"Riley," Farkle called out from across the hallway. "Riles, I need your help."
"What do you need help with?" Riley asked curious as to what her genius friend needed from her.
He sighed and looked around. "Well Smackle and I have been going out for two years now, and I want help planning a special night with her."
"Aww, Farkle that's so cute," she smiled looking at him thinking about how cute he was with his long-time girlfriend. Remembering how the two geniuses confessed their feelings for one another earlier in the year. "I'll would help you but shouldn't it be something you come up with?"
"That's the problem, I can't figure it out at all," he walked over to the nearby bench as their classmates walked around them. "I don't know how to do the real romantic stuff. I want it to be special because Isadora is not your average girl. She's the sun and the moon all at once."
Riley couldn't help but smile listening to him. "You love her, Farkle you're talking all romantic."
"So you'll help me?"
"Yes," she said getting up as the first bell rung. "Meet me at my house, bay window, today at seven. Don't tell anyone."
"Please don't tell Maya, as much as I love her she would make fun of me because I couldn't figure this out."
"Maybe the bay window wouldn't work since she would automatically show up after our study session."
"Where should we meet then?"
"How about Barnes and Noble, we can sit in the café there and talk, or we could browse the books while we talk," she suggested remembering that she needed a book to read for her report so it was like killing two birds with one stone.
"Alright, I'll meet you there at seven," he nodded as he started walking to his next class. "And Riley thanks."
"No problem Farkle," she said and walked off to go to her literature class.
Afterschool the six friends meet at Topanga's and study like they usually did, while they sat there Riley thought of ideas for Farkle and Smackle's anniversary, scribbling them on the edge of her paper. But with each idea she didn't think it would work with the two geniuses because they were things she wanted to do with Lucas. She gave up and stood from her seat.
"I'm going to get a smoothie anybody want anything?" she asked, but the group shook their heads as they worked on their various papers. Riley walked away and ordered her smoothie, as she was waiting Smackle came up to her and looked her in the eye.
"Yes Smackle?" Riley asked getting nervous as the brunette genius stared her down.
"I need some advice, and since society states that females usually ask for help from their closest female friends I thought I should ask you," Smackle said to her.
"Go ahead Smackle, you have my attention."
"What does a girl get her boyfriend on an anniversary? For males it's customary to offer flowers and stuffed toys but Farkle and I aren't like that so I need to know how to go about getting him something that would be suitable."
Riley felt herself getting giddy, but since this was a private conversation she instead looked Smackle in the eye and thought about the best way to go about helping both of her friends.
"Okay, you have to think of something that you and Farkle share that you love the most, something that you know would make him happy," Riley said thinking about how well the two geniuses know each other. "You already know but you're trying too hard to think like a normal girl. Try thinking like a Smackle."
"Well I know that he's been looking for two species of butterflies that are common to our area, but for some reason he cannot locate them," she said thinking. "While they're not as common this time of year I know of a collector who can help me find them."
"What kind are they?" Riley asked curious to know why the geniuses loved to collect butterflies and a number of bugs.
"Well one of them is the Limenitis arthemis, it's very blue and reminds me of Farkle's eyes, does that sound like something a girl would say about the boy they have feelings for?"
"Yes, and it's cute, what's the other one?"
"The other one is a Celastrina ladon, it's a light blue color with black around the edges, because I think Farkle has a little bit of black in his eyes."
"Smackle I think you like making goo goo eyes at Farkle, both butterflies remind you of his eyes."
"Is that strange?"
"No actually it's perfect, and I think those are wonderful gifts to give him," Riley sighed thinking how cute the pair was. "Do me a favor, when he gives them to you, tell him exactly what you just told me. In the way you told me. I think he would love it."
"Thank you Riley," Smackle said before rejoining their friends. Riley hadn't realized how it had happened but she was now helping both geniuses get their perfect anniversary date. Riley noticed the time and realized that she had planned with Farkle that she would leave early so that she had time to get to the bookstore. He would leave right after, with an excuse that he had to be home and meet her there.
She told her friends that her parents asked her to take care of Auggie for a while, and she walked out of the café and rushed towards the bus stop to get on bus that would drop her off not too far from Union Square. Once there, she messaged Farkle to tell him that she was on the top floor looking at the books, and to meet her there when he arrived.
"Okay," Farkle said as he walked up to her. "I have an idea, but I think it would be weird."
"Tell me what you got," Riley said as she looked at the books.
"Well you know how I have the universe on my ceiling?"
"Yeah, you know I love it."
"How about we change the corner where the sun is and block it off to make a romantic dinner under the stars?"
"That's beautiful Farkle, but why do you want to do that? Remember it has to be special."
