Ambitious Pursuit

11

A few days later, Team Lyle was huddled together before Stuart, Mariah, Neha and Yo-Yo headed back to college.

"Have a great senior year, guys. We'll keep your desk chairs warm for you," Lyle said. "Team Lyle!"

They put their hands in the middle. "Team Lyle!" They cried as they broke into a giant group hug.

"Yo-Yo! Come now!" an Asian woman ordered from a silver sedan.

"Mom, I need a minute," Yo-Yo told her. She began talking to him in another language and Yo-Yo frowned. "Mom, I'm saying goodbye to my friends. I'm taking a minute, okay?" The woman froze, shocked at his tone, and nodded.

A man, who looked just like Yo-Yo, gave him a wide smile and a thumbs up from the driver's seat. Mariah noticed he was also missing his right eyebrow and a sympathetic expression crossed her face.

"Look who grew an eyebrow, Yo-Yo!" Billy cried as he nudged Yo-Yo's arm.

"Look who's grown a lot," Mariah said with a smile as they shared another group hug.

"All right you riff-raff," Billy teased. "Get outta here! See you down the road."

"See you, bud," Stuart told Billy and Nick.

"Bye."

"See you next summer."

"Bye guys."

They all said their farewells. Lyle was the first to walk off with his girlfriend Saffron. Nick and Billy were the next to walk off. Yo-Yo began walking off to his parents' car.

Brian pulled up and stepped out of his car. "Hey, Mariah."

Mariah smiled. "Hey, Dad."

Michael jumped out and hugged his sister before turning to look at the Google building. "It's huge!"

Mariah nodded. "It's bigger on the inside."

"Like the TARDIS?"

"Exactly like the TARDIS."

The father and daughter walked up to each other and he hugged her. "I am so proud of you. And your mom would be too. Are you riding the bus back to school or am I taking you?"

Mariah glanced back at the bus, then at her friends and the boy she'd begun to see in a different light. "I think I'll ride the bus."

He nodded. "I'll follow, make sure you're okay. If anything happens, let me know."

"I will, Dad. Love you."

"I love you too, Mariah."

Mariah hugged her father and made her way towarda Neha and Stuart to the Google bus which would take them back to their respective colleges. Stuart had his suitcase in one hand and smiled as Mariah walked up.

"Don't be strangers you two. Shoot me a text sometime," Neha told them.

Stuart smiled. "Forget that. We're gonna come see you in person."

Mariah nodded. "Yeah, assuming Mike hasn't gotten me in trouble."

"Hey guys, I grew a pair of balls. Did you see that?" Yo-Yo asked excitedly as he walked up to the trio.

Neha grinned. "We did. It was amazing."

"A big pair of balls," Stuart agreed with a nod.

"They're touching my ankles," Yo-Yo added.

Stuart held up a hand as he cut Yo-Yo off. "Okay. We don't need that."

"Mariah and Stewie, sitting in a tree!"  Michael yelled with a grin.

Mariah glared at her brother and yelled back, "It's not like that! And don't call him Stewie!"

Stuart laughed. "It's okay, Mariah."

Mariah shook her head. "Don't let him bully you."

"I wouldn't call it bullying, but he was definitely teasing you."

Stuart, Mariah and Neha loaded their suitcases into the lower compartment of the bus. Once their luggage was loaded, they got onto the bus.

After they sat down, Stuart said in a nervous tone, "I'm glad I met you, Mariah."

Mariah smiled. "I am too. And to think I thought you were a dick."

He scoffed lightly, a smile on his face. "I hope that's changed."

"Don't worry. It totally has." She rested her hands on the back of her head as she said, "We did it."

Stuart nodded. "Yeah, we did. And you get to continue your mom's legacy. That's pretty damn amazing."

The bus began rolling away, but the two weren't sad. They would be coming back to an amazing job. At the beginning of the summer, Mariah had hoped she'd be able to continue what her mother had started, and that dream had come true. She glanced at Stuart and a small smile crossed her face. She'd never given in to the possibility of love, but maybe now that was a chance.

After all, it was only the beginning of what was to come.