"Okay, Maya, I am really confused," Gabriel said once he was alone with her. "We keep having these - these moments whenever we're alone and then we pretend nothing happened. And here comes Riley, for some reason, convinced you like Lucas. What's going on?"
"I don't know what's going on," Maya said. "I don't know what to do."
"Tell her the truth," Gabriel said.
"Or what?" Maya asked. "I tell her the truth or what?"
"Or I'll tell her about everything that's been going on between," Gabriel said. "I'm pretty sure she would much hear it from her best friend than me."
"Aren't you one of her best friends too?"
"Yeah, but I'm not you," Gabriel said.
"Fine, I'll tell her the truth," Maya said.
"Thank you," Gabriel said.
Riley entered the room.
"Hey, guys," Riley greeted them.
"Hey," Gabriel and Maya said in unison.
"What's going on?" Riley asked. She could tell that something was up.
"Um, Maya has something to tell you," Gabriel said, pushing Maya gently forward.
"What? I'm not going to tell her now," Maya said.
"You have the opportunity, take it," Gabriel said. "I gotta go talk to Caleb."
Gabriel rushed out of the room to look for Caleb.
***
While Caleb and Gabriel were talking, Riley walked over to them and said, "Gabe, I want to talk to you. Alone," she looked at Caleb.
"Um, yeah, sure," Gabriel said.
"I'm going to look for Farkle and the others," Caleb said.
"Thanks," Riley said.
After Caleb left the room, Gabriel asked, "Did Maya talk to you?"
"Yeah, she did," Riley said. "Do you like her?"
"I don't know," Gabriel said. "I'm confused. I know I like you but with what's going on between Maya and me, I'm really conflicted."
"I like you too, Gabe," Riley said.
Maya, not knowing that Riley and Gabriel were in the room, entered.
"I didn't know you two were in here," Maya said.
"Well, we are," Riley said. "Good thing you're actually in here."
"It is?"
"We need to figure this out," Riley said. "I think you two should go out."
"We should?" Gabriel and Maya asked in unison.
"Yeah," Riley nodded. "You should. I don't think Gabriel and I would work out."
"Riles, you and Gabe have never gone on a date," Maya said.
Gabriel didn't say anything. He left the room.
"Gabe!" he heard Riley call after him.
He ignored her.
"Hey, Gabe, what's wrong?" Lucas asked as Gabriel was heading to the door to leave the house.
"I need some time to think," Gabriel said, without looking back.
"Gabe," Lucas said, standing up as Gabriel reached to the door and left.
***
It was dark outside and Gabriel sat at the fireside on his own.
What should I do? Gabriel thought to himself.
So many thoughts went through his head. He was really conflicted. Should he go out with Maya or should he stay loyal to Riley? He's had feelings for Riley since he met Riley. But in the last couple of weeks, he began to realize that he likes Maya.
Gabriel took out his phone from his hoodie's pocket. He unlocked it and called Justin.
"Hey, Gabe," Justin greeted his little brother on the phone. "How's Texas?"
"It's really nice here in Austin," Gabriel responded. "But it's been crazy today."
"Why? What happened?"
"It turns out that Maya likes me," Gabriel said.
"Seriously?" Justin asked, surprised.
"Yeah. I don't know what to do," Gabriel said. "Both Riley and Maya like me. But Riley convinced herself that she doesn't like me like that anymore, but I know her."
"Haven't you liked Riley since you both met?" Justin asked.
"Yeah, but the last couple of weeks, I've realized that I like Maya too," Gabriel said. "Riley said that Maya and I should go out on a date, but I don't know. What should I do, Justin? You're good at these types of stuff."
"I agree with Riley," Justin said. "If you really liked Riley, you wouldn't have started liking Maya."
"Is it really a good idea?" Gabriel asked, standing up from the log. "Sure, I started like Maya, but I still like Riley too."
"Maybe you should go out on a date with both of them and see how things turn out with them," Justin suggested. "That way, you will know who you should be with."
"Oh, yeah, that's - that's a good idea," Gabriel said. "I'll suggest it to them and see what they say."
"Do that."
"Anyways, do you want me to get you anything from Texas?" Gabriel asked.
"I don't know," Justin said. "Get me anything you think I might like."
"Is Emma with you?"
"She's out with friends."
"Alright, when she gets back home, can you tell her to text or call me?"
