#zay x farkle

[imembarressedsohere]

Farkle and Zay Edit.

[incorrectgmw]

Zay: You know, don't take this the wrong way, but I feel like you've become a lot more fun since I've known you.

Farkle: Thanks. And if I may return the compliment, I think you've become marginally less annoying.

[doyelikehaggis]

It's not on your list, so I wanted to ask, is it okay to request something for Zay/Farkle?

Oh yeah, that’s totally fine!

[wandasbiatch]

ok sorry but how did farkle not get a reading 😹😹 like when zay said he would choose riley, lucas seem surprised thinking why zay would choose riley then sad that zay said “decision over, it’s riley” but when he brought up maya, he was like “what 😐😠” like he don’t wanna picture maya with zay 😹😹😹

DISCLAIMER : IM INTERPRETING IT THAT WAY LIKE YALL CAN INTERPRET IT THE OTHER WAY AROUND

[isaiahriley]

PAGES OUT OF THE AMBITION SCRAPBOOK (◠‿◠✿) [ click for better quality! ]

↳ happy holidays meg, from your secret santa​ 💌❄️🎁

[alphawolfice1989]

Girl meets world couples if there were a 4th season

lucas and riley

farkle and smackle

zay and maya

[girlmeetsworldismyeverything]

I’m so sorry I took this long, I just celebrated my birthday and now I’m about to go out of town, so I’ve been all over the place!  

I’ll have to politely disagree about him being a narcissist, only because I don’t think Michael specifically wrote him that way (although I understand why you say that). These characters have flaws, and I’m not trying to justify what josh did, but these kids came to him, they think since he’s older, he might have more experience with what they’re dealing with. And josh, trying to be the good guy he is (I promise he is lol), he helps them in the best way he knows how. Remember, he was around when Cory and Topanga were married, he’s heard the stories about Shawn as well, and he (like a lot of people), might see Maya as a mini-Shawn (which she’s not, at least not all of her).

And the most important part is that he’s not around. He only knows what’s going on based on what he’s being told. I’m sure if he was around more, he would’ve observed everything, and would’ve seen what actually was happening. Remember, he’s not unbiased, he has something with Maya, and that clouds his judgment. The only person who is the most unbiased (but still biased) is Zay. And isn’t it interesting that Zay seems to be the captain of Lucaya? Look at the smile when Lucas said hi to Maya in girl meets Texas part 3, and the Topanga’s scene when he’s watching Lucas and Maya’s first date. He literally says he thinks they like each other, especially when Maya is yelling at him “all the time”.

But I’m getting off track. The point of this was to just say to give josh a bit of grace. I know he did say those dumb things to Maya, but it was most definitely for storyline purposes. He had to say it, for the triangle to end with Lucas and Riley. That way, Lucas and Riley would finally date, Riley would realize that it’s not what she thought it would be and she and Lucas would find their way to their person (in this case, Farkle and Maya, respectively).

what do you think of the whole maya having «turned in to» riley thing?? do u think there is truth in that, or do you think she just changed on her own and people started implying that her growth was just the copycat effect of being around riley so much?? ive never really been sure what i think of that whole thing!?! i feel like it might be a mix of both, but that they were wayyyyy to dramamtic about her not being «herself» anymore, like people change, thats what we do, it doesn’t always mean we have «lost ourselves» like they told maya she had. what do you think? 💖💖💖💖💖

Hello! Thank you for sending this, because there’s a lot to be said, so let’s get into it! 

 

To answer your question, it’s a mixture of yes and no. The reason why I say yes is because, if you can, rewatch girl meets world of terror 2. The scene where riley and maya empty their brains (that whole animation scene), it really tells a lot without explicitly saying it. Maya’s head was full of rileys, “don’t do this” “be like me”, and whatever else she said (it’s been a while since I’ve seen it). But that is why I say yes. This triangle situation was really taking an emotional toll on Maya, and she needed someone to just give her a little nudge back to who she was after girl meets hurricane. She just needs someone to restore the hope in her, and the hope that everything would turn out how it was supposed to. However, the only person who could do that (*cough* Lucas *cough*) was off figuring out his own feelings and he wasn’t able to see Maya’s crisis in time. By the time he realized what was happening, Maya was back in Mayaville and she wouldn’t listen to him, hence why she stepped back from him in girl meets true maya. The only person who was around was Riley and even though it was unintentional on her part, she pushed Maya back into who she’s always seen, which is a Maya who is upset with herself because she thinks she’s the reason why her father left, someone who didn’t have hope, and that’s not who Maya was anymore. Riley couldn’t see that because she wasn’t in a place where she could actually see that she and Lucas weren’t the end all, be all. That there was a chance that Lucas and Maya had something real, and that the feelings she thought she had for Lucas were actually for someone else (can you guess who? Lol).

