The Friday after their big family trip Riley was standing behind the counter at Topanga's helping out after school. Lucas and Zay were at Baseball practice, Farkle and Smackle were at Science club and Maya had joined the art club. Riley decided that since she didn't have a place in school to go to she would continue to help out her mother and Katy at the café. She saved up the tips she got along with the paycheck her mother gave her so that she would be able to buy presents when the holidays came up. The line from the afternoon rush had finally died down and she started busing tables.
"Can I order something?" A voice said to her.
When she looked up she saw a pair of familiar blue eyes, "Charlie," she said smiling. "Long time no see."
"Hey Riley," he smiled back at her. "Yeah sorry I should have kept in touch."
She walked over to the counter "So what do you want?"
"Strawberry smoothie, and some time with you," he said.
"Um... I can only do one of those," she said looking down at the keypad on the register. She rung up the smoothie and he paid still looking at her.
"Riley why don't you take your ten," Katy said from behind her. Riley hadn't realized that she was wishing for more work and not less.
"Um... okay," she said walking over to where Charlie waited. "So you wanted some time?"
"Yeah, just to talk," he said.
"Okay, I have ten minutes," she said hoping that Lucas didn't walk into the café. She wanted to use the time to apologize to Charlie for everything that had happened in middle school. She realized after they had graduated and the whole triangle mess, she never truly apologized to him for using him to get over Lucas.
"So... how's school?" he asked.
"It's great, I have my friends, my family, and Lucas," she said blushing the moment she said his name. He had that kind that kind of effect on her.
"So Friar finally made his move?"
"Yeah we've been together for almost a year now, he's a great guy," she said as the memory of the ski lodge came to mind. That moment still makes her heart beat fast, it gives her hope for their future. Hope that they will survive together like her parents did, that he would be that once in a lifetime relationship.
Charlie smiled at her, "Good, I actually came here to thank you."
"For what?"
"Remember, how at your New Year's party you told me that I deserve more, well when I decided to pick a different school from everyone else, I decided to find that one person that made me feel the way you feel about Friar."
"Did you find that?"
"Yes, her name is Esmerelda she's the most special person in my life, you were my first crush but she had my heart."
"That's great Charlie," Riley said smiling. "I'm glad you found that, even if you had to go to a different school to find it."
"Well I knew that if I had stayed behind I wouldn't have found myself, I would have started to resent you, and your friends. I guess I wanted to be a part of that, but I found out that I needed to find it for myself and not just try and put myself there."
"Well it's good that you took the time out to do so," she said smiling. Her ten-minute break was over so she walked Charlie to the door and gave him a quick hug. "I'm glad you found what you were looking for, and I hope that the next time you come over, you can introduce me to your girlfriend."
"I will, thanks Riley," he said before leaving the café. Riley went back to work cleaning up around the counter and the tables. She hadn't noticed Lucas standing outside watching the whole interaction she had had with Charlie.
Lucas couldn't figure out what was happening as he watched Riley smile at Gardner, it felt like being punched in the gut. When Gardner left the café he hid in the bushes by the stairs so that the guy wouldn't see him but just watching Riley hug him felt like they had unfinished business, and Lucas was in the way of that. He didn't know what to do so he sat outside watching her as she worked, wondering if maybe she had feelings for Charlie Gardner.
The autumn air started to chill his bones but he still didn't move, all he could do was watch her as she smiled at customers and cleaned up. It took him a minute to realize that she was walking towards him, her sweater on, her backpack on her back. Her shift was over, he had spent two hours watching her like she was the sun warming his skin but in reality he was cold to the touch.
"Lucas what are you doing out here?" she said walking up to him. "Your hands are freezing."
The touch of her hands on his brought him back to the present, "Am I holding you back?" was the first thing that came out of him.
"What are you talking about?" she said pulling him into the café, "Aunt Katy can I get two large hot teas to go please."
"Sure thing Riley," Maya's mother said as she worked behind the counter. "I'll put some extra honey in there too."
"Thank you," Riley said before looking back at him. "Talk, you were the one that always said that we will always have these big talks with one another so tell me what's wrong."
"I saw you with Gardner," he said but she looked at him surprised.
"Lucas, Charlie left here two hours ago, were you sitting out there the whole time?"
"Yes, and I need to know if you still like him?"
"No Lucas, you're the only one who has my heart, Charlie was only here to tell me something and since I haven't seen him since middle school he decided to come here and tell me in person."
Lucas looked up at her brown eyes and smiled. "Sorry I'm a jealous jerk," he said.
"No you're not," she sighed. "I realized a while ago that you're as insecure as I am, it took me a while to realize that, but our relationship really is about communication, and we're still learning how to do that without hiding so much."
Katy came over soon afterwards and put their teas in front of them, "Come on I'll walk you home," he said.
