Tuesday. The day after Monday. Yet it is also one of the most hated days of the week. But Tuesday's always seem to go by so quickly that when Wednesday comes you can't believe it's already the middle of the week. But this Tuesday. It had a whole different feeling to it. It wasn't the ordinary Tuesday that went by so fast you forgot what you learned in class. No, this Tuesday seemed to drag on longer than other days. It was probably because I had 2 tests today.
Or it was the fact that Riley was going to find out if she got the part or not in Les Mis.
It was the start of lunch, I walked through those cafeteria doors with Farkle by my side who wouldn't stop talking about electrons and other stuff about the periodic table. As we grab our same old lunch food and head to our same old table. As I set my tray down on the table, Riley came rushing through the doors with a paper in her hand. "Farkle, Lucas," she exclaimed as she ran towards us. As she got closer, she didn't notice a stray backpack sticking out; Riley trips over the backpack and falls. But before her body could make impact with the floor, I ran to her with my arms sticking out and caught her. Her eyes where tightly shut, as she was waiting for the hard impact with the floor. But once she realized that it never came, she opened her eyes. "Oh, hi," she whispered.
I hesitate a smile and respond back to her. "Hi," I tried to speak out more confidently, but it came out very...breathy if that's the correct word. We stayed like this for a moment, staring into each other's eyes. Green on brown. It wasn't until I noticed the position we were in that I lifted her back onto her feet. "You okay, Riley?"
Riley had a quick smirk on her face, but it was immediately vanished to a confused worried face. "Who's Riley?" she questioned with a raised eyebrow.
What?! Wait why didn't I say that out loud. "What?"
Riley holds out the paper with a big smirk drawn across her face. "I'm sorry, my name is Eponine, I don't know any Riley." Oh shit she got the part. I engulfed her in a big hug, lifting her off the ground as she giggled at my childish behavior.
"I'm so happy for you Riles. I knew you would get it," I was still spinning her around. In that moment, it just felt like me and Riley. Riley and me. No one else. As if all the sound of the outside world was blanked out. What only mattered was Riley in my arms. I stop spinning us around, yet I continue to hold her in my arms. She lifts her head off of my shoulder and stares into my eyes. Let me tell you. Brown is one of the most hated colors, but Riley's eyes were different. They had little golden flecks of gold and green in her eyes. They sparkled like a diamond in the light and they always brightened when she was happy. And they would darken when she was angry or sad.
"Um Lucas," she snaps me out of my daze. I realize our position and I quickly put her down. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see a smirking Farkle.
"Congratulations Riley. I knew how much you wanted it." Farkle stood up and gave Riley a tight hug. They both pull away, but Riley still has that beaming smile on her face from when she first came bursting through the cafeteria doors.
"Thank you. But if you see Missy, keep it minimal to none. She's going on a little rampage out in the hall right now," Riley warned. Immediately after, there was a loud scream and crashing sound from out in the hallway. All heads were turned towards the doors. "See what I mean," she releases a small giggle. "I'm gonna get lunch."
"Bye Riley," I say as she walks off to the lunch line. I zone out as she walks away, mostly noticing her attire. Grey sweats and a black t-shirt. Just as she said. A smack on the arm breaks my gaze off of Riley to my friend next to me. "Ow! Farkle what the hell?"
"Don't Farkle me. I saw that look." He turns back to the plate of spaghetti sitting in front of him.
"What look?"
"That look." My eyebrows furrow together, he rolls his eyes. "Oh please. Don't act as if you didn't go all lovey dovey around Riley." My eyes are bugging out of my head at this point.
"What?"
"Lucas. I'm an observer. I'm also a genius. Ans I am smart enough to know that the way you stared at Riley is the same way Maya stares at expensive shiny things." A big smirk grows on his face and I can feel my body tensing in my seat. "You like Riley." My eyes grow big, are they falling out of my head? No? Well it feels like it.
"What?" I try to play it cool, but there was an obvious crack in my voice Dammit. I clear my throat and try again. "I don't like Riley." Farkle raises an eyebrow. "I mean I like her as a friend, not like her like her. She's a great person and she's nice and talented and smart but I don't like her like that," I started to ramble and an amused look grows on Farkle's face.
