Hello everyone, and welcome to chapter one of Consequences! My name is MyEyesAreOpenWide, or Jack if you prefer, and I hope you enjoy this story! A couple of things, however, before we start:

This is a Rucas and Faya story. However, I would like to ask to those that aren't a fan of those two pairings to stick around for a while. While they will be prevalent, I'm trying to tell the tale of all the characters, and quite a lot of it won't involving their romantic interests.

I wrote up the plans for this story before season two aired. As such, some things are going to differ from canon in this story, so it's sort of an AU. The things are as follows: Katy Hart did not start working at Svorskis (I know they renamed it, but for the story I just have a feeling the group would continue to call it Svorskis), Zay headed back to Texas after a few months, and the most important bit of all, Lucas did not specifically state why he left Texas. I know it was implied the reason why, but it is crucial that the specific reason not be stated. So Riley, Maya and Farkle think they know why he left. But do they actually? Well...

In any case, there is going to be a rather long author's note at the bottom (I'm a fan of them, they're useful) so I'll end this here. Enjoy chapter one of Consequences!

Chapter One:

She has to admit, her father could be deeply boring at times.

Perhaps that was the reason he would always be the one to read her bedtime stories when she was younger, so that the drone of his voice would counteract the marvelous fairy-tales and lull her into a soft slumber. She would never know, but for now, she was trying her hardest to keep herself from falling into a deep sleep.

Riley scratched at her neck out of pure boredom, brown eyes cloudy with absent-minded thought. The day had been slow and plodding, despite the fact she had woken up with the usual pep in her step. Coming back over half-term to a gloriously uninteresting Monday morning had the ability to deflect even the happiest of thoughts, however, and instead replace them with drabness. Coupled with the fact she had already gone over all the stuff that her father was going on about last night before bed, and the small picture of the unicorn she was doodling had been the highlight of Riley Matthews' day.

She briefly looked up for a moment, perplexed at a new sound entering her ears, before relaxing once more as she realised it was merely the low snoring of one of her classmates.

A small smile graced her lips as she recalled last Saturday, and the sleepover at Maya's house. She had been so scared then, practically shaking in unmatched horror and forgoing the urge to squeal wildly at every single bump or screech from outside. She'd never quite shaken the fear of her best friend's house, but at least Lucas was there to protect her, while Farkle and Maya both slept like rocks throughout the terrifying ordeal.

At least the rest of the half-term had not been so soul-shaking. Her vision once more slipped back into daydreaming territory, body relaxing as she leant back in her chair. It had been a time of bowling and ice cream, walks through Central Park and subway rides, plentiful cakes and dinners out. She tried to recall any particular time she wasn't without at least one of her friends, and came up empty. It made for a nice change from school, where they only got to see each other during break or the occasional shared lesson. High school had done its hardest to split them apart, but it hadn't work yet, and she hoped it never would.

The only thing that hadn't changed from Middle School was that they shared the same History class.

And that her father was the teacher. Still as utterly horrifying as it had been two years ago!

Sparing a glance around the room, Riley's mouth curled into a cute grin as she spotted Lucas, elbow resting on the table, balancing his defined jawline on his palm, watching her father with his bored emerald orbs. He gave a hearty yawn and a small stretch, before he noticed the brunette watching him from across the room. He gave her that charming smile that sent her heart aflutter, and she couldn't stop the pink blush that heated up her cheeks.

What could stop it, however, was Cory Matthews.

Without warning he slammed his hands down onto Riley's desk, and she let out a shrill shriek of fear as she recoiled. The sound of wood against flesh and the terrified screams of the teen alerted the rest of the class, who all immediately snapped out of their own daydreams and fixed their attention firmly on their teacher.

"Riley," Cory stated, mouth twisting into an authoritative scowl, "Please pay attention in class. You might've gone over this last night, but it never hurts to go over something again."

Riley didn't respond verbally, but gave a small nod, blush returning as she realised all eyes were on her. She heard Maya give a scoff of amusement next to her, although whether it was due to her father's sternness of her own reaction, she wasn't sure. But her focus was on her father, who shot a dangerous glare towards Lucas.

She forced down the urge to exhale out of rage. Of course it had to do with Lucas. Everything had to do with Lucas now. It was always the questions, always the annoyed glances, always the need to know exactly where she was going, what she was doing, and who she was with.

But heaven forbid she actually told where she was heading, or who she was with now. Because if Lucas was even there for a few minutes, a few seconds, then it was 'I don't think it's a good idea Riley' or 'I think you should spend more time with us, Riley'. She was all for spending time with her family, but she was a growing girl dammit, and she demanded space to be with Lucas!

The overprotectiveness seemed to have mutated since middle-school. The older she got, the worse he was going to act, it seemed. She hated to think what would happen when she turned eighteen... probably chained to her bed with bars on the window.

She just didn't understand his problem with Lucas. He'd stated numerous times in the past (with rather intense probing, admittedly) that he liked the guy. He'd approved of their first date, even if Maya and Farkle had to come along. I mean, it might not have been the best idea to inform him that they had kissed, but it wasn't her fault she was feeling all sparkly and happy and so, so wonderful! And he knew about his past, and that didn't seem to be a point of contention either. No, all it was, and all it ever would be, was 'daddy's little girl syndrome'.

At least she had her mother, though. She too was getting tired of her father's desire to shield her from anything and everything, which had lead to quite a few hushed arguments after her bedtime, she was sure. If only he would see reason, it wasn't like she was going to go out and do cocaine or anything!

She perked up with curiosity, however, as facts about The Battle of the Somme seemed to have stopped spewing from her father's mouth. Instead, his words seemed to be leaning towards a more interesting direction.

