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❛ ʟᴇᴀᴛʜᴇʀ & ʟᴀᴄᴇ​​​​​​​​​​. ❜ ° . ༄
- ͙۪۪˚   ▎❛ 𝐄𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓 ❜   ▎˚ ͙۪۪̥◌
»»————- ꒰ ʀᴇᴛᴜʀɴ ᴛᴏ ᴍᴏᴜɴᴛ
sᴜɴ ʟᴏᴅɢᴇ ꒱


❝ HOW ABOUT 'NO' IN LATIN? ❞

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Juliet arranged to stay in Philadelphia awhile longer now that she really had no reason to flee back to England. She wanted to stick around and help her family take care of her dad during his recovery for as long as possible. While it wasn't going to be easy, she was tired of letting fear rule her. She determinedly stuck it out, pleasantly saying goodbye to Shawn, who had to return to Maine and finish his assignment (and she never threw water in his face once.) Even when her mom and uncles brought him up after he left, she refused to flinch at the sound of his name and instead was completely transparent about their previous attempted reunions.

Miya was delighted to have her mom in such close proximity (though of course she wished it were under better circumstances.) Upstate Pennsylvania was still some distance from New York City so she only visited on weekends, but that was a paltry distance compared to when her mom was in England so she didn't mind the drive at all. Besides, just like she'd thought, as soon as Stuart had a break in his meetings and gotten on his phone to see his messages, he cleared every weekend for the foreseeable future so he could drive Miya to Barron's mansion and be there for Juliet (who, naturally, insisted that was too much, but he didn't listen to her protests.)

After Barron had been cleared to be put in a private room to begin long-term recovery, Miya and Farkle returned home since they had to be in school on Monday. As soon as they saw their friends, Riley unleashed a barrage of questions in Miya's direction, demanding to know everything that happened.

Farkle, Lucas and Maya were able to ward her off (Zay egged her on, wanting to know the gossip) until after school, where Riley practically dragged Miya to the bay window. There, Miya told her about her grandfather's accident (she received genuine sympathy from those who hadn't been there), her idea to have Shawn come and support her mom (Riley had cheered triumphantly) and that her grandfather was going to be okay (everyone was very relieved.) Riley did scold her for not telling them about it while it was happening, saying 'what good are friends if they can't be there for when you need them most?'

Miya had reminded her that she'd been on vacation, but Riley insisted that wasn't a good enough excuse and that Maya, Zay and Lucas had all been available, anyway, and Miya hadn't told them, either. Maya had chimed in then, chuckling at the scene she'd pictured in her head as she pointed out how pissed Cory and Topanga were going to be when they found out Juliet (their best friend) hadn't reached out to them (and how that would quickly change to excitement when they found out she was finally back on speaking terms with Shawn.)

Now, everything had settled back down— or, at least, was as normal as it got with Miya's friend group. Everyone was excited for their upcoming field trip where the Nature Club was travelling upstate to see the leaves change color. The only person who wasn't was Cory. He scowled at the chalkboard, where he'd written the word Nature in big, capital letters. He slammed his pointer against the wall grumpily. "Nature. Makes us sneeze, puts us in the infirmary. Nature."

Maya was amused by his disgruntlement. "What's he got against nature? Isn't he running the Nature Club?"

"He's only running the Nature Club because it was either that or the Ski Club," Riley explained.

"So why didn't he choose the Ski Club?" Lucas inquired.

"He can't run the Ski Club because of what happened and the Mount Sun Lodge when they were our age," the brunette replied.

"Nature!" Cory repeated furiously, once again hitting the board with his pointer. "The only place a bear can kill ya from. Nature."

Zay's brows furrowed as he tried to make sense of Riley's reasoning. "Well, what happened at the ski lodge?"

"Topanga almost broke up with him because he kissed another girl," Miya shared, receiving surprised looks from some of her friends. "What? My mom was there too. She told me the stories."

Cory huffed at her response. "I didn't kiss her back!"

"Nature!" Maya cheered, enjoying his discomfort.

He glared at her. "How 'bout I throw you back in the street where ya came from, you waif?" The blonde frowned and mouthed 'waif?'

"Like Mimi said, those were very bad times for Cory and Topanga," Riley stated. "Everything's fine now, except we can't ski ever or say 'ski' or walk downhill."

"So why is he all upset with nature?" Farkle wanted to know.

"Guess where the hike is," the Matthews girl deadpanned.

Smackle's eyes widened as the realization hit her and, lifting a finger, she declared, "the Mount Sun Lodge."

"Nature," Cory growled again. This time when his pointer hit the wall, it broke in half. He jumped at the unexpected clatter it made.

"What are you doing, dad?" Riley asked him, concerned.