"Yeah, sure," Justin responded.
Gabriel spotted his friends coming to the fireside.
"Um, my friends are coming," Gabriel said to Justin. "I'll call you later."
"Alright, I'll talk to you later. Bye."
"Bye."
Gabriel hung up the phone and put it in his hoodie's pocket.
"Hey, Gabe, are you okay?" Lucas said.
"Yeah, I'm fine," Gabriel said.
"What happened to you, Midget?" Maya asked. "Why did you take off like that?"
"I just... needed to think," Gabriel said.
"W - we heard what happened," Caleb said, uncertain.
"What?" Gabriel said. He turned to Maya and Riley. "You two told them."
"Nope, I overheard," Zay said.
"Oh, God," Gabriel said to himself as he turned away.
"You missed a great performance by Maddie and Tae, Gabe," Caleb said. "You should've been there.
Gabriel only nodded, he didn't say anything. He sat back down on the log. Everyone did the same. The group talked for a bit before Riley turned to Farkle.
"Do you want me to buy you ice cream, Farkle?" she asked.
"What?" he asked.
"Do you want me to buy you ice cream?" she repeated.
"Are you sure?" he asked.
"Yeah, let's go," Riley said.
She and Farkle stood up to leave.
"Hey, I just remember I have something to show you, Caleb," Lucas said, turning to Caleb. "And Zay will help me find it to show you."
"Really?" Caleb asked, confused.
"Uh-huh," Lucas confirmed. "Let's go."
"What thing?" Zay asked.
"I'll tell you when we get to the house," Lucas said.
"Caleb," Gabriel said.
"Riles," Maya said.
"You'll be fine, Gabe," Caleb assured his best friend.
"You can feel whatever you want to feel," Riley said to Maya.
Caleb, Lucas, and Zay left.
"It's you and me forever," Riley said to Maya. "There is nothing you can do to change that."
Riley then left with Farkle.
"So," Gabriel said once he and Maya were alone.
"So," Maya said.
"Look, Maya, I'm not good at this," Gabriel said. "I'm not that good with words."
"Aren't you a writer?" Maya reminded him.
"I'm going at writing down everything," Gabriel said. "But when it comes to speaking it, I'm not that good."
"What are we going to do?" Maya asked, standing up.
"I don't know," Gabriel said, looking up at her. "I talked to Justin and he suggested that I go out on a date with you and a date with Riley. It sounds like a good idea, doesn't it?"
"I guess," Maya said.
Gabriel stood up.
"Maya, look," Gabriel said, "I'm just as confused as you are and -"
"Can we just stop?" Maya cut Gabriel off. "Can we just stop whatever is happening between us? It's bad enough we kept this from Riley for this long. I don't want this to continue."
"Do you think I want this?" Gabriel demanded. "Do you think I wanted everything to turn out? No one saw this coming, Maya!"
"Gabe, we can't pretend that something is going to happen to between us!" Maya said. "We're better off as friends."
"You think I don't know that, Maya?" Gabriel asked. "Maya, I don't want anything to change between us! I want to stay friends with you and Riley!"
Gabriel turned around in his spot and took a step forward. He ran his hand through his hair. He wished he knew what to do. All he wants is for everything to go back to normal.
Gabriel turned back around to face Maya.
"If you and Riley hadn't signed Lucas up to ride Tombstone the bull then this wouldn't have happened!" Gabriel yelled.
"Oh, this is all my fault now?" Maya questioned.
"Yes, it is," Gabriel said. "If you and Maya didn't screw up so badly and signed Lucas up, then we wouldn't be this confused about what to do and it would've been easier to figure this out, but instead, you sign Lucas up, Riley finds out, then everyone finds out and now we're here!"
"You're such an idiot, Miller," Maya said.
"Oh, am I?"
"Yup," Maya said, walking over to Gabriel.
"How am I an idiot?" Gabriel said.
"If I really liked you, I've already told you from the very beginning," Maya said.
"Didn't you already admit that you like me?" Gabriel asked confused.
"Maybe I did, maybe I didn't," Maya said.
Gabriel took a step back.
"Okay, we're too close," Gabriel said, nervously.
Maya took a step forward.
"You're way to close to me, Maya!"
"Too bad, Midget," Maya said. "Ha - hurr!"
Without thinking, Gabriel just kissed her.