Riley, Maya, and I were in art class. Farkle walked in with a robe on. "Why draw fruit? Let's draw a real work of art. That's right, check out 48 lbs. of nasty." Farkle said and started taking off his robe. "No." Maya, Riley, and I said as I covered Riley's eyes. Farkle took off the robe and underneath he was wearing a tank top and shorts
"Well lookie here, the male physique." our art teacher said. "Why thank you art lady." Farkle said. "Why aren't we drawing Lucas?" Riley asked flashing a smile at him. The teacher looked at Lucas. "Because nobody looks like that. Get used to this, get used to this right now. When drawing a Farkle, start with the eyes." Mrs.Kossal said. "I think the eyes should go straight to the gun show." Farkle said flexing his "muscles".
I started drawing a concrete poem of two people holding hands. "Maya, Kayden you're supposed to concentrate on the eyes." Riley said to us. "You see, you know what my problem is? I don't listen." Maya said. "I'm a writer, and art and writing are about expression so I do what I feel. " I said. " By the way, you're drawing Lucas." I told her. Riley looked down at her work and smiled up at Lucas. "Oh, Well that's the first time I've ever done that." Riley said.
I open Riley's sketchbook and a drawing of a bowl of Lucas' face on every fruit reveled. "Do I need help?" Riley asked. Maya and I nodded. "Alright I know these are works in progress, but let's see where we are." Ms. Kossal announced. "Maybe we'll become famous artists. Well go to Paris, drink coffee in outdoor cafes. How do I look?" Riley said standing up and mimicking drinking coffee.
Maya hummed a tune while drawing then showed her drawing to Riley and I. "Fine, make fun of me. I am a serious artist who belongs in Paris." Riley said to Maya. She then turned to Lucas and smiled. "Bonjour Lucas." She said. "Bonjour Riley. Maybe someday you and I will go to Paris together." Lucas said in French. "Bonjour Lucas." she said.
"Vous êtes un homme de nombreux mystères." I said to Lucas. [Translation: you are a man of many mysteries.] "je connais. Tu l'es aussi." Lucas replied with a smirk on his face and winked at me. [Translation: I know. so are you.] "Thanks, cowboy." I said smiling and he nodded his head at me. I turned back at Riley and Maya and they were looking at each other with confused expressions. Ms. Kossal came over to look at the work we had done. "Oh my gosh." She said. "See I'm an artist. I'm finally something!" Riley said, smiling widely. "Maya, Kayden." Ms. Kossal said. "What a life I'm having." Riley said in an annoyed tone of voice.
"Maya, Kayden. My goodness. These are brilliant." Ms. Kossal said showing our works to the class. "Farkle's in a birds nest and Kayden's is just two hands holding made out of a bunch of words." Riley said examining the drawings. "They're works of surrealism, Riley. It's how the artist mind views the subject." Ms. Kossal said. "I'm a bird to you? you want to hold my hand?" Farkle asked us.
"No, you just need to be protected." Maya and I said. "You love me." Farkle told us. "Leave us alone." I replied to Farkle. "Maya, there's a school exhibit coming up. I want one of your pieces in it. Kayden I want you to do a bio on Maya's piece." The teacher said. "What about my piece?" Riley asked. Ms. Kossal looked at drawing. "That's a cute top." She said.
"No thanks, Ms. Kossal. I don't draw for other people to look at, but thank you." Maya said. "I don't like showing off my writing." I told her. "I'd appreciate you two thinking about it, okay?" Mrs. Kossal said. Farkle got up to leave. "Where you headed, Farkle?" Riley asked. Farkle turned to Riley. "Gym class. That should go well, right?" He said.
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"They've been lying to you Auggie. Your artwork would not be hanging on a single refrigerator outside this apartment." Riley said as she sat at her place at the dinner table. Auggie looked up to meet Mom's eyes. "You said I was a little genius." Auggie said to Mom. "Oh, you are a little genius." I said to Auggie hugging him. "You said I was a little genius." Riley said. "Well, we had no one to compare you to honey." Mom told her.