"Well I got a star near the sun named after Isadora, because she's the star of my heart."
"You two are so cute, how about I get you dessert from that French bakery in Grand Central, and pick up some candles for you to have lit up, you know romantic lighting, especially since you'll be near the sun which is bright enough."
"Okay, I could get the cook to make us something."
"Spaghetti and meatballs," Riley sighed. "Like Lady and the Tramp, where they both end up taking one end and they end up kissing once they reach the middle."
Farkle laughed at her. "Riley the probability of that happening it dependent on the amount of pasta you put into the dish and even then it would be a complete mess."
"Don't ruin the moment with math Farkle, just go with it. How about food you can feed each other, small portions of your favorite dishes."
"That sounds more plausible."
"Geez Farkle, you can't think of it logically, just think of you and Smackle feeding each other food," she said looking at him as he started to turn pink from his thoughts. "And that's what you're doing."
As the two friends continued their plans, Maya climbed in through the bay window to find the space empty. She remembered Riley saying something about taking care of Auggie but when she walked into the living room she saw the Matthews watching a movie.
"Hey where's Riley?" she asked as she walked up to the couch.
Mr. Matthews looked up and rolled his eyes. "I'm going to bolt that window shut if it means that you guys would walk through the front door."
Mrs. Matthews laughed before answering Maya, "She went out with Farkle, something about a book from Barnes and Noble."
"Oh," Maya said wondering why her best friends went out without her. "I guess I'll go home. See you tomorrow Matthews," she said to her teacher before walking out the front door.
When she reached the street she saw Lucas walking towards her with some flowers in his hand. He looked up and saw Maya and waved, "Hey I was just on my way to see Riley," he said as he reached her.
"Well tough luck apparently she went out with Farkle."
"Without telling us?"
"I think Riley is up to something, and we need to find out."
Lucas felt weird about Riley lying about where she was, she wasn't the kind of person to keep secrets from someone.
"What's up with the flowers Huckleberry?" Maya asked as they walked away.
"Our anniversary is coming up and I thought I would bring her something every day, as a surprise you know."
"Wow it's been a year since we went to the ski lodge?"
"Yeah, but now I feel weird about this if she's not saying anything about hanging out with Farkle."
Maya sighed. "Just wait for her to come home, I was going to wait but I promised to be home by nine, Shawn gave me a curfew when he married my mom. As weird as it is I'm actually happy about it."
"It's good that you're happy with your new father," he said smiling.
"Yeah it is, so I'm off," she said walking away. "Wait for Riley, she'll be happy about the flowers."
Lucas walked up to the Matthews brownstone and rung the bell, he announced himself and waited until they buzz him in. When the door opened Riley's father glared at him from the other side.
"You," he said but Lucas just smiled.
"I was wondering if it would be okay to wait for Riley?" he asked hoping that the door wouldn't be slammed in his father.
"Sure," her mother said. "Go wait by the bay window."
"Thanks," he said as he walked away. He tried not to listen to Riley's parents argue about him being in there alone. He just wanted to know the truth about why Riley lied to him.
He sat there for twenty minutes before she showed up, she was smiling as she walked into the room and all of his insecurities vanished from the sight of her smile.
"Hi," she said.
"Hey," he replied remembering their signature way of greeting each other.
"Hi," she said smiling, he knew that she was remembering the memory as well.
Riley was surprised to see Lucas waiting for her when she got home from her planning session with Farkle. She knew she wasn't a very good liar most of the time, but since none of her friends questioned her as she left she couldn't figure out why all of a sudden he was there.
"Lucas," she said looking up at his green eyes. "Why are you here?"
"I came to give you these," he said handing her flowers, making her heart swell. "And to ask you why you lied to us when you left?"
"How did you find out?"
"Maya, she said she came in and you weren't home, and then she told me that you had gone out with Farkle."
Riley sighed, she didn't want to break her promise to Farkle but the promise was only to keep Maya out of the planning not to keep Lucas out. She looked at his sad face and she knew that she needed to fix this.
"Well, it's a bit complicated, but I don't want to lie to you."
"Do you love Farkle?"
"Like a brother," she said automatically. "I was helping him plan something for his anniversary to Smackle," she finished while looking down at the flowers in her hand not wanting to see Lucas' reaction.
"Their anniversary? Oh I forgot we share ours with theirs."
"Ours?" Riley questioned before the realization hit her. Their anniversary was close to the genius' couple's anniversary. "Oh my god, how could I forget about our anniversary."
"Well my guess is that you've taken on a revolution, and working part-time at the café, so that might have something to do with it."
