Girl Meets New Years Eve

Chapter Two: 'Ring Power'

It was a few months ago. The beginning of October. The leaves were starting to change color, from dark green to shades of orange, yellow and red. It was a quite afternoon at the Matthews house.

Riley had been sitting in her bay window alone after school. All her friends had headed off to Topangas, the usual after school routine for the group, but Riley had decided to skip out on the gathering. She had begun to do it quite often, and the others had noticed.

She sat alone in silence, flipping through a book of full of pictures from the year. Riley smiled at the memories with her family and friends. Out of the corner of her eye she spied a picture of her and Lucas on the white horse, after elections. It had been the day, he had called her a princess. The young brunette sighed at the memories closing the book. She didn't want to think about her feelings for Lucas right now, it was hard enough hiding them everyday, she just wanted to push them aside. Sadly it never worked, so she say in silence pondering her feelings, and wondered how things were changing. What she couldn't tell was if it was in everyone's best interest, or just what she presumed.

A knock on the window, followed by the cascade of blonde hair entering the room caused her to snap out of her thoughts.

"Peaches." The brunette said smiling softly as her best friend took her seat at the window.

"Whatcha doing Sweetie?" Maya asked eyeing the closed book in Riley's hand.

"Nothing important" Riley said quietly. sliding the book across the floor, so it went beneath her bed.

The Blonde studied her pristine best friend, knowing she had been lost in her thoughts. She had noticed it in the last few weeks, and it bothered her.

"Well I'm happy to hear that, because we need to talk." Maya said seriously.

"Oh what about?" The brunette had said with wide eyes and cherry smile. She always got excited for little things like this, it was something Maya loved about her.

"You." Maya said looking at her.

The excitement in Riley's eyes turned into that of confusion as she furrowed her eyebrows together. "What do you mean?" She asked in confusion.

"I mean you Riley. About How your feeling. About, Why you've been so distant lately. Why you've been lying to me." The blonde said eyeing her best friend. "Your real feelings for Lucas." She said the last part softly looking at her.

Riley averted her glance, looking away from Maya and to the ground. "I don't know what your talking about Maya. I already told you how I feel about Lucas." She said quickly. "He's like my brother. That's how I love him."

"Riley." Maya said grabbing her best friends face gently and making her look her in the eye. "You're not fooling me with this act anymore." She said seriously, then let her go of her face.

Riley stared at Maya wordlessly. She opened her mouth to say something, but just as quickly closed it upon seeing the look her best friend was giving her.

After a long moment of silence, which in Riley's mind felt like an eternity, She finally admitted everything to Maya. How she still had feelings for Lucas, but didn't want to get in the way of Maya's happiness.

The Blonde wasn't all that shocked, but couldn't help but look at Her best friend with a hurt expression in her eyes. She couldn't believe Riley had been lying to her for so long, but then again Maya had done the same to her, when she had stepped back from Lucas in the beginning. The goofy brunette she called her best friend just wanted her to be happy, and that Maya knew was her being a good friend, but she couldn't get over the fact that Riley had been hurting for so long right under her nose.

After some pointless arguing, followed by a heartfelt talk, Maya also revealed something to Riley. She explained what happened between her and Lucas and how they decided to stay friends, it's what they were meant to be, at least she thought so. She still had a mess of feelings inside of her, that she didn't quite know how to explain. Through her whole explanation Riley listened patiently.

"You don't have to hide your feelings for me anymore Riles" Maya said softly. She looked over at the quite girl and smiled a little.

Riley was silent for a while longer, however a small smile formed on her face as she thought. She turned her body so she was actually facing Maya.

"I'm sorry for lying to you all this time" The brunette finally said after a while.

"I did the same to you." Maya said looking back at her. "And, I'm really sorry I didn't notice how you were feeling sooner."

The two girls stared at one another before pulling one another into a powerful embrace. Once they broken apart Riley looked at Maya, both girls smiling slightly at one another.

"So What happened actually happened between you and Lucas in Texas? Did you kiss? How was it?" Riley asked after a little while. She had never actually heard the story. Sure Maya had tried telling her, but Riley would never let her get a word out insisting she didn't want to know. For the most part that was true, though a part of her actually wanted to know.

Maya knew she had avoided asking all this time, as a way of trying to spare her own feelings. Once Maya had told her what that something had happened between her and Lucas back in Texas, Riley had immediately dogged hearing anything further. Instead quickly distracting herself and agreeing to go out with Charlie Gardener.

Maya's smile faded and she looked at the floor. "We didn't kiss.. Almost but we didn't. He just grabbed my face and stared at me real close." she said looking up at Riley. She could see something in Riley's eyes fade and watched as her smile faded. She could see a sense of relief rush over her, but at the same time a new cloud forming.

"Oh, that's a good move." Riley finally said speaking up.

Maya looked at her. "Riley? How are you.." She started but Riley cut her off before she could finish.

"I may still have feelings for Lucas.. But I don't think he feels the same anymore" Riley said quietly and forced a smile.

"Riles.." Maya had started to say, but Riley stopped her again.

"I'm fine Maya, we are all friends, we're always going to be their for one another that's all that matters." Riley said looking at her. "And no matter what, it's always going to be you and me." she said with a soft smile.

"Ring Power" The Brunette said holding up her finger.

Maya looked at her best friend, though she knew she was lying about being okay, she couldn't help but smile back.

"Ring Power" the Blonde said reciting their sacred motto.

"Thunder" Riley Said softly.

"Lighting" Maya finished smiling at Riley, before the two erupted into a fit of giggles.

With that being said, they had ended their discussion. From then on Riley continued treating Lucas as a sibling, that was until Auggie had intervened, from that point she had just started to avoid him.

In a sense one problem had been resolved, Riley and Maya had finally talked out the Lucas situation, however this was life. Just as one situation is fixed, ten more arrive to take its place. It's from these situations, that we learn and grow.

This chapter served as a flash back, if you couldn't tell. Hope your all liking the story, sorry I took so long to update.