"Maya and Kayden are going to be a famous artist and writer and everybody speaks French but me." Riley said. "My sister Riley. You're a very simple girl and people like you." Auggie said in French. "You are going to change the world with your brilliant mind. You have such a cute top." Mom said to Auggie and then Riley. "Tu es brillant mon broter." I said to Auggie and he smiled at me. [Translation: You are brilliant my brother.]
"Are there any more of these mashed potatoes?" Dad suddenly asked. "That's what you're thinking about right now?" Riley asked. "Riley, this whole 'what am I good at' thing, I've been there my whole life. It's a waste of time. You know what's not a waste of time? Mashed potatoes. You know why? They never let you down. They're the best in the world at what they do." Dad said.
"So don't be mashed potatoes because they're better at that than you could ever be." Dad told Riley. "How are you helping me?" Riley asked. "Can I eat a meal?" asked Dad. "What about you guys. Do you have any talent? Did I inherit anything from you two?" Riley asked.
"Should we tell her?" Mom asks Dad in a giddy manner. "You think they're ready?" Dad asks Mom back. "Your father has a gift for..." Mom trailed off. "Gimme! Gimme. I'll take anything." Riley said."...Close-up magic!" Mom finished. "Hah?" Riley asked confused. "That's right. He's a close-up magician. Yay." Mom said. "What is a-- What is that?" Riley asked. "What is that? Oh, I don't know. Maybe it's a little something like... I go over to this guy over here. Hi. How are you? Good. And then I ask a little question like, Hey! Where's the salt? Anybody seen the salt?." Dad said doing his magic. "I don't see the salt, Daddy. The salt's gone." Auggie asked. "Is it, Auggie? Is it gone? Or is it... piddly-pobbly-pa-poom!" Dad saked waving his finger like he was doing magic. "What the...?" Auggie gasped as he pulled the salt out. "That was already there" Riley stated flatly. "I swear, Riley. I swear!" Auggie said slamming the salt on the table.
"Do it right now with the pepper." Riley said. "Pepper? Nobody could do pepper. Peppery-poppily-pa-poom!" Dad said waving his fingers again. "Nobody could do pepper! What aren't you famous?!" I said playing along and pulling out the pepper. "See? He's very good. You come from a very talented family." Mom said. "Close-up magic? Really? What am I supposed to do with that? Mom, could you please help me out with something that I could actually use? Do you have a talent?" Riley said. Mom snickers. "Does she? Does she? Your mom..." Dad started but was cut off but mom. "Don't you dare." Mom says jokingly cutting him off. "Your mom's hips don't lie!" Dad said. "Cory Matthews!" Mom said. "Whoo-hoo! Do it, mommy!" Auggie cheered. "No, no, no. No, I am not gonna do it. All right, fine. I'll do it." Mom said.
"Okay, do it! Yeah!" Dad said. "Come on mom! Do it!" I cheered Mom on. "It goes a little something like this. Ay yai yai yai, ay yai yai yai, ay yai yai yai, ay yai, ay yai yai yai" Mom says moving her hips in a circular motion. Riley put her head down. Dad got up and copied Mom. "Hey Riley, pa-poom!"Dad said. Riley took out the salt from her pocket. after they finished Riley looked at me. "Kayden your talented right? What are your talents?"
"I sing, act, write music,dance, I play guitar, drums, keyboard, speak five languages, and I'm a genius in training." I said. "What." Riley said. I went to my room, got my guitar, and started singing. "'Cause all of me, Loves all of you, Love your curves and all your edges, All your perfect imperfections, Give your all to me, I'll give my all to you, You're my end and my beginning, Even when I lose I'm winning, 'Cause I give you all, all of me, And you give me all, all of you," I said and sat back down. "Je vous remercie." I said once I was seated. [Translation: Thank you]
"At least somone in this family is talented." Riley said. "We did good raising him." Dad said to mom and I smile at them.