"I'm sorry Lucas," she said regretting the fact that she had forgotten. She did get him a present but she hadn't realized why she had gotten it, she just thought that the watch would look good on Lucas' hand. She even got herself the matching on but it was when she had gone out shopping with Maya and it was on a whim. She had been waiting for the right moment to give it to him.
"Don't be, I came over because I wanted to do a bunch of small things together with you, but if you're helping Farkle, maybe it would be better to give you the present now, especially since I've been carrying it around with me for a while."
She looked at him with hope in her heart, "Well I sort of got you something, but I had gotten in a while ago and I've been waiting for the right moment to give it to you."
"Really," he said as his eyes lit up. "I'm guessing it wasn't an anniversary present?"
"No," she confessed. "It was a spur of the moment thing, because I thought it would look nice on you."
"Lucas' you have ten minutes before you have to leave," her mother yelled from down the hall.
"Okay," he said as Riley realized that he had gotten her parents' permission to be in her bedroom, she couldn't help but blush at his courtesy towards her parents.
"Since I'm helping the geniuses maybe we can wait," she said but he shook his head.
"I want you to have this," he said as he pulled out a small box. It reminded her of the box he had put the jellybean in when he had given it to her. To this day she hadn't known how long he had been carrying it around waiting for his moment, but she still help but be excited every time she remembered the moment.
Riley took the box and opened it, what she had thought was a ring box was actually a small music box. "There's a small winder at the bottom," he said and she automatically started winding the box.
It slowly played you are my sunshine in small tones, as each note was plucked from the spinning metal. She started to cry as she listened to it, she couldn't help it as the tears spilled from her eyes.
"You're my sunshine Riley," Lucas said making her look up at him smiling.
"It's beautiful," she said, her voice heavy with emotion. She stood up and give him a quick kiss before walking over to her desk and opening the drawer to pull out the box she had left there so many weeks before. She walked back to the bay window and handed him the box.
She sighed as she waited for him to open it, inside were two watches one for her and one for him. "I saw them at a Demolition a few weeks ago, they weren't really that expensive, but I thought that like how I gave Maya the rings, I figured that you and I could have something that was our own."
"Thank you Riley," he said taking out the watch and putting it on his wrist, before taking out the one for her and placing it on her wrist. "It's perfect just like you."
The two kissed quickly before her father burst through the door. "Get out," he said as Lucas ran out the bay window before her father could grab his boot.
"Call me when you get home," Riley called out the window as she watched Lucas run down the street.
"I will," he said as he kept running.
---
"So Riley," Maya said as she met up with Riley at the café at the end of the day. "Why did you lie to me and everyone else about you and Farkle."
Riley sighed looking at her best friend. "I promised Farkle I'd keep a secret, because he knows how you are and he wanted this to be perfect."
"And you aren't the best person when it comes to moments like this," Farkle said as he sat down. "I love you Maya but you have this tendency to gag or make fun of anything related to something romantic."
"I'm not," Maya protested. "I've grown, I like this stuff now."
"Okay let's watch pretty woman," Riley said smiling at her best friend.
"No...no anything but that," Maya protested. "Don't let her do this to me Farkle."
"Thank you for proving my point, but since everything is set up for tonight I will tell you," he said.
"So what is it?"
"Farkle is going to surprise Smackle for their anniversary," Riley smiled, thinking of everything she had helped out and was waiting with Farkle for Smackle to show up. She had told Smackle that she should dress how she normally would on a date with Farkle, so when the brunette showed up at the café she was wearing a dark blue dress, with sparkles. Riley had realized a few days before that Smackle's favorite color was blue, because that was the color of Farkle's eyes.
"I am here for our customary anniversary date," she said as she greeted Farkle.
"I am ready to take you out," Farkle said holding out his hand for her.
"Before we go I would like to present you with this, it is a gift to commemorate our relationship," she said before smiling at him. Riley watched as Smackle blushed. The genius may not be very good at expressing emotions, but when it came to Farkle she was very good at showing how much she loved him.
Farkle pulled out the shadow box revealing two butterflies, "Smackle they're perfect," he said looking at his girlfriend.
"They remind me of your eyes," she said. It was the most beautiful thing Riley could think for her to say. It was perfect.
"Gosh these two are adorable," Maya said smiling. "Farkle what did you get her?"
"That's a surprise I'm giving her over dinner," he said as he took Smackle's hand. "I have reservations at the best place in the city."
"Let's go then," Smackle said.
Riley watched them walk away smiling, she was glad she had helped both of them, because they deserved nothing but the best.
"So what did he get her?" Maya asked once they were gone.
"He got her a star," Riley said smiling.
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A/N: I got a little emotional while I was writing this, trust me it's a good thing.
P.S. Look up the names of the Butterflies 😉