Words [Riley Matthews]

35 ~ unexpected visitor

History was soon going to start. Gabriel and Caleb were talking about their plans for the weekend while Lucas, Zay, and Farkle had their own conversation.

Riley and Maya entered the classroom.

"We have changed the life of somebody in this room!" Riley announced.

"Oh please not me," Zay begged.

"I'm happy with my life the way it is," Farkle said. "I got tall and my teeth came in nicely."

"Eh, there's nothing interesting going in my life," Gabriel said. 

"There's nothing to change about my life," Caleb said.

"Yeah, we're not talking about you four," Maya said.

Lucas's face fell. "Oh, no. What'd you do?"

"Oh, Lucas, in your whole history, we know what has always been your biggest regret," Riley said.

"Baaaah," Maya said, quietly.

"What's that? Why would you do that?" Lucas said. It was clear he's starting to freak out a little.

" BAAAAAH!" Maya said, louder. "You used to be a champion sheep rider at the mutton bustin' rodeo, until you fell off of Judy the sheep."

"And then you gave up, but you never got over it," Riley continued.

"That is my deepest, darkest secret!" Lucas said. "No one knows I fell off Judt the sheep except..."

Lucas turned to Zay.

"They, they made me Lucas," Zay defended himself, "they, they made me."

"How did they make you?" Lucas asked.

"I said, 'Y'all wanna hear a great Lucas story?' They said yes!" Zay said.

"Okay, it doesn't matter," Lucas said. "I'm over it. I don't think about that day at all."

Lucas looked away and said, "I fell off that sheep so fast," he sobbed. "No one likes me!"

"Lucas, you can fix this!" Riley said. "Get back on that sheep and be a sheep champion!"

"We have made that possible," Maya said.

"How?" Lucas asked. "How'd you make that possible?"

"Show it to him," Riley said.

Maya pulled out a piece of paper.

"Ride, Lucas! Ride, boy!" Riley said.

"We have entered you in..."

"The Annual Mutoon Busting Tournament!" Riley continued.

"In Aust, Texas!" Maya added.

"In front of everybody you know!" Riley concluded.

"Yay!" Riley and Maya cheered.

"You can't enter me in Mutton Busters, you can't be over eight years old or over fifty - five pounds," Luca said. 

"You are wrong, young Lucas," Maya said. "We entered you last week and your application's been accepted."

"Congratulations, Lucas Friar," Riley read from the paper. "You are an official entry in this year's Austin Roundup Rodeo! You will be riding Tombstone the sheep."

"What? Tombstone?" Zay said, shocked. "Oh, whoa, that's the end of you," he said to Lucas.

"Why is it the end of him?" Maya asked.

"What's the difference between riding Judy the sheep and Tombstone the sheep?" Riley asked.

"Let me see," Gabriel said, taking the paper from Riley. 

Gabriel quickly read over the paper. He looked up from the paper and looked at the girls. He took a deep breath.

"Guys?"

"Yes, Gabe?" Maya said.

"It's Tombstone the Bull!" Gabriel said, raising his voice when he said.

"Oh, bull," Maya said.

"There we go," Zay said.

"You signed me up to ride Tombstone the Bull!" Lucas said, angerly.

"Are you excited?" Riley asked Lucas.

"Does he look excited?" Caleb asked Riley. "You signed him up to ride a bull."

"What's the difference between riding a sheep and riding a bull?"

"Death!" Lucas exclaimed. "Death is the difference!"

Cory Matthews entered the classroom.

"Alright," he said. "May we begin class?"

Everyone sat down.

"'The Railroad,'" Cory pointed to the board.

"I don't get it," Farkle said.

"What do you mean you don't get it, Farkle?" Cory asked.

"How does this relate to what's going on in our lives, Hambone?" Farkle asked.

"You're just going to let him call you 'Hambone,' Matthews?" Maya asked.

"The railroad allowed us to travel to great distances," Cory continued. "The railroad allowed us to see how other people live. When you see how other people live, it changes you. And I like 'Hambone.' It's cool."

"Riley, rip it up before he finds out!" Lucas demanded from Riley."

"Who?"

"He's gonna find out and when he does, nothing will stop him!" Lucas said.

"Who?"

"Oh you'll know you," Zay said. "You'll hear a big bommin' voice. He'll say somethin'. He'll say somethin' like-"

Zay was cut off by the voice that sounded exactly like he described.

"This country was built on railroads. I, myself just arrived on the noon train from Austin, Texarcanada and Arkadelphia. Guess why I'm here?" an old man said

Cory: "Anybody?" Cory asked.

"Haha! I'm here 'cause I could not be more proud of my grandboy Lucas," the man said.

"Pappy Joe," Maya said. "That's you're Pappy Joe! That's Pappy Joe! Yes, more stuff!"

"That right there is the first Friar that ever had teh courage to ride the most ferocious creature in all of creation!" Joe said.

"Are we talking about Judy the sheep, Pappy Joe?" Riley said.

"I highly doubt he's talking about Judy the sheep," Gabriel spoke.

"Haha! Judy the sheep! Remember when you fell off Judy the sheep for about two seconds, boy? Remember that? And we all said it was okay 'cause you were only five years old? So we said it was okay, but it wasn't okay because you were a disgrace to the community and you dragged your family name through the mud-hole right up to this day. You put us in the mud-hole, remember boy?!" Joe said.

"Yes. There is one moment in every man's life that shapes who he is forever," Lucas said. "My moment was Judy the sheep."

"Well, you know what, Lucas Friar? Forgiven!" Joe said. "You get on that bull for more than three seconds, and you will be the master of Tombstone the bull. And I'll tell you I love you. And that's something I never said to another human."

"Can we talk about this?" Cory asked.

"Time for talkin's over," Joe said. "I got a permission slip. Babineaux, I got one for you too. Come on boys! Let's go ride."

"Yeehaw!" Zay said standing up. "... that slipped out."

"You did this!" Lucas turned to Riley and Maya.