Girl Meets Ryan Matthews

21.

Girl Meets Truth

When auditioning for a school play, the results go one of two ways: 1. You got in the play, or 2. You didn't.

Though Ryan had come second place to Riley in every other aspect of his life, he always seemed to accel at the arts.

So, he got in. Ryan got Romeo and, surprisingly enough, Maya was Juliet.

Lucas and Riley were the understudies, for once. He had laughed about that to Jeremy.

But now, it was the final show and one of the final act and Ryan was on.

"Eyes, look your last," Ryan said, coming out from behind a prop pillar. "Arms, take your last embrace," he knelt down to where Maya was lying on a prop stone table. "And lips, oh you the doors of breath, seal with a righteous kiss," As Ryan leaned over Maya to kiss her cheek, she opened one eye and winked exaggeratedly at him. He rolled his eyes.

Just then, Farkle leaped out from behind the pillars. "Back off!" He yelled, pointing his spear at Ryan.

"What... est thou doing, oh Might Spear Carrier? Of whom lackest lines?" Ryan gave a pointed look to Farkle. One that said, 'What are you doing?'

"You tried to kiss my woman. This I cannot allow, prepare to die," Farkle said dramatically, continuing to point the prop spear at him. Ryan shook his head, laughing, and stepped away from Maya.

Maya lifted her head and whispered, "What are you doing? It's Romeo and Juliet!"

"Well, now it's Romeo and Juliet and Farkle! I play Farkle," He said, smiling down at Maya. She rolled her eyes and dropped her head back down.

"Dude, Shakespeare didn't say anything about Farkle in his script," Ryan pointed out. While Farkle had been talking to Maya, Ryan gently snatched the prop out of his hands.

Farkle stepped towards the audience. "Who thinks the spear carrier should finally get to kiss Juliet?" The crowd went wild. Ryan saw Jeremy in the crowd and shook his head at him. Jeremy shrugged, still laughing.

"Woo! You go spear carrier!" Riley yelled from the audience. Farkle took the spear back and pointed to where Riley was in the audience. Ryan slipped off stage for a second to talk to the director.

--

As Ryan walked out of the theater down the hall of students, everyone clapped. Ryan bowed exaggerately and walked over to where Jeremy was in front of the staircase.

"So," he said once he saw Jeremy, "What did you think of the show?"

Jeremy laughed and clapped slowly. "I loved Farkle's part. Hey, do you think I could get his autograph?" he joked, putting on a fake serious face. Ryan rolled his eyes, shoving him lightly.

"Shut up."

--

"Class, today's homework assignment is to make a cultural dish," Mrs. Leava said, addressing the home ec class. "You may choose a dish from the cultures we've already covered, however, you may not make a dish we've already done."

Ryan rolled his eyes. Farkle had pushed him into taking this class because he was constantly complaining about not being able to cook.

'Learn to cook!' Farkle had said. 'Where? My mom can't cook to save her life and grandma lives in Philly,' Ryan had complained. Farkle had rolled his eyes and slid the elective paper in front of him. 'Take home ec,'

Take Home Ec he had said. It would be fun he said. Useful he said.

Useful was right. Fun... not so much.

Ryan couldn't cook for shit. That was one thing he had in common with his family, at least.

Ryan pulled out his folder and casually flipped through the papers. He sat there, looking through them for a few seconds before stopping on one. It was an old class assignment for them to make sugar skull cookies for the day of the dead.

Ryan pulled it out of the folder and sat it on his desk. Obviously he couldn't repeat the assignment, but he could do something on Latino food.

Who did he know who could make Latino food?

Not his parents, not his siblings - though Auggie could make some mean reheated spaghetti - and definitely not Farkle. Though maybe he knew a chef or two who he could get to help him. Or... he could ask Ms. Alvarez?

Now that was an idea.