Cory was sat on his desk, legs crossed with a contemplative expression on his face. If there was one thing she had to admit, it was that her father was a great teacher. He had enough emotion to make most (although not all) things interesting, and his life lessons, while occasionally overbearing, and helped her deeply over the past few years. And if the warmth in his face and the intrigued light in his eyes was any indication, there was either going to be an important lesson coming, or a huge announcement.

Clearing his throat, he only managed to attract the attention of the most attentive of students, while the rest continued in their Monday-fueled haze of boredom, melancholy and laziness. Deciding that the few who were paying attention were enough of an audience, he said, "Alright class, now that we've got that revision out of the way, I've got a couple of announcements."

"We can leave?" Maya quipped bordely, earning a smattering of chuckles from her classmates.

Cory's smile didn't falter, however, and he answered quickly, "Not yet Maya, not yet. This might be something you're interested in, actually."

"I highly doubt it, but lets see what you got."

He ignored her, and continued, "My students, who here knows the name Stuart Minkus?"

"Dad?" Farkle inquired, blinking suddenly. Riley turned to him with a questioning look, and he just shrugged. "I have no idea."

"He's Farkle's dad, right sir?" Lucas asked.

Cory nodded briskly. "Well, yes, but he's also so much more than that! He's also the CEO of Minkus International."

The class gave low hums of recognition. "What exactly does your father's company do, Farkle?" Riley questioned.

He gave a bemused smirk. "He does a lot of technical stuff. Smartphones, computers, tablets, most electronic devices. He made your phone."

"Oh, cool!" Riley chirped, but she was forced to turn back around as Cory cleared his throat.

"As I was saying, being the CEO is a ridiculously important and most likely difficult job. However, Minkus is taking time out of his busy schedule to host a charity ball!" This caused a jolt of excitement to envelop the bored students, whose soft whispers culminated in a crescendo of teenage noise.

A charity ball? Riley's mouth curled upwards into a beaming smile. That was something she could get behind. Not only would she be able to help out some charities she was sure would be nice (she'd check later on online, just to be sure), but it was also an excuse to get dressed up! She'd get to wear a fantastic dress, and wear her best make-up, and get all sparkly, and maybe there would be dates... she shyly looked at Lucas, who, coincidentally, was also looking at her. He gave her a warm grin, which made her pulse race.

However, she noticed in the corner of her eye the annoyance plaguing Farkle's face, and gave the teenage boy a confused glance. "Are you alright?" She questioned softly, so that nobody could hear her. It wasn't very often Farkle didn't look anything other than elated, but the way his face had fallen when her father had mentioned the charity ball was most alarming.

He nodded, but the look on his face didn't change. "I'm fine," he replied flatly.

Riley's happiness fled, replaced with a sullen sadness, but she didn't press the issue, instead turning to face her father, who continued,

"The ball is to raise funds for a variety of organisations, both international and local. They include the Red Cross, The Autism Society of America, Mental Health America, and a multitude of others. However, it's also going to be used as a way to gather funds for the school as well," Cory's smile was as passionate as could be, and he leapt up from his desk, clenching his fist in delight, "are there any questions!?"

After a few moments of amused silence, Maya's hand slowly rose upwards. With a nod from Cory, she asked, "So is it mandatory?"

The look he shot her was deathly, and she gave a defensive shrug, muttering, "I was only asking..."

"It isn't mandatory," he said, gaze sweeping over the class to gauge reactions," but it would be preferred that as many students as possible give a helping hand. Unless, of course, you're in a club. In which case, then yes, it is mandatory. Clubs include The Art Club, The Debate Society, The Track Team, Football Team, Cheerleaders, Book Club, Mathletes and Drama Club."

Various people in those clubs gave an indication of delight. Well, most of them, Riley realised, as she didn't hear Farkle make any honk or shout. She slightly gazed back at him, and to her growing confusion, his face had morphed into one of stone, hard and cold. What was up with him?

She'd figure it out in a minute. A question popped into her head, and demanding an answer, she raised her hand, and gifted her father with the sweetest cherubic smile as humanly possible. When he turned to her, and gave the indicative nod of his head, she asked, "What type of fundraising activities will we be doing?"

"I'm not sure of the specifics," he shrugged, "but it'll most likely be the usual. Bake sales, giving out leaflets, and various things of that nature. Also," he began, looking pointedly at Maya, "Students are also free to donate various forms of artistic work, including paintings, drawings, poems or fictional stories. They'll end up being auctioned off and the money will be split between the school and the charities I've mentioned. So, if you've got any artistic talent, you could put it to good use!"

Riley noticed that Maya was far more focused on the floor than usual, and she gave a small sigh. If only she was more confident in her work...

"That's really all I have for you today," Cory clapped his hands together, "feel free to discuss things amongst yourselves for a minute or so before the bell rings." With that, he sat back down on his desk as chatter erupted far more loudly than before in the History classroom.

But Farkle wasn't chattering at all. Riley turned around to face him again in what must've been the third time today, but still couldn't see any change of his features. "Farkle," She cocked a thin eyebrow, "what're your plans for the charity ball?"

Farkle stiffened, before his scowl deepened. "I don't know," he replied," probably nothing."

"Nothing?" Riley tried to keep the confusion out of her voice, and failed, "But your dad's running it-"

"That doesn't matter!" He snapped, startling the brunette. They sat in silence for a few, long moments, Riley's mouth slackened slightly. Since when did Farkle snap at her?

