~Farkle~
I'm currently in Riley's room, sitting at her bay window. She's laying next to me and she's all curled up. Her head's resting on my lap so I've been stroking her hair for the past few minutes while we talk. As the week went on, Maya continued to sit with us at lunch and we all seemed closer now because of it. The talk of the school this week was all about how Missy and Lucas broke up and it was currently the topic of our conversation.

"Maybe Maya has a chance with him now." More like maybe Lucas has a chance with Maya.

I frown at Riley's statement and speak my mind. "Do you really want her to have that chance?"

"Why wouldn't I?" She shifts around so she's in a position where she can look up at me with ease. Her knees are bent facing the ceiling as she lays on her back, her head still on my lap.

I look down at her and answer her question honestly. "I think you're forgetting what kind of guy he is. Maya deserves better, don't you think?"

"We don't know how they act around each other, Farkle." She sits up and tucks her hair behind her ear. "Maybe Lucas is perfect for her, maybe he makes her laugh. They might even make a cute couple in their own unique little way. The fact is, we don't know much about either of them. All we know is that Maya wants Lucas, whether she's willing to admit it or not and I'm gonna help her get him. It's the least I can do after everything she's done for me."

"So is that girl code or something?" I ask.

"Think of it like this," she begins to explain, "would you still like me even if everyone was telling you not to because they thought you could do better?"

"Of course, I'd defy the universe just to get you to notice me if I had to because I know I couldn't do better even if I tried."

"And you'd probably take a strong disliking to anyone who got in your way and doubted what you were feeling, right?"

"Probably." I nod.

"Exactly. So could you please put whatever differences you have with Lucas aside and help me help Maya? Please? You don't want to get in her way."

I was about to answer when I heard someone coming up the fire escape.

"Hey-" I turn around to see Maya peaking through the window, "oh, whoa, umm, what?" I don't think she was expecting me to be here.

"Hi," I greet with a smile.

She shakes her head as she crawls through the window, "no. Not hi. Why are you here?"

"I'm here to see Riley." I simply state.

"He came here because he wanted to see me." Riley repeats, failing at the attempt of holding back a grin.

"Yeah, okay, that's cute," Maya then turns to me, "why are you here? At the bay window," she elaborates. "Couldn't you find anywhere else to sit?"

I lean back, "I like it here, my back against the window, fresh air blowing in bringing along with it a human being named Maya."

Her facial expression doesn't change as she lets out a sarcastic "ha," which causes Riley to chuckle. "Maya what's your problem?" She asks.

"Einstein. Einstein's my problem." She says, like it was obvious then glares at me. "This is mine and Riley's spot."

"Oh, okay." I quickly glance at Riley and she shrugs. "Since when?" I ask Maya.

"Since does it matter when? Scoot. Skedaddle." She shoos me away but I don't budge.

"Are you jealous?" Riley laughs.

"Hell yeah I'm jealous!" Maya nods, raising her voice slightly before lowering it again when she continues. "This spot marked a cute milestone in our friendship and Smarty McFarkly comes along and sits here, in between us, in our spot, like its no big deal."

"Smarty McFarkly?" Riley questions with raised eyebrows and I smirk, making Maya roll her eyes.

"Ok, I know, I'm not myself today."

"Yeah, what's up?" I ask.

"Nothing you need to worry about," she gives me a small smile then points at Riley. "You on the other hand, I need advice."

I furrow my brows, "why can't I help?"

"I don't think you'd want to," she answers.

"Why not?"

"Farkle." Riley warns and I raise my eyebrows then nod in understanding.

"Got it," I say, standing up to leave the room and Maya utters a grateful thanks.

~Riley~
"Why were you annoyed with him?" I ask, referring to Farkle.

"The bay window's our thing." She answers with a pout.

"Maya, he's my boyfriend." I say with a smile.

"So?"

"I acknowledge the fact that the bay window's our thing and I love it." I genuinely do because I now not only have a best friend, but I've also created a little 'tradition' with her.

"Yay!" She exclaims.

"But-"

"Don't finish that sentence," she sternly points her finger at me.

"But," I proceed, "you have to learn to share." I joke.

She narrows her eyes and shakes her head, not appreciating my joke. "I don't need to share you. I'm not some sort of third wheel on this bicycle of luuuhv that you've got going on with Farkle. It's not a tricycle."

"Oh it's not?"

"I'm more like a bike pump, you know," she negotiates, "I'm not part of the bike itself but you need me. Because let's face it, without me to stop you guys, everyone everywhere would be vomiting at all your smoochy woochy, lovey dovey, bleh bleh." She dramatically pretends she's throwing up.

"We're not smoochy woochy, lovey dovey, bleh bleh." I retort, imitating her actions.

"Whatever. I'm the bike pump not the third wheel." She begins to ramble, "idiot, drunk Maya helped you guys get your flat-tired bicycle of love going, sober Maya will always be there for you when you need her to pump up your wheel and-"

"You're stalling." I interrupt, understanding what she's been doing this whole time.

"What?"

"You came here to get advice." I remind her. "You're not asking for any advice, you're just coming up with clever analogies."

"It is a clever analogy isn't it? I'm actually quite proud of i-"

"Stop stalling!" I tell her.

"Stop yelling!" She replies. I struggle to hold back my laughter to look at her seriously so she would tell me what was wrong- even though I think I already know. She understands that I'm attempting to be serious now and after a moment's silence she sighs, looking at her feet as she speaks. "I can't decide if I should-"

"Go." I interrupt her and she looks up at me confused. "You can't decide if you should go and see Lucas right?" I confidently ask.

"No. Pfft I was going to say I can't decide if I should go see this friend of mine, well, no, still an acquaintance if we're being technical. But this said acquaintance is going through a break up right now and I feel like I should," she pauses, and let's out a defeated sigh, knowing that she's failed to fool me, "yeah it was Lucas."

"Go." I repeat.

"Right," she clumsily stands up- which was completely out of character. "Ok. But I'm just going there to tease him about the break up," she sits back down and tries to justify her reason for going there, "I'm not going to, like, talk to him or even enter his house-"

"Are you nervous?" I frown.

"No!" She answers in a heartbeat.

"Then go ya buffoon!" I say, laughing.

"Ok ok," she gets up again, "Farkle you can open the door now." She says but I don't think he'll hear her.

"I'm not at the door," he replies. To my surprise, the voice was nearer than I thought it would be and I turn to Maya.

"He was listening?" I stupidly ask and Maya rolls her eyes and walks towards the door.

"He didn't fully close the door, of course he was listening," she tells me as she opens the door and Farkle comes stumbling in, he was obviously leaning against it before Maya had opened it.

"The stairs. Pretty tiring stuff huh?" He asks, panting and pretending to be out of breath.

Maya and I look at each other and smile, she turns to Farkle with a sarcastic "sure" before walking back to the window.

"Tell me all about it?" I ask before she leaves and she gives me a small smile.

"There won't be anything to tell," she says and crawls out.