Of Course I Like You

Nature •v.s• Nurture

"What about me?" Maya asked while linking arms with Lucas. 

"Ummm, well, it's, uhhhh-" Lucas stuttered.

"Nothing! Just a surprise we have planned that's all." Riley said smiling. Lucas just nodded and smiled nervously. He kissed Maya's cheek and ran to history class. Riley was about to leave to when Maya stopped her. 

"Riles, you know I hate keeping secrets from you and I hope that you're the same..." Maya stated.

"What?" Riley was practically jumping out of her skin.

"I've been hiding something from you..." Riley was relieved to hear it wasn't about her. Maya rolled up her sleeve and exposed her scars from her burns and cuts. "This is what Lucas and I were arguing about..." Riley covered her mouth with her four fingers, on her right hand, in shock. "I've been clean for about a month now but Lucas saw the scars and that's what we argued about. I've absolutely hated keeping this secret from you! I hope you don't hate me!" 

Riley felt awful, not only for Maya but because she was keeping her secret too. "Oh my- Peaches!" Riley pulled Maya into a hug and squeezed tightly. "You are my absolute, best-friend in the whole universe and I'm sorry for everything especially the fact that you felt you couldn't tell me this. We can talk about it more at the bay window tonight. Come over after dinner."

"Why not after school?" Maya asked. "We always sit at the bay window after school."

"I have a doctors appointment." Riley responded. Maya shrugged it off and linked arms with her best-friend as they walked to history together.

➰

[History Class]

The kids sat down in their seats to see a picture of a baby drawn on the blackboard. "What the-?" Maya asked. Riley and Lucas' eyes widened and Riley took out her phone.

R — 'Lucas what did you tell him?'

L — 'Nothing, I am also uncomfortable...'

"Matthews, what the hell is this?" Maya asked.

"Our lesson today is Nature vs. Nurture. What shapes who we are? The environment around us or how we're treated? It starts when we're babies, therefore..." Mr. Matthews pointed towards the board. A look of relief flashed across Lucas and Riley's faces. "Alrighty, question: What shapes who we are? The environment around us or how we're treated?" Maya raised her hand. "Who are you and what have you done with Maya?" 

"Just go with it, brillo-head!" Mr. Matthews nodded. "Nurture... The way I've been treated and raised has definitely shaped who I am and how I see the world..." Mr. Matthews nodded again. Zay raised his hand.

"Yes, Mr. Babineaux?"

"I say nature. In my experience, Texas shaped more than just me when we're talking about people in this room." Mr. Matthews nodded once more. Farkle raised his hand.

"Yes, Farkle?"

"It's both. It also depends on how you define each. For instance, nature is both defined as the environment in which your surrounded by and genetics, and nurture is also defined as the environment around you and how it treats you/how you're treated. The answer is simple, there is no 'V.S.', it's both." Mr. Matthews smiled.

"Thank-You! For all of you planning on becoming parents- which won't be for a very long time-"

"yip..." Riley mumbled.

"This lesson is something to keep in mind!"