The reason why I say no is because in girl meets triangle, when maya’s crisis is in full effect, she’s still thinking about the decision that has to be made and that they need to include Lucas because he’s a part of it. However, Riley doesn’t want to hear it because she’s not ready. I fully believe that the triangle dragged as long as it did because Riley wasn’t ready, Maya wanted to make sure Riley was happy, and Lucas didn’t want to hurt either of the girls, plus he was still figuring out his feelings for each of them. Like I said before, Maya was emotionally stuck, because she was worried about Riley, while also trying to deal with her deep feelings for Lucas. I don’t know if she realized how deep her feelings actually were, but we all could see that her feelings were very different from Riley’s. So, she was going through all of that, and trying to hang on to the hope she got since the middle-to end of season 2. That’s a lot to go through emotionally, so she did go a bit into rileytown, her hair and outfits say so. But she wasn’t as far in as Riley thinks she was. She never “became riley”, she was still very herself, just with hope and confidence (plus a new wardrobe, curtesy of Shawn). 

Michael Jacobs called season 3 the “season of feelings”. Seasons 1 and 2 were friendship and growth. Riley and Maya’s friendship wouldn’t have survived if Lucas and Maya got together before Riley was ready. Like Cory said, “feelings can tear apart friendship and growth”. At the end of the day, girl meets world was about Riley, Maya, and their friendship. Since Riley wasn’t near the level of growth Maya was at, it was unfortunately Maya’s growth that had to be diminished to save the friendship. But the best part about growth is that it can be restored, which we started to see in girl meets IDo. And who helped lead Maya down that path again? The same person who helped her gain hope, and if we would’ve gotten our season 4, we would’ve continued to see that growth. 

Also, if you realized it, Riley did start to grow during the back half of season 3. Because after ski lodge, what happened with Riley and Lucas�� relationship? Barely anything right? That’s because as Michael Jacobs said, in ski lodge part 2, the characters made the “wrong decisions”. That means that by Lucas choosing Riley, he made the wrong decision. Now how would we know how a character makes the right decision, look at girl meets goodbye. When Topanga was trying to figure out what to do about London, Eric told her to find her quiet place, which turned out to be Topanga’s. She sat there and made the right decision, which was to stay. Now, another character also sat in a quiet place to think about a decision. Can you guess who it was? 

Lucas! 

In girl meets upstate, he went to the bay window to wait for the girls to tell them his decision, and he sat there for quote “5 hours”. Who did he decide on? We never got to find out because maya didn’t give him the chance to, but given the context, the answer was Maya. Topanga was able to say what her decision was, Lucas didn’t, and in turn he wasn’t given the chance to say the right decision (Maya) and therefore made the wrong decision (Riley). 

Now getting back to what I had said earlier, in the back half of season 3, Riley and Lucas barely interacted. That was because (and remember, this is just based on my observation), since Lucas and Riley had pushed one another to the level of growth that they could, they couldn’t help each other anymore. They needed other people (Maya and Farkle respectively), to push them further. Riley didn’t realize it yet, but she was starting to outgrow Lucas and if we got our fourth season, we would’ve seen Riley realize that Lucas wasn’t who she made him to be, and she then would’ve looked back at everything and seen that while her intentions were good, she was wrong about a lot, and from there, would’ve been on her own journey of growth. 

I know this post got out of hand, but there is a lot of complexity to these characters. But I hope this helped answer your question, and please feel free to ask me again, if you need clarification on anything I’ve said!

