For Riley, life didn’t truly start until the big break up with Lucas. Sure, they had more than a few great memories, memories she’d carry with her for the rest of her life, no questions asked. Lucas showed her how to feel, how to be her own person, and most importantly, that he was not the guy for her. Young love always seemed to linger around, yet Riley felt like she needed to bust out, and by deciding to go out on a date, she was doing just that. 

At first, excitement boiled up in Riley. Having been with Lucas for more than a year, a lot of her experience revolved around one person. Being with someone new had to be exciting. New was new for a reason, as she always believed. As the time creeped by, however, Riley felt a bit of the surging fire in her stomach start to die down. Excitement turned to dread and dread turned to confusion. If Lucas wasn’t the boy for her, and the prospect of dating someone else turned her skin cold, what could she possibly be missing? Riley continued to ponder that thought as her hands ran through her hair for the thousandth time that night. Now, instead of sending them out for a family dinner, Riley wished her parents were there on the couch, ready to give her some sort of advice-- helpful or not. Instead, she paced back and forth across the front of the bay window. 

Her heart just about stopped when a soft tap sounded in her ear. Through all of her pacing, Riley managed to wind herself up in a manner that made her chest tight and palms sweaty. ‘That couldn’t possibly be him at the door,’ she thought looking down at the watch on her wrist. Knowing the person taking her out, Riley figured he’d be at least a few minutes late. As she looked up, the brunette spotted another, familiar, brunette outside her window, waving his hand wildly to get her attention. “Farkle!” Her exclamation could obviously be heard by the boy. His eyes lit up and the waving got a bit stronger. “Hi, Riles,” he practically shouted, the window still between the two of them. Laughing at this, Riley bounded to the window and pushed it open, allowing her best friend to step through. 

“Wow, you look amazing,” Farkle started with, blue eyes shamelessly wandering over her selected outfit for the night. Though she had a hard time admitting it, the way Farkle looked at her always made the heart in her chest beat a little bit faster. Shaking her head of the thought, Riley looked up and grinned, shrugging in a faux innocent way. “I thought I was really excited. I picked out this outfit, sang while doing my hair, but honestly...” she trailed off, huffing out a deep sigh as she motioned for him to sit. “I think I lost the fever for it. I just don’t know what’s wrong with me.” After saying this, she leaned her head softly against his shoulder, not bothering to look up at him. If there was one constant in her life Riley could depend on, Farkle was it. Maya would always be the other half to her crazy whole, there wasn’t any doubt about that. Farkle, though, Farkle Minkus had a way of calming her down like no one else could. Dependable, brave, handsome-- throughout the years, Riley grew to need him more than she cared to admit. 

Except, did she care to admit it? Sitting against him now, Riley could swear their hearts beat in sync. She felt him exhale against her as his arm tightened, and just like that, Riley felt, no-- knew what was missing.

Everything about the way she felt about the break up with Lucas to the thought of a date with some other random stranger all started to make sense. She didn’t need someone who wanted to put her in a box. She didn’t need someone to pretend to want to know her. No, she needed someone who knew her like the back of his own hand (probably better than that, if she took the time to notice,) someone who could calm her down, someone who made who she was feel like the best, even when she didn’t feel that way about it. She needed Farkle-- in the way she thought he needed her, too. ‘I’m right where I’m supposed to be,’ she thought, turning in his arms to look him in the eyes. 

Just as those words were about to escape her lips, the doorbell rang. Gulping in a big breath of air, Riley moved to open the door, effectively breaking the contact between her and Farkle. She already missed the warmth against her, she noticed, grinning to herself like a fool at the thought. A throat clearing brought her back to the moment, and instead of undying happiness like she felt, Farkle seemed to be projecting something completely different. “I guess I should go. I just wanted to...” he trailed off, lifting the hand that hadn’t been around her. In his hands were two perfectly groomed daisies. “I wanted to wish you luck.” He tried to smile as he said those words, but just like always, it didn’t quite meet his eyes. He pushed the flowers towards her, sheepishly handing them over. “They don’t match, but they reminded me of you. I hope..” he started to say, but she quickly cut him off. “Farkle, hold on one second, okay? Don’t go anywhere!” As she said this, Riley practically sprinted to the door-- outfit be damned. 

