What Are We Now?

(19) The trip

"What? What did you just say..?"
"My uncle Josh is going on the trip." Riley says again. Riley was glad she could still get the same reaction from Maya as she always did when she talked about her uncle josh. It told Riley that her best friend truly still felt something for her uncle.
"Why? He's going to college. Why does he have to go to an eight graders bowling trip?" Maya wined. Sure she was glad to see Josh, she hadn't seen him since the new year began, but she didn't want to see him with his girlfriend.
"Oh, well my dad told me he organized the trip with the seniors of our new high school. You know the old and the new? Anyway Josh is going with Kayla." Riley said with a grimace.
"Wonderful."
"It will be ok. And hey maybe you should go with a date or something? Farkle is bringing Smackle and I'm going with Charlie. And you know Zay's back in Texas sooo..." Riley said playing devils advocate.
Yeah I'm going with Charlie, so he can help me get Lucas to see he has feelings for you. Feelings he's trying to ignore...Riley thought to herself.
"Yeah maybe I will. But who...?"
"Beats to me." Riley said with a shrug.
"Maybe I can find myself a senior to go with" Maya said with a mischievous grin.
"How do you plan to do that? Can I help" Riley said.
"I have my ways and of course but hey I thought your were rooting for Joshaya?" Maya asked confused.
"What's Joshaya?" Riley said with a genuine laugh.
"Oh um Josh and my name combined." Maya says with a shy laugh.
"Ok that's adorable."
"Yeah and you and Lucas are rucas."
"That's not. Maya I'm with Charlie now, please understand that."
"Yeah ok. Sooo how do I get myself a date?" Maya said looking at a thoughtful Riley.
"Mmm we should go too their hangout."
"Which is...?"
"The pizza place, I can't remember the name. But those kids sure can eat pizza and I know how to get there."
"Interesting." Maya said with a glint in her eyes.

***

"What's your name doll face." Asked the tall blue eyed boy.
"Maya hart. Yours?" Maya said with a flutter of her lashes and a cheeky grin.
"Alec Bane." The boy said, running a hand through his short wavy brown hair.
"You're cute, we should hang out sometime."
"We definitely should." Alec said with a small chuckle,"but I have to ask, how old are you?"
"Fifteen."
"Freshmen huh."
"Yeah, is that a deal breaker?" Maya asked, suddenly scared that she would never be able to date anyone older than her, in her entire life.
"You're gorgeous and how is three years a deal breaker? Besides my birthday is late, so I'm still seventeen until December." Alex said with a shy grin, it was always the short cute blondes that made him babble like an idiot.
"Thanks. And not bad, graduating young I see." Maya said with a playful laugh. She was flirting alright.
"Only by coincidence." Alec said with a laugh, "I can't control when I'm born you know."
"Don't I know it. Anyway now that we're no longer strangers, I was wondering if you'd like to be my date for the bowling trip."
"Bowling? Oh yeah I heard about that field trip. Sure that should be fun. Hey that means you really are fresh meat." He grins.
"Hey I'm not as clueless as you'd think. And are the senior actually excited to go on this trip?"
"Of course! They never take us out anymore!" Alec laughed. Maya smiled. He was so handsome, maybe even more handsome than Josh. Not that it mattered, Josh could beat Alec every time. Alec could be perfect boy and he would still lose next to Josh. Realizing this Maya wondered if she should back out from going out with Alec. She didn't want to hurt him or use him. Then again it was only one date, plus it wasn't like Josh was available for her anyway. Maya couldn't wait around for him forever, she wasn't the type.
"What about the cute brunette? Does she need a date? I have a friend who'd be thrilled to go out with her." Alec said, gesturing towards Riley sitting at the table Maya had picked out.
"Oh thanks but she's spoken for. So I guess it's just you and me." Maya said with a smile that made her eyes look like shining crescent moons.

***

"Riley! Are you ready yet? Charlie's waiting." Topanga asked her daughter from the kitchen.
"In a minute!" Maya yelled back.
The girls were getting ready for the bowling trip and Maya was trying to make Riley look cute but casual. She was just finishing up Riley's hair, which was in thick waves. Maya had dressed her best friend in a lace lavender skirt and a plain white long sleeve shirt. She had on white thigh high socks, Riley's signature, with gray, flat Mary Janes. Yeah cute and casual weren't really thing in Maya's book.
"Aaand done." Maya said with a satisfied smile, "You're perfect!"
"Thanks peaches, you look breathtaking as well. You must have really hit it off with Alec to be putting so much effort." Riley said, wondering if it was actually for Josh or maybe even Lucas...
"Yeah he's so handsome and so different..." Maya said looking down. She was wearing black skinny jeans and ankle boots. Her blouse was a peplum top with thick straps that sat just below her bare shoulders. Her hair was in thick curls and was parted just down the middle. If Josh didn't do a double take Alec certainly would, Maya was gorgeous.
"Let's go." Riley said linking arms with her best friend and heading out the door.
"Wow you girls look amazing" Charlie said when he saw them.
"Thank ya soufflé." Maya said with her famous Charlie accent.
"Alright let's head to school so the bus doesn't leave us." Riley said.

***

It was like everything was in slow motion. As Lucas watched in shock, he wished he could get the words out. To stop it, to stop them. But all he could do was stand there, frozen and unable to look away. Riley had asked to meet up with him in twenty minutes, but as usual Lucas was early. There he was, ten minutes before he had to be and he kind of wished he'd come later. And there she was, the girl of his dreams, holding another guy's face, Charlie's face, in her hands. She held his face with the same tenderness that she'd once held Lucas's own face. Lucas didn't even notice when he lost the grip on his letterman jacket and it fell silently to the floor. As Lucas watched from the sidelines, he saw Charlie with an idiot grin as Riley moved herself around so that her back was to Lucas. Lucas dug his nails into the palm of his hand and then stuck his knuckles in his mouth to keep himself from yelping from the pain. The cut on Lucas's right palm was still fresh from the broken mirror. Lucas went numb and in a daze, he walked away, leaving behind his dropped letterman and the image of Riley in Charlie's embrace.

Oh there it is! Lol so don't judge Riley🙏🏽 she's got more to her plan than you know😅
Anyways thank you for reading💜💕
Please star✨ and comment💬 tell me what you think😁 ilysm🤗💜