[will80sbyers]

I love Maya x Lucas and Riley x Farkle as the main pairings but also Maya x Zay would have been really cool and even Lucas x Smackle and obviously Rilaya endgame would have been amazing... all the pairings work so great except for the ones on the show 💀

[budgiesunset]

•Welcome•

Hi please call me Budgie,

I love writing. I mainly post X reader stories. Also for privacy reasons I’m not going to be showing my face or saying my name hope you understand but I did find this picture that sort of looks like me which is my profile picture. And I will be going by the name Budgie since it is apart of my username. My favorite color is yellow and I am learning Spanish at the moment. I have two pets a Jack Russell called Luna, a German Short Haired Pointer (GSP) called Milo and a Budgie called Rio. My favorite subject is Science and my favorite book series is School For Good And Evil which has come out with a movie on Netflix BUT my favorite movie franchise is Fast and Furious and a close second and third is Lord Of The Rings and The Hunger Games.

Requests Open

•Who I Write For• -Avatar (mainly way of water)

>Lo’ak >Neteyam >Spider >Kiri >Anuong >Sully!Reader

-Fast and furious

>Torreto!Reader >Vince >Brian >Dom >O’Conner!Reader >Roman

-Narnia

>Pevensie!Reader >Caspin >Edmund >Peter >Susan >Lucy

-Anne with an e

>Gilbert >Jerry >Cuthbert!Reader >Billy >Moody

-Marvle

>Wanda >Nat >Clint >Thor >Peter >Pietro >Stark!Reader >Barton!Reader >Parker!Reader >Romanoff!Reader >Maxinoff!Reader >Marvle Cast

-The hunger games

>Finnick >Peter >Katnis >Everdeen!Reader >Malark!Reader >Gale

-Lord of the rings / the hobbit/Rings of Power

>Aragon >Legolas >Elf!Reader >Theo >Galadriel

-Maze Runner

>Newt >Thomas >Minho >Gally >Frypan >Winston >Aris >Chuck >Brenda >Harriet >Sonya

-Wednesday

>Wednesday >Enid >Xavier >Tyler >Ajax >Addams!Reader

-Mighty ducks

>Adam >Charlie >Avermen >Guy >Rick >Connie >Julie >Luis >Dean >Fulton >Kenny >Dwayne >Bombay!Reader >Conway!Reader

-The sandlot

>Benny >Yeah-Yeah >Phillips >Kenny >Phillips!Sister >Yeah-Yeahs!sister

-Bondi Rescue (aka best show of all time)

>Any of the life guards >Child!Reader

-Willow 2022 series

>Elora >Jade >Kit >Boorman >Graydon >Airk >Danen!Reader >Tabthalos!Reader

-Harry Potter

>Ron >Bill >Fred >George >Charlie >Ginny >Herminone >Harry >Mattheo >Luna >Seamus >Oliver >Black!Reader >Malfoy!Reader >Granger!Reader >Riddle!Reader >Potter!Reader >Weasley!Reader >Lovegood!Reader

-Surviving Summer

>Baxter >Bodhi (Fem!reader) >Ari >Marlon >Griff. >Torres!reader. >Gibson!reader. >Sousa!reader. >Tetanui!reader. >Mecer!reader. >Radic!reader

-Girl meets world

>Lucas. >Farkle. >Zay. >Maya. >Riley. >Smackle. >Josh

•What I will write•

-Fluff. -Fem!Reader. -GN!Reader. -Angst. -Sister!Reader. -Daughter!Reader. -Child!Reader

•What I won’t write•

-Smut or anything NSFW. -Abuse of any kind. -Anything Racist or Homophobic. -Yandere. -Male!Reader (If there is a request involving this I must politely decline sorry)

And if you have a request for a character or fandom not on this list don’t be scared to ask.

[iamfarfromvibingrightnow]

Saw you love talking ships. Into any GMW fanfictions?

MY FIRST ASK!

It may seem odd but this is a big deal for me so thank you :D

Yes I adore talking ships. I see you're a rilaya enjoyer and I feel the need to express that they were basically canon (I'm also a zay x farkle fanatic which I know may seem odd but I have no shame)

my experience with both gmw and fanfic is that I'll go through phases where I fall into a DEEP obsession with each which lasts about a month. The problem is that both these phases never seem to happen at the same time so I never did get into the world of gmw fanfic. HOWEVER now that I have discovered you I feel my obsession returning at the same time that I am currently in my fanfic phase, so if you have recs it would be much appreciated!