"Thanks Aunt Katy," she said as they walked out. "Drink your tea, I don't want you getting sick because you spent two hours worried about our relationship."
He took her hand as he sipped his tea, "Thanks for taking care of me."
"Someone has to, plus you're always defending me, and helping me so it's only natural that I do the same for you."
They walked up to her building, the leaves changing around them, it was a peaceful night. He should have realized that Riley would never hurt him, she would talk to him first. He hadn't noticed just how comfortable they had gotten until he felt threatened by the possibility of losing her again. The whole thing about her mother's job, had messed with his heart, he couldn't take losing her then but knew he had to. That was months ago, of course their relationship would be tested over and over again.
Riley was worried about Lucas, it was strange for him to think about their relationship as fragile as glass. She hadn't noticed that he had been out in the cold for so long because she had been working, but she was going to tell him about Charlie the moment she got home.
"Do you want to come upstairs and study for our midterm?" she asked hoping he would say yes.
"Well I don't have to be home until ten and we live close enough that it wouldn't be a problem so sure, as long as we hide my boots from your dad."
She giggled, thinking about all of his shoes that she had accumulated over the years. He had outgrown most of them so he couldn't really take them back but she liked that he was still afraid of losing them.
"Okay," she said as they walked into the apartment. She said hello to her parents and grabbed some sandwiches before heading to her room to sit on the bay window and study with Lucas.
They sat there for five minutes in silence before he spoke up, "So what did Gardner have to say?"
"He was thanking me," she said looking down at her notes. "He said that my rejection at that New Year's party made him think about finding someone to like as much as I like you, and he did. He has a girlfriend."
"Oh, well that's not at all what I expected."
"Well if you had come in and asked or said hi you would have found out," she sighed. "You can't let your jealous side take over because in the end it would only hurt you when you find out the truth."
"I know," he sighed. "In a way we're the same when it comes to that, we're insecure to an extent, but I really do like you Riley."
"I know I really like you too Lucas," she said blushing. "I guess we both have work to do when it comes to matters of our hearts."
"Well it's a part of growing up," he said to her.
"Yes it is, did we just give ourselves a life lesson without my dad here?"
They started laughing at that, her father had begun to rub off on them, especially if they could teach themselves something without going to him.
"Lucas," she said looking at him. "There's one thing we've never tried to do, that well I would like to try."
"What's that?"
"Um well we've kissed... but they've been... well pretty tame, and I thought maybe once we can try to um..."
"You want to make out?" he said looking at her and then at the door before looking back at her. He swallowed his saliva but at that moment he felt as though he didn't have anything in his mouth.
"Well, I mean isn't that what normal couples do?"
"We've never been a normal couple," he said but when she looked down at the floor he spoke up. "We've always moved a little slow when it comes to what everyone else does as a couple. I think it's because I'm always afraid that it would be too much. I don't know. I just know that I never want to push you into doing something you didn't want to... you know."
She scooted closer to him and smiled. "You're always a gentleman," she said putting her head on his shoulder.
"Riley," he said as he cupped her chin and made her look into his eyes. "I do want to try one thing, it's not making out, well not entirely. But um, I need to have at least one foot out the door before I try anything."
She laughed knowing that he was referring to her father and his need to protect his fifteen-year-old daughter from her own boyfriend.
"Come on, it's almost ten anyway and you have to get home so you don't get in trouble," she said helping him pack up his backpack. He got up and walked to her door, she followed him telling her mother that she was walking Lucas to the front door.
Once they got there they both stopped and stood on the stoop looking out at the New York City night. When he took one step down the stairs she stopped him and he turned around to look at her. Before she lost her nerve she bent her head to meet his, but he stopped her before their lips met and held her face there for a moment, before slowly kissing her on the lips, she put her arms around his shoulders and deepened the kiss. It felt like a spring rain, but the instead of the rain ending and the rainbow appearing she felt the heat of the sun, and the fire of his kiss.
When they separated they looked at each other and smiled, "That was perfect," she said to him. "I wouldn't mind trying again if it wasn't for the fact that I swear that my father is right behind me waiting for me to get back inside."
Lucas took a quick look behind her and saw her father staring them both down. "I don't think he likes me right now."
"Wait he is behind me?"
"Yup," he said popping the p as he said it.
"I'll see you tomorrow... I hope... just run before he comes down here," she said before turning around to face her father. She heard Lucas laugh behind her.
"I'll see you tomorrow Riley," he whispered in her ear before walking away.
Riley looked at her father and smiled. "Daddy," she said as she walked up to him to push him back to their apartment.
"Topanga," he said the moment he walked in.
"No," her mother said as she stood up and grabbed him and pulled him to the table. "Cory remember your daughter is fifteen, almost sixteen, you're not allowed to freak out anymore."