"The ski lodge was almost the end of Cory and Topanga, America's sweethearts," Mr. Matthews complained. "And now, I know something's gonna happen there for you. So, I am preparing ya. . . for nature."

He went to go tap the board again only to remember that his pointer had broken. He glanced down at it for a second, then just hurled it at the wall instead. Lucas arched a brow at his antics. "We're just going up to see the leaves change color."

"Nature puts on a great show when it wants to," Zay agreed.

"Indeed, Zay," Smackle confirmed.

Farkle chimed in: "the leaves seem to scream out. . ."

"'Hey, look at me!'" Smackle filled in for him.

"'You think I'm pretty!'"

The false cheer drained out of Smackle's voice as she finished, "'but I'm actually dead.'" She grinned, her good humor returning. "The preceding was brought to you by the Smarkle Corporation. Explaining big concepts with little words. . ."

Miya sank into her chair at the end of the pair's presentation, her heart twisting at the mash-up of their names. But, she needn't have worried. As soon as the word was out of Smackle's mouth, Farkle turned around to shoot her a sharp look. "I thought I told you not to combine our names like that. It makes it sound like we're together!"

Smackle pouted. "That's not how we practiced it! You're supposed to finish with 'for you!' And besides, our names sound good together! It's just another reason why we—" She gestured between herself and Farkle. "—work so well!"

"Hey, you know what else works well?" Zay mused loudly. "Markle."

"Ooh, or Fiya!" Riley put in, seeing the name mashup as a game.

"Or Capelus. That makes you sound like a Caeser," Lucas suggested. He put on his faux-posh voice. "Caeser Capelus, leader of the known world."

"I like Minkwood," Maya remarked, grinning at the Asian girl.

Miya was touched by her friends' immediate support of her relationship. She gazed at them, unsure what to say that would properly express her appreciation. Farkle's expression softened as he met her gaze. "What do you like, 'Nacci?"

"I. . . I like all of them," she mumbled, not wanting to hurt anyone's feeling by picking a favorite.

"Oh, boo!" Maya complained. "That's a cop out! You gotta pick one, name-twin."

"I guess. . . Fiya is kind of cute," Miya murmured. Riley beamed at her for choosing her idea. This time when she shrank in her chair it was from all of the attention she was getting. Smackle huffed, put out by the group's response and didn't say anything else on that subject.

Cory came over to them and waved in his daughter's and Maya's faces. "Okay, this is cute and all and I'm very glad you and Farkle are happy together—" (this, of course, was directed at Miya) "—but can I get back to my rant about how terrible nature is? Thank you." He returned to the front of the classroom. "Alright, before we get on the bus, I want to talk to you guys about the other kind of nature. The human kind. And this discussion we just listened to about couples' drama is a perfect segue."

"Here it comes," Zay sighed.

"Ohh, I've been on these kind of trips before," Cory acknowledged. "We made our plans, we had our blueprints. Well, you know what's gonna happen to all your little teenage plans? Nothin'!"

Smackle slammed her hands down on her desk. "Why not?"

"Because I am gonna be your chaperone, and I will be doggin' you every step like a dog," the curly-haired man stated proudly.

Maya smirked at him. "What makes you think we're like that, Matthews?"

"Get a load of Yogi and Darby over here." He gestured to them and the class turned to see Yogi sitting on Darby's lap. The blonde had her arms wrapped around him and he beamed contentedly.

"Uh, they go by Yoby now," Zay corrected him.

"Yeah. Didn't you see their ad in the school newspaper?" Lucas asked.

Yogi held up the ad they were talking about, which declared 'we're Yoby now!' in big letters with a black-and-white image of them sitting in the same position. Cory chuckled at how adorable that was. "Well. . . it's not Yoby I'm worried about, anyway. Yoby's forever. Same with Fiya. It's this three-headed, creeping triangle that won't die that concerns me."

"Why do you have to. . ." Riley began.

"Bring that up. . ." Maya grumbled.

Lucas seemed a bit lost on how to continue the sentence but wanted to contribute something, so he added, "for?"

"Because the triangle is going to the great outdoors. So, we are gonna need some great chaperones," Cory announced.

"We got this completely under control, Matthews," Maya reassured him. "My human nature is completely under control and there's nothin' or nobody who could ever change that."

"Hey, kiddies." A good-looking young guy walked into the room with a bright smile on his face. Miya seen Riley's Uncle Josh a few times at the Matthews' Christmas parties so she knew who he was, though she hadn't spoken much to him.

Smackle gave the older boy an interested once-over. "You're our. . . chaperone?"

"I invited him," Topanga stated as she, too, walked into the classroom. "I'm coming too."

Cory went over to stand next to his wife proudly. "I invited her. I'm smart."