Looking down at her watch, Riley hadn’t realized that her date, as expected, was a couple minutes late. The girl couldn’t make herself be upset about that fact, however. With what she was about to do, Riley figured being late would be the smallest faux pas committed that evening. Taking in a deep breath, the brunette opened the door and took a step back. Her date began to speak, but Riley elegantly cut him off, smiling all the while. “Hi. I’m so sorry about this, but I don’t think tonight is a good idea. I spent all of this afternoon excited, then happy, then just plain dreading this entire thing. Not because of you. Please don’t think it’s because of you. It’s just...” she trailed off, orienting her eyes towards the shoes on her feet. 

“I’m where I’m meant to be, and I’m sorry that I ever thought I wasn’t.” Though she was facing her date just beyond the door, Riley hoped who she was really speaking to heard the things she said. Focusing on the boy at her door for a moment, Riley gave him a quick hug and said sorry again before shutting the door. 

Instantly, she turned around and made her way back towards the bay window where she hoped Farkle still sat. Thankfully, Farkle hadn’t abandoned his post. “Did you mean that?” he asked straight away, allowing her only a moment to take the seat next to him before looking expectantly for an answer. “I’ve never meant anything more. Farkle, I...” she stopped for a second, thinking about all the things he’d done for her and how-- finally, finally it all made sense. 

“I feel stupid for never realizing just how-- perfect you are... for me. You’re my best friend and maybe that’s why I’ve never seen it, but look at you, right here, right now. You’re sitting there holding my favorite flower, trying to wish me luck on a date with someone who isn’t you. And that hurts you, but you still do it. I’ve never taken the time to notice that not only do you know my favorite flower, my pre-anything jitters... but you know me. The Riley Matthews I am. The Riley Matthews I’m going to be. You’ll always be my best friend, Farkle. You’ll always be my shoulder and I think I’m most afraid of losing that. Maybe that’s why. But honestly, does the why really matter? I know now. I know now... I’m where I’m meant to be. You’re where I’m meant to be, Farkle.” 

As she ended her hastily spoken spiel, Riley shifted back a bit, trying to gauge his reaction. Several things happened at once: Farkle’s hand finding her hair, her breath getting caught in her throat-- and finally, a soft press of lip against lip. It wasn’t anything like kissing Lucas. With Lucas, hardness met soft, yet here, perfection seemed to finally meet rightness. And in that moment, Riley knew things would never be the same. After so much, Riley finally knew. “Yeah,” she whispered softly against his lips, “I’m right where I’m meant to be.”

Farkle couldn’t run from the exit of his final period classroom any quicker. Finally, after months of always being on someone else’s schedule, they would all be free to do whatever the hell they wanted, whenever the hell they wanted to. Every kid strived for summer vacation– there truly was no doubt about that. Yet, Farkle felt like the excitement bubbling up inside of him couldn’t possibly be felt by anyone else. When a date with Riley Matthews was possible almost every single day for the next three months, how could he possibly contain himself?

Instead of running right to Riley’s locker, however, Farkle made himself slow down enough to grab what remained on the shelves in his own. Being the nerd he was, the brunette knew his Star Wars magnets would have to come down. As he finally stopped in front of his locker and dialed in the combination, Farkle was hit by how much things changed over the last couple of years. He felt his heart start to pound when the memories of middle school and then the passed two years of high school flashed before his eyes. So many memories, so much heartbreak, so much growing– Farkle could clearly remember all of those things, yet one thing stood out to him– Riley. Though they hadn’t always been the adorable couple they were now, Farkle couldn’t pinpoint a time when she wasn’t the star of all of his memories. She sparkled like all the stars in the sky and he orbited around her, just like the sun he always told her she was. 

A sharp slam of a locker a few feet down brought him back from his daydream a couple moments later. There would be more than enough time to think about his group of friends and their many adventures passed and those to come. However, in that moment, Farkle only wanted to get to the never ending adventure with his girl. Reaching up to pull the magnets from the side of his locker so he could do just that, the brunette spotted a new picture hanging between two of them. There, smiling back at him, was Riley Matthews in this years prom dress. They were wrapped around each other as tightly as possible, just like he longed to be in that very moment. He’d have to bring up her stealthy placement later. Wasting no more time, Farkle grabbed the picture and magnets, pocketing them both with a grin. 