"Oh," she said quietly, "okay then. But-"

She was cut off by the shrill sound of the bell filling the air, followed by her father's bellow of "Class dismissed!" Her fellow students immediately began to arise, some stretching the stiffness out of their bones. But not Farkle, who leapt up, swung his backpack over his shoulder, and shot out of the room without another word.

"What in the world..." Riley wondered aloud. Something was seriously wrong with Farkle.

Standing up herself, lips pursed in thought, the brunette lifted her backpack up over her shoulder, and turned to face the blonde standing next to her desk.

"Ready for Math?" Maya questioned as the rest of their classmates quickly filed out of the room. Her jovial smile was replaced with a questioning frown, however, as she looked over Riley's confused face. "Riles, is everything-"

"Maya!"

Cory's loud cry stopped her from speaking further, and as she turned to face him, she found herself lifted up into the air, and carried to the door. The indignation and pure shock was evident on her face, and in any other circumstance Riley was sure she would've been on the floor laughing. Instead, she just watched, wide-eyed, as her father promptly deposited the enraged blonde by the door. "Talk to her later," he said hurriedly, "I've got some stuff I need to speak with her about now."

"Uh..." she replied dumbly, anger still hot in her blue orbs. But there was something far fiercer in his, something she'd never seen before...

Deciding it would be best not to provoke the Matthews patriarch, she quickly peered around to see her best friend, asking, "See you in a bit...?"

Riley opened her mouth to answer, but closed it once more with an audible pop. After a few moments of silence, she said, "I guess," her eyes flickered from her to her father, "right, Dad?"

"Yeah," he answered, "just tell your teacher I needed to speak with her for a few moments. Family matters, she'll understand."

"Pretty sure Mrs. Malarkey doesn't understand anything," Maya said with a snort, "but sure, I'll pass on the message."

"Good, thank you Maya, see you tomorrow." And, with that, he shut the door in her face.

And then there was silence.

Riley fidgeted, lightly bouncing on the soles of her feet in an attempt to remain calm. What could her father want, especially if he was willing to take her out of lessons? It made for a multitude of disturbing pictures to run through her mind.

"Are Mom and Auggie okay!?" She blurted out.

Her father turned to her, and blinked. "Um, yeah, last time I checked. Why?"

"Well, you don't usually keep me from behind classes unless it's something serious, so..."

"Ah, right, of course. Do you wanna sit down?"

Riley scowled deeply. "Not really, Dad. I just sort of want to know what's going on."

And then, she saw it. She saw the way he was nervously fidgeting with one of the buttons on his shirt, his clammy hands fondling it with a worried tick. He only ever did that when he was nervous, and the only times she ever saw him really nervous were-

"I don't think you should participate in The Charity Ball."

Her sigh was long and loud. "Why!?" She cried with fury, "It's not like I'm going to get hurt or anything, it's a freaking Charity Ball!"

Cory frowned. "I know you're not going to get hurt, or there would be no chance of you even remotely participating in it. It's just that your report card grades have been slipping-"

"No they haven't! I missed one test, because I had the flu, and they incorrectly added that to my grades." She narrowed her vision, all nervousness replaced by steel. "Wait a minute... this is about Lucas, isn't it!?" Riley rolled her eyes, crossing her arms over her chest. "You're unbelievable."

"Riley," he replied sternly, "this has nothing to do with Mr. Friar. I'm just saying it'd be more important for you to focus on your grades than anything else."

"You said it was mandatory for all members of a club, though."

"Well," Cory rubbed the back of his neck nervously, biting his lower lip, "maybe you should quit The Drama Club? Just until after the ball, of course."

Now Riley really wasn't buying it. Her father had been one of the biggest supporters of her drama work (even if he disliked the fact that Lucas was also a member), and had pushed her to accept a multitude of the roles offered to her. It made him so happy to see her up on stage having a good time. And now he just wanted her to quit so she could focus on her schoolwork? Her schoolwork was doing fine, better than fine, it was going fantastically. She was second or third in the classes with Smackle and Farkle, and first in all the others. Schoolwork wasn't the issue here, it was Lucas. She was sure of it.

But what could she do? Yell and scream? That wasn't her way, she refused to let it be her way. She was diplomatic, she was good at solving problems, it was what she excelled at. And yelling at her father was not the answer to these problems.

For now, at least.

"I'm sorry Dad, but no," she replied calmly, doing her best to muster a joyful expression, "I'm not leaving The Drama Club. I'm really excited about this ball, and I'm sure they'll be doing some form of performance that I need to be a part of. If it makes you feel better, I'll ask some of my other teachers for some extra homework, and maybe we could have some tutor sessions on the weekends?"

She'd caught him, and they both knew it. She resisted the urge to smirk, Maya's tutelage paying off. While her methods were far too... manipulative most of the time, they did have their uses, she had to admit.

The defeated look on his face signalled it all. With a resigned exhale of breath, he nodded. "Yeah, okay, sounds good. It's not like I can force you, anyway..."

"You wouldn't though, right?" She asked, adjusting the backpack on her shoulder. "If you could force me, I mean."

"I-no, I wouldn't. Not at all." He smiled at her, and she returned it in kind. "Sorry for keeping you sweetheart, head on to Math now."

"Okay!" She chirped happily, running up and giving her father a peck on the cheek for good measure. "Thanks for the talk Dad, I'll see you later!"

With that, she quickly made her exit, giving her dejected father a wave of her hand before closing the door behind her.

Her shoes clicking on the floor, Riley smiled brightly at the empty hallway. Now that was a way to deal with things! She saw why Maya was so emotionally manipulative, it really did seem to help out in certain situations. And, according to her best friend, she'd been a 'fast learner' at the art. Then again, she was a fast learner at most things, so it wasn't really a surprise.