"We'll be watching over you," Topanga warned them.

"'Kay," Maya conceded.

"My name's Josh," the older boy introduced himself, "and I'll be with you all day and all night, so no monkey business."

🌎🌎🌎

Farkle and Miya had planned to sit together on the bus ride up but their hopes were dashed shortly after they set foot on the first step. Maya had dragged Riley to the back of the bus, ignoring her best friend's objections about how she got motion sick. Miya and Farkle had settled on somewhere between the middle and front, while Zay and Lucas would sit near them.

However, as soon as Farkle picked out the row they were going to sit in, Miya felt herself being shoved out of the way by a small force. When she straightened again, she found Smackle in her seat, the genius beaming at an uncomfortable Farkle.

"This seat is taken," Smackle announced matter-of-factly, folding her hands primly on her lap.

Farkle blinked, caught off guard. "Smackle, what are you doing? Miya was going to sit there."

"Yes," Smackle replied without hesitation, "but I don't care. I'm not moving."

A few students behind them groaned, impatient. "Come on, you're holding up the line!" one boy complained. Others muttered in agreement, shuffling restlessly.

Miya, not wanting to create a scene, chose to move on without protest. "It's okay," she reassured Farkle softly, trying to mask her disappointment. "I'll just sit behind you." Before he could argue further, she slipped into the row directly behind his, giving him a small, warm smile that didn't quite reach her eyes.

Farkle sat stiffly in his seat, frustration churning within him. This wasn't how it was supposed to go. He had been looking forward to sitting next to Miya the whole ride— talking, laughing, sharing earbuds, holding her hand and maybe she'd take a nap and rest her head on his shoulder. But now Smackle had ruined it and he wasn't about to let her think she had won.

His first thought was simple: he could stand up, move to the seat beside Miya, and leave Smackle behind. But the idea soured quickly. That would mean brushing past her and he could already imagine the smug satisfaction she'd feel watching him retreat. No, he wasn't going to give her that victory.

So he tried negotiation. Leaning closer, lowering his voice, he offered, "Smackle, if you move, I'll give you a hundred dollars."

"Money is irrelevant to me," she responded flatly, not even glancing at him.

He gritted his teeth. "Fine. How about this: you can put your name first whenever we publish a joint research paper. You'll get the recognition."

Now she looked at him, but her expression was one of calm certainty. "There is nothing you can offer me, Farkle. You and I are meant to be together, not you and Miya. I'm only doing what's inevitable."

His hands curled into fists in his lap. Beside him, Smackle sat with the smug serenity of someone who thought the universe itself had her back.

Meanwhile, Miya sat behind them, staring down at her lap. She told herself she shouldn't feel hurt— after all, this wasn't Farkle's fault— but the disappointment pressed heavy in her chest. She could picture Maya and Riley laughing together at the back and she knew Zay and Lucas would be goofing around in their shared row. Everyone else would be with their friends while she was left to sit next to a stranger she didn't know. The thought made her feel small, like she didn't belong.

Then the seat beside her dipped.

Miya didn't glance over at first. She didn't want to see some random classmate settling in, didn't want to confirm her loneliness. But then the person nudged her lightly with their elbow. Reluctantly, she turned her head— and her eyes widened when she saw Lucas.

Her expression brightened instantly, though confusion followed. "Lucas? Why are you sitting here?"

He gave an easy shrug, his voice warm. "What, you'd think I'd let one of my best friends sit by herself?"

She blinked at him, caught between gratitude and disbelief. "But. . . what about Zay?"

From across the aisle, Zay leaned forward, flashing her a grin. "I'm here too! This way we can all sit together." He gave her a small, cheerful wave.

Miya's throat tightened at their effort, her earlier gloom lifting. She felt seen, included, wanted. Without thinking, she leaned over and wrapped her arms around Lucas in a grateful hug. Lucas froze for half a second, surprised, before relaxing into it, a smile tugging at his lips.

Just ahead of them, Farkle turned around, drawn by the sound of her laughter. He saw Miya smiling, Lucas sitting at her side and Zay across the aisle, all of them chatting easily. A part of him was relieved— at least she wasn't alone. But the larger part of him simmered with irritation. This wasn't what he wanted. He was supposed to be the one making her laugh, the one sitting at her side. Instead, he was stuck next to Smackle, who radiated self-satisfaction with a gravitational pull he couldn't escape. Grumpily, he plugged his headphones in and gazed out the window, determined to keep his eyes on the changing foliage the whole time rather than interact with Smackle even once.

