𝒾𝓃 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝓈𝓉𝒶𝓇𝓈 ~ 𝓇𝒾𝓁𝒶𝓎𝒶.

Chapter 10: Truth

Maya's POV

I woke up to the sound of Riley's steady breathing. Whatever she does, she looks like an angel doing it. It was Saturday. Friday was the last day of school until spring break.

I looked over at my alarm clock. 9:00. I got out of my bed and quietly walked over to Riley's bed. Her hair was surrounding her perfectly like a halo.

I didn't know what I was worried about. Riley and Lucas's unofficial thing was over, and she obviously didn't have feelings for him anymore. But, Riley only wanted us to be sisters. She just had to use the sibling card.

Riley's eyes started to flutter open. I panicked a little, hoping that she wouldn't think that I was a stalker. "Do you like staring at me?" Riley groggily asked, sitting up. My face turned red as a tomato.

I said "Yes", but it was barely audible. I grabbed Riley's hand and we sat at the bay window. Silence. Best friends tell each other everything. But does a person tell their best friend that they're in love with him/her? Riley didn't want anything to ruin our friendship.  We promised that we wouldn't let anything get between us.

So that means I'm getting in between us.

In TV shows and movies, it always seems like the boy and girl who are best friends always end up together in the end. Never fails. Life isn't on a silver screen. Life isn't like a fairytale. You don't always get the ending you want.

The worst thing she can do is reject me. I know she won't let this ruin our friendship. We're in the stars. Well, in the stratus clouds.

"Maya, we need to talk. About us," Riley said. I gulped. This is it. I firmly placed my hand on Riley's knee. "Talk to me about anything," I muttered, my leg shaking.

Before Riley could even open her mouth, Mrs. Matthews yelled from downstairs, "MAYA! RILEY! FARKLE IS HERE!" I put a hand to my forehead. "What is Minkus doing here?" I muttered to myself as I walked downstairs.

I looked terrible, but I didn't really care. It was just Farkle.  "We'll talk later," Riley said from behind me. Riley and I made it to the main room, where Farkle was standing by the door.

"Ladies. Can we talk at the bay window?" Farkle asked, putting his hands in his pockets. I grunted as I turned back around, toward the stairs.

In Riley and I's room, I firmly placed my butt on a seat at the bay window. Farkle sat between me and Riley.

I watched vigorously as Riley rested her head on Farkle's shoulder. I sure knew they were just friends, but I still got jealous. ( I still get jealous! You're so....Okay, let me stop.)

"To tell you guys the truth, I have decided to stop my bad ways. My supposed friends are making me do things that I don't want to do anymore, and getting drunk just makes me mad at myself. I used to think smoking helped me with stress, but it makes everything worse. I'm sorry I pushed you guys away. Especially you, Maya," Farkle explained.

I bit my lip, trying not to blush. Riley's soft pink lips turned into a small smile. "I'm really happy for you, Farkle! I guess you're not a star after all," she said, looking in my direction. I looked down.

I called Farkle a star. Stars don't change. But he did. So he's not one. I was wrong.

Farkle gave her a weird look but shook it off. Later, Farkle finally left. It was just me and Riley again. "Now we can talk," she muttered. I slowly nodded.

Here is goes. Time for me to get rejected. 😓

"Maya, I feel like you're keeping secrets from me. I keep telling myself that we're in the stars and that we tell each other everything, but I'm not convinced. You can tell me anything, Peaches. I won't let it get in between our friendship," Riley said.

Well, I still have time before I get rejected. 😑

I gulped. I was on the spot here. Riley had a visceral fear of change, and I didn't want to change anything between us. But, you can't really control who you fall in love with.

I had to tell her sooner or later. Riley was bound to figure out my secret one day. I just knew she would figure me out. The way I always cried on her shoulder, stared at her in a dreamy way.....It seemed obvious.

"I...It's nothing. I...I don't want anything to change between us. And I'm not. Please don't worry about anything," I finally said, putting a facade on.

Riley scooter over closer to me and grabbed my face. I almost flinched at her touch. "Maya, please! I know you're keeping a secret from me. I know you want to protect me from whatever it is. But you know I won't let anything get in the way it our friendship!"

My breathing was uncontrollable. "You don't understand, Riles! You're just going to reject me if I tell you! Can we just be oblivious about everything again and live a happily ever after?" I yelled, trying to hold back anger.

Riley let go of my face. "Happily ever afters don't exist. And I thought you'd know that better than me," she muttered. Silence.

I stood up from the bay window and headed for the door. I guess things don't always turn out the way you want them to.

"Maya, please don't go. Can you just tell me your secret?" Riley said from behind me. My hand clenched around the door knob. My ocean eyes darted toward Riley.

"Get off my back, Riley! You won't understand! Come to think of it, you don't understand me! All this 'in the stars' crap is crazy. Get out of your fantasy world. We're not in the stars anymore!" I yelled, my anger getting the best of me.

Riley got up from the bay window and walked up to me. "This isn't you, Maya. If you tell me whatever you're hiding, then you can hate me forever if you want. I promise I won't reject you or anything," she said, soothingly.

I dig my teeth into my bottom lip. This was really going to happen.

" Fine! I'm in love with you, Riley! Happy now?" I said before heading out the door.

..............................................................

TBC!

Well, that just happened. Um....I guess that's all I have to say. STAY TUNED!!!!!!!! 😊😊😊😊