As she walked to Math, her thoughts recollected themselves and her shoulders slackened in sadness. Farkle's lack of enthusiasm and seemingly disdain for the charity ball confused her greatly. From what she knew, he'd always been up for any sort of charity event, and always participated in the bake sales in middle-school.

Then again, they weren't in middle-school anymore. They were in High School, and she personally enjoyed it a lot more. More freedom, more classes, teachers that weren't her father. It was academic bliss.

Except for some certain people. And one of them made herself known, clearing her throat rather loudly as she stepped into vision. Riley paused in her movement, raising her shoulders in stiffness as she gazed at the girl who'd just rounded the corner.

Missy was one of the prettiest girls in all of the school, and she damn well knew it. Her outfits always revealed just enough skin to tease, but not enough to give anyone the full picture. Her style was, much to Riley's chagrin, far better than hers, and her picture perfect ensemble today was breathtaking to behold. Along with the darkened eye-shadow that made her brown eyes pop, her pink lips twisted into a smirk that was as fake as her personality.

"Hello Riley," she greeted, her voice sultry and low. She took a step closer, her heels (who wore heels to school!?) making her tower upwards. "How're you?"

"I'm good," Riley replied wearily, shifting her weight onto one foot and crossing her arms over her chest. "How about you Missy?"

"I'm well," she said, flicking her hair back behind her shoulder, "but enough of the pleasantries, we have things to discuss."

Riley scowled. "Do we? I don't think we do. And even if we did, I've got Math now, so..."

"This'll only take a minute," her smirk slipped momentarily, but she quickly replaced it with one even more fake than the last. Riley cocked her eyebrow, and motioned for her to continue. "I still see the way you look at Lucas." Her voice was a silky whisper, and a protective passion bloomed within her gaze, making Riley take a step back.

She steeled herself, however. She wouldn't be intimidated by Missy, she downright refused.

"Glad to see you've been keeping notice of me, I guess," she replied with lethal sarcasm, "Was that all?"

"Don't be so dismissive Riley. I just think we need to talk things out," she leant against one of the rows of lockers, examining her manicured nails, "so we can stop this game."

"Game? There's no game, Missy, no matter what you might think."

"I disagree," her almost predatory brown orbs slid upwards, fixing the brunette with a malicious glare, "we both know that you're playing a very unfair game, and it's confusing Lucas. He deserves better than that."

"And what game is this? Something you've made up? A game you're the only one playing? You need to get over the fact that Lucas doesn't like you. It's horrible, and I sympathise-"

"Well don't you just spill so much bullshit out of your mouth?" Missy's grin faded into a scowl of pure contempt. "You make a lot of assumptions for some little girl that has daddy look after her in school. Lucas doesn't know what he wants because you suffocate him like some sort of pathetic little leech. He deserves better than you."

Riley felt her blood boiling. "No, what he deserves is the ability to make his own choice, without someone as utterly insane as you trying to move in on his personal space. He doesn't like you. He's made it very clear to me, and I'm sure he's made it very clear to you that he has no interest. If you wanted to be friends, he'd be cool with that, I know that for a fact. But he doesn't want you in that way. And I'm sorry you're too pig-headed to see it."

Missy had turned red from anger, fists clenching and unclenching. "You know nothing about him!"

"And you do!?" Riley shook her head, "Face it Missy, you're crush is completely one-sided."

"You little bitch-"

"Girls?"

Riley stiffened, and she saw Missy do the same, but her form quickly relaxed into one of calm, all rainbows and honeyed words and fluttering eyelashes. "Hello Mr. Matthews," she said softly.

Cory walked up beside Riley, eyes flickering between the two young women. "Is, uh, everything alright girls?"

Riley swallowed down the anger. "Yeah, it is," she flashed a grin, "we were just having a chat about the drama club."

"Oh yes!" Missy gave a small cheer. "We're both really excited about it!"

"That's all well and good girls," Cory rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly, "but you should both be in your respective classes. Riley, Math, now. Missy, head to your class."

"Right away Mr. Matthews," she nodded in his direction, before directing a small scowl at Riley. "See you later," and with a flick of her hair, she brushed past the two family members, heels clacking on the floor as she went.

"You okay?" Cory asked after a few moments.

"I'm fine Dad," Riley muttered, "but I've got class now. We'll talk later." She didn't wait for his response before she started moving again, but Cory didn't move on until she disappeared around the corner.

The noise made him feel sick.

The sheer amount of people in the cafeteria were astronomical, the roar of chatter and laughter heading straight through his body, but not before stopping in his ears to make as much uproar as possible. He tried his best to ignore it, however, focusing intently on the tray in front of him, as he slowly slid up the lunch-line.

But it was hard to focus when everyone was making so much noise and his father was doing some stupid charity ball and he didn't want to be a part of any of that in the least.

"Hey there Farkle."

He looked up as he fixed Geraldyn the lunch lady with a joy-filled glance. Or as much of one as he could muster, anyway. "Lunch-lady," he said with a wink.

She gave a hearty chuckle, before dolloping a bunch of mashed potatoes on his plate. "You're favourite, of course. I gave you extras, since you were lookin' a little down."

"Thanks," Farkle replied, jovial facade slipping slightly. "I appreciate it."

Without another word he stepped out of line, and turned to search for his table.

But then, he paused.

He saw them, laughing and joking, all smiles and bright voices and relaxed expressions, and it turned his insides.

Maya looked the picture of perfection as she always did, wheat-golden hair shining almost as brightly as the light on her face as she tilted her head back and laughed. Lucas was on fine-form as well, jaw as rugged as ever, but with an easy-going grin and a calmness in his features and his body language.