🌎🌎🌎

When they arrived at the ski resort, Farkle waited next to the door of the bus for Miya, who stepped off just behind him. He gently grasped her wrist and tugged her off to the side, his expression earnest and apologetic as he began, "look, Miya, I'm sorry about what happened. I really had no idea—"

Miya shook her head before he could finish. "Farkle, stop. You don't have to apologize for anything. It's not your fault Smackle can't take no for an answer." Her voice was soft but steady, trying to reassure him.

But no sooner had the words left her lips than Smackle appeared beside them as if summoned. "That's right," she confirmed crisply, adjusting the strap of her bag. "I won't take no for an answer because Farkle can only ignore the facts for so long. And the facts clearly point to me."

Farkle's jaw tightened, his patience fraying. He drew himself up, his tone sharp and direct. "Smackle, for the last time: I'm not interested in you like that. I've told you before, and I'm telling you again. I don't see you that way."

The edge in his voice made Miya's chest tighten, though not painfully. She realized just how frustrated he was, how tired he must be of repeating himself, and it gave her courage to speak up, too. Stepping closer, her hand brushing Farkle's sleeve, she fixed Smackle with a steady look. "How many times does he have to say no before you get it? Honestly, it shouldn't be such a hard concept for a genius to understand."

Smackle blinked, momentarily thrown.

"And if you really can't grasp it in English," Miya continued, her tone sharp but laced with a touch of dry humor, "maybe we should try a genius-specific language. How about 'no' in Latin? Whatever that is."

"Minime," Farkle supplied, a flicker of amusement in his eyes.

"She doesn't even know Latin," Smackle pointed out snidely. "And you really think you won't get bored of her intellectual inferiority?"

Miya stiffened at Smackle's jab, but instead of shrinking back, she lifted her chin. "You're right. I don't know Latin," she admitted, her tone calm but edged with defiance. Then she tilted her head slightly. "But I do know Japanese. Which, last I checked, is a lot more useful than a dead language."

Smackle let out a frustrated huff and spun on her heel. "This doesn't change anything. Facts are still facts!" she snapped before storming off toward the lodge.

Glancing around, Miya was relieved that their mini confrontation hadn't gained much attention— mostly due to the fact that Riley, queasy from sitting at the back of the bus, had tripped and fallen down the stairs when it was her turn to get off. She'd hurt her ankle and was now being guided inside by Maya and Lucas. Miya and Farkle exchanged a concerned look, worried about their friend, and hurried after the group. Besides a slight limp, she seemed to be perfectly fine as she had no trouble zeroing in on the most important feature of the room: "ooh! Bay window! Bay window right now."

Topanga paused at the entrance of the lodge as her gaze fell on an older woman sitting at the front desk. She smirked as she recognized the employee. "Lauren did not age well. I'm just saying."

Farkle studied the large room, which had been decorated to be as cozy and rustic as any cabin. But, naturally, he was more interested in the history of the place itself. "Your mom really came here with Mr. and Mrs. Matthews?"

"They weren't Mr. and Mrs. Matthews at the time," Miya reminded him. "And they almost weren't Mr. and Mrs. anything because of this trip. But yes. That was back when my mom and Shawn—" Here, she grimaced at the thought. "—were together, too." Then, she smiled. "My mom's terrible at sports. All sports. She kept getting skis and snowboards confused."

"That sounds like me," Farkle joked. "I'm glad we didn't come here in the winter. Can you imagine me trying to ski? At least I can do hiking— that's just walking outside, and I walk every day."

Miya tried to picture her boyfriend on the slopes and thought that the image she created was very cute. Smackle joined them then, apparently having recovered from yet another rejection. She didn't even seem all that upset about it, instead turning her attention to Josh as she gazed up at him starry-eyed. "When's the first nature hike, dreamboat?"

Josh gave her a weirded-out look in return. "O-kay, while Cory and Topanga are checking us in, let me welcome you all to Mount Sun Lodge where we are here to turn our thoughts away from our indoor relationships and towards our relationships with the outdoors."

Farkle knew that a lot of their classmates (female and male) found Josh attractive— he'd seen their reactions the second the older boy had walked into the classroom. So, as the Matthews gave his short lecture, he glanced at Miya to try and gauge her reaction of him. To his surprise, she wasn't even seemed to notice Josh as she gazed up at him instead. He flushed under her attention and busied himself with taking in his surroundings. He saw a sign with some activities listed on it nearby. He laughed to himself as an idea sparked in his mind and he took out a pen to write in the empty space at the bottom of the sign.

As Josh finished up his speech, Zay arched a skeptical brow at him. "Yeah, I don't think so, Cub Scout."

It only took one minute of observation to figure out why. Although there were plenty of comfy couches to sit on, couples had cozied up with each other, some two to a seat. Finished with what he was writing, Farkle straightened from the board and glanced around to see what everyone else had noticed. The couples displayed way more PDA (though obviously it was still socially appropriate) than he was comfortable with doing with Miya in public. They had their arms around each other, some sat on others' laps, but one particular couple caught his eye where the guy gently pushed the girl's hair behind her ear.

