced by Mr. Matthews.

"Ya happy?" He asked.

The two girls took their seats as Mr. Matthews paced back and forth in front of his new group of students.

"So I said, "Hey, Fanucci, don't take this the wrong way." He did." Mr. Matthews began to explain. ""Can you be a little more sensitive in Health class?" He can't. So, here I stand in front of you begging you to make this easy on me."

From behind, Maya began to slowly raise her hand in the air and Mr. Matthews looked at her with his brows knit in disgust.

"Put that hand down forever."

"You have to answer my question about the body."

Riley turned in her seat, looking at the blonde girl. "Maya, its my father! He doesn't know anything."

"He has to know something." Aleena scoffed. "He had you didn't he?"

"Yeah." Mr. Matthews said. "I know things. What is the body? What does the body want? I'm gonna tell ya. Soup." He said. "Now you know everything. Goodnight!"

Before he could leave, Smackle shot her hand in the air.

"What do you want?" He asked.

"Smackle time, please."

"Absolutely."

"Ooh," Charlie smiled. "This is new. I like this type of newness."

Smackle stood from her desk and made her way towards the font of the class.

"Mr. Matthews is our teacher and our friend who always encourages us to pursue the subject matter."

Aleena raised her hand and didn't wait to be called upon.

"Mr. Matthews isn't my friend." She said. "That would be weird. In fact, this" She gestured, circling her had around the classroom. "is all weird. You know, I get it. I do. But this class was the one class I could have just for me. But because of you" Aleena turned, looking at Riley. "I can't have that because you didn't think Mr. Fanucchi could teach us in the way that you liked."

Aleena stood up, grabbing her bag from the floor and stood right by Riley's desk.

"Wanna know why I don't like you, Riley?" Aleena asked and again, didn't wait for an answer. "Because you do thing like this."

With that, Aleena left the classroom. She had done it once before and would continue if things like this would impact her world. She didn't deserve that and she knew it.

But instead of Charlie following the girl out, Maya did. Her boots matching the clanking noise of Aleena's.

"Can you slow down?" Maya huffed. "I'm not as fit as Charlie... that's his name isn't it."

Aleena turned a small smile on her face. "Yes, his name is Charlie."

"Good." Maya sighed. "I'm still learning Zay."

Maya raised her brows with her hands on her hips as she leaned forward in hopes that Aleena would question her if she was wrong.

But Aleena nodded and Maya smiled.

"Are you here to defend Riley by saying something along the lines of "she's my best friend and she doesn't know what she's doing" or are you here to tell me I'm right and you're gonna ditch with me?" Aleena asked.

"I am here to tell you that you are right, but I'm not going to leave with you because, again, you are right, she's my best friend." Maya said.

Aleena nodded. "I know. And when you walk back into that room, Charlie's gonna walk and be with me, because he's my best friend."

"You're not mad at me?"

Aleena let out a soft laugh. "No. You're gonna stick with Riley forever and respect that. She's your best friend and not mine. Which, I'm thankful for."

Maya nodded. "Did you have to tell her that you didn't like her to her face though?"

"Yeah because if I didn't I would regret it." Aleena answered. "I had the opportunity and took. If you had the same chance that I did, no matter the circumstance, you would've taken it."

"Would I?" Maya asked.

"Yes, and you did." She said. "You told me how you felt about me even when you thought that I didn't feel the same. You did that because you had the chance to."

Maya nodded.

"Go to your friend." Aleena smiled. "And I'll wait for mine."

ALEENA AND Charlie didn't return to class until Mr. Fanucchi returned.

When that time came, Aleena stood by her locker, waiting for Charlie to finish talking to one of his teachers about an extra credit assignment.

But she should've known that her locker was the spot for Riley Matthews and her friends to find her.

"Morning." Riley smiled.

"Hello, Riley." Aleena said.

"I know you don't like me, but I like you."

Riley took in a deep breath and turned, but to the surprise of most, Aleena called her name.

Riley turned back, looking over at Aleena.

"I don't hate you."

Riley raised her brows. "You don't?"

"I don't hate any of you." Aleena reassured

"Does that include me?" Maya asked.

But Aleena only looked her away and Maya gave her an awkward smile as she stepped back.

"So you like me?" Riley asked with a smile.

"No, but maybe... in time, I will." Alana said. "I don't like you because the world doesn't just revolve around you, Riley. It's my world too and I like to learn. I wanna go to college and get a degree, maybe a doctorate. I wanna be able to learn about the world. Not Riley's world."

Riley licked her lips. "I- I didn't know you felt that way."

Aleena chuckled. "You didn't even know who I was at the beginning of the school year and we've been going to school together since the fifth grade."

"I'm really sorry, Aleena." Riley said. "I like you because you're someone special to Maya. I wanna be friends."

Aleena sighed. She glanced over at Maya and stepped forward.

"In time, Riley." Aleena said. "It won't be today and it won't be tomorrow but in time... maybe we'll be friends."

Riley smiled. "Do you do hugs?"

Aleena gave the girl an awkward smile and slowly stretched her arms out. Riley, on the other hand, held a wide, toothy smile and hugged Aleena quickly and tightly.

Aleena opened her eyes and looked over at Maya who gave her a small
smile, muttering a small thank you under her breath.

Aleena gave her a thumbs up and pulled out of the hug with Riley and watched as she and the rest of the friend group made their way into Mr. Matthew's classroom.

Maya stood there, her hands in her pockets as she approached Aleena.

"That was big of you, York." Maya smiled. "How do you feel?"

"I feel... like she might try."

Maya smiled, taking Aleena's hand and swinging it back and forth.

Charlie jogged down the hall and smiled. "Couldn't get the extra credit but she said she'd boost my grade if I left her alone." He said, pumping his fist into the air.

Aleena and Maya smiled, laughing at the boy as Aleena threw her free arm over Charlie's shoulder and the three of them entered Mr. Matthew's classroom.

Things were changing... and for the best.

— lucy has something to say !!

y'all i think there's about six or so chapters left

anyway

farkle such a simp for smackle im almost sick

okay whats on page 73

RILEY APOLOGIZING FOR HER ACTIONS HOORAY 👏👏👏

bye :))))