✓ | 𝐟𝐨𝐨𝐥 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐨𝐟 ( 𝗿𝘂𝗰𝗮𝘀. )

FOUR.

a/n: omg thanks so much for the comments on the last chapter, it feels so good knowing you all are enjoying my book.

Also love the fact that you're literally hating on Lucas rn and praising Farkle. I feel bad ... Oh well.

anyway, I'll be coming out of my deep hiatus now so expect a new chapter every two weeks or something. alright, enjoy this one.

. . .

riley matthews
From the moment I was born, my parents had already unintentionally set up high expectations for me. With my father a history teacher and mother a lawyer, how could I have ever possibly been able to live up to that?

I didn't even want to get started on their love story. Cory and Topanga, the perfect example of true love and the idea that if two people were meant for each other, then they'd always find a way to be together. The notion that you could actually end up with your first love always resided within my heart, my parents unknowingly planting a seed of hope that would soon manifest into an expected concept that maybe, yeah, true love actually does exist.

Though, I had no idea what love actually was. And why was I so eager to fall in love, anyway? Even when my parents were in middle school, they knew they were going to someday marry each other. I couldn't even keep my grades up, let alone find the person I was going to spend the rest of my life with. Was I really going to fall under the shadow that my parents had carelessly cast right over me? If it was so easy for them to find each other, how is it that I, a product of true love, have not yet found someone?

The only person who I truly loved was Maya. Admittedly, I was jealous of just how gorgeous she had become over the years, and nobody had refrained from showing their attraction towards her. But their love for her was always shallow. They didn't know her like I did. Not even Charlie.

For quite some time, it had always been Maya and Charlie, with me being the pathetic third wheel that had no actual purpose. I was beginning to believe that I was just extra baggage, one that Maya was quite willingly ready to throw away. That is, until Charlie cheats on her with Missy Bradford. What an absolute idiot. He wasted two years of Maya's life that she could've spent with me. I mean, I was the scruffy old third wheel for nothing! I hated Charlie Gardner.

Though after they had broken up, it had felt like just the two of us again. Riley and Maya against everyone. Everything was perfect, and I had come to realise that the only relationship I ever needed was the extraordinary one I had with Maya. I didn't need anyone if I had her. Only Maya understood my complete klutziness and goofiness and terrible sense of humor. I was beginning to believe that perhaps I had maybe fallen in love with Maya, until I saw a tall, mysterious boy approach me during gym practice.

And oh boy, he was gorgeous.

Dirty blonde hair and dark green eyes were the first things that immediately captivated me. I had seen him around school before, but never really took notice of him. Apart from the dark, husky tone in his voice, he seemed like an extremely bright and positive young soul ... Just like me. I found myself blushing quite more frequently from that moment on, whenever I thought about him. I don't know why, really.

. . .

"Who are you staring at?" Maya questioned, observantly squinting at me whilst picking at her dull tray of food.