"Somebody read that." Dad said. " 'History will be kind to me for I intend to write it.' - Winston Churchill." I said. "And he did. Who's gonna write their own history here? What is history? I keep forgetting." Dad stated. "History is time passing." I told him. "Oh, yeah? How much time? Someone once said, '100 years from now, all new people'." Dad told us. "100 years." Maya said, raising her hand. "Wrong." Dad told her. "You set me up." Maya said to him. "When should you guys begin to make your own history?" dad asked. "Right now." Riley answered. "Good. So today we're talking about Winston Churchill. When the new people come, how do you want them talking about you?" dad asked. "Nicely?" Riley asked. "How long do we have before history makes its decision about us?" Maya asked. "What if they're writing it down now?" Farkle asked. "Doesn't matter. Chapter one, introduction. Please read." Dad said pointing at Riley.
" 'There is a comfort in knowing that history is fixed. You can no sooner change history than you can changed the nine planets in our solar system from Mercury to Pluto.' " Riley read from the chapter. "Oh." The class minus Riley said in realization. "What?" Riley asked. "Nice job, Mr. Matthews." Lucas said. "What'd he do?" Riley asked. "He just showed us history books can be wrong. You can change history." I told her. "I don't get it." Riley said. "How can she not know?" Mason asked. "Look at the bird!" Maya exclaimed pointing in a random direction. Riley turned around looking for the non existent bird.
"She doesn't know because she has us." Maya explained to Mason. "The Riley Committee." Farkle stated. "A committee to keep information away from Riley that might crush her." I added. "Like what?" Lucas asked. "Everything really." Farkle answered. "Listen, this committee can't protect her for the rest of her life. She's getting too smart." Dad said, joining our conversation. "She's looking for a bird." Farkle replied. We all looked at Riley who was still looking for the 'bird'."Well, someone's gotta tell her." Dad told us. "You do it." I told him. "Nah... You two do it!" he said pointing at Maya and I.
"Hi, sweetie." Maya said to Riley. "Hey, my little gummy bear." I said to Riley. "Peaches." She said to Maya. "Big brother." she said, looking at me with an innocent smile. "I can't do this." I said looking at my father. "Oh yes you will!" he exclaimed. "Fine." I groaned. "See, we've all been protecting you from something." I told her. "You know Pluto?" Maya asked her. "Pluto? I love Pluto. Everybody knows that. Pluto's a little cutie-pie. The smallest planet with the biggest heart. I love Pluto so much, I would kiss it on the face." Riley explained.
"Not doing it!" Maya exclaimed. "You're doing it!" he retorted. "Honey?" Maya and I said to Riley. "Peaches? Big brother?" She replied. "Pluto is not a planet anymore." Maya told her, slowly. "What's that you say?" Riley asked. Maya looked at me for further explanation. "They made a scientific discovery that Pluto's not a planet anymore." I explained. "Will you be okay?" Maya asked. "I'm fine. I am too old now to flip over something like that. Dad, please continue." Riley told us. "You sure, baby sis?" I asked. "Please, continue." Riley repeated.
"Okay. All right, guys, so, we're talking about who we are now, and who we hope to be someday. How will we write our own history and decide what's important to us?" dad asked. "They found a 100-year-old time capsule in Boston last week. Could we do one of those?" Farkle asked. "I love that idea, Farkle." Dad told him. "In fact, we did one of those when I was in high school. We were gonna see what became of us in 15 years Wait a minute... we were gonna to see what became of us right now. 15 years is right now. We were gonna go back and see how much we've changed." Dad said. "Yeah I hope some of us never change." I said with a smile looking over at my sister.
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We were sitting in Topanga's and all of had our objects we would put in the time capsule. "How can they just do that? She works her whole life to become a planet, and then it's just taken away from her. Do our hopes and dreams even matter?" Riley asked. "Well, in 15 years, we're gonna find out." Lucas said, holding a buffalo nickel. "A buffalo nickel. That's what you're putting in the time capsule?" Farkle asked him. "Yeah, my grandfather gave it to me for... Anyway, my grandfather gave it to me." Lucas said, stopping once he looked at me. "No, no, no, no, no, no, no, for what? Pappy Joe gave it to you for what?" I asked with a smile. "Don't call his grandfather pappy Joe." Riley told me. "It was actually pappy Joe." Lucas stated. "You knew that?" Riley asked. "Eh, it would've been anything I said." I replied.
