"Dude, you scared me," Ryan said, laughing a little. Sarah smiled sheepishly. "Sorry. So, what time did you want to meet at the library to work on the project?" she asked.

Ryan shrugged. "I was gonna walk there with my sister, so let me ask." Ryan turned around to see his sister standing at the lockers a few feet from where he was standing. "Hey, Riley," Riley turned to face him. "When were you guys gonna head down to the library?"

"Around five."

"Cool," Ryan turned around to Sarah, "Around five, I guess." Sarah smiled. "Works for me."

Ryan walked over to Riley and Maya who were talking with Lucas.

"Oh look at that, two thumbs up from Riley," Riley smiled, "And a smiley face."

Lucas walked away.

"Riley, why aren't you talking?" Ryan asked. Maya laughed. "Because Lucas was here and poor Riles can't talk to Lucas like a regular human being."

Riley pouted. "Stop making fun of me." Maya laughed again.

"I'm not making fun of you, Riles, I'm trying to help you understand that the way you're operating now is ridiculous."

Riley sighed. "I know."

--

The Matthews were sitting at the dining table, eating dinner.

"It was a good day, and then my friends treated me nicely, and then my teacher measured us, and then I'm growing. And Jenny Lewis loves me. I think because I'm growing." Auggie said. Ryan quietly laughed over his mashed potatoes. Five-year-olds were the cutest, weren't they?

Riley spoke after him, keeping the same tone but using it to complain about her day.

"It wasn't a good day, and then my friend pulled my hair out, and then my teacher took my phone, and then my teacher was also my father." Riley pointed to Cory, who just looked at her with an offended face.

"At least you're growing!" Auggie said, innocently. Ryan laughed and ruffled his little brother's hair.

Topanga smiled at her daughter. "Honey, please don't come apart, look at this as a beautiful opportunity to spend time with your family."

Everyone at the table smiled.

"Hello, Riley," Auggie said. "Hello, Riley," Ryan copied.

"How you doin'," She asked.

"You wanna hear about my day?" Auggie asked. Ryan smiled widely, "It was a good day," he continued, wanting to annoy Riley as much as possible.

"Mom!" Riley complained. Ryan laughed.

"Forgive her, boys, she just misses her telephone," Topanga consoled. Ryan rolled his eyes. He didn't miss his own phone too much, he was just annoyed at losing the option of having it with him.

"Well, then she can have mine," Auggie passed Riley his play phone.

Riley clicked a button on it. "The cow goes..." the toy said.

"Moo!" Ryan and Auggie chorused. Riley dropped the phone. "I'm not gonna make it!"

"That's what your father thinks," Topanga said. "She can't," Cory said. "Honey, please don't make your father right," Topanga pleaded, "It's no good for any of us if your father is right."

"Mood," Ryan laughed. "There you go with that phrase again! What does it mean!" Cory asked dramatically. "Like I know." Ryan laughed at his father's frustration.

"She's right," Cory said, pointing to Topanga, changing the subject.

"Why are you really doing this?" Riley asked. "Because I want you and your friends to become real human beings," Cory shrugged.

"Dad, I went over this in class," Ryan started. "I know, but I mean in real life. Be a person in real life, not on the internet."

"Riley, I believe by doing this, you guys can learn to become real human beings."

"Hey losers it's Maya," Maya's voice rang from the buzzer.

"Except her," Cory said, pointing to the buzzer.

"You know what?" Riley said, getting up from her seat. Ryan did not know what and indeed did not care. So instead of listening, he continued to shovel his dinner in his mouth.

"Because it's your father's job to give you little tests," Ryan heard after washing his dish. Ryan definitely believed it was his job as their teacher to give them tests, yes, but did not classify this project was one at all.

"And, maybe along the way, you guys are going to learn a little bit more about yourselves."

That was a nice sentiment to have. He was going to try and remember that one. The door opened with Maya apparently having heard this, and continuing the conversation.

"Yeah, like I learned that I'm actually really okay with all of this," Maya said, closing the door. Ryan lied down on the couch, grabbing a book off of the table. It was Simon vs. The Homosapien Agenda.

He was so absorbed in the book Maya had to pull him out of it by lifting the book from his hands.

"We're leaving." Ryan got up from the couch and grabbed his jacket before walking out the door.

--

When the group got there Ryan met Sarah on the front steps.

"Hey, you ready to go inside?" Ryan asked. Sarah nodded and they both walked in. The group had gone ahead of them so they were already inside.

When they got in, they had walked into a conversation Ryan wasn't sure he'd understand even if he was there for the beginning.

"... Do whatever it is you do with that," Maya said, sitting at a table. "You mean read?" Farkle asked.

"Chapter one," Farkle started, but Maya interrupted him. "Ugh, I'm bored out of my mind, let's go to a movie."

Ryan quietly walked around another shelf to avoid them. "How am I friends with such idiots?" Ryan asked himself. Sarah laughed as she grabbed a table.

"Have they ever been in a library before?" Sarah asked.

"I guess not! It's so weird, I come here all the time."

They laughed and Ryan took a seat.

"So..." Sarah began awkwardly, shifting in her seat, "how is this project supposed to work?"

Ryan shrugged. "I guess we're just meant to get to know each other, really. I mean, it's great that we don't already know each other so that we can do this project and not be repeating anything."

"I guess." Sarah shrugged. Ryan sat on one chair and put his legs over another one beside it so that he was effectively laying down.

"What are you doing?" Sarah laughed. Ryan looked at her, leaning his head over the edge of the chair to look at her upside down.

"Getting comfortable, what else?" he grinned.

"So, what's up?" he asked. Sarah laughed, "Not you."

He laughed. "So, what do people normally talk about in conversations when trying to get to know each other?" Sarah shrugged.

"I guess memories or hopes for the future?" she suggested. Ryan frowned. "Really? Boring, but go off, I guess." Sarah rolled her eyes.

"Are you sure you're using that phrase right?" Ryan shrugged as he sat up in one chair, crossing his legs on the chair. "Couldn't care less if I am or not, I'm trying to be annoying as possible. Is it working?" Ryan grinned. Sarah laughed again.

"Alright. I'll start, what do your parents do for a living?" Ryan asked. "That's... that's not you starting. That's you asking the question." Sarah said, confused.

Ryan shrugged. "I started the conversation didn't I?"

Sarah shook her head but answered anyway. "My dad's a director. I've never really asked what my mom does. What about you? What does your mom do, since I already know what your dad does."

"My mom's a lawyer, actually," Ryan said, smiling. "I'm planning on being one, too." Sarah smiled. "That's pretty cool. I don't know what I want to be, yet."

"Well, we have plenty of time." Ryan grinned.

"So, what's your favorite book?" Ryan asked. "The Fault in Our Stars would have to be mine."

"Why?"

"I just really liked the way that John Green wrote the relationship between the two main characters. It was also really funny at some points but really sad at the same time," Sarah explained.

"I've never read it," Ryan said. Sarah gasped. Ryan just looked at her weird.

"You should totally read it! It's really good, I can lend you a copy?" Ryan shook his head. "Nah, I mean, we're in a library, I can probably find it here."

"What's your favorite book?" Sarah asked him. Ryan smiled brightly.

"Simon vs. The Homosapien Agenda!"

"Ok, why?"

"It's gay, first of all, so it's automatically my favorite, I've already read it, like, twelve times."

So they sat there talking about gay shit for about an hour and a half. Sarah was bi too, who knew.