I'm Home

Chapter 18

The last few days of school were perfect. Dad didn't even bother making a big speech to all of us, because he had already been teaching a 10th grade class this year and since he did really well, he was getting bumped up, so we already knew we would have him again next year.

On the very last day of school, when the final bell rang signaling the end of the school year, Lucas pulled me aside before we walked out to meet up with the gang.

"What's going on? Everything okay?"

"Yeah, I just wanted to show you something before we met up with everyone. Follow me." He held my hand as I followed him out of the math classroom, almost all the way across the school, and into my dad's classroom. There was no one in it, just a bunch of empty chairs and desks.

"What did you exactly want to show me?"

"Go around to each of our desks, starting with Maya's and ending with yours." I did as he instructed and walked over to Maya's desk. I felt around in the cubby until I felt a small piece of paper. I pulled it out and saw that it was an old subway ticket.

"What's this?"

"It's the ticket I used to get on the subway where you first fell into my lap. If it wasn't for that ticket, who knows what life would be like for us today." I fought back a couple tears as I moved to Farkle's desk behind Maya's. I did the same thing, but this time I found a small-ish book. I pulled it out and carefully read the title: Tales of Human Interaction. I immediately remembered the significance of this book, and Lucas must've noticed, because I just moved over to Smackle's desk behind me, clutching the book and ticket.

At each desk I moved to, I found a different and new memento of mine and Lucas' story. There was a small toy white horse at Smackle's desk, a black box with a purple jelly bean in it at Zay's, and my own "Sack o' Gold" in Lucas'. When I finally got to my desk, I put all of the other mementos on it before feeling around inside the cubby. I found another black box, similar to the one with the jelly bean. I opened it up, but was surprised by the note that I found.

Our story is just beginning. This box and these objects are a promise that one day, I will show those pictures of promise rings to a jeweler and give them to you as a promise to stay with you forever. They are a promise that one day, I will ask your family for permission, freak out over a ring design, get down on one knee, and ask you to spend the rest of your life with me.

P.S. I can't wait to go to Philly with you and for you to show me all of your favorite spots, so they can be my favorite too.

By now, I was fully crying. I made sure I was smiling though so that Lucas knew they were happy tears. He walked over to me and knelt down next to me.

"Each object tells part of our story. The ticket is a reminder of how life brought us together. The book reminds us of when we first connected and our first meaningful conversation. The horse is from the first big gesture I made for you. After you told me you still had the original jelly bean, I thought you could use a new fresh one. I once told you that, if the right person gives you something, it becomes gold no matter what it actually might be. Here's your very own sack of gold. This box may not have a ring inside it now, and it probably won't for at least a couple years, but as you saw, it still holds the same promise any ring would hold."

"I love you, Lucas Friar."

"Riley Matthews, I love you too." We kissed, but this time, it was something completely different. No hunger or passion, but all of the love we had for each other and the hope we had for our future. When we finally broke apart for some air, I looked at the time and saw that we were supposed to meet our friends 15 minutes ago.

"We should probably get going. Everyone will wonder where we've been."

"Well then, shall we Princess Dancing Sunshine?" He said as he held his arm out for me.

"Yes we shall, Mad Dog."