His Texas Girl// Lucas Friar

Girl meets STEM Part 1

Ari POV:
"Boo this class" Maya says as her, Riley, and I walk into science class together. They've been saying that since we're in a 'love square' together we should hang out. I don't think they realized that Lucas never broke up with me and he still kisses, hugs, and says he loves me pretty much all the time.
"Do you even know which one it is?" Riley asks.
"I'm going to need a clue." Maya says before she picks up a beaker.
"Doo dah, doo, dah, doo doo dah, da da da da da dah!" Farkle sings enthusiastically as he walks through the door.
"Science." Maya deadpans and Farkle walks up to the teacher.
"Morning, Farkle! What's new?" Mr.Norton says.
"I'm reading this great book on anti-gravity. I can't put it down!" Farkle says making me snicker.
"Hah!" Mr.Norton says.
"Hah!" Farkle exclaims.
"I hate this class." Maya says going over to her station which she shares with Zay which is next to Lucas and I's station.
"Ladies and gentlemen, I invite you to join me on a journey of discovery. Your midterm experiment." Mr.Norton says as everyone except me and Farkle groan, me doing nothing and Farkle letting out a small "Yay."
"Do I look sleepy to you?" I hear Maya ask Zay as I listen for information on the assignment.
"In front of you, each team will find a beaker of a clear liquid solution." Mr.Norton says and I look at the station.
"Oh, boy, he's like a sleep machine." Maya says and starts to sway.
"And next to that, and here's where it gets exciting - a mystery marble!" Mr.Norton says holding up and example.
"Goodnight!" Maya exclaims before letting her head fall into Zay's waiting hand.
"Right after school, precisely at 3:15, one member of each team will drop the marble into the beaker. The elements in the marble will break down overnight and turn into sludge. Then the other team member will discover what that sludge is and what it takes to turn the beaker back to clear." Mr.Norton says.
"Who's supposed to do what?" Riley asks.
"Well, that's up to you! You're a team! Divide the responsibilities as you see fit. I've been conducting this experiment for thirty-five years." Mr.Norton says waving his journal, "I've kept thorough notes. Very few have cracked it."
"Well, you can add my name to your journal right now, sir." Farkle says confidently.
"I hope so, Farkle." Mr.Norton says to him before turning to the class "Let the games begin."
"So I'll drop the marble, and you do the science?" Lucas asks after turning to face me and grabs my hand.
"No bubs." I say.
"What? But your the smarter one. If I do the science, we'll fail. You know I'm not confident in this class and my you know what will get in the way" Lucas says in a tone that to anyone but me would seem normal. To me I know he's worried.
"Bubs he never said I couldn't help you. You always say you want to get better in this class, now here's your try. I'll drop this, and you do the science. I'll be right there if you need help"
"Okay baby." He says in am unsure voice. "You promise you'll help me, I know I'm gonna need it?"
"I promise. I love you" I say.
"I love you too" he says kissing me quickly.

——— after school: marble drop time———
"I don't like this" Riley says as we walk to Mr.Norton's classroom with Maya to go drop the marbles.
"I don't like this either" Maya says.
"Me either" I say.
"Why do we have to drop the marble while Farkle, Zay and Lucas do the science?" Riley says.
"Why is school over and I don't got a chimichanga?" Maya says.
"Why is school over and I'm not with my bubs?" I say sadly.
"Maya, Ari, something's wrong. I feel like there's a real problem here but I just can't see what it is" Riley says before opening the door. "Now I see it." Riley says seeing everyone in the room is a girl.
"I see nothing unusual" Maya says and I just nod I mean it could be nothing but a misunderstanding.
"Social injustice" Riley says.
"Drop your marble and go." Maya says to the group.
"If you drop these marbles, you are buying into a system where the women, what? Buy shoes? While the men learn the science." Riley says.
"Shoes. Lets go" "The system works." Two girls say before everyone drops their marbles and leaves.
"No!" Riley exclaims before turning to Maya as I quietly walk over to Lucas and I's station before gently dropping the marble into the solution. "Maya, I am very disappointed in our sisters. They don't believe we can do what the boys can do."
"Chi. Mi. Chan. Ga." Maya says doing a motion with her hand to show her wanting to eat.
"You are not going to drop your marble." Riley says.
"Oh, I'm gonna drop my marble, but to make you feel better, I'm gonna drop it like a dude. Maya, huh, takes the inbounds pass. She dribbles down the court. Three seconds left on the clock. Her opponent's a tall, useless goose. Maya fakes left, turns right..." Maya says and starts to act like the marble is a basketball.
"Just stop! Tell me which way you're going!" Riley exclaims.
"She shoots... Scores! Nothing but beaker!" Maya says.
"Wait where's Ari?" Riley says.
"Right here" I say.
"You dropped it?" She asked shocked and I just nod.
"Your turn goose" Maya says to Riley.