[ambitionsource]

okokok coming in w my 409 thoughts now since i finished at like 3am last night so i'm definitely forgetting some stuff but my fave bits off the top of my head:

i think i started hitting a pillow when i read "dear john performed by farkle minkus" because OHHHH MY GOD THERE WAS NO BETTER OPTION NONE AT ALL NONE AT ALL...i see it in my head farkle would eat that shit up

rl domesticity!! lucas communicating!! i prayed for times like these!!!!! also that cliffhanger....WOOF

nigel vanessa being an unexpected duo but was sorely needed like just looking at their personalities on paper and their insecurities etc etc it fit SO good!! also vanessa finally losing it and being able to get those words out to her parents was so cathartic to read like "i'm a failure but i was yours first" ATE

isa cannot catch a break pls give them a break im begging they have not had peace in so long

CHARLIE AND ZAY PERFORMANCE!!! i always love a good charlie zay performance because its just so good every time...i still get chills thinking abt the rewrite the stars sequence from a few seasons ago idkidk

!!!! so excited for the next episode, thank u for all u guys do!!!

i'm SOOO glad you enjoyed the ep my friend!! thank you for taking the time to come back and share some stray thoughts with us.

the performances this ep were definitely some long-time coming moments (DJ is my favorite tswift song of all time so i had been Waiting to drop that one, especially since farkle is no shade my favorite Performer in the series -- when he's bouta drop something, you know its gonna Hit essentially). and zc... can you believe its actually been so long since they were allowed to sing together? it boggles the mind. (and they haven't danced together as a performance since rewrite the stars, speaking of, but we won't talk about that lest it make both of us lose it completely -- but rest assured you're not alone in the ambition warrior verse of still thinking about that performance)

and yes to nigel and vanessa!! getting to explore both of their arcs this season has been very fun, both from the angle of a character we knew already and liked but not quite in depth (and not with all the flaws we come to see as he struggles to adjust) and from a character where we knew perhaps ONLY the flaws (from her feisty interactions in s3) and then got to peel back the layers over the season. they've both had their lows, and it's very meaningful to us that y'all trust us to take the journey and not immediately jump down their throats for being imperfect (basically, thank god no one on twitter -- or x, whatever it is now -- knows about ambition ahahhfsfskdg)

you are SO welcome, thank YOU for reading, and buckle your seatbelt for 410 because it's gonna be... an experience. xx

-- Maggie

[incorrectgmw]

Zay: Why are you always correcting me?

Farkle: Because you're consistently wrong.

[girlmeetsincorrectquotes]

Zay, texting Farkle: I’m a theif.

Farkle: Thief?

Zay: Theif.

Farkle: I before e, except after c.

Zay: Thceif.

Farkle: No.

[isaiahriley]

AMBITION + raw lines

Happy holidays @quincywillows from your Secret Santa! ✨💞 Thank you for using your authorial talent to write this silly little show that tickles my brain in all the right places. 🥰🥰 I hope I was able to do your beautiful words justice, and make them come to life. I LOVE YA, BUB!!!!!!!!!! ❣️❣️❣️❣️❣️

[fanficsbykay]

Seven Days

Summary: The Clique's Six annual reunion is coming up and so are a lot of secrets and changes. Can one week bring friends closer together, or further apart? Find out in Seven Days, based on the Mary J Blige song. Rucas Centric. Joshaya; Smarkle;

Word Count: 2,190 

Chapter 1:  A Friend of Mine

MONDAY

She tossed the thin dark purple cardigan on and listened to Maya rant about the inconvenience of their impromptu reunion. Riley giggled as Maya waved off a euphemism about Farkle and Isadora flying in late that evening. Riley grabbed her keys and shuffled Maya towards the front door. Maya groaned and leaned back into Riley’s arms purposely making it hard for the bubbly brunette to move her. 

“Maya,” Riley chastised and the blonde smirked. 

“Oh come on Riles, do we really need to go get party supplies? It's just us six!” Maya groaned. 

“Maya it's been a year since all six of us were together! Aren’t you excited to see our friends?” Riley pouted. 

“Yeah, I guess,” Maya said and rolled her eyes. 

Riley knew it was a front, and that Maya was just as excited as she was. Despite being close the clique six had spread out across the continent for college. Maya and Riley stayed true, and both got into NYU. While Riley went to Steinhardt for English Education, Maya found her calling at Tisch for Collaborative Art. Although in different programs, they became roommates in a cramped two-bedroom, a gift from their parents. Their friendship never wavered and if anything it got stronger over the last few years. As their junior year ended they wanted to celebrate with their best friends. In just mere months they would be college seniors, and then off to more school or careers. 