"But they were making out," he said.
"Ugh," Riley said dropping down on to the couch. "That was the first time we've ever done that, I'm not killing a puppy daddy, I'm just kissing Lucas."
"Riley honey, go to bed," her mother said. "I have to deal with your father."
Her mother didn't have to tell her twice, she ran to her room and closed the door as quickly as she could, getting ready for bed with lighting speed, even though she couldn't go to sleep. The memory of the kiss was still fresh in her mind.
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The next day she walked into school looking for Maya who hadn't shown up that morning to meet her. When she found the blonde she was in her father's classroom having a conversation with him. Riley didn't want to eavesdrop so she walked over to her locker to get her books and put her jacket inside. When she closed the door Maya was standing there waiting to talk to her making Riley scream like she had seen a ghost.
"Geez," she said once she stopped screaming. "Give me warning next time."
"Nope, I can't because we don't have a lot of time," Maya said pulling her towards the alcove near her father's classroom. "Did you and Huckleberry make-out in front of your dad yesterday?"
"How did you find out?"
"Matthews was calling me early this morning screaming that I wasn't there to stop it, he thinks I have some kind of power to show up whenever you and Lucas are about to do something."
"My dad calls you whenever I do something remotely coupley with Lucas," Riley said trying to process the words in her mind. "How is that even possible?"
"He's been doing it since middle school," she said shrugging. "How do you think I got such a fancy phone in the first place, your dad is so afraid of you growing up."
"What?" Riley screamed as she stood wanting to find her father and yell at him.
"Don't worry Riles, I never told him anything really juicy anyway. He freaks out if you two breathe in the same air."
"But still isn't that a little weird?"
"Well yeah, but he loves you."
"Maya there's a difference between love and well this," she said.
"Yeah except your father has always been like this, I never understood it but hey, just go with it and humor the man."
"So what I'm not allowed to kiss my boyfriend?"
"Nope I say you just make sure he's nowhere near you next time."
Riley put her arms around her best friend. "Why is my life like this?"
"I have no idea," Maya said. "Anything else happened yesterday? I got caught up in Art Club, and then I was so tired I just went home."
"Well Charlie Gardner stopped by the café," Riley said looking down at the ground, knowing that Maya was going to freak out as soon as the words left her mouth.
"What? Really? Oh my god what did cheese soufflé have to say?"
"Nothing really he just wanted to tell me thanks, for rejecting him. Apparently it made him want to really look for someone who would make him happy by just loving him completely, and he did he has a girlfriend."
"He doesn't go to this school, did he tell you why?"
"Yes and it makes sense, he's trying to find himself. I think we all are."
The bell rang singling the time, the two of them walked towards her father's classroom as she saw Lucas and smiled at him. He gave her a quick kiss before they walked into the room only to be stopped by Maya who had stood in the doorway. Riley looked up to see her father glaring at the couple.
"You," he said to the two of them.
"Be nice daddy, or else I'm calling mom," Riley said looking at his face as horror swept through his features.
"No not Godzilla," he said stepping back. Riley smiled at her small victory.
"Remember growing up is a part of life, and I'm growing," she said. "You're doing a wonderful job as my father."
He smiled at the complement, and started class, the rest of the day went by in relative quiet from her father. Riley knew he wouldn't accept the changes she was going through completely but she also knew that he needed to step back every once and a while. Her father was the warden of her life and if he was angry she wasn't going to be able to do anything at all.
When she saw her father at the end of the day he was grading papers on the kitchen table, her mother was nearby so Riley knew that talking to him at that moment would be the best option.
"Daddy," she said as she sat down next to him. "I love you, you know that right?"
"Yes I do sweetheart, I'm just afraid that you're growing up to fast."
"Cory, molasses moves faster than she does at growing up," her mother said looking at them from the stove. "We were making out with each other when we were her age."
"Topanga," he shrieked.
"Tell me more Mom," Riley said smiling.
"You lose Cory, let her make out with Lucas, as long as that's all that they're doing it should be fine."
He sighed in defeat, "Fine, but you have a nine o'clock curfew on school nights, and ten on weekends. And I want to know where you are going before you get there and who's going to be there."
"Deal," she said smiling. "I'm going to go finish my reading in my room, I'll come down when dinner is done."
"Okay," her mother said. "And Riley, I need you to help out at the café tomorrow, Katy needs the afternoon off, she has a date with Shawn."
"That's okay with me," she said but stopped before she moved forward. "And if you want I could babysit Auggie on Saturday so you guys can go on a date too."
"See Cory we have a good kid," her mother said smiling. "Now plan a date night, because I don't know when the next one will be."
"My women, running my life," he said smiling.
"You love us remember that," her mother said as she walked away laughing.