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"Okay history makers, welcome to career day! Now there are a lot of ways to make your mark on the world"Dad said and Mom enters the classroom. "Hi Riley, hi Kayden." She said. "Oh, great Shakira's here." Riley said. "Hey mom."I said to Mom. "Where's your mom?" I asked Maya. "She won't be coming." She said. "But she told you she was coming." Riley said. "Yes, she did." Maya said.
"Okay guys our first guest today is a lawyer, and I likes her. Hey lawyer lady, how's about we go out sometime? I get off work every day at 3:15... except for Tuesdays, I've got playground." Dad said. "So I am an attorney. I got here through a lot of hard work and school. By the time I was your age I had 350 'A's'." Mom said.
Someone knocked on the door. "Your mom!" Riley said to Maya. "There she is." I said. Dad opened the door and a man stepped in. "Minkus!" Dad said. "Topanga." The man said. "Stuart." Mom said.
"Topanga." The man said. He walked over to Farkle and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Father." Farkle said. "Farkle." Farkle's dad said. "Wait a minute." Lucas said. "Yes?" Farkle asked. "He's your father?" Lucas asked. "Look at us." Farkle replied. "Your name is Farkle Minkus?" Lucas questioned. "Don't wear it out." Farkle told him. "I don't know how you could." Lucas replied.
Stuart got up and walked to the front of the class. "Sorry I'm late everybody. I had helicopter problems, 'cause I have a helicopter. Do you have a helicopter, Cory?" Stuart said. "Nope, do you have a Topanga, Minkus?" Dad asked. "Nope, because she chose you. I run Minkus International, I have a helicopter, and she chose you." Stuart said.
"Stuart, please. Aren't we a little too evolved to still be competing with each other?" Mom asked. "Of course." Stuart said after laughing. "Of course." Mom said after laughing. "Go!" They shouted. "Between the two of us, Riley and I have 1,260 'A's'. Ha!" Mom said. "That's remarkable, Topanga. Between the two of us, Farkle and I have 1,261 'A's'." Stuart told her. "Ha!" Farkle shouted. "Ha!" Stuart shouted.
Mom looked at dad and he screamed. "I had to, Topanga. He's a lot smarter than I am. Maybe you should have used Kayden." Dad said. Mom looked at me and I nodded. "But what's more important to me than anything, is that I have this guy. Come up here son." Stuart said. Farkle waled to the front. "Come up here daughter, son." Mom said. Riley and I got up and walked to the front. "Look how tall she is. She's been taller than me since the day she was born and so has Kayden" Mom said. Stuart pushed Farkle up to make him taller.
"Well very nice. Good for you guys. So this is what Career Day is really all about." Dad said. "Yeah, I love it every year." Maya said sarcastically. "I'm sorry, Maya. Maybe your mom just got a little busy." Dad said. "Are you okay?" Riley asked. "I'm always okay." Maya replied. Riley walked over to Maya and grabbed her hand and pulled her over to us. Us three hooked our arms together and stood in front of Stuart and Farkle. "Yeah, thanks." Maya said.
"So these are the two ladies you tell me keep chasing you, huh?" Stuart questioned. "Please." Farkle whispered. "Yes sir, it is us." Riley replied and I nodded. "I'm not doing it." Maya whispered. Riley elbowed her in the side. "Yes sir, it is us." Maya repeated. "We hope that one day one of us will become lucky enough to be the future Mrs. Farkle Minkus and have many baby Minki."
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"Why won't you two show your art and writing?" Riley asked as we sat by the bay window. "Because I'm fine believing that nothing much going to happen for me. Otherwise I'm full of hope. You hope for things, you get disappointed." Maya said. "I just don't like sharing that side of me with people but if Maya does it I will." I told her. Maya looked at me with a grateful smile. "What reason could your mom have for not showing up, Maya? You're right, I did expect her." Riley said. "And I didn't, see only one of us is disappointed." Maya replied.
