Cory Matthews sat at the front of his classroom as the students entered. One student was slightly later than the rest as he sat in his seat in the second row. Taylor immediately turned to with a smile, "Hi. I'm glad you're back," he smiled back at her as he responded, "Hi. Me too,"
Cory noticed the small interaction and went straight over to cut it of. He stood next to Lucas' desk. He smiled at the boy as Taylor sighed, "Hi. Apparently you have a better sense of direction," he gestured his hand to Taylor as he spoke, "than I anticipated," The brunette turned back around and put her head in her hands as her father does the "I'm watching you" signal towards the boy. Suddenly he leans down to look at the Texas boy, "You are a really good-looking guy,"
He paused before returning to the front of the classroom and clapping his hands together, "Okay. So, today we're gonna find out if anybody here believes in something so strongly, they'd fight for it," he turned to the twins' blonde best friend, "Maya?"
The troublemaker looked up to the teacher. "Yes, sir,"
"Present your homework," Taylor slowly shook her head at her father. He looked at her confused until Maya spoke, "Can't do that, sir," the blonde smiled as she answered and Taylor just sighed at the rebel. "Why not?" The teacher countered and Taylor looked at him with an 'Are you serious?' expression. "Didn't do my homework, sir,"
"Why not?"
"That's what I'm fighting against, sir,"
For the first time since the conversation had began, someone else spoke. That someone being Farkle, "Oh, this could go on for a while," Pulling a sleep mask out from under his desk, he placed it over his eyes and fell straight to sleep. "Farkle Farkle Farkle Farkle. Farkle Farkle Farkle Farkle," the brunette stared confused at the boy before shrugging because in all honesty, it wasn't the weirdest thing to happen.
"I didn't do my homework, either," Riley said, causing her twin to scoff at the lie. "Oh, really?" The twins watched as their father stared at the older one in either confusion or disbelief. "Yeah. We're the same, now. I don't believe in homework," the girl continued making Taylor turn to her. "Riley, sweetie, no," she kept shaking her head and Riley stared back, befuddled. "Guess what, Riley? That doesn't make you the same as Maya at all," Cory continued but before Riley could protest Maya raised her hand.
"I have something to say," Maya smirked at Cory's shocked expression. He turned to Taylor and pointed to Maya with her hand up. "Wow, I don't know what to do, I've never seen this before," Taylor cleared her throat and stood next to her father. She gestured to the front of the class saying, "The floor's yours, Ms. Hart," she returned to her seat as Maya stood up.
The blonde turned to the boy behind her, "Get up, Farkle," she pulled on his mask making Taylor wince slightly at the noise. "You're gonna wanna be awake for this," Maya said as she went to stand in front of everyone. The boy jumped up in pure excitement, "Is it our honeymoon?" Taylor smiled at Farkle sympathetically as Maya responded, "No, you missed that. Now it's time to hand in our essays,"
The excitement on his face only grew as he shouted, "Oh! Farkle goes first, Farkle always goes first!" He ran out the room and Maya began to talk again. "Alright, everybody who did their homework, put it on your desk," Taylor watched as everyone did so and she glanced at her empty desk. She pulled her homework out deciding that she would make sure Maya didn't go to far. The blonde collected the homework and Cory began to worry.
"Careful there, Ms. Hart," was his only warning as Riley handed Maya her homework, "Are you sure about this?" Maya looked Riley straight in the eye as she said, "I got this," Taylor gave the girl a look and Maya rolled her eyes. "Okay," Riley answered and Taylor tugged at Maya's sleeve. "Don't go too far," Maya only smiles at the girl saying the same three words, "I got this,"
Farkle took that moment to walk in with an extravagant project which he begins to explain to the class from the back of the room, "The branding of Atlanta led to the end of the Civil War, and of peace. I believe that peace is worth fighting for," Maya takes a sparkler off of his project and the boy looked deeply offended, "Hey, that's a pivotal part of my diorama!" Maya takes another sparkler in response, "And there goes Virginia,"
The blonde made her way to the front of the class as she spoke, "The burning of the homework led to the end of the Homework Rebellion, because there was no more homework," Standing on a chair, she held the homework up with the sparklers just underneath. Taylor jumped up as she said, "Maya," the blonde looked at her and Taylor shook her head.