"Why'd he give you the nickel? Why?" Maya asked. "Nothing. He gave it to me for being a good little boy." Lucas told her. "No, no, no, no, no, no, tell us." I said. "I was a little kid, I went to a kiddie rodeo, and I was the only one who made it the whole eight seconds." Lucas told us. "You rode a bull?" I asked. "It was sort of like a bull." Lucas said. "Here comes funny." I said. "I rode a sheep." Lucas stated and we all started laughing. "It's a real thing! It's called mutton busting. Riley, you're laughing at me?" "No." She told him.
"I wanted to be a rodeo star. But, I got older and gave up on it." Lucas told us. "Aww, don't ever give up on your sheep riding dreams." Maya's mom told Lucas as she walked over to us. "You go out there, and you become the best sheep rider the world has ever seen." "Mom, what are you doing?" Maya asked her mom. "As long as I'm here, I've decided to give out valuable life-living advice. Like Cory and Topanga." Her mom explained to us. "So, you all come to me when you're feeling lost in this world, and I'm gonna fix you right up." "No, we're good." Farkle told her.
"Do not let your sheep riding disappointment prevent you from dreaming dreams. As I look back at my life, the only regrets I have are the dreams I gave up on too soon." Maya's mom told us. "Wow. Thank you. That's good advice." Lucas told her. "Yes, it is!" she exclaimed, then she noticed Farkle's trophy. "Hey, nice trophy, the Farkle." "Thanks, Maya's mom. It's my science fair lifetime achievement award." He told her. "Forget science, you dream dreams!" she told him. "But..." Farkle started. "Okay." Maya's mom said, and walked off.
"What are you putting in, Maya?" Riley asked. "Nothing. No hopes, no disappointments." Maya replied. "What about you?" She asked. "I don't know why it's so important for me to care about something that's so far away. But, I do. I'm putting in Pluto." Riley answered, holding up a small model of the ex-planet. "Well, it's small enough, ha!" Farkle said. We all looked at him. "Too soon?" He asked. "What about you, Kayden?" Riley asked me. "I'm putting in a first place ribbon from my middle school talent show." I told them. "What about you Mason?" Maya asked. "I'm putting in a picture of me in front of the hollywood sign." Mason said.
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"Road trip!" Dad, or Cory said as he walked in with Mom and Pops, or Shawn. "Who wants to go instead of me?" Mom asked. "I'll go. I'll do anything with anybody." Farkle stated. "No deal. There's not enough room in the car for you and all your words." Dad told Farkle. "What's this here?" He asked, looking at our time capsule. "It's just the objects were putting in the time capsule." I answered. "Oh...Nope. Not good enough." Dad said. "These things are important to us." Riley said. "Why are there only five of them?" Mom asked. "I'm not playing." Maya stated. "Oh, you're playing." Dad told her.
"Nice shovel shirt." Maya said. "plenty left." Dad said. "I don't see how." Maya replied. "Mr. Shawn." Maya's mom said. "Miss Katy." Pops replied. "How are you? How's the writing?" She asked. "Well, I was doing a story in Philadelphia till my friend her brought me to New York so we could go back to Philadelphia." Pops explained. "How's the acting?" He asked her. "I was playing a waitress at the nighthawk diner, and now I'm playing a waitress here." Katy told him. "It's your real life." Maya told her mom. "It can't be." She said. "Well, I'm kinda liking this movie." Pops said.
"Come on! It's a chance to go back and see what time has taught us. Come on, it's our history! You and me, Feeny, Shawn and Angela." Dad said to my birth father and Mom. "Give me a shovel. No reason. Give me a shovel and you head." Mom said. Mom grabbed Dad by his face and pulled him away. "Who's Angela?" Katy asked. "Oh, you know. Someone who used to be in my life." Shawn told her. "Ah, yes. Well, we all have one of those, don't we?" Katy asked.
"Do you miss her? I know I'd miss Riley, Maya, and Kayden if I didn't see them for a long time. Do you think your old feelings will get all stirred up for her? And you'll miss her? And you'll go back and live wherever she is?" Farkle asked, causing Maya to throw the model of Pluto at him.