They were trendy, they were in style, they were cool.

Farkle looked down at his clothes, his green turtleneck and purple trousers. He was not trendy, he was not in style, and he sure as hell was not cool.

Insecurity gnawed at his gut as they watched them playfully fight with one another. He wasn't like them in the least, the schism between their social status growing with every passing moment. And it didn't take his supposed genius to see that.

Lucas was the prime example of this. His charming demeanor, general politeness and overall calmness made him an interesting contrast to the Debate Team, compared to the fiery personalities that usually inhabited it. His athletic background made a perfect fit for The Baseball Team, and along with being a main front-runner of The Drama Club, he'd dipped his toes in enough social circles to be completely untouchable.

Maya, on the other hand, ran with no clubs. Despite the fact she had enough artistic talent in her pinky finger to open her own gallery, she refused, point blank, to join The Art Club. Any attempts to press the issue, even from Riley, were met with a cold stare that ended that particular conversation. Despite this, being associated with Riley (who was a firm member, if not the most well-known member of The Drama Club) and Lucas kept her high on the social ladder. She didn't seem to care, though, making no attempts to not be herself, something that Farkle couldn't help but smile about. Maya was always herself, no matter what anybody else thought.

He wished he could be like that.

Coupled that with the fact that all three of them could actually communicate with people, and they were set socially.

And yet, here he stood, cringing inwardly at every single loud noise, every single chomp of food, every single peal of laughter.

Why did he come here? The sheer thought of being within the room made him feel sick, and that only increased the longer he remained. It'd been tolerable in middle-school, but now...

Lucas and Riley liked it here, though. Maya not so much, but she stayed for Riley. And he stayed for them.

But the noisy stimulation was really screwing with his mind. He could feel the sweat beading on his forehead, mouth becoming dry as the volume of the room seemed to grow and grow. He hated these places so, so much, and he could just about stop himself from throwing down his tray of food and barging out of her to somewhere quieter.

But anger coursed through his eyes, and he bit down hard on his lower lip, the metallic taste of blood soon dripping onto his tongue. Thoughts like that weren't normal! He needed to stop having them, needed to fight them with every fibre of his being. He would be normal dammit, he would be socially acceptable, he would fit in with his friends and with everyone else in the school.

Steeling himself, he continued on his way to his table, Maya and Lucas still so focused on their conversation that they hadn't noticed his approach. Once more he paused, partially due to the scraping of a chair that sent a wave of terror coursing through his body, and partly because he noticed something.

The Mathletes were gathered around their table, talking quietly to one another in some form of mathematical debate. A scowl crossed Farkle's lips, body tensing as he regarded them with a look that would strike them dead if he had the power. He didn't want to be one of them anymore, he was tired of being a social outcast like they were.

But the fires in his belly were soon quelled by the cold waters of reality, realisation creeping into his heart and slashing it in half. Even if he did manage to become normal, even if he did manage to creep back up the social ladder, it would only lead to dismal failure. His association with the mathletes was a death sentence, and it was most likely due to his friendship with Riley and co that he hadn't been placed on the chopping block.

Even if he passed as somewhat normal, he'd still be grouped in with them, and would spend the rest of his life dateless, forever alone, and joked about by those with better fashion sense and better socialization skills.

Such was life, then.

Numbness making itself at home within his body, Farkle dragged his feet across the floor towards his table. This time he remained uninterrupted, and reached the table in the space of a few seconds, just in time to catch the last wisps of conversation.

"-ball. That's what I'm planning on doing, if I'm allowed. Yourself?"

Maya gave a distasteful groan, reaching down to her plate and popping a grape into her mouth. "I don't know yet. It's not mandatory for me, so..."

"Maya," Lucas softly chastised, linking his fingers together. "You really should do something, it's for a good cause."

The blonde gave a wave of her hand, blue eyes flickering over to Farkle. "Hey there Farky!" She chirped, foxy grin appearing, "Where ya been?"

Farkle just blinked at her for a moment. Maya was usually sarcastic, but never this openly friendly. Perhaps she was finally beginning to open up-

"Don't use Farkle as an excuse to get out of helping, Clutterbucket, he's going to be doing the exact same thing everyone else is. He's going to be a good person."

Lucas turned to the smaller teen as he sat down, giving him a welcoming pat on the back. "Hey Farkle," he greeted, "you excited?"

"For?"

Maya leered as if he had grown a second head for a moment."The Charity Ball, you goof. The one your dad is doing."

Of all the things they had to talk about, it just had to be that, didn't it?

Farkle gave a non-committal shrug, picking up his fork and unenthusiastically spooning some mashed potatoes into his mouth.

Maya and Lucas shared a small glance, one that he noticed out of the corner of his eye. Resisting the urge to throw himself under the table and hide, he swallowed down his food and answered, "I guess so. I'm not that excited, though."

"Any reason why?" Lucas asked. He received a grunt in reply, as Farkle shovelled more food into his mouth, causing Lucas' nose to twitch in confusion. "Ah, alright then..."

He turned back to Maya, confusion evident in her eyes as well. "But yeah, anyway, you really should try and do something."

"I told you Ranger Rick, it's not my thing-"

Farkle drowned them out, along with the rest of the noise around him. Or he tried to, at least. God, he was such a freak. Hating the noise, hating the fact that the mashed potatoes were placed on the left side of the tray rather than the right, and loathed that his father was once again focusing on some stupid organisations that didn't need his help while he felt like he was drowning constantly!

"-rkle. Farkle!?"

His head snapped upwards, eyes refocusing and locking with Maya's. "Hmm?" he replied dumbly.