As he shut his locker and took a step forward, Farkle was yet again surprised by a body he ran square into. Looking up, his eyes widened and the hasty words on his mouth fleeted. There, in the flesh, stood the very girl he’d been thinking about nonstop since their goodbyes that afternoon. There she stood with her gorgeous brown eyes looking back at him with as much love and affection as he hoped he conveyed to her. “I can only stand there and listen to Zeke go on about last night’s gaming session for so long. So, I figured I’d come pester you. Are you almost ready?” Riley asked between kissing first his cheek, then nose and lips. Instead of answering right away, Farkle drew her close, wrapping his arms around her narrow waist. “You never pester,” he mumbled before pressing his lips softly against hers. “Sorry, one wasn’t enough.” 

Pulling away from her, Farkle smiled at the blush on her cheeks, knowing that there was matching redness on his own. After being together as long as they had, it still amazed him– their reactions to each other. It was like nothing had changed between them since the very beginning. His blue eyes would always reflect the deepest of love, and hers would glow the same. Shaking his head of the corny thought, Farkle grabbed Riley’s hand, slipping their fingers together before pointing down the hall. “I am now ready to start what is going to be the most awesome summer to ever awesome. I’m not sure we can handle it, but I’m sure we’ll try our best.” Farkle stopped talking for a second, grinning at the way Riley shook her head and rolled her eyes playfully. They shared a knowing look, then started walking towards the door. 

Outside, the noise of teenagers filled the empty spaces around them. The silence of the hallway was almost too serene, and for a second, Farkle almost allowed himself to be peeved by the ruining of their moment. Almost. Instead, he gripped Riley’s hand tighter and started to steer them away from the buses. “Where are we going? I thought we were meeting everyone else at Topanga’s,” the girl spoke quickly, looking confusedly between him and the bus. “Oh, we are,” Farkle started, dropping her hand to wrap his own around her shoulders to pull her tighter against him. “There is just a pit stop I want to make before we head that way. I figured you’d be alright with it.” Though she said nothing, Farkle knew her weary eyes were upon him as they walked in the opposite direction. 

The walk went by silently, Riley getting distracted by the gorgeous vegetation around them, and Farkle finding himself distracted by her. By the time they got to the small park they frequented quite often, the boy knew all was forgiven. When the girl realized where they were, Riley’s megawatt smile spread across her soft cheeks, traveling until it just about disappeared into the hairline at the side of her head. “Swings! Farkle, this is the greatest idea ever. Longest jump buys the smoothies!” And just like that, Ms. Matthews sprinted across the sand to pick the swing they both knew moved better. Shaking his head and grinning from ear to ear, Farkle followed slowly behind her, getting onto the swing dubbed his almost immediately after they found this place. 

Kicking his feet into the air, while trying to watch the love of his life next to him, Farkle almost fell off when Riley went flying and landed with a loud moan. His feet skidded against the sand to stop himself a second later. It didn’t matter that his gained height would have made his jump longer, or that he would be the one buying the smoothies anyway. All that matter was the unmoving heap of girlfriend laying on the sand. As quickly as he could, with his legs feeling like jell-o, Farkle made his way over to her. Little whimpers and moans could be heard as he crouched down beside her. Being so used to her triumphant exclamations, the brunette knew there was definitely something wrong. “Riles?” he asked softly, using his long arms to pull her against his chest. “Whatever it is… let me take care of you.” 

Riley turned then, wiping a stray tear off her cheek. “I think I sprained my ankle on the landing. It’s probably not bad at all, but you know how I am when it comes to pain.” She tried to chuckle, but Farkle could see this definitely caused some pain. He didn’t answer as he hauled her into his arms bridal style, standing up as he did. “I’m sorry this happened. I just– wanted to start the summer of right. Silly, silly, silly,” he mumbled, making his way back to the front of the park. Riley must have seen the guilt and blame he put on himself, because Farkle was surprised to feel soft hands cup his cheek. “This is the best way it could have started. You’re always here to take care of me, and honestly, that’s all I want. You here, with me, us taking care of each other as best as we can. As long as I’m with you, every second is the best. I might need some ice a little later on, but hey, I still am the reigning big jump champion!” Riley exclaimed this by pumping both fists. Then, soft lips pressed against the heated skin of his cheek. “I love you,” she spoke softly against his cheek. 

“And I love you.”