“Farkle got us a suite,” Riley teased and Maya grinned. 

“A suite? Okay, Minkus, guess that business degree is working after all,” Maya mused and stood up straight. 

As the girls found their place at NYU, Farkle and Isadora found their place at Stanford University. Although Princeton University was their goal, they both realized the move across the country would do them good. It was no surprise that both of them had done well successfully that they were graduating before their friends. Farkle in the fall will be attending Stanford Graduate School of Business and Isadora will start her Ph.D. program in Neuroscience. Another reason for their motley crew of friends to come together. 

“It's more like a graduation gift from his parents,” Riley said and led Maya out of their apartment. 

“I can't believe those two geniuses are already going to their second degrees, I barely think I am going to make it out of my bachelor’s,” Maya groaned as Riley locked the door. 

The two linked their arms together and Riley giggled. 

“Maya you're doing great in school, As and Bs,” Riley exclaimed. 

“It's only because I am actually interested in school now, why couldn't we just jump to college?” Maya asked as they walked down the stairs. 

“That's not how life works,” Riley said as they left the apartment building. 

Loud city noises blare down the streets and the crowds shuffled through masses of New Yorkers. Both girls leaped into the mass and followed the flow down the street. 

“I hope Party City isn't crowded,” Maya said as Riley smiled brightly. 

A benefit of having an apartment in Union Square was that everything was close by to them. They could pop in, get some supplies and grab lunch all within walking distance. 

“I doubt it, no major holidays, just some graduations in a few weeks,” Riley said. 

“So … we talked about Smarkle, is there a particular someone you would like to talk about before we see them?” Maya teased. 

“Zay? I heard he might double major,” Riley shrugged. 

“What is he? Can he?” Maya asked as Riley nodded. 

“I mean he is a dance major, maybe he wants to do something in that field but more,” Riley said. 

“Sounds like a lot,” Maya mused. 

“I know but it's Zay, and Duke is letting him do it, why not take advantage?” Riley said 

Zay’s college choice was a surprise to all of them. They knew Zay was eclectic and loved to do different things, but they all assumed he would go back to Texas. He threw them for a loop when he decided to go to Duke University in North Carolina for Dance. They knew he liked ballet but didn't think he would take it on as a major. 

“Wait! You deflected! You know who I was talking about Riles. A certain cowboy down in Texas,” Maya teased. 

Lucas. 

Lucas’s choice was no surprise to Riley, she knew what he was interested in since they were in the seventh grade. So when he announced he was going to Texas A&M Riley was excited for him no matter what. They decided it was in their best interest to break up and stay as friends. Allowing one another to explore these new waters without being weighed down by a significant other. However, it didn't matter to Riley as she never found anyone to match Lucas on any level. Sure she went on dates and flirted around, but nothing was serious. No one was able to make her feel like he did. 

“Lucas?” Riley asked. 

“You said Huckleberry’s name, that's a big step for you,” Maya said with a grin. 

“I always say his name, it's you who insist on these nicknames, Maya we’re twenty-one now. Don't you think it would be a good time to drop the nicknames?” Riley asked. 

“What and miss out on annoying moral compass, do you know me Riles?” Maya fake gasped and Riley chuckled. 

“Yes I do, and to answer your question, there’s nothing to talk about, Lucas and I are friends, with the exception of Smarkle, we are all friends,” Riley said and directed Maya into Party City. 

“You two were always more than just friends,” Maya said as Riley dragged her towards balloons. 

“Why are we getting party supplies again?” Maya groaned. 

“Well while we are just becoming seniors, Farkle and Izzy are graduating. I thought it would be nice to have something like a little congratulations thing during our reunion,” Riley said as she perused gold and silver balloons. 

“Do we have to get gifts?” Maya asked. 

“I’m getting them cards, and I got them each something small, just a congrats thing. You don't have to, you know how I feel about gift-giving,” Riley said with a smile. 

“You love it you fruit loop, I guess I’ll look for something here,” Maya sighed and followed Riley down the aisles. 