Maya's mouth contorted into a small frown, and she made a confused clicking noise with her tongue. "Are you doing alright? You're acting weirder than usual."

Weirder.

The word seared a painful melancholy into his very flesh, and he used every essence of strength he had within his body to stop himself from crying out.

But he should've been used to it by now. He was weird. And that was all he was ever going to be.

"I'm doing mighty fine," he replied with a wink, finding the flirtatious mask easily slipped on, "but not as fine as you, Maya."

She let out a disgusted sigh, although the corner of her lips upturned ever so slightly. "See, told you, Farkle's fine."

"You bet I am!"

He participated further into the conversation, the subject changing to some Math homework Mrs Malerky had set. His body on autopilot, Farkle couldn't help but wish the ground could swallow him up and spit him back out with at least some form of normalcy.

But that'll never happen. He'll never be like his friends. And as he swallowed back the lump in his throat, he realised that he needed to come to terms with this as soon as possible.

For his sanity's sake.

She didn't really like it when the sun would set.

The orange that coloured the sky was dotted with the occasional fluffy yellow cloud, but even those were beginning to grow darker with each passing moment. Light was fading, and it was fading quickly, leaving the towering buildings to stand tall against the blackening night.

But the sunshine hadn't left yet, evident by the bubbly girl striding alongside her.

Maya looked away from the window, blonde hair swishing as she did so. Riley skipped happily along, her own brown hair bobbing up and down, the ever present cherubic innocence plastered onto her face as she rambled on about something.

It was per usual for Mondays. The last class of the day (a horrifically boring English class at that) always took place on the second floor of the high school, and the two would wait until the rest of the class had left, their voices fading as they descended down the hallway and steps towards the outside world. And then they would walk together, side by side, just like they always used to. Time spent together during school hours was few and far between, and any chance of spending time together wasn't just a luxury, but a necessity.

As she bobbed along, Maya's jovial mood quickly crumbled as she recalled what Riley told her a few hours earlier. She had half a mind to find Missy and rip out her throat, but that'd be messy, and she doubted many people would approve, at least on the surface.

That still didn't make the desire go away, though.

"Riley," she cut off her friends babbling, "if Missy ever says anything like that again, you tell me, alright?"

Riley paused, rolling her eyes, despite Maya's fierce stare. "Maya, please don't worry about it. It's really not that important, I can handle Missy. And I don't want you doing anything that could get you in trouble!" She quickly chimed as Maya opened her mouth.

"But Riley, she can't get away with talking to you like that! I don't care if we're in high-school now, give me five minutes in a room alone with her and I'll-"

"Remember what happened with Lucas?" Riley gently chastised as they began to walk again. "Don't make the same mistakes he did in his past Maya, it's really not worth it."

Maya allowed a low grumble to escape her lips, before she gave a reserved nod. Riley was right, no point following the example of Ranger Rick.

"I don't even know why we're fighting over him," Riley sighed, happy grin sloping as she gazed at the floor. "And it's stupid. Even if Missy and I are never going to be friends-"

"Damn right you're not."

"-we shouldn't be fighting over a boy like he's a piece of meat. Besides," she huffed, "I'm pretty sure he doesn't even like her in a friendly way, let alone a romantic way."

The two girls finally reached the steps leading downwards, and as they began to make their way down Maya let out an exasperated sigh. "Speaking of romance, are you two a thing yet?"

Riley blushed, and timidly shook her head no, eliciting another loud sigh. "Jesus Riles, can you hurry up with that?"

"We're not going to rush into things."

"Rush into things!? You kissed him for the first time over two and a half years ago! You've been moving at a snail's pace. You'll be fifty before you first have s-"

"Maya!" Riley cried out, the pinkness on her cheeks tinting into a deep shade of crimson, "That's enough."

The blonde clicked her tongue, "All I'm saying is that you guys have been 'taking your time' for two and a half years. So something's gotta be going on if you haven't asked him out yet. So what is it?"

"There's nothing going on," Riley shrugged, as they finished their descent, "he'll ask me when he asks me."

"We're not in the nineties anymore, remember? We had this conversation quite a while ago, you can ask him out if he's too chicken to ask you." Maya's brow furrowed, however, as she pushed through the school doors, the sounds of the city quickly filling her ears. "This has nothing to do with his stuff back in Texas, does it?"

"No! It's got nothing to do with that!" Riley replied forcefully, although Maya honestly wasn't sure if she was trying to convince her, or herself.

"Alright, alright, I'll stop bugging you about it," she said, giving a stretch, fresh air flowing into her lungs. "For now."

"Thank you," Riley said with relief, running a hand through her hair as she turned her attention to the skyline. She took a moment t gaze at it, before pondering, "The nights are getting darker."

"Indeed they are sweetie, indeed they are."

"I'm sorry."

"For?"

"I know you don't really like the dark," she turned to her, and gave the blonde a big smile, "but it'll be alright, don't worry."

"Nah," Maya waved her off, "I'm not worried about the dark. I've got you as my sunshine."

Riley's grin grew even bigger, and Maya's mouth couldn't help but follow suit. If Riley was happy, she was happy, and there were very few things that would change that.

But Riley certainly wasn't her only friend, she recalled with a perplexed frown, and one of them wasn't acting like himself. "Hey, Riles?"

"Hmm?"

"Did you notice Farkle today?" Maya asked. "He wasn't really acting very, well, Farkle-like. It was... odd."

She nodded, chocolate brown eyes clouding over in worried thought. "Mhmm, I noticed. He didn't seem, well, Farkle at all. His flirting was not nearly as fluid as usual."

"Yeah, he flirted with me, like, twice. I think I'm offended."