———next day: science class———
It's now the next day and we're all in class waiting for it to start when Farkle enters "Doo dah! Doo dah, doo dah, dah dah, dah da-da, dah da-da, dah da-da dah dah..." Farkle sings before be faints after seeing the marble in Riley's hand.
"Ah..." Riley starts.
"What happened? I don't get it. Science is my favorite time of day. What happened?" Farkle says after regaining consciousness "I'm gonna retrace my steps. Doo dah, doo dah, doo dah, doo dah, doo, doo dah, doo dah... Ah... Oh. That's the reason right there." Farkle says before fainting again.
"Is he okay bubs?" I ask Lucas.
"He's fine he just does that sometimes" he responds.
"Oh okay"I say before smiling at him.
"You're so cute" he says before he tickles my side.
"No stop it" I say laughing, before Riley starts to give a mini speech about women
"It all started with Eve. Women have been treated as second-class citizens ever since. Thank goodness for strong women like Queen Elizabeth, then Susan B. Anthony helped get women the vote, and then Betty Friedan wrote The Feminine Mystique, and then Riley Matthews refused to drop the marble, and then here we are." Riley says to get her point across.
"You had one job to do." Farkle says.
"You mean, take care of the babies, Farkle."
"What? How long have I been out?"
"I'm taking a stand."
"How could you both let her do this?" Farkle asks Me and Maya.
"She's on a mission, Farkle. Have you met her?" Maya responds.
"They forgot I was there actually" I say sadly and Lucas rubs my arm comfortingly knowing that it hurts that they are kinda using me to get to him. They don't really talk to me outside of a group setting and even when they do most of the time Lucas comes up.
"Riley, you don't actually think Farkle had you drop the marble because you're a girl, do you?" Lucas asks knowing that it wasn't why I was sent.
"We were all girls, Lucas. Every single set of lab partners sent the girl." Riley says.
"Yes. That's interesting, isn't it?" Mr.Norton says.
"What is that?" Riley asks.
"I'll tell you what it is. It's a redo. She failed. I didn't fail. I want a redo! I want a redo, man!" Farkle says befor hanging onto Mr.Norton's leg.
"No redo. Equal responsibility. One shared grade." Mr.Norton says.
"That's right. We should be equal. Why do you guys think we're the ones who should drop the marble while you figure out the science." Riley says.
"Hey, it's not like you guys begged us to do it." Zay says.
"Did you wanna do the science?" Aaron asks his partner Sarah.
"I was okay with you doing it." She responds.
" Sarah, how is that going to help us. How are we going to become scientists if we don't learn this stuff?" Riley says.
"So, I won't be a scientist." Sarah responds.
"Why not?" Riley asks, maybe cause she doesn't want to be one I think as Riley keeps talking "Nobody wants to be the first girl on Mars?Represent, Brenda!" Riley says when Brenda raises her hand. "But one's not enough. Bay window. Bay window, all of you!" Riley says.
"I don't wanna go Bubs" I say as I hang onto him.
"I know but now you gotta" Lucas responds. "Love you babygirl"
"Love you too" I say and kiss him quickly.
After school every girl in the science class goes to Riley's house and now we're seated at her window.
"Tell 'em, Mommy! Get 'em! Tell them they're a disgrace to our entire whatever." Riley says to her mother who stands at the door to her room.
"Welcome to our home." She says.
"No nice. Go for the kill." Riley says.
"Unfortunately, Riley, this is a serious problem. The girls your age start to drift away from stem subjects... science, technology, engineering, math. The research shows that we tend to play the roles we think we're supposed to." Mrs.Matthews explains.
"Hey, I'm me." Maya says.
"Yes, you are, you Amazon warrior. Have I told you how fond I am of you?" Mrs.Matthews asks.
"Tell me."
"I am. Ari Nice to see you again."
"You too Mrs.Matthews"
"They dropped their marbles."
"Maya! Ari!"
"What? I'm not trying to hurt the girl thing. I'm just lazy." Maya says.
"You can't be lazy. And you cannot think that it is more important to be liked than it is to be leaders." Mrs.Matthews says, "what about you Ari?"
"Lucas and I's situation is a little different" I say.
"But still he sent you" Riley says and before I could defend him her mom keeps giving her feminist speech.
"Don't talk yourself out of pursuing something because you're afraid of how it's going to make you look. What you need to know is don't let anybody get in the way of pursuing your growth and your curiosity, no matter what you want to do."
"I wanna be the best I can, and I want everybody to like me, and I dropped the marble, and I want your shoes." Sarah says but Mrs.Matthews gives her a look. "I wanna work at the company that makes your shoes." Sarah tries. "I wanna run the company that makes your shoes." Sarah tries again.
"Yes. Well, if we want it all, then we can't let other people do the work for us." Riley says.
"Then I'm out." Maya says.
"You're in."
"I'm in. It's not gonna take long, is it?"
"The rest of our lives." Riley says.
"That's my girl." Mrs.Matthews says.
"Why's it always gotta be the rest of our lives?" Maya says.
"That's my other girl." Mrs.Matthews says before we all leave. I head home and work on my homework before calling Lucas to let him know class might be weird tomorrow, we talk for a almost 3 hours before we hang up and I drift off to sleep.