"Do you never miss?" Farkle asked her. "Yeah, Mr. Hunter, you gonna get some feeling all stirred up?" Katy asked. "Maya, Riley, all of a sudden, I think we should be going with them." I told them. "Do you think we should go?" Riley asked. "We're going with you." Maya said, standing up. Riley and I followed. "All right. Katy, do you mind if we take this one off your hands for the weekend?" Mom asked Katy. "Have fun, baby girl." She told Maya. "All right, girls, grab a shovel." Mom told us. "We're digging up the past! Yay." Dad exclaimed sarcastically.
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We were in Philadelphia looking for the time capsule which Dad said he couldn't find. "How is this fun? You said this was fun. How can anybody make this fun?" Maya asked. Riley came towards Maya and I with a flower crown. "I made one for Maya's head." Riley sang placing it on Maya's head. "Riley, that's who." I replied to Maya.
"You're supposed to be digging." She told Riley. "Oh, but I was digging for an hour. And all I found was this old metal box." Riley said. "Cory." Pops said. "What?" my dad asked. "I'm concerned." Pops. "What's there to be concerned about, Shawny." Dad asked. A flashlight shown. "That." Pops answered. They gasped and pointed at a man who turned the flashlight off. "Mr. Matthews, Mr. Hunter, we meet again." He said. "Detention?" Dad asked. "Big boy detention." Mr. Feeny replied. "I won't do well in big boy detention." Dad said. Riley, Maya, and I shared a smile. "Feeny!" Riley said. "Fee-hee-hee-hee-heenay!" Maya shouted. "What, what, what, what, what..." I said. "Hey, hey, hey, hey..." Maya said. "What, what, what, what..." We said together "Okay, let's go." I told Maya and Riley after we were done and we sat down.
"Mrs. Matthews." Mr. Feeny said to mom. "How ya doing?" Mom asked. "Put back my flowers." Mr. Feeny told her. "Except for those." He said pointing at Riley, Maya, and I. "I'll attend to those myself." Mr. Feeny walked towards us. "Excuse me." He said and sat between Riley and I. "Is he a good father, you poor, poor, little children?" he asked Riley and I. "We're very lucky." I responded and Riley nodded. "Hmmm. Is he a good teacher?" He asked Maya. "I think he's the best there is." Maya answered. "Oh." Mr. Feeny said. "But, he says you are." Maya told him. "Oh. And that's what you were digging for?" he asked.
"It's our time capsule, remember." Dad told Mr. Feeny. "I remember everything." He replied. "We wanted to see how time treated us. If we turned out like we hoped we would." My dad told him. "Got any advice for us while we're all here together, Mr. Feeny?" He asked. "Well, yes. It's been a long time, and you're still together. What else do you need to know?" Mr. Feeny asked.
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"All right, I'll go first." My dad said. They were about to open the time capsule and Maya, Riley, and I sat on the couch watching. "Now, no one knows what anyone else buried, right?" Pops asked. "Yeah, that was the deal." Mom replied. "Don't open it." Maya said. "What if what you find is disappointing?" I asked. "Yeah, wouldn't you rather believe your lives are perfect?" Riley asked. "You make a good point, you do. But, uh, here's another point. Have you even met me?" Dad asked before he opened the box.
"There it is." Dad said, picking up a jean jacket. "It's the jean jacket." Mom said, taking it. "It's the first time we said, 'I love you'. And it still fits." She said and putting the jacket on. "Time has been good to you, Topanga." Dad told her. "Time has been good to us all." Mom replied. "And that's how you do the time capsule." Dad told us. "Okay you turn." He said to Mom. "Okay, don't overreact." She told him and bent down to pick up an envelope. "Why would I overreact?" Dad asked. "Because I know you're going to misinterpret this." She told him.
Dad opened the letter. "Let's see. 'Dear Cory, if you would let it happen, I think you and I could have a future.' Topanga what's wrong with this? This is great." He told my mom. "It's not from her." Pops said. I looked at Dad in shock as he quickly let go of the letter. "It's from Lauren." Mom told him while picking up the letter. "Who's Lauren?" I asked. "Well, before we got married, your father met a girl at a ski lodge, and she really liked him." my mom explained. "Matthews, you dog." Maya said. "Is this why we never go skiing?" Riley asked.