As the girls scoured the store for supplies, they kept the conversation light about their friends. Catching one another up on information to prepare for the annual reunion. Maya laughed as she picked up small party favors and found two keychains for her friends. 

“Look one for each of them, the dollar sign for Farkle, and the brain for Izzy,” Maya said as she jingled them. 

Riley playfully rolled her eyes and smiled at her best friend. However, she knew the two would love Maya’s gift and treasure it because that is what friends do. 

“I have a special order to pick up,” Riley said as she walked towards the counter. 

“Special? Oh, Riles, what did you do?” Maya asked as Riley talked to the cashier. 

Riley emptied her basket of balloons, candy, and streamers. She smiled as the cashier revealed a bag with Stanford University decorations. 

“Of course,” Maya said. 

“It's going to be so much fun,” Riley said as the cashier rang up her things. 

“Fruit Loop, look I am going to the other cashier to pay for this, don't get any more supplies,” Maya chastised as she walked away. 

Riley playfully rolled her eyes once more and smiled as the Cashier scanned the items. Riley’s eyes caught a glimmer of gold and she saw a gaudy gold plastic necklace with a horseshoe. She bit her bottom lip in complementation and took the plunge. 

“Could I get that too?” Riley said as she pointed to the necklace. 

The cashier rang it up and gave her the total. Riley swiped her card with no hesitation and smiled as she was handed the bags. Maya had sauntered over with her small bag and raised her eyebrows. 

“Got everything?” Maya asked as Riley nodded. 

Riley sat at her desk as she edited her final paper for class. One click and she would officially be done with her junior year. However, she couldn't stop herself from continuously changing the ending. Something felt off, and she didn't know what it was. She glanced at the clock and saw it was well past 11:00 PM, and she was exhausted. She rubbed her eyes and stifled a yawn. 

Her phone vibrated and she glanced at it. It was a text but who it was, surprised her. She didn't know why he would text her so late but he had to have a reason. Sure they chatted outside the group chat but it was mundane, and not so late. 

Lucas: Hey you up?

Riley: Unfortunately, is everything ok?

Lucas: Yeah can I call?

Riley hesitated but ultimately confirmed that he could. Before she knew it, her phone was ringing in her hands. As she took a deep breath she picked up the call. 

“Hey,” She whispered.

“Hey,” Lucas responded. 

“Hey,” She repeated. 

“I thought we grew out of that,” He chuckled. 

“I thought so too,” Riley said as she leaned back in her seat. 

“Sorry to call so late it's almost midnight over there right?” He asked. 

“Yeah but it's fine I was up, I was working on my final paper,” Riley said as she scrolled through the document. 

“Riley Matthews hasn’t finished her homework, oh no the world is ending,” He joked. 

“Oh stop it, I have till tomorrow midnight to submit it but I wanted it done before … the reunion,” Riley said. 

“That's the Riley I know, am I interrupting? Do you want to finish it?” Lucas asked as he cleared his throat. 

Riley paused and leaned back in her chair. A part of her did want to finish the paper, but the other part of her wanted to know why he called, especially this late. 

“I think my brain is fried, I know something is wrong, I just can't put my finger on it, I can talk. What's up?” Riley said as she tried to make her voice sound light. 

“I kind of wanted to hear your voice,” Lucas said, his voice deepening. 

“My voice?” Riley questioned. 

“Yeah … I just needed to hear it. Talking to you has always been easy Riley, and I thought I would call one of my best friends,” Lucas said. 

Riley could tell something was wrong, but just like her paper, she couldn't put her finger on it. She twirled some hair around her finger and listened to him. 

“What did you want to talk about? Tomorrow?” Riley asked. 

“I’m excited to come home,” Lucas said and Riley could feel her heart race slightly. 

“Texas isn't home?” Riley asked. 

“No it isn't, not when everything I love is back in New York,” Lucas said 

“Like your friends,” Riley said. 

“Yeah but a particular one in mind. Plus I wouldn't feel so lost, and I think … I need to be found” Lucas said his voice lofty and Riley bit her lip. 

“Are you okay Lucas, you sound … off,” Riley asked as he chuckled. 

“You definitely know me the best, yeah I’m good, I had a drink and I think … it's getting to me. Don't mind me, I’m sorry for interrupting. Goodnight Riley,” Lucas said and hung up the call before Riley could say anything. 

