Snapshots

In Like

(A/N: First off - are we not going to acknowledge the Peybrina blessings we've received lately. I mean baseball games and pictures from Peyton's mom and even beach pictures? My Peybrina heart is very happy. Relating to the story now - I absolutely adored writing this. I love this idea and this storyline. Hopefully you will too! Enjoy!)

       Let me give you a slight disclaimer: I am in "like" with Riley Matthews. That is very clear and very obvious. But that means nothing when you're in "love" with someone else that is not Riley Matthews.
It all started in the seventh grade. This girl came up to me on my first day of school while we were on the subway and had a complete relationship with me all while her brunette friend watched on. I was nervous for the first day anyways, and this girl who thought she could do anything - which I came to learn was true - made me doubly so. She had a complete grip on me, even though her friend was the one who ended up on my lap by the end of the ride.
Then you had the homework revolution. It wasn't my fault that I had gone to the bathroom right outside of Mr. Matthews' class and heard everything. She didn't have anyone to help her with her homework. She sounded so weak; so small. Where was the girl who talked to me on the subway just the day before? Where's the girl who had such a hold on me that I couldn't even tell the brunette was throwing herself at me? I didn't know the answers to these questions, but I knew I wanted to find out.
Fast forward. We were sitting in the middle of Matthews' class in the eighth grade, and her art class was taken out from underneath of her. This girl - who I now knew to be strong beyond belief for herself and her friends - was crumbling, but she wasn't letting it show. She wanted her art class back, that much was obvious. And I wanted it for her.
Then Zay with his big mouth decided it was crucial information to tell her - and her brunette friend - that I call her the blonde beauty. Her face was in shock and Riley's was in pain. Riley was the pretty brunette, and the blonde beauty? She was my something else. It was starting to be clear to myself that I needed to control my feelings. So as I always have, I pushed them way deep down inside of myself and took a deep breath.
Fire pits are fun. I've always liked them. But I couldn't be alone with her. I'd spent a year trying to just forget. I didn't need to like her, that would mess everything up. But then Riley stepped back and I accidentally let my feelings show a little too much. And she made fun of me and I held her head in my hands and I was taken back to the moment of weakness she portrayed in front of Mr. Matthews and I knew I wanted to hold her forever because when we were together, neither of us felt weak.
New Years. I've always hated New Years. What's the point of starting over when I've only just gotten the hang of the year I've had right now? It was the couples game no thanks to Charlie. Our solutions? Let's just eat our cards. We're fine with letting everything lie the way it has. It hasn't affected me yet. Let's just go with it.
And then Farkle with his big mouth decided it was crucial information to tell her - and everyone - that Riley still liked me, even though we had stopped. It was our moment. Finally my moment, and Farkle messed it up. It was a minute to midnight, and for the first time that I can remember, Maya was smiling at me genuinely.
And then high school. I had majorly messed up this time. I let them go off without me and it was just my two girls in a hole doing nothing. I couldn't help myself. I was mad at them. Both of them. But I let them both down and I felt bad afterwards. Riley and I went off on each other, but she, she just looked at me with such pain and hurt and I immediately wanted to take back everything I did. I couldn't hurt her like that. I just couldn't.
All I had wanted that week was for her to call me Huckleberry and Riley to laugh because I said something that was not funny to anyone but her. And I got it eventually. She pulled me up by the shirt and I wondered if she could feel my heartbeat through it. Then she called me Huckleberry and threw me back down. But I knew in that moment that I could never risk losing a moment like that again. I just couldn't.
Then came the part I'd rather forget. I was still mad at her for turning me down when I had obviously picked her and for committing a crime of vandalism that was so not like her and for wandering off the trail to help Farkle where she almost got herself killed. She could've been seriously hurt. And so when we sat at the fire that night at the ski lodge and she said that she had been the one I'd picked, she was right. She was so right. I didn't know what to say and instead kept my words to myself. And she took my hesitation the wrong way. But she'd had a pattern of catching me off-guard. And her head on my shoulder while we hugged just felt so right. But she wasn't interested. So I took the jellybean and I asked Riley Matthews to be my girlfriend. And with Riley that meant for now and for always.
At Katy and Shawn's wedding the next year, Riley and I went as a couple. And I danced with Riley the whole night and we were the second most talked about couple there because it was mostly Riley's family in attendance and they clearly knew what the deal with the Hart-Hunters was. And I'll admit, I liked it. I really did. Riley and I were perfect, and we intended to stay that way. She was mine and I was hers. Except the blonde beauty was so pretty - too pretty - in her pink bridesmaid dress with her hair falling out of the intricate braid and her makeup was slightly smudged but to a perfection that I couldn't help myself from staring. And yes, when it was one of the many slow songs and she was dancing with Farkle and Zay and Eric and Cory and Shawn and Josh and laughing and whispering a joke or something just for the other to hear and I couldn't help but want to be in that line for a dance with the girl who had only ever danced with me at the eighth grade semi-formal to a song that was nothing compared to Stop and Stare and Never Stop. So I watched from a distance and smiled because she was happy.
And then at her next birthday when it was just a small group celebrating at Topanga's after-hours I pulled her aside to give her the gift I had picked out for a month and a half and her smile - the now second most genuine I'd ever received from her - touched her eyes as I put the leather jacket around her shoulders since I had ruined her other. And the giggle I heard come out of her mouth was too angelic to even comprehend. But then she turned around and walked over to where she was supposed to sit to open the rest of her presents with a quick 'thank you'. And at the end of the night it was just the Matthews minus Auggie and Katy and Shawn and me and we were all sitting around drinking some hot chocolate celebrating her and eating leftover cake. Riley was tired and I said I would walk her home and everyone smiled and said goodbye and Maya hugged me like the night in front of the fire. And I almost told her I loved her. I almost did but then Riley was pulling me to the door because she couldn't stay up much longer. So I opened the door for her and turned around to wave bye one more time. But instead I saw Josh sit in Riley's old spot next to Maya and scoot even closer to her in the booth than I thought was possible and he put his arm around her and he kissed the side of her head and she smiled at him like I'd never seen before, before giving him a proper kiss. So I grabbed Riley's hand and pulled her up the stairs. "I like you a whole lot Riley Matthews," I told her before I started leading her to her house. And I meant it, I really did.
So yes, I was in like with Riley Matthews. But Maya Hart? She was the one I loved.

(A/N: I'm so sorry but that Joshaya scene in ski lodge got my original Josh and Maya heart all happy so I had to I just simply had to. Thank you for reading! Please comment, favorite, and follow!)