Blackout

Part 3: When It Rains, It Pours

"Riley!" I heard Lucas yell from behind me.

"Lucas go back inside!" I begged, trying to get as far away from him as I could in the back alley behind Topanga's.

"Riley, I need you to listen!" he shouted over the roar of the rain.

"I thought you didn't have anything to say to me! Any time our feelings get involved we never have anything to say! We're great at talking to each other until our emotions are thrown into the mix! That can't be a good thing!" I protested, my voice straining to be heard over the rain.

"I think it's the opposite! I think it's a really good thing. It means we care so much about each other that we don't want to ruin what we have by saying the wrong thing. We're nervous around each other because we like each other. Not like siblings. Not as just friends. But truly like each other. And that't really scary, but it's important that it's scary because that means it's real," Lucas declared, taking a deep breath and blinking away the raindrops from his eyes. "I like you Riley Matthews. And I hope you still feel that way about me too." He stepped closer like he was going to touch my hand, but I stepped back quickly.

"But Maya-" I started to interject, but I was interrupted.

"But Maya realized something just now," Maya called from the doorway. Lucas and I turned to face her, my heart beating in my chest. "I realized that the reason I was worried about Lucas when he was riding the bull in the rodeo, that the reason I love to make fun of him, is because he's my friend. And a really good one at that. I'm not used to letting people in all the time. My father kind of messed that up for me. But once I realized Lucas was here to stay, that he was a real friend who I could count on a trust, I started to care about him. And I think I confused those feelings for romantic ones because that was the easier way to go in my mind. And maybe I was trying to forget about a certain uncle of yours. But I shouldn't have done that because that's not how things really are. So I know now that I do like you Lucas," Maya explained, walking a few steps forward so that she was immediately covered in rain. "But as one of my best friends."

We were all dripping wet, staring at one another, waiting with bated breath to hear what was going to happen next.

"I'm really glad to hear you say that... Because I feel the same way," Lucas admitted. "I think you're amazing Maya. You're an incredibly talented artist, you're funny, smart, unfailingly loyal. And yes, you are the blonde beauty. But..." Lucas trailed off, as if he couldn't find the right words to finish that sentence.

"But I'm not Riley Matthews," Maya finished for him. My heart lurched in my throat. This is exactly what I didn't want to happen.

"No, that's not what I was going to say!" Lucas clarified quickly. "You're not Riley, but that's what I like about both of you so much. You're different as night and day, but you compliment each other so well. I value our friendship Maya. I love all of our teasing and fighting-" Lucas sputtered out quickly, trying hard to explain himself.

"No, I know Lucas. I didn't say that to sound bitter or upset. I genuinely meant; I'm not Riley Matthews," Maya explained. "Riley Matthews, the girl you've had a crush on since that first day on the subway. The girl you rode around school on a white horse with. The girl you smile at every time she does something goofy or simply walks into a room. The girl whose family you asked permission to go out on a date with," Maya smiled. "It's been clear from the beginning and that's why you can't see me as anything more than a good friend. Because I'm not the girl you like. And that's okay. That's amazing actually! Because she's amazing and I love her. So if you break her heart in any way, shape, or form Huckleberry I will break your face so hard," Maya laughed to herself and smiled even wider.

Maya turned and walked over to stand in front of me. She grabbed my hands, pulled me into a hug, and squeezed me tight.

"Riley, listen to me carefully. Lucas is my friend, you're my best friend, and I want you both to be happy," she asserted, looking me straight in the eyes.

"But you deserve to be happy too Maya!" I argued.

"Oh Riley, don't you get it? You said it in Texas. It's you and me forever. That's what makes me happy. I have you, my mom, Farkle and Zay, your parents, Shawn, my art, and yes, I have Lucas too. Making fun of him makes me so happy," she giggled and I laughed too, still a little unsure. "I don't need a boy to make me happy. I'm not that kind of girl. When it happens, it'll happen, and yeah, I'll probably be happy about it. But it won't define my happiness. Okay?" she asked, rubbing my shoulders up and down.

I had it all wrong. I thought that if I set aside my feelings for Lucas and gave Maya the push she needed to be with him, everything would fix itself and Maya would find the happiness she deserved. But I needed to stop seeing her as a victim, as some project or broken doll that I needed to fix in order for her to feel whole again. Maya was the strongest person I knew and I need to start treating her that way.

"Okay," I whispered, nodding.

Maya smiled that brilliant smile of hers.

"Thunder," she began, holding out her hand, showing me her friendship ring.

""Lightning," I continued, touching my ring to hers.

"To infinity."

"And beyond," I went on.

"To graduation."

"And the rest of our lives together," I finished, smiling wider than I have in a long time.

The rain was finally starting to let up now. I took her hand in mine and started heading back towards Topanga's back entrance, but Maya stopped to look back at Lucas.

"Riley, you two should talk," Maya insisted.

"Are you sure?" I asked tentatively.

"He needs someone to tell that 'I delivered a baby horse' story to," Maya teased, playfully nudging me in the side.

I smiled widely. "I love that story," I admitted, the enthusiasm in my voice evident.

"I know you do honey. Now go talk to him."

Maya let go of my hand and went inside, leaving me alone with Lucas. The rain was only lightly falling on our shoulders now, but I didn't mind it anymore. Lucas and I were like a light summer rain after all. It was almost as if it was meant to happen this way.

"Hi," I said, moving the wet hair plastered to my face out of the way with my index finger.

"Hey," Lucas replied, taking a few steps closer to me.

"What now?" I asked, feeling very vulnerable and unsure.

Lucas didn't respond. Instead he smiled and with two long strides, he closed to space between us. Taking my face in his hands like I did on our first date, he stroked his thumb back and forth across my cheek, and kissed me as if it was the most natural thing he could have done. I let my eyes stay closed for a few second. Lucas told me once that his moment would be hist moment and now that it had happened, I knew that nothing would be the same again.

"We go figure out what happens next together," Lucas replied, taking my hand and squeezing it lightly.

Hand in hand, we walked into my mother's bakery. I still wasn't sure what was going to happen next, but I knew one thing was for certain. My father was right. People do change people and one thing leads to another and growth happens when we're not even looking. I still had a lot to learn about life and friendship and maybe even love, but I was happy to face all that was to come with Maya, Farkle, Zay, and Lucas. And I was happy that my parents were going to be there every step of the way. Sure, it was my world now, but that didn't mean I had to face it alone.