"Yeah sure, you don't like her." He turns back to his food and continues to eat.
"Huckleberry doesn't like who?" Maya comes up from behind us and sets herself and tray next to Farkle.
"Lucas claims he doesn't like-like Riley," Farkle turns to Maya.
"Oh please, it's so obvious he does," she speaks as if I wasn't even there.
"How do you know?" Farkle questions.
"I have known Riley the longest out of everyone here. I also know that Riley's parents are considered 'America's Sweethearts.' They way they look at each other is the same way Huckleberry over here looks at Riley."
"Hmm," Farkle looks over at me. "And what look would that be, Maya?" he asks sarcastically. This guy.
"I don't know what it is, but I know when I see it." Maya shoves a forkful of spaghetti in her mouth.
"Lucas, it's okay if you like Riley." All happiness wipes clean from his face. "Just don't get her hopes up. She already had to much disappointment in her life." My eyebrows furrow together. What does he mean. "It's not my story to tell, Lucas. She'll tell you when she's ready."
"What are you guys talking about?" Riley comes up from behind us and places her tray down beside me. As she sits beside me, panicked looks take up Farkle's and Maya's faces. I could feel my face harden, I open my mouth to say something, but no words would come out.
"Uh-um we uh-"
"Farkle kissed my hand!" Maya jumped in. Riley knits her eyebrows together and splats a confused look on her face.
"What?" she questions, with obvious confusion in her voice.
"I kissed her hand."
"He did. It was glorious. I'm questioning everything now," Maya answers with a straight look on her face. I turn back to Riley, who is absolutely confused of everything that just happened. Her nose a uncles together and she squints her eyes.
"Okay, I know that's not the truth but whatever." She lets out a small laugh to ease the tension previously created. "Alright pretty boy," she refers to me. Riley is one of the most sarcastic, straightforward people I've ever met. She isn't afraid to speak her mind unless she knows to keep it in her head. She started calling me pretty boy recently when more and more girls came up to me asking me out. She found it hilarious how they would 'swoon' and 'gush' over me. "What's going on in that pretty boy world of yours?" She shoves a spoonful of mac-n-cheese I her mouth, not caring that she looks unladylike. Cheese drips down from the corner of her mouth onto her chin. "What are you laughing at?" she teases with her mouth full of food.
"You have cheese all over you." Her eyes grow wide as she grabs the nearest napkin on the table, wiping her mouth clean. "Very ladylike." She flashes a small glare before swallowing.
"Hey, I am the most classy-classiest, whatever the word it, person here," before shoving a boneless buffalo wing in her mouth.
"Yeah Riles, just keep telling yourself that," Maya jokes at her friends behavior. Riley licks her fingers clean.
"I am," she defends as she swallows her food. She wipes her hands and mouth before sitting up straight and having a smug look on her face. "See, I am so classy, sophisticated, and ladylike," she speaks with a terrible English accent. She slouches back into her normal position as she scoops up more mac-n-cheese. "Guys get real, the classiest person known demand is our savior Lord Scott Disick. He's everything I aspire to be."
"What, a jerk?" Maya asks.
"Nope, someone who's classy and has an amazing sense of humor." She sounded so serious, but the goofy smile on her face said otherwise. In all honesty I though she was going to say rich. "I think he should run for president one day." The table breaks out into laughter as I just stare at Riley with an amused look on my face. A ding chimes from someone's phone. Riley looks down at her phone, wait that's her phone? When did that come out the 1990s? "Gotta go, supposed to meet a teacher for something." She shoves one final wing in her mouth before grabbing her things and leaving. "Bye." She waves and heads towards the cafeteria doors.
"Bye Riley," I say, thinking it came out cool and how I normally talk. But in reality and to Maya and Farkle's ears, it came out soft, as if I was in a dream state. I turn around and see Maya and Farkle smirking and smiling at me.
And then it hit me like a ton of bricks.
That's the day I found out I like Riley Matthews.