"Why would you do this, Topanga? I... I buried a symbol of our love." Dad said to Mom. "Cory, I was threatened by this because I was young. The jean jacket was the first time we said 'I love you.' But, I almost let this little piece of paper hurt us because I was young. You always knew, but I didn't understand that our love will last forever. And that nothing could hurt it. I buried this because I hoped that when we opened it, I would be sitting next to you, and that I could go like this." Mom said, and ripped it up.
"Here goes." Maya said. "Alright, here goes." Pops said. He went over to the box and picked up a few things. "Ah... Shakespeare's sonnets. Vivaldi's four seasons. A Van Damme movie ticket. And lip gloss." He said sitting on the arm of a chair. Riley took the lip gloss from him. "Kiwi mango." She said. Riley handed it back to Pops. "Ah, me and Angela. We were gonna be Cory and Topanga. I guess there can only be one Cory and Topanga. But, still... Me and Angela. I wonder what she's up to nowadays?" he questioned. "Bye, Shawn." Maya whispered.
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"See, life works out better if you don't get your hopes up. Shawn will get back together with his ex-girlfriend, Pluto is not a planet anymore, and my mom and me are just my mom and me." Maya said. "Pluto is a planet." Riley said. "Sorry, Riley, but you're the only one who says it is." Maya replied. "You heard them tell the story, Maya. There was a time when my father was the only one who knew he and my mother would always be together. Even when everyone else said that they wouldn't. He knew. And so do I. And so does your mother. Because she's right." I told her. "Dream dreams, Maya. You're going to get everything you want in life." Riley told her.
"How is it possible that you two can still have hope for me?" Maya asked us. "Because you two always have hope for me." I told her. I wrapped my arms around the two girls. "Hey, I have hope for something four billion miles away. You two have always been right there." Riley told us and I pulled the two girls closer.
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Riley and Maya were sitting at the bay window back to back and I sat on the floor with my head against Maya's leg. Someone knocked at the door. "Come in, Uncle Shawn." Riley said. He opened the door. "How'd you know it was me?" he asked. "Our family doesn't knock. They're pigs." I told him. Pops walked over and sat in between Maya and Riley and I moved up to sit next to Maya.
"Okay. What?" he asked. "You know how they say Pluto isn't a planet anymore?" Riley asked him. "Yeah. Yeah, I heard about that." He replied. "Doesn't that kill you?" Riley asked him. "No." he asked. "Pluto is still out there for me." Riley told him. "I don't care." Pops replied. "You weren't afraid to love somebody once." I said. "Yeah, well, I... I'm done with that. I don't have that, I'm not going to have that." He replied. "You are. There's someone out there for you." I told him. "So, you're saying Pluto is Angela." He asked and Maya and I sat on Riley's bed.
"No, we're saying that Pluto is believing in something out there no matter what anybody says. Especially you. Because there is." Riley explained to Pops. "How are you not getting this yet, buddy?" Dad asked. Pops moved to where Maya and I sat. "You believe in me?" Pops asked me. "I do." I said. "You believe in me?" Pops asked Maya. "I do." Maya answered. "I don't know what I'm supposed to be for you two." He told us. "Can you just be out there for us?" I asked. "Yes. I can do that. I want to do that. What do you call that?" Pops asked. "It doesn't matter what you call it. I just wanna know that you're out there." Maya told him. "Okay." He replied and sat down between Maya and I. "I'm there." My relationship with Shawn had improved. I spent more time with him when he was in New York, which he rarely was, but his constant leaving left me feeling like he needed to get away. Like he felt like he had no place in my life. Knowing that he will always be there gives me comfort.
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"Okay, I'll go first." Lucas told us, grabbing the box and opening it. "You're putting your sheep nickel in, Billy Bob?" I asked. "No, I changed my mind about that. I'm not putting in a reminder of when I gave up on a dream." Lucas said. He held a piece of paper. "Your transfer slip." I said. "I'd rather be reminded of when something good started." Lucas answered, smiling at me.
"I'll go next." Mason said. "What are you putting in?" Riley asked. "Are you still putting the picture of you and the Hollywood sign, Goldenboy?" Maya asked. "Nah, I have something with a deeper meaning." Mason told her, holding up a pair of drumsticks. "Your drumsticks." Riley said. "Yeah, It reminds me of the first time Kayden and I kissed. It's something I hope I never forget." Mason explained, and put it in the box and kissing my forehead.