Topanga glowered at her husband. "You brought them here on Couples Weekend?"

"Of course I did," Cory groaned.

"'Nature Sez: Tree's A crowd,'" Zay read off the sign.

"Huh," Riley mumbled.

"'Moonlight Walk: Triangle Trail,'" Smackle added.

Maya shook her head in disbelief. "Huh."

"'Riley, Maya, Lucas: Enough Already!'" Farkle read, flipping the marker he was holding. Even if he hadn't had the evidence in his hand, Miya would've recognized his handwriting. She grinned at him, amused.

🌎🌎🌎

Since Riley had hurt her ankle, she was the only student to stay behind at the lodge while everyone else traipsed out to the trailhead. Cory told them all to set up a buddy system and, at first, Miya thought that Smackle would get in the way for this, too, but there was no sign of her as Farkle held out his hand and offered, "buddy?"

She beamed at him and placed her hand in his, tangling their fingers together. "Where is Smackle?"

"Don't worry, I took care of her," Farkle promised. The Asian girl gave him a wide-eyed look and he realized how his words sounded. "Not like that! Jeez, 'Nacci. I just asked Maya and Lucas to keep her distracted."

"And how much did you have to pay Maya?" Miya teased him.

He shrugged. "She wanted two hundred but I talked her down to a hundred and I'll be getting her a new winter coat for Christmas. Lucas said he'd do it for free because he's a good friend. You can probably guess how that went over with Maya."

"Did she hur-hur him?"

Farkle smiled at Miya's half-hearted attempt to mimic the sound Maya used to mock Lucas. "Yep. But now it's just the two of us."

Eventually, they fell to the back of the group and then separated from them entirely as Farkle tugged Miya on a less travelled trail— but one still well-marked enough that they wouldn't get lost. The air was crisp, scented faintly with pine and the earthy tang of the forest. Scarlet, amber, and gold leaves waved high above their heads, occasionally drifting down around them.

Miya slowed to take it in, her eyes full of awe as though she were trying to memorize every detail: the way the sunlight filtered through the canopy, the rustle of dry leaves, the little birds darting between branches. Between growing up in London and New York City, she was used to the world being a blur of concrete, traffic, and neon lights. Moments like this— where she felt small in the best possible way— always left her both breathless and hungry for more.

"Tell me something I don't know," she requested suddenly, her gaze still fixed upward at the blaze of color above them.

If anyone else had asked him that, Farkle would've rolled his eyes and made some snarky remark about how vague the request was. But with Miya, he stopped himself. He knew her well enough to realize that even a half-joke would make her shrink at the jab at her intelligence. Instead, he tilted his head, genuinely curious. "What do you want to know?"

Her gaze shifted, taking in the scenery around them as a smile tugged at her lips. "When you look around at all this nature, what do you think about?"

For a while, they walked in silence. Then Farkle began, "the fundamental symmetry and asymmetry of the universe."

Miya slowed again as she turned her head toward him, the subject catching her interest. "What do you mean?"

He waved his free hand around at the trees that surrounded them. "Every one of these trees has a unique genetic code. They differ from each other in countless ways— the number of branches, the patterns in the bark, the root systems, and so on. Yet they mirror each other. The commonality overcomes the differences."

Although she wasn't a genius, Miya had taken enough science classes to understand the basics of genetics and its building blocks— how every living thing used the only four chemicals to create countless variations. She thought that was what Farkle meant with everything being the same but different. "And that's how the universe works? It mirrors itself over and over again?"

He nodded, his voice taking on that quick, impassioned edge he always got when he was sharing something he loved. "Down to a subatomic level. Quarks come in pairs— always— and if you try to destroy one, another will instantly appear to take its place to maintain balance."

Miya's mind drifted away from science to something they could actually see— people. How Cory without Topanga wouldn't feel right, and even a Miya without a Farkle. And. . . maybe (she regretted to admit), her mom without Shawn. She ventured, "so it's basically proven that soulmates exist?"

"I guess, if you want to take the fantasy approach," he allowed dryly, unimpressed by her not-very-scientific interpretation.

She ignored his tone and continued, "and that means the pairs are unbreakable—"

"Not unbreakable," Farkle corrected her. At her confused look, he reminded her, "sometimes physics violates its own rules. Luckily for us, or else we wouldn't be here."

"What does that have to do with anything?" Miya wanted to know, wondering how he could've possibly made that jump in logic.

