Minutemen | Rilaya

Everything Has Changed

It was now senior year and as predicted, Farkle and I are still big losers after the football field incident. We were outcasts, always sitting alone in the cafeteria. Not even the nerds wanted to sit with us. But if there was one good thing that happened because of the incident, it was that Farkle and I were friends. Dare I say best friends.

I sigh and give a quick glance at the popular table, where Lucas and Maya were sitting. After the day of the incident, they never really talked to me again. There were a few nods and smiles but that was it. I had tried getting their attention at first, but stopped after realizing my attempts were futile. Lucas made it on the football team and Maya had made it onto the cheerleading squad. They were popular now. I'm sure they didn't want someone like me to hold them back.

The two of them were even dating and had a ship name: Lucaya. I couldn't help but think that Rilaya would sound much better. Apparently all those years of friendship meant nothing once it was high school.

"Hey Riley, after school meet me in the school's basement. I have something awesome to show you!" Farkle says excitedly.

I sigh. "Unless it somehow makes me popular, I don't care Farkle." I glance back at the popular table, where Maya and Lucas were currently lip locked.

"Please! I promise it'll be so cool!" Farkle continued pestering me until I finally said yes just to get him to stop.

"Yes!" Farkle cheers, pumping his fist in excitement. I raise an eyebrow at my only friend. What could possibly be so exciting that made him this happy?

A couple of jocks approach the table.

"What's up losers!?" Billy Ross smirked. He was our main bully. I never let him get to me but there was once a time where Farkle had let Billy overpower him. Billy had called Farkle a nothing. That eventually encouraged Farkle to change his look and get a haircut. Gone was his turtleneck and bowl cut days. Now he had this darker geek chic look along with gelled hair.

"Ooh look, chocolate milk." Before Farkle or I could do anything, Billy reached over and grabbed the milk cartons, then proceeded to dump it on our heads. The rest of the jocks bursted into laughter and the whole cafeteria joined in seeing what was so funny. I couldn't help but notice that Maya didn't laugh though, she just looked at me sadly.

"Wanna be hung from the statue again?" Billy sneers. The cafeteria laughs even harder if that was even possible.

I sigh while Farkle rolls his eyes. It wasn't even that funny but none of the kids will ever let us live it down. The picture of us on the statue had made it to all three yearbooks and a few ads. I grab a couple napkins and begin wiping the nasty gunk off my head, passing a couple to Farkle.

"Thanks." He mutters, trying to get the liquid content out of his hair.

The bell rings, signaling the end of lunch. The two of us get up and dump our leftover food in the trashcan. We began walking to our next class.

"I don't know why you even wanna be popular, Riley. All the popular kids are just big jerks." Farkle remarks.

"Yeah, jerks who don't get bullied, teased, or any of the sort of stuff we get." I reply.

We passed by Maya at her locker and I gave her a look of longing before getting pulled away by Farkle. Maya looked up, sensing someone was looking at her, but by the time she did, I had already turned away back to Farkle. All she saw was the back of my head. She shrugged and went back to putting away books in her locker.

"You still like her." Farkle states, a small smile on his face.

"W-w-what? I do n-not!" I stutter.

"Whatever you say." Farkle rolls his eyes. "Just don't forget to meet me in the basement!" Farkle says over his shoulder, reminding me. He then turns the corner to his next class, leaving me to walk alone to mine.

I hate my next period. Farkle wasn't in it while Lucas and Maya were. I walked by a bunch of kids who all shouted loser at me. I ignore them and just kept walking, like I do every day. Besides, if they were gonna call me names, couldn't they come up with any original ones?

The late bell rings making me realize just how slow I was taking. "Dang it!" I exclaim, running down the halls and turning right to Mrs. Smith's class. I open the door to find the whole class staring at me.

"Well Riley. How nice of you to finally join us." Mrs. Smith snarked. The whole class snickered except Maya.

"Sorry." I quickly apologize and sit down in only seat that was still empty. Which was right next to Maya. Well isn't that just great, note the sarcasm. I felt Maya's eyes on me as I started to take notes.

Trying to distract myself from Maya's gaze, I think back to Farkle and his excitement at whatever was in the basement. Knowing Farkle, it was probably just some new scientific book or invention he made.

I continued to take notes when I felt something small and wet hit the back of my neck. I threw my hand back to my neck and found a spitball. I turn around to find that it was one of the jocks who sat next to Lucas who did it. I quickly mouthed 'quit it' before turning back around to the board.

As soon as I put my pencil to my paper again, I felt another one crash into my hair. I groaned and pulled it out of my hair. Then I felt more coming.

Finally, I got fed up and shouted "I said quit it!"

Mrs. Smith stopped talking and looked back at me. "What is it that you have to disrupt the class for Riley!?" She says in an annoyed tone. I was not gonna be her favorite student any time soon.

"Nothing." I mutter and put my head down. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the jocks silently laughing.

Mrs. Smith just scoffed and went back to the lesson. She continued to drone on and eventually I just stopped bothering to take notes and just spaced out.

I started thinking about how simple life was before high school. It was Lucas, Maya, and I, the unstoppable friends who always did everything together. If anyone from our elementary school or middle school saw us now, they wouldn't believe their eyes. It had to be a fluke, a mistake! There was no way we had split up during high school. But no matter how much they blinked and rubbed their eyes, it was true. I was isolated from Lucas and Maya.

"Riley? RILEY!?" Maya yells.

I snap out of my thoughts and hit the back of my chair. "Huh what who now!?"

"The bell rang." Maya points out. I looked around and saw that all the chairs were empty. I looked back up at Maya, who was standing right in front of me. Maya, who hasn't talked to me since the incident decides now to speak!? The only thing that I would get that was even remotely close to talking was a smile once in a while.

I mutter a quick thanks, gather my stuff, and leave the room without giving a second glance to Maya. If I had looked back, I would've seen a sad expression on her face.