"And only one of us will never let this go. You know that." Riley told her. "I don't expect out of life what you expect, Riley." Maya said. "What do I expect?" Riley asked. "You expect good things. You expect people to keep promises and people to show up." Maya answered. "You don't?" Riley and I questioned. "Riley, Kayden, I'm not one of those dreamers like you two are." Maya told us.
"If you mom saw your art, doesn't it make sense that she'd be proud of you?" Riley asked. "Yeah, it makes sense to you. Riley, you need to be okay with this. Do you understand that finally something is beyond your control? Look, I know you can't control your twisted need to fix people's lives." Maya told Riley. "I'm begging you." Maya said. Riley tucked Maya's hair behind her ear and put her hands on top of one another.
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"The Korean War." Cory started. "Genghis Khan." Farkle said out of the blue. I turned to him confused. "What?" I asked in confusion. "I just wanted to see what would happen." Farkle told him. I nodded and turned back around in my seat. The door opened and a lady in a waitress uniform walked in.
"Hello, Cory Matthews. I am so sorry for interrupting." She said. "Oh no." Maya said. "Nothing to forgive Katy. Class, this is Maya's mother, Katy Hart." Cory said. "Mom what are you doing here? It was yesterday." Maya said. "Yesterday I was unable to attend your little job fair." Katy told us. "Career day." Maya said.
"Yesterday I was trapped in my vehicle in the rushing flood waters of the mighty Colorado River! To make matters worse, I just found out I was about to have a baby any second. So I crawled myself through the sunroof and I said, "Let's do this thing." Then I commenced to deliver my own baby until I heard that wonderful, magical sound." She said and made a popping sound then mimics baby crying. "Mama? Are you my mama?" Katy said. "Maya?" Riley asked.
"Soap opera. She was auditioning for a soap opera." Maya told us. "Can you believe I didn't get it?" Maya's mother asked. "Yes." The class answered. "Yes. I am an actress. Are there any questions I can answer for anyone?" She asked. Farkle raised his hand. "Ah yes, the Farkle." She called on Farkle. "Why are you wearing a waitress outfit?" Farkle asked. "Anyone else?" she asked. "Yes, the pretty, young man right there." Katy said. "Yeah, thanks. Um, why are you wearing a waitress outfit?" Lucas asked. "My dad says actors are a bunch of people who never grow up." Sarah said. "What does your dad do?" Katy asked. "He's a director." Sarah answered. "Is he? Well, I'm sure your father never gave me a job either, which is the real reason I wear this outfit every day. Well, I'll just be going now." Katy said. Katy walked out of the room.
Riley then got up and walked out of the room after Katy.
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"Drawing a woman's face is different than drawing a man's. Look for subtle differences. The lips are different." Ms. Kossal said. "No matter what, don't get mad at me, okay." Riley told me and Maya. "We could never." Maya told her. "To paint a young woman's lips, she needs to stop flapping them." Ms. Kossal said. "Because if I have a talent at all, it's this, so don't get mad at me." Riley told us. "We could never." I told her.
"Because when the mouth is moving, it will affect all the sketches. And they will come out like this. Except for these two. You don't listen to a word I say, do you?" she asked me and Maya. "Uh, it's not because we're disrespectful." I told her. "It because you're artists. I'm glad you two decided to display your work. I got your notes in my teacher's box." The teacher told us. Maya and I looked at Riley.
"That's the thing you're not supposed to get mad at." Riley told us. "The exhibit starts at 6:00. It's thrilling seeing your art displayed, you two won't regret it." Ms. Kossal told us. "You don't listen to a word we say, do you?" Maya asked. "I-It's not because I'm disrespectful. It's because you're artists." Rileysaid. "Yeah? Then let us paint you something." Maya told her. Maya and I each grab a brush. Maya throws green paint while I through purple at Riley's face.