"One of the symmetries in the universe should be between matter and antimatter but when they meet, they annihilate each other," he explained. "So if matter and antimatter had been created in exactly equal amounts, they would've destroyed each other instantly. No stars, no planets, no us. But there was just the tiniest imbalance— more matter than antimatter, one part in a billion. That tiny asymmetry is why the universe exists at all."

Miya gazed up at him with wide eyes, her breath catching a little. "One in a billion," she murmured, glancing around at the kaleidoscope of colors, the living proof of that imbalance. "That's. . . insane."

"Insane and miraculous," Farkle agreed, his eyes locking with hers for a beat. "Asymmetry is what makes everything possible, but symmetry is what keeps the universe moving forward."

Miya felt her chest swell, a strange warmth spreading through her that had nothing to do with the layers of jackets she wore. She turned back to the forest, but her voice was soft when she spoke. "I like that. That we're all here because the universe didn't line up perfectly."

Farkle squeezed her hand . "I like it too." 

He thought about what he'd seen back at the Mount Sun Lodge— one of the couples doing something so small, so subtle, yet so intimate that it had lodged itself in his brain. He wasn't exactly an expert in romance— far from it— but something about that quiet gesture had stuck with him, and now, walking beside Miya with her hair spilling free around her shoulders, he felt an odd, fluttering kind of courage to try it. He was glad that she wore her hair down so he even had a chance, and that, during their hike, it had slipped loose from behind her ear. It framed her face and Farkle thought— not for the first time— that she was one of those lucky people whose bangs actually worked for them. On her, they weren't awkward or heavy; they only made her look sweeter, as if the strands had been designed specifically to suit the shape of her face.

Tentatively, he reached forward. His fingers trembled just a bit, but he forced himself not to hesitate, gently brushing her hair back behind her ear. His knuckles skimmed against her skin, and for a second, he thought maybe he had done it wrong. But when Miya turned her wide eyes up to him, surprised and awed, the sight sent a jolt of warmth rushing through his chest. She blinked at him, lips parting as though she wanted to say something but couldn't quite find the words. Instead, she moved her hands to grasp his arm for balance, pushing up on her toes as she leaned in toward him.

Farkle, who was better at predicting the outcomes of situations than experiencing the emotion of them, realized almost instantly what she meant to do. She was going to kiss his cheek, a soft, grateful brush of lips for his small gesture. But he didn't want that— not just that. And so, at the last second, he turned his head deliberately, and instead of her lips meeting his cheek, they met his mouth.

Understandably, she startled at the unexpected movement. It had already been a big day— Smackle getting in the way, the whole bus ride, and she knew that even holding hands for extended periods of time was something Farkle was getting used to. She did her best to not overwhelm him, content with whatever he felt comfortable in giving her. That was why, even though she had wanted to properly kiss him after such an unforeseen romantic gesture, she'd aimed instead of his lips. So when he turned his head, catching her off guard, she jerked slightly, preparing to pull away— he had probably just been turning to look at her and she'd misjudged the timing of it.

But before she could retreat, she felt him follow through, steady and intentional. Miya's fingers tightened on his sleeve, grounding herself as she leaned closer. He could feel the faint press of her fingers against his arm, but more than that, he could feel her— her warmth and the quickened rhythm of her breath as it mingled with his.

For a second, everything around them blurred— the crunch of leaves underfoot, the chatter of birds in the branches, the faint whistle of the wind through the trees. All that remained sharp was the girl standing in front of him and the steady hum in his chest that told him, over and over again, this is real.

When they parted, her cheeks were flushed, her eyes bright in the filtered sunlight breaking through the trees. Farkle felt the corner of his mouth tug upward into a smile he couldn't quite suppress. Miya, still holding onto his arm, was amazed by the effect he could have on her without even trying.

They didn't speak right away. Instead, they fell into a companionable silence, walking side by side again, their hands finding each other naturally, fingers lacing without thought. The trail stretched ahead of them, long and winding, and for a while it was enough simply to exist like that— just them, in a world of brilliant leaves and cool, autumn mountain air.

It was only after several minutes had passed that Farkle glanced sideways at her, the memory of her earlier words surfacing in his mind. He cleared his throat, squeezing her hand lightly before speaking: "tell me something I don't know."

Even with her lips still tingling from their kiss, she was able to give him a deadpan look. "Farkle, you know everything. You're the genius here."

He shook his head. "I don't know everything. I know a lot, but not everything. I'm sure there's something you know that I don't."

Miya thought about that for a long time, lips pursed as they walked along the trail. Farkle had answered her so thoughtfully earlier; she wanted to return the favor with something equally good. She took her time, admiring the scenery around them. Then, suddenly, it clicked. She gasped, delighted by her idea.

"I've got it!" she exclaimed, a mischievous smile curling across her lips. "Belgium, 1831."

