Rose Colored Boy • Riarkle

Chapter 4; It's Not a Date

"Farkle, do you have any idea on what course you're getting in college?" Zay barged in his room.

"I don't know, computer science I guess?" Farkle sighed, as he browsed his laptop, searching for 'cute first date ideas' on google.

"Since you seem to have your whole life figured out, can you help me? What course should I get?" he asked.

"Oh, well I don't know Zay. Maybe you should get a course in shutting the fuck up?" he groaned.

"Farkle, I appreciate how you're doing your best for her, but it doesn't give you an excuse to be a bitch."

"I'm sorry," Farkle sighed, "I'm just so stressed out."

On his screen appeared a very bad article that listed a few first date ideas:
1.painting with Bob Ross
2.third wheeling
3.heroin

Zay went to his side and glanced at the article, but immediately shut down Farkle's laptop, sighing.

"What was that for?" Farkle groaned.

"I don't think those are appropriate for Riley, especially looking at her personality," Zay sighed to his helpless friend.

"Well, what do you think I should do?"

"Riley Matthews, my dude. Bring her to the drive in theatre downtown, watch a cute romcom, and then eat dinner at an Italian restaurant."

"That, for once, is the only good thing that's ever come out from your mouth," he muttered, simply astonished at what he just said.

"No problem dude," he grinned, "it's your first date after all."

"It's not a date," Farkle blushed, "it's just my way of saying thanks."

"I really don't get you sometimes. If it isn't a date then why were you just searching up "cute first date ideas" on google awhile ago?" he laughed.

"Shut up."

The two spent the whole Saturday morning picking on preparing him for the "date." It was his first time, after all.

"And there you go," Zay smiled, as he saw Farkle's outfit once he finished changing. 

"Look at you man. It feels like you were a weird kid who always wore neon and had a coconut head haircut just a few days ago."

"That was mean, but thank you," Farkle smiled, as Zay gave him a pat on the back.

•••

"I've already said this once, and I'm gonna say this twice," Riley explained, as Maya fixed her hair and put some light make up on her, "it isn't a date. It's just his way of saying thank you!"

"Thank you for what? Bringing him to the nurse? Riley, I don't want to hurt you, but don't you think this is going too fast? Everything's that's been happening to you recently sounds like a badly written fanfiction that tries way too hard to be funny," she questioned.

"But Maya," she turned around and held her hands, "maybe Farkle's a good person. Who knows, maybe he's gotten used to being left alone when he gets hurt that he wanted to thank me."

"Riley, but that was the same thing you said about Lucas," Maya muttered.

"Lucas who? I don't know him," she awkwardly laughed.

"Lucas the ex," she reminded her.

"I don't want to remember him, Maya. I want to forget. So please, don't bring him up?"

"Okay," she muttered.

A silence filled the room, as Riley slowly detached her hands from her best friend's, and looked at her own reflection in the mirror.

The door bell rung and broke the tense atmosphere in the room.

"He's here," Maya whispered.

"I know," she responded, a shaky tone in her voice.

She walked away from the room as the sound of her shoes echoed on the wooden floor.

"Hello?" Farkle asked, ringing the doorbell.

A few footsteps later, Riley opened the door for him, a smile in her face.

An unexplainable warm feeling tingled in his heart, as he walked her to his car and drove away.

This was his last chance, and he wasn't going to let it go to waste.