Riley raised an eyebrow. "You like it when he flirts with you?"

"Don't twist my words!" She replied, a little too hotly. "I'm just not used to it, that's all. I expect at least four or five marriage attempts, and I didn't get one today."

"He started acting weird after The Charity Ball was mentioned," Riley tapped on her chin. "That's probably got something to do with it. I wonder why, though?"

"His dad's running it," Maya shrugged, "maybe he's just not a fan of being so close to his dad? We reacted the same when your Mom took over Svorskis."

"Yeah, but this wasn't 'I'm annoyed' it was more 'I'm sad'. Did you notice how fake his smiles were?"

"I did, yeah," Maya's frown deepened. "I'm great at those types of smiles, so I would know."

Riley gave her friend a sad, empathetic look, but Maya shrugged it off, turning her attention back to the sky, and watched as the colour continued to drain from it. Watching the pigeons circling the tall buildings as the honking horns of the various taxi cabs echoed off the stone, she almost didn't hear Riley's next question.

"Do you wanna go to Svorskis?" She inquired, hope flickering in her brown orbs. "I think it'd be good for all of us to go there, and just relax with some coffee and cake.

Maya thought about the offer for a moment. They hadn't been to Svorskis for a while, although it had easily remained their main hangout, even if Mrs. Matthews had taken over it. She hadn't exactly any plans, because she sure as hell wasn't going to be doing her homework. "I gotta admit, a caramel latte would be great right about now." Maya smiled. "Yeah, okay, sounds good."

"Yay!" Riley gave a hearty cheer, and Maya couldn't help but compare her to a naive child. How she had somehow managed to keep her innocence, even at the age of fifteen, she didn't know. But she hoped she kept it forever.

"Are we going to wait for the boys?" Maya asked, stuffing her hands into her pockets as she finally noticed the light chill in the air.

"Yup!" Riley chirped, all sadness forgotten and replaced with sunshine and rainbows. Hands darting into her pocket, the brunette pulled out her smartphone, and began texting rapidly, most likely to her father, Maya presumed.

She turned to face the sidewalk, still stood atop the row of steps that lead downwards onto the street. People watching was a bit of a creepy hobby, but it was something that she had become accustomed to. Being left alone for hours on end, especially when you're a child, gave very little to do but just examine people.

She'd gotten rather good at it, or at least she thought she had. Her eyes flickered over the rows of people, from her school and not, casually walking to unknown destinations. Her breath appeared as white smoke, and through the light haze she spotted two people that made an acidic taste boil in her stomach.

A young girl, no older than two from her best estimation, blonde hair pulled into two pigtails, bounced along the pavement. Behind her, a tall man watched, a proud beam warming up his face with a golden glow. The girl was mumbling to herself in some unintelligible language, save for one word that Maya could make out very well.

Daddy.

It was one she had whispered into her pillow when she was a child, blue orbs just peeking out to catch glimpses of shadows on the walls sent shivers down her spine. It was the word she wished she could say when she came home, wished she knew a person that she could give that title.

It was a word she knew well, and yet didn't know at all.

She swallowed a lump in her throat, and tried to look away, but found herself unable to. Her mind told her it wasn't a good idea to keep looking, that her heart had hurt enough and it needed a rest, but she found herself unable to shift her gaze.

The little girl stumbled slightly, but the man reached down and scooped her into his arms, grin never wavering. "Careful there pumpkin," he said, and she could hear the love in his voice, "don't want to hurt yourself."

The girl giggled, before snuggling herself into the crook of her daddy's neck as they continued onwards.

She followed them with her blue eyes, every second the acidic feeling in her gut rising upwards, her heart swelling with poisonous sorrow.

The thought crosses her mind again, as it had done hundreds upon thousands of times before. What would it be like if she knew her father? What would it be like to not come home to an empty house, to have someone shower her with love and affection, someone to pay attention to how she was doing at school, someone to hold her when she cried? What would that be like?

It'd be better than knowing Mom.

The words were filled with malice, and they echoed around her head for a short while, but she dismissed them. It's not her mother's fault she sees even less of her now. It's not her mother's fault she's forced to work double shifts because the rent just keeps increasing, perhaps to spite them. It's not her mother's fault that she has the stupid dream and the stupid thought that she might actually make it as an actress, because she was kidding herself, all she would ever be was a failing waitress and a failing mother-

She stopped, and let out a breath she didn't know she was holding. It wasn't her mother's fault, blaming her would solve nothing. She knew that. She knew.

But knowing something didn't always mean you didn't feel it, and the mixture of revulsion and desire for love she got whenever she saw her mother was slowly driving her mad.

But no, she would continue on as planned. She'd been working at it fairly well thus far, and she hoped she was close to making a breakthrough soon.

In fact, she realised, her mother was working really late tonight. That would be more than enough time to-

"Alright, sorry about that!" Riley chimed in, cutting across her thoughts like a knife through hot butter, "Just texted dad about us going out."

"Yeah, Riles, about that," Maya gave her a sad look. "Sorry, I'm just not really feeling up to it anymore."

Riley's crumpled expression struck almost as deeply as seeing the little girl did, but she steeled herself. This was, although she hated to admit it, more important than going out. Far, far more important.

"But why?" Riley whimpered like a scolded puppy, and Maya had to admit that her manipulation skills were improving, as were her puppy dog eyes.

"I dunno, just tired I guess. I want some 'me' time. I shouldn't have promised you earlier that I would sweetie, and I'm really sorry."

"It's alright," she replied, although her downcast look stated otherwise, "but promise to text me later?"

"Of course," Maya said, pulling the brunette into a comfortable hug. "I'll see you later!"