Farkle came to an abrupt stop, nearly tripping over his own feet as he turned to gape at her. "How do you know that?"

She met his stunned expression with a perfectly straight-faced delivery: "I Googled it. Like I told you to do."

His jaw dropped in mock betrayal before he jabbed an accusing finger at her. "You didn't use Minkus.net? You betrayed our brand! My father will hear about this!"

Miya burst into laughter at his theatrical indignation. "Okay, Draco Malfoy."

Farkle straightened, affronted, though the corner of his mouth twitched as if fighting amusement. "I am nothing like that white-haired ferret."

She tilted her head, eyes glinting. "You both have rich dads." Then, placatingly, she assured him, "but that's about where the similarities stop." Before he could get properly huffy, she returned to the previous topic. "So, do you want to learn about Belgium, 1831 or not?"

Farkle hesitated and for a second she thought he'd refuse. After all, he had been stubborn about not Googling it earlier— he wanted to hear it from Mr. Matthews, not the internet. But to her surprise, he nodded. "Yes."

She stared at him, a bit thrown by the confirmation. "Really? What about learning it from Uncle Cory?"

He shrugged, as though it were the most obvious thing in the world. "I want to hear what you have to say about it."

Miya's cheeks warmed, a blush creeping over her face despite the cool mountain air. For a moment, she forgot how to breathe. He wanted her version, her words— hers— after waiting who knew how many years to learn about it. No pressure. Taking a deep breath, she opened her mouth and began to speak.

🌎🌎🌎

Riley perked up at the sight of her friends returning to the lodge. Lucas was annoyed, Maya wore a Cheshire-cat smile on her face and Smackle was gazing up at Lucas hopefully. Farkle and Miya came in just behind them. Unexpectedly, Farkle's arm was around the Asian girl's shoulders as she leaned comfortably against him— a rather rare amount of PDA for the pair. Riley inquired curiously, "how was it?"

"Oh, just like you'd think," Lucas grumbled. "Fiya wanted some alone time and I was happy to help out until Maya got bored and decided to start breaking the rules."

Riley took this as a good thing— a sign of her best friend returning— and stood, limping over to them. "Maya, you broke the rules?"

Lucas scoffed, speaking for her: "yeah. She always breaks the rules but this time, she could have been killed." He turned to the blonde. "It's like you never know when to stop."

"Zay!" Maya turned to him, trying to get support for her actions.

He lifted his hands defensively. "Hey, I told you it was a bad idea."

"Wait, what happened?" Riley wondered, her brows furrowing at how serious the trio was being.

Maya crossed her arms, her expression unapologetic. "It wasn't that bad."

Lucas' eyes snapped to her, incredulous. "Not that bad? You almost fell into a ravine!"

Riley stared at her best friend in horror. "A ravine?!"

"Yep. Picture it," Zay began, gesturing with his hands. "Maya decides the marked trail is 'too boring,' so she ducks under the ropes and heads uphill. Lucas freaks out, I tell her she's out of her mind, but she just keeps going. Next thing we know, her foot slips on the loose dirt."

"She screamed bloody murder," Lucas added, wincing at the memory as if his ears were still ringing.

"I did not scream," Maya shot back, glaring. "I shouted. There's a difference."

"You shouted while clinging to a branch for dear life," Lucas countered flatly. "If Zay hadn't grabbed your arm, you'd still be dangling there.

Knowing Lucas was more the type to do such heroic acts, Riley gave him a curious look. "What were you doing?"

"I was saving Smackle."

"What happened to you?" she questioned the genius.

Smackle waved her arms in the air. "I was all, 'help, Lucas. 'help.'"

The brunette frowned as she tried to figure out the order of events. "All while Maya was hanging from a tree?"

"No, every chance I get," Smackle informed her bluntly.

Maya playfully punched Lucas' arm. "Come on, Lone Star. You're not really mad at me. You like when we tangle. You just don't want to admit it."

"No, I don't, Maya," the Texan huffed.

"Come on, 'Nacci," Farkle muttered as the 'triangle dilemma' made a renewed appearance. "You want to find some hot chocolate?" Miya nodded happily and as they departed from their friends, Farkle noticed that Zay was following them. "Why are you with us?"

"'Cause as weird as you two are, you're nowhere near as messed up as them," he offered casually.

🌎🌎🌎

"Movie night!" Josh called out some time later, drawing the students' attention to the DVDs he held.

Lucas brightened at the distraction, adding in his own cheer of, "movie night!"

Riley and Maya accused, "cow-ard!

He didn't even try to deny it. "I know."

