Request:
Riley accidentally tells her fifth grade class that she’s in love with Farkle. However she doesn’t give names, but her class won’t stop asking questions about the guy she likes. And unfortunately Farkle is scheduled to come that day to talk to her class.
"Ms. Matthews?"
Riley looked up from the quiz she was grading.
A young girl with her blonde hair in a braid stared at her.
The class had been quiet during their reading time, and she knew that a guest speaker would be there to talk with them soon. Principal Harper hadn't said who the speaker was, but Riley liked to think she was prepared for anything.
"Yes, Ashley?" she asked.
It was Riley's idea to give the class reading time early. That way, they would be calm enough to respect the guest speaker.
"I have a question," Ashley said, holding a book in her hand.
Riley smiled at her.
"What's your question?" she asked.
"Why aren't you married?" Ashley asked.
Riley blushed, but she also knew how blunt children could be. At times, it was almost endearing. There was something about how the truth always came out when children spoke.
"Well," Riley said, "You know that book you're reading?"
Riley pointed to the bright green chapter book in the girl's hands. A princess in a bright pink dress stared at a green frog, sitting on top of a well.
Ashley nodded.
"You remember how the princess has to kiss a frog to turn him back?"
Ashley nodded again.
"So far, I have found a lot of frogs, but no princes," Riley told her.
Ashley laughed.
A boy with red hair, Billy, looked up from his book.
"My mom says you have to kiss all the frogs until you find a prince," Billy said.
Riley shook her head.
"That's not a good idea," she said, "Because then you'll just have a pile of frogs around you! Who wants that?"
The class laughed.
"So what would a prince be like to you?" Ashley asked her.
Riley felt a pang in her chest. She had once dreamed of finding a hero, but he wasn't what she thought he was. And by the time she noticed that her prince had been there all along, it was too late.
Still, as the class looked at her, waiting for an explanation, Riley found that she couldn't lie.
"Well," Riley said, placing her red pen on the desk- "to me a prince would be kind, smart and loving."
"But what would he look like?" Ashley asked.
Riley sighed. There would be no way around this. You could never satisfy a young, curious mind.
"He would be tall, with brown hair and blue eyes."
"What would he wear?"
Riley smiled.
"Orange," she said, "My prince would wear orange, and he would be from Mars."
"That's not possible!" Billy said, "How could he be from Mars?"
"My mom told me that all men are from there," A raven haired girl, Vivian replied, putting her chapter book down.
"Is he an alien?" Another boy with blonde hair, Steven asked.
Riley smiled at the sci-fi book he had in his hands.
By now the whole class had given up on their stories, and they were far more interested in hers.
She looked at the clock. When would the presentation start? Riley had not planned to speak of her love life in front of the entire class, and she couldn't even bear to think of what would happen if the principal heard this conversation.
"What would his name be?" Vivian asked
A knock came on the door.
Riley sighed in relief. She was saved.
Principal Harper walked in.
"Are you ready Ms. Matthews?" she said.
"Ready, Principal Harper," Riley said with a smile. She was more than ready at that point. Any more questions, and she would have been as red as the apple on her desk.
"Ms. Matthews," Principal Harper said. "Our guest speaker is here, and he's ready."
"Great," Riley said, hoping the Prince topic would die quickly.
"He'll need to use the projector," Principal Harper said, "Were you able to get it fixed?"
"Oh," Riley said, blushing. She had been so distracted with the class conversation, that she had forgotten.
"It should work," Riley said.
She got a stepping stool and placed it directly below the projector. As a class, they used it rarely, since Riley enjoyed teaching with chalk like her father did.
They used it so little in fact, that