Sadness returned to the familiarity of her heart, but she pushed it down as she turned and walked away from her best friend. She needed to continue her search, and when she found what she was looking for... it'd be all worth it.

She knew it would.

Riley watched her go for as long as she could, the blonde fading into a sea of people before disappearing entirely. It perplexed her how Maya's mood changed from sunny and sarcastic to downtrodden and rainy, but she didn't want to press her. It wasn't as if she was a huge fan of school anyway, and they all needed a bit of me time.

But she couldn't shake the feeling that something was off with all of this. Maya had been acting sort of strange the past few weeks, which seemed to be a running theme with her friends recently.

The thoughts quickly left her head, however, as she caught sight of Lucas and Farkle walking across the street towards her.

Lucas flashed her a dazzling grin, and she couldn't help but think about how cute he looked in those jeans.

Farkle, on the other hand, barely looked up at her, gaze firmly focused on the floor, and what little of his face she could see was contorted into a pained scowl.

"Hey you two!" She exclaimed, rushing down the steps to greet them. "I was thinking about going to Svorskis for some coffee," she looked between the two of them expectantly, "you guys wanna come?"

"No," Farkle replied flatly, looking up at her with an emotionless expression. He opened his mouth, but closed it, before opening it again and saying, "No thank you Riley. I'm... not really in the mood. Another time?"

"O-Of course Farkle, whenever you would like," she said, the brightness of her smile dimming. "We can go out wherever you want, maybe the science museum? We haven't been there for a while."

"Hm, yeah, that'd be nice." Farkle sluggishly shrugged. "Well, I'm going to leave you guys to it. I'll see you later."

"Do you want us to take the train back with you?" Lucas asked, sharing a glance with Riley. But Farkle shook his head no, turning on his heels and mumbling a goodbye, before heading on his way.

"Something's wrong," Lucas commented, jaw setting in confusion. "He's been acting weird all day. I'm worried about him."

"So am I," Riley breathed, biting her lip nervously. "But we'll figure it out."

Lucas nodded distractedly. "Yeah," he muttered, before turning to face the brunette. "Is the Svorskis offer still open?"

Riley's heart almost burst out of her chest. "Yeah," she blushed slightly, "If you want to go with me, of course."

"Why wouldn't I?" He raised an eyebrow and grinned. "It's been awhile since we've been anywhere. Just the two of us, I mean. It'll be a nice change."

Riley wanted to explode with glee. How he made her feel so jittery and sparkly inside even after two and a half years of knowing him, she quite frankly had no idea. But she sure as hell wasn't going to be complaining.

"I think it will," she said.

"Well then ma'm," she gave a sweeping motion with his arm towards the sidewalk. "Shall we?"

She giggled. "We shall."

The two headed down the steps, standing close enough that she could feel the warmth of his body, and the smell of his deodorant. She didn't know what the smell was, but it was on him, and therefore, she loved it.

But he soon stopped walking as he reached the bottom of the steps, his phone buzzing loudly in his pocket. "Hang on a sec," he said, giving her a polite smile, before reaching into his pocket and pulling out the electronic device.

The smile vanished almost instantly, and he swiped across the screen, gaze shifting from warmth to coolness in the space of a second. His jaw set, and she noticed, with some alarm, that his fists had clenched.

"Lucas...? Are you alright?"

"I'm fine," he replied bluntly, chewing briefly on his bottom lip before his green orbs scanned the screen in front of him. He proceeded to murmur something under his breath that Riley couldn't hear, but she could only presume it wasn't something pretty by the look on his face.

"I've gotta go, Riley."

And so her world shattered.

"Oh," she replied, desperate to keep the bubbling sadness from escaping into her voice. It worked for the most part, but even if it hadn't, she doubted he would've noticed. His stare was stony as he looked upon her, and to her horror, it also held not a drop of care.

"Yeah, sorry," he replied, without sounding like it at all, "something's come up at home, I've got to leave."

"Well-"

"I've got to leave now," he ground out, and she saw something in him then that really, really scared her. It was like when he'd pushed Billy up against the wall two years ago, and when he'd saved Zay from that bully.

Anger. He was angry.

"I'll see you later," he said, and just like that, he left, rushing at a hurried pace down the city street.

She watched him, sadness swelling within her as he faded away. Why was everyone acting so strangely? She just wanted things to be happy.

But it didn't seem like they were. The world seemed to have it out for her today.

With a sad exhale, the brunette fished her phone out of her pocket, pressed a few buttons and put it to her ear.

It looked like she was going to be spending time at home tonight.

She wished she was spending it with her friends, though.

But it seemed like they didn't want to spend it with her.

Alright, there we have it! So, a couple of things:

I'm going to try and update this story every week. Due to obvious personal and work related issues, this might not be possible. As such, please understand that I might not be able to update every week, and I'll update when and how I can.

As stated, this story takes place two and a half years after the events of Season One and the first five episodes of Season Two. This means that the group are around fifteen/sixteen, and of course this means they'll be discussing more serious subjects. I won't get to nitty gritty, but it is teen for a reason.

But most of all, I hope you enjoy the ride along with me. If I could, I'd like to write a fanfiction that even when GMW is finished airing, that people who discover it and want to read some fanfiction about it will find my story and find it completely and utterly amazing. Will I live up to that goal? Maybe, maybe not. But I want to try!

In any case, thank you all so much for listening to me waffle. Drop a review if you'd like, and I'd recommended following as well, this is going to be a fairly long tale, and, while I don't want to toot my own horn, I think you might like to be along for the ride.

Have a fantastic morning/afternoon/evening/night, and I look forward to (hopefully) seeing you for chapter two. Goodbye!