"Me next." Farkle announced. "Your science fair trophy?" Mason asked. "Wasn't important enough for this." He replied. He reached down and picked up something orange. "Your favorite orange turtleneck." Riley said. "It was the one I took off when I felt like nothing. But, you guys wouldn't like me be nothing. And since it's us that's gonna be together when we open this, I can't wait to see the something that I am." Farkle explained.
"Riley, Pluto?" Farkle asked. "Yeah. Still Pluto." Riley answered, holding up Pluto. "Whenever we open this, I hope I haven't stopped believing in things." Then she put Pluto into the box and everyone looked at Maya and I. "Okay, I'll play." She told us. "But, you guys have to leave. Your parents and Shawn didn't tell each other what they were putting in and that's the way I wanna do it. I'm hoping we'll all be surprised." They got up and walked towards the door. I looked at Maya. "Hey, whatever it is, I hope it works out the way you want it." I told her. "Me too." Maya replied. I watched Maya put something into the capsule but didn't know what it was. "Okay, Kay, it's your turn." She said and walking out to meet up with our friends. I pulled out a picture of Lucas and I. My relationship with Lucas represents a lot. It represents my love for my sister because I halted my feeling for her, my relationship with my family because it allowed me to find out I was gay and share it with them, and I truly hoped Lucas would stay in my life for as long as possible wether fate had plans for us to be together romantically or not. I gently kissed the picture and put it in the time capsule before closing it and going to meet my friends.
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Riley, Maya, and I were in Topanga's and we were sitting in the window seat. Katy came to where we sat and gave us cups of hot cocoa. Shawn, my Pops, walked in. "Hi, Shawn. Um, we're closing up, but I could get you something for the road?" Katy asked. "Uh, yeah, that'd be great." He answered. She started to walk away, but Pops stopped her. "Actually, no. Feel like sitting down for a second?" He said. "Yeah. No, I do. Yeah." She said. They both sat down. "Whew. Did you want to talk about something?" Katy asked him. "We don't have to talk. We can just... sit here. Will that be okay?" Pops asked. It was silent and then they both started laughing. "That was great. Now talk?" Katy said. "Yeah, would that be better?" Pops asked. "It's certainly harder, but I found it can be, yeah." Katy said, pulling out some lip gloss and applying it. "Lip gloss." Pops stated. "Yeah, I put this own when I don't know what's happening." Katy said. "What flavor is that?" he asked her. "Cinnamon spice." She answered. "Is that better than kiwi mango?" he asked.
"It's different." Katy replied, putting away the lip gloss. "Is different better?" Pops asked. "Well, I guess it depends on the life you're having." She said. "For me, yeah, I'd take different. I'm ready for different. How about you?" He asked. "You hear they're talking about making Pluto a planet again?" Maya asked us. "Yeah." Riley asked. "How about that?" We smiled at each other watching the two adult's interactions.
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I sat in Topanga's near the counter writing in my journal while Katy cleaned. Maya and Riley still sat in the window seat and Pops had gone. "Hey, Katy!" I exclaimed. She looked up at me and smiled a genuine smile. "Yes Kayden?" She asked, putting the rag she was cleaning the counter with down. "What do you think of my father?" I asked. "I think Cory is a respectable man and he does everything he can for Maya." She said, avoiding my question. "You and I both know that's not the father I'm talking about." I said, raising an eyebrow. "Oh." she said quietly. She grabbed the rag and begun cleaning again. "Katy, I just want you to know that I think you are an amazing woman and an amazing mother. Shawn would be so lucky to be with a woman like you." I said. She looked at me and smiled then she looked down. "I don't think Shawn is interested in me that way." Katy said. "I believe that time will be very good to all of us if we are patient." I said. "What does that mean?" She questioned, curiosity gleaming in her eye. "Hopefully we'll both find out soon enough." I said and returned to my writing.
"The time you've been given is not yours to choose, but what you do with that time is.
Between this moment and the next, there's half a moment, all the way down into infinity.
Time is the transformation of the infinite into the possible and the time we're given will be good to us with patience if we let it." - Kayden Matthews