Riley looked at the phone puzzled at what just happened. She thought about waking Maya but she decided against it. Instead, she crafted a long but well-intended text to the Texan. She needed him to know she wasn't judging him and that she was there for him. 

Riley: Hey, you sounded off. I know you said you drank but, it didn't seem like that was what was going on? You know you can talk to me always if you want to call back we can talk about what's bothering you. I hope you're okay Lucas, I’m always here for you. 

Riley sent the message and returned to her paper. She glanced at her phone every few seconds and waited to hear it vibrate back but it didn't. She sighed and started to type up her conclusion, so she could finally finish her paper. As she saved the document and uploaded it to her college portal, she checked her phone. Still nothing. As she submitted the paper, she got up from her seat and went to the bathroom to do her bedtime routine. 

Lucas crossed her mind with each task, and she wondered if tomorrow it would be easier to talk. She hoped all was alright, and she wished he would have told her what's wrong. As she finished her routine she bounded for her room. She flicked her light off and crawled into bed exhausted from the day. She grabbed her phone to plug it in to charge when she saw a new alert. She swiped through to see a response from Lucas.

Lucas: I love you. 

[gryffinwall]

So, how do Riley & Farkle get together?

I was asked quite some time ago to talk about how I thought Riley and Farkle would come together. I’ve thought about this a lot since then, and while I’m not 100% happy with my answer, I felt it was high time to give it to you.

First things first, Lucas and Riley need to realize they are not a good romantic match. The show caught a lot of flack for its alleged “bad writing,” and some of that criticism came from the lack of interaction between Riley and Lucas as a couple. If you’ve read anything else on this blog before, you would know I don’t buy into that theory for a second. Them not acting like they’re together and their anti-chemistry was completely, totally done on purpose. Yes, they liked each other, but as I’ve talked about before, neither saw their relationship for what it really was, and it checks out that they’d eventually realize they’re better off as friends.

After that, Smackle and Farkle need to break up as well. And if I’m being honest with you, this is the part that’s tripped me up for a long time. I wanted to break them up in a way that felt in line with the show while also hitting a natural ending for their relationship arc. And while this post is mainly about the Riarkle ship, it makes sense that Smarkle could end with both realizing they feel something for somebody else*.

For Smackle and Farkle, a big component of their relationship was helping each other grow. He helped her understand emotions and social cues, and in return, she helped him elevate his academic game. But after a while, there was bound to be a natural conclusion for these two. Considering Farkle himself doesn’t have the best understanding of feelings, there’s only so much he could do to help her grow. And as much as he’s always appreciated Smackle for inspiring him to be his best, that dynamic could still exist without a romantic aspect attached to it.

In other words, it checks out that they would both outgrow their relationship at some point. In fact, it would be surprising if they didn’t outgrow their eighth-grade relationship at some point (we can’t all be Cory & Topanga!).

So, Riley and Lucas break up because they realize they work better as friends. Smackle and Farkle break up because they realize they’ve outgrown their relationship — and have both felt sparks with other people. How do Riley and Farkle come together?

If it were me in charge, I would have them start spending more and more time together. There’s a bit of a parallel between Rucas and Smarkle — to an extent, they both realized their relationships sounded better on paper than it ended up being in reality. (It’s a bit more nuanced than that, but there are definitely some similarities. In my head, Farkle has a bit of a brain meltdown when he hears about Lucas and Riley ending their relationship. He’d have a bit of trouble comprehending something that makes logical sense not working out because of feelings, but he’d also have a bit of a lightbulb moment when thinking about his own relationship).

After some Lucaya-circa-S2-esque moments (i.e., flirting), Riley would be the first one to voice her feelings, even if it’s only to Maya. And because it’s her show, I really want Riley to have her moment. As much as she deserves the Big Romantic Gesture, I want Riley to be the one who tells Farkle how she feels first, and I want her to instigate the first kiss.

Annnnnd because I’m a cheesy sap, I've always imagined their first date being basically a direct parallel of GM First Date. Lucas and Maya would be each other’s “dates,” and our Riarkle dorks would do the goofy slo-mo run — to each other for real. I also have this very clear vision of Riley stumbling on the subway (because of course!), but Farkle catches her before she actually falls. He’s got her. :)

*I should probably mention here that the person Smackle starts feeling this for is Zay. But you probably knew that.