Farkle pulled Miya over to the couch. Once again, Miya thought that Smackle might try to intervene— and she did— but Lucas 'accidentally' stood in her way a second too long, giving Miya enough time to claim the spot next to her boyfriend, forcing the other girl to sit somewhere else. Miya flashed him a grateful look and made herself comfortable, curling up against Farkle's side as Zay took a seat in the empty spot next to her.

As everyone got settled, Josh shuffled through the options he held. "Alright, we got a bunch to pick from, so let's see what we got here."

"I want something inspiring," Lucas remarked. "You know— an epic story about a hero who's been through impossible trials but never gives up. He works hard, he fights for what's right, and in the end, he saves everyone. The kind of movie that gets you thinking about the person you want to be."

"Boooring," Maya drawled. "Riles, don't listen to him. He just wants an excuse to pretend he's Mr. Moral Compass again. What we need is something fun. Something chaotic and dangerous with lots of action."

Lucas frowned, bristling immediately. "So. . . a story where nobody grows, nobody learns, and it's just nonsense for two hours? What's the point of that?"

"The point," Maya shot back, "is to laugh, Ranger Rick. To enjoy yourself. Not everything has to be about noble causes and destiny. Some of us like to watch the world burn."

Zay leaned forward, grinning. "I mean. . . I kind of want to see the world-burning one."

"Zay!" his best friend exclaimed.

Riley buried her face in her hands, distressed by the oncoming decision as it echoed her real-life one too closely for comfort. "Oh no. Oh no, no, no. Don't do this to me. There has to be another choice!"

Josh chuckled. "Oh, believe me, the story of your lives is better than whatever we got here."

The Matthews girl shot her uncle a betrayed look. "Okay, well, if we're actually gonna decide this, then we should imagine what our lives would be like together."

"Okay," Maya agreed. "Here's ours."

🌎🌎🌎

For the next couple of hours, the students listened to Maya's and Lucas' versions of what their lives would be like depending on who Riley picked. Both scenarios resulted in the end of the world, whether from everyone having to pick sides (with Maya and Riley) or dying from too much 'gooey sap' (Lucas and Riley.) As their classmates clapped at the end of their stories, Riley was quick to correct them. "Wait, no, stop. None of that is what's going to happen."

"We care about each other too much to let anything like that happen, right?" Maya concurred.

"I hope so," Lucas stated.

"We do," Riley promised. "So, I hope you guys aren't looking for some big fight. . ."

"'Cause there isn't gonna be one," her best friend interjected.

Some of the teens huffed with protest while Zay called out: "but we wanted one!"

Farkle pulled his arm away from where it had been wrapped around Miya's shoulders and rose to his feet, countering defensively, "they already said there isn't gonna be one."

"But I wanted one!" Zay argued, stamping his foot like a toddler.

"You wanna have one?" Farkle challenged him.

"Yeah!"

"No," the genius snapped, brushing past him to be the first one to head off to bed.

Zay chuckled. "Boy, that was a quick one."

As the others began to follow Farkle's lead and dispersed, Riley mused, "maybe my dad was right. Maybe we can't decide this. Maybe only nature can, because nature is what's stronger than us."

"So our lives are just gonna depend on whatever nature decides to do with us?" Lucas wondered with disbelief.

"Or what we do with our human nature," the brunette replied.

"Aren't we smart enough to know what to do?" Maya inquired.

"I believe we are."

Lucas took in their confident expressions. "You know what? She's right. No matter what we decide, this is our world and it's only the right decision if we stay friends."

Maya's gaze fell to her hands, which were resting in her lap. "We can control that, right?"

"Actually, this brings up an interesting question," Cory chimed in, causing the trio to look over at him. "Who is in control of your life?"

"I am!" Topanga declared, though her smile softened her words. "Now go to bed."

"Lesson over," Cory conceded.

As the remaining students followed Topanga's order, Riley asked her mom if she could stay up a little longer since she wasn't really tired. She settled in the bay window seat, her gaze focused on the stars above— only for her attention to be pulled away from them when a cute boy walked in to take over the night shift at the Mount Sun Lodge.

A/n: is Smackle ooc? Yes, probably. But she's my least favorite of 'Riley and co.' and I wanted Miya and Farkle to have some drama (Smackle is basically Angela but with a less disastrous outcome.) And, speaking of generational similarities, you heard it here first: Miya and Lucas are the Cory and Juliet of this gen!

Also, to give credit where it's due, the scene where Farkle talks about the symmetries of the universe is from the book Ten Thousand Skies Above You by Claudia Gray. The character, Paul, reminded me a lot of him so I wanted to put a reference in there. Plus, I absolutely loved that series (it is my only five-star read of this year so far) so I highly recommend it!!

I forgot to include this in last week's chapter, but I made some photo manips of Miya and her friends to mimic the ones I made with Juliet, so enjoy! (And thanks for 100k reads!)