galaxies edge ☼ gmw [OH]

i ; out the window

"That's true, and that's why we're going to see how cool you can be when you look at him," Maya suggests toward someone who was absolutely gorgeous. Mesmerizing, and tan, and with a smile that made my knees weak. Riley giggles and I stay silent.

"Yeah, you're gonna need some lessons. Okay, let me show you everything you need to know about boys and girls." She walks over to him, swings around one of the subway poles, "hi, I'm Maya. You're really cute. We should hang out sometime. You make me happy. You don't pay enough attention to me. This isn't working out. It's you not me, we can still be friends! Not really."

"He's alvailable, we just broke up," she finishes with a smile toward me and the brunette.

"Are you okay? Do we need to talk about it?" Riley asks in a concerned way.

"You guys still wanna be like me?" Her eyes look to me in a challenge. I shake my head yes of course, that sort of confidence was something I'd always needed.

"I want to be exactly like you. I think too much and you don't think at all," Riley says.

"See, you're getting me. So let's not think," Maya's voice gets higher, and then she grabs my hand, and pushes me toward the pretty, blue eyed, boy. And I land in his lap.

"Oh my god, I'm so sorry my friends–"

"Hey, it's okay, don't worry about it," he smiles at me.

"You're really cute," the words just leave my mouth, my filter was completely gone.

"My name is Lucas, but that works too."

"I love it, my name's No–"

Someone interrupts me again, "Perhaps someone would like to give their seat to someone older?" A lady in a bright purple jacket asks, and Lucas and I both get up, I fixed my skirt and regretfully left my past spot on his warm legs. Lucas tries to leave.

"Oh, not you sweet potato pie."

"Oh, right okay," I start to leave, but turn around just to smile at Lucas. He was stunning.

"That was great!" I announce to my friends.

"You're welcome," Maya says

"What if I never see him again?" I ask the blonde with an innocent look.

"I'm sure we will. Your turn Riley!" She says and Riley yells until she lands on the purple jacket-wearing lady's lap.

"It's for you," she says and places Riley on Lucas. She basically called dibs anyway, and Maya had seen him first. Sure he was cute, but I could step back and let them have a chance instead, couldn't I?

RILEY AND MAYA WERE SPEAKING ABOUT HOMEWORK, and I decided to just go and walk to class, they needed some time to themselves. As soon as I reached my seat, I was cracking open my copy of "To All the Boys I've Loved Before" by Jenny Han. It was about a girl who was Korean, just like me.

"... There's something seriously wrong with him," I hear Riley speak. Talking about Mr. Matthews I assume.

"Hi honey," he says.

"Hi daddy."

"You're late to your father's class."

"Oh, don't worry, Mr. Matthews. You wrote her a note," Maya says, and I hand her the yellow sticky note we wrote in advance.

"I did?" He asks.

"You did," Maya, Riley, and I chorus.

"'Riley is late, deal with it'. Well you got my signature down pretty good this time," he agrees.

"Oh, it was easy. You write like a girl."

"Just because Matthews writes that way, doesn't mean all women do," I pipe up from my seat in the front. I start to put my book away while Mr. Matthews talks about the civil war.

"The civil bore," Maya echoes.

"Thank you future mini mart employee of the month."

"Would I be making more money than you?" She challenges him. I zone out again, pawing for my book. I'd learned this last year, when I lived with my mo- with the woman who left me. I hear Farkle say something in the background, but I'm only half listening. Something that went along the lines of  " in love with Nova two years ago..." something like that. My eyes pop open in surprise.

"...But I'm also equally in love with Maya and Riley. Some might say the great mystery of the universe is who's gonna be the first Mrs. Farkle," and that catches my attention. I choke on my spit.

"You don't want this," Maya argues.

"Bring it on," he replies coolly.

"I always thought he'd wind up with back-of-the-class-Brenda," Riley interjects from her seat. I actually laugh at this, a smile etched in my face.

"Classic, Riles," I high five her.

"Yuck!" Farkle says.

"Actually the great mystery of the universe is how you could love three women at the same who couldn't possibly be more different," Mr. Matthews speaks.

"We're not so different," Riley objects.

"May I overstep my bounds, Sir?" Farkle asks.

"You always do," Mr. Matthews agrees and signals.

"Riley is the sun, warm and bright and lights up my whole day. Maya is the night, dark and mysterious. And the night has always been a mystery to me, because I go to bed at seven-thirty," he jokes, "and Nova is a galaxy, you don't always reach the consciousness that she's there, but when you do, she's unexplainable, and something you'd want to see day in and day out. The most breathtaking experience in the world."

I shake my head, I didn't see myself as anything but shy and awkward.

"How could I love these three different women, how could I not? Thank you! I am Farkle!" He finishes his speech and completes it with an over exaggerated bow. I smile because he's a good friend, and of how odd he truly was.

I'd never thought of him in that romantic way, the way Riley thought of Lucas. I furrow my brow in confusion, who do I like? What's my type? When was Farkle going to tell me he liked me?