Cory takes the homework from Maya as he spoke, "Alright, alright. That's far enough, Maya. I get it" Taylor jumped up on the seat next to Maya as the blonde started chanting with everyone, "No homework, more freedom!" Taylor reached time the sparklers but it was too late. The fire touches the sprinklers, which sets them off, causing the fire alarm to ring. "Okay, so those work," was the blonde's only response.
Everyone began to run out the room as Taylor jumped down from the chair with an annoyed expression. "Is this all part of your presentation, or is this actually going on?" Farkle shouted over the loud noises of everyone leaving. Lucas holds his jacket over him and Taylor as she turns to Riley, "Riley, why didn't you help?" Lucas seemed to agree as he looked to her as well, "Why didn't you stop your friend?"
The older Matthews girl looked between the two, "That's not what I do anymore!" Taylor saw the regret in Riley's eyes but didn't mention it, knowing that that didn't automatically make everything okay. "You're better than that!" Lucas said making Taylor nod in agreement. Riley looked to her younger sister as she spoke this time, "I'm just letting her be her,"
The girl took her sister's hand and shook her head slightly, "Sometimes that isn't what a friend does," as she spoke Farkle ran to the front of the classroom, climbing onto Cory. Cory pointed at Maya, ignoring the boy on his back, "Ms. Hart, you have detention. The principal will determine if it goes farther than that," Maya steps down from the desk and Cory turns to his daughters, "Ms. Matthews and Ms. Matthews, please leave,"
Taylor began to walk to the door but not before hugging Maya. Riley however didn't seem to agree, "I deserve detention, too!" Their father looked to her and Taylor watched scared at how annoyed he looked. "No, you don't. You didn't do anything. And Because you didn't do anything, your best friend is in very big trouble,"
He turned his head to face Farkle who still clung to him, "Alright Farkle, you can get down now," The boy shook his head as he looked at Cory, "Well, you're actually quite comfortable, sir," Cory looked grateful as he spoke, "Thank you," he suddenly turned annoyed as he said, "Get off!" This caused the boy to tighten his grip as he shouted, "Farkle isn't going anywhere!"
*
"Down, Farkle," this made the three girls looked at Cory Matthews who had Farkle still clinging to him. The boy jumped down and Matthews stood in front of them with a slight glare. "You're looking at us pretty hard there, Mr. Matthews," Maya nervously stated as Riley stepped up.
"I just wanna stand by my girl,"
Taylor gripped her sister's hand and stood next to her. "You missed the moment to stand by your girl. You were so busy trying to be her, Riley, you forgot the best thing you can do for her is be you. Riley, take Farkle for a walk," Riley left her sister and best friend with a very annoyed Cory. He looked to Taylor who stood next to the blonde, "I just wanna stand by my girl," she repeated and Maya squeezed her shoulder.
"I know and you did but you can't protect her from what might happen. I read your essay and it was very thoughtful. Go find Riley and Farkle," Taylor looked between her best friend and father and then shook her head. "I can't protect her but I can stand with her," she reasoned causing Cory to sigh. He knew that she was determined to stay and there was no stopping her.
He turned to Maya, who held Taylor's hand. "Listen. For as long as I can remember, it's always been Riley and Maya and Taylor. Now, I always believed a friend helps another friend out of trouble, not into it," he said and Taylor pulled a confused expression, though it went unnoticed. What and uncle Shawn and you?
Maya looked down as she mumbled, "I'm sorry," Taylor squeezed her hand in hopes of showing that she was there. "I am too, because you go too far. Do you understand me?" Finally the blonde looked up and dropped Taylor's hand as she did so. "I have nobody at home who helps me with my homework," Taylor felt her heart clench at her friend who looked so broken as she walked away. "Maya!" Taylor called as she went after her leaving Cory alone to think.