Begin Again - prequel to The Project - book 3

11

Riley's POV:

We're on our way home from the camping trip when I get a text.

I check my phone to see who it was.

Lucas? How did he text me? Is he out of jail?

Lucas: Hey, can you come over? I need your advice.

Me: You're out of jail?

Lucas: Yeah. I was let out a few days ago.

Me: Okay.. what do you need help with?

Lucas: Just come over, please.

Me: Fine. Give me an hour.

Lucas: Thanks

I turn my phone off. Why does he want my help?

We get to my house, and josh is asleep on the couch.

I walk to my room to pit my clothes away, and Maya's asleep in my bed.

I set my bag down on my dresser, then go to my dads room where he's unpacking.

"Hey dad, can I go on a walk?" I ask.

"To where, honey?"

I dont want to tell him I'm going to Lucas's house.

"To..uh.. the park. I want to see if I can improve my art skills and draw my surroundings. I'm becoming a very serious artist." I lie.

"Okay," he laughs. "As long as you keep your phone on you. Text me if you need me."

"No problamo." I smile.

I grab my small leather jacket, then bolt out the door to go to Lucas's house.

Lucas's POV:

Riley's coming over in a few, and she doesn't know why.

What I asked her to come over for is I need help getting over Maya. She's pretty good at giving advice, so she was sorta my go-to person.

Yeah, I could've just told her over the phone, but I didn't feel like it. I'd rather talk about it in person.

About 5 minutes pass, and my mom calls for me.

"Lucas, you have a visitor!" She calls from downstairs.

I rush down the stairs, and find Riley next to my mom.

"Hey, Riley. Thanks for stopping by." I say.

"No problem. Now what was it you needed to talk about?"

"Here, come to my room and we'll talk about it." I tell her.

I flash my mom a smile, and run upstairs with Riley following.

We get to my room, and I sit on a rolley chair next to my desk.

"Okay. Now what is it?" She asks.

"Okay, um, I need your help with getting over Maya." I tell her.

"Did you.."

"Yeah. I visited her, and she said she didn't love me anymore. She loves someone else."

Technically thats not exactly what she said, but it sure felt like it.

"Oh my god, Lucas.. I'm so sorry." She says with sympathy.

"It's fine. That's why your here. I need help getting over her."

Riley sits on the edge of my bed across from me.

Riley's POV:

Poor Lucas.

He's been waiting- what? Three years? Three years to see the love of his life again only to find out that she loves someone else now.

"Okay.. for starters, it's not the person that sticks with you. Its the memories. So, to get over her, you'll need to make more memories, with someone else."

Lucas look as if he's having a battle in his brain. He looks like he's deciding whether he should do something or not.

He stands up, and looks like he's about to walk out of his room, so I stand too.

Lucas and I are now standing face to face, and he just stares at me.

"Earth to Lucas? Hello?"

I wave my hand infront of his face.

Suddenly, he quickly pulls me closer to him, and kisses me gently.

I panick and jump away from him.

"What are you doing?!" I ask.

"I-I'm sorry I was just doing what you said."

"What are you talking about?"

"You said to make new memories. This is the spot where Maya and I first kissed. We kissed, then we fell in love and our lives were amazing. I was thinking maybe we could be something. We could make new memories."

I'm stunned.

"I'm dating Farkle." I tell him.

He looks shocked.

"Farkle?"

"Yeah."

"Oh.. I'm sorry."

"You know, since I've had a crush on you, I never stopped. I never said anything because I was happy for you and Maya. You all were perfect. But now.. I'm in a relationship. I cant do this right now. Sorry."

He looks dissapointed.

"It's okay. I get it."

Awkwardness fills the air.

"Well maybe I should go, now."

"Okay. See ya later."

"Bye." I say, then go down stairs, and out the front door.

Maya's POV:

I'm just approaching Lucas's house when I spot a familiar person coming out of his house.

Riley? What's she doing there?

As she starts walking my way, I run towards her.

"Hey Riles." I say.

"Oh hey." She says nervously.

"Where ya been?" I ask.

"Uh, the park.. doing.. I mean drawing things." She stutters.

Its obvious something's up.

"The park's that way." I say, pointing to he opposite direction she came from.

"Ha, well look at that."

"Riley. Where were you really?"

After moment of thinking, Riley decides to just tell me.

"Fine. I was.. I was at Lucas's." She admits.

What? Why was she at his house? What were they doing?

"Why were you there?" I ask.

"I was just- we were just.. talking."

I know that face. That face us the I-did-something-bad-and-my-bestfriend-will-kill-me-if-she-finds-out face.

She's hiding something from me, and it has something to do with Lucas.