Everyone ran out of the room. "Maya, Kayden, I am your best friend and I will always do my best by you no matter what you say." Riley told us. She grabbed two paint brushes and dabs our faces with red paint. "And who named you the king of friendship?" Maya and asked as we painted Riley's face purple and green. Riley painted our faces red. "I did, I made myself the king of friendship. And this would be my first act as a king." She told us. She grabbed red paint with her hands and covered me and Maya in paint.
We started to fight by throwing paint at each other. "Why won't you leave this alone?" I asked. "I don't know how!" Riley said. "Whoa." Ms. Kossal said. She walked over to us. "Riley, this is the most authentic piece you've done all semester. Now clean it up. See you tonight Maya and Kayden." She said and leaves the classroom once again. "One other thing, I invited you mom." Riley told Maya. Maya handed Riley a bowl of purple paint. Riley took the bowl dropping the paint on top of her head.
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Riley walked towards Maya and I with Farkle and Lucas. "How's it going?" Riley asked. "It's going fine." Maya answered. "What does your mom think?" Riley asked. "She never showed up?" Riley asked. "It's just you guys." Maya replied. "Are you telling me your mom never showed up?" Riley questioned in disbelief.
Maya shook her head. "No, but of course you did." Maya stated pointing at Dad and Mom. "Hey, Maya, Kayden. Wow, you two really have some talent. Look at this place. Kayden the bio is beautiful." Mom said looking at Maya's painting. "I bet it's got great mashed potatoes." Dad said looking at Maya's painting. "Look at that lady. Why can you only see half of her? Oop" Farkle asked. Lucas wrapped his forearms around Farkle's mouth from behind. "Oh." Farkle said in realization. Riley walked away.
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Riley walked back into the art room with the something. "Yeah, we even bought a drawing." Mom said holding up a sketch. I looked and saw that it was a picture of Riley. "You have to wonder who this silly, little weirdo is." Riley opened her mouth widely. "Aw, that's our silly little weirdo." Mom said. "Thank you for staying with Maya." Riley said . "Always." Dad said before he and Mom walked away.
"I couldn't get her to come and I'm very disappointed." Riley told Maya. "I know. You expect too much." Maya replied. "This is hard on me." Riley admitted. "You need a hug, darling?" Maya asked. Riley nodded and we pull her into a hug. "Maya, I was wrong." Riley said. "No, Riley, you were right." Maya said. "I'm very confused." Riley admitted.
"I showed my work. People liked it. It made me feel like I could be something someday." Maya said. "You will be. You are now." Riley said to Maya. "Thank you, Riley." Maya said. "You're welcome. You want a third of a tuna melt?" Riley asked holding up the container. "You know why she gave this to you?" Maya asked.
"Why?" I asked. "She knows it's my favorite thing there. She knew that you'd share it with me." Maya told us. "We'd be happy to give you the whole thing." Riley and I said. "I know you two would." Maya said and turned to look at her painting. "I'll be fine with half or a third." Maya, Riley, and I sat down with the tuna melt.
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We were at the apartment eating desert with Maya, Farkle, and Stuart. "And Riley, for your excellence in your display of unwavering hope for others, I'm giving you an 'A'." Dad informed her. "Ha!" Mom exclaimed. "What?" Stuart questioned. "Can he do that?" Farkle asked. "No you can't do that." Stuart said to Dad. "I does whatever she wants." He replied. "Yeah, so would I." Stuart stated.
"I come from a very talented family." Riley stated. "What am I talented at?" Auggie asked. "You're gonna find it someday, honey." Topanga told him. Auggie got up and walked into the living room. He started to sing in Italian while a spotlight shone on him. He stopped and said, "Nah." He walked back over to the table. We cheered for him and threw roses into the air.
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(Bio for Maya's painting written by Kayden)
Your mother doesn't always have to be there for you to know she loves you. Sometimes it's just to know that she's working hard just so you can have a better life. It's knowing that she lets you be around successful people just so you can be successful yourself. - Kayden Matthews 🖤