So, my sister has been playing Speak Now by Taylor Swift on repeat for the past week and a half. I tried to push it out of my head, but I couldn't so this came to be. I think it came out a little more angsty than I was planning, and I'm not entirely sure how I feel about it. I think I'm a bit rusty.
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The group of six friends were finally all back in New York. It was always the plan for all of them. Go to college, graduate, and come back to New York, come back to home. When all six friends went to different states to different colleges, they all remained in contact with one another, especially, Lucas and Riley.
Their relationship never developed out of their unofficial thing. Both were too scared to move, too scared to possibly ruin their friendship. When the time came, their senior year of high school, that they were honest with one another about their feelings, it was too late. Lucas was going to Texas for College and Riley to California. They wanted to be together, but they didn't want to start a relationship with miles between them.
Going to college they wanted to wait for one another, and for the first half of college, they did. However, it was Lucas who was the first one to go on a date with someone who wasn't Riley. His lab partner asked him out, and Lucas didn't want to be rude. But, he did ask Riley if it was okay. She said yes even though she wanted to scream no, but who was she to stop him. She was miles away, and she didn't want to stop Lucas from enjoying his years in college. If she was being honest, she never thought it was going to amount to something serious—boy was she wrong.
Lucas and his lab partner dated for the last two years of college. She knew she should have said something when Lucas had asked her if it was really okay as he and his now girlfriend started to get serious. He always cared what Riley thought, what Riley felt, but by the time he asked, Riley thought it was too late.
When graduation came for the two, they promised each other they would try their absolute best to be there to watch them receive their diplomas. But, when the time came, Riley couldn't make it to Texas to Lucas' graduation, but she made sure that Zay Facetimed her the entire time so she could watch—and she wished she hadn't.
Riley should have hung up with Zay after she saw Luas receive his diploma, but she wanted to talk to Lucas, so she stayed on Facetime with Zay while he went in search for the green-eyed man. That is when Zay faced the camera in the direction of Lucas, and that is when she saw the man that he loved on one knee.
She didn't need an explanation. She knew what was happening, and it was the moment that she decided to change any plans she had of returning to New York. It was the moment she decided she was going to officially start her life in California.
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It's been years since Riley has seen Lucas and months since they spoke, but that was all going to change. Riley finds herself walking into her mother's bakery going to meet her friends, and she's really nervous. Nervous about them being mad at her about staying in California but mostly nervous about seeing Lucas.
When she finally reaches the front of Topanga's, Riley can feel her heart racing. She peers in, and that is when she sees all of them all but one, and for a second she thinks she is in the clear. She thinks that maybe he didn't show in fear of seeing him. Riley takes a deep breath before sauntering in, and it doesn't take long for them to see her.
"Riles!" Maya exclaims. The blonde beauty jumps up and rushes to Riley wrapping her arms around her. "I missed you!"
Riley laughs. "You were just in California this past weekend. You couldn't have missed me that much."
"But, I did sugar," Zay says as he pushes himself up from his seat and pulling Riley into an embrace. "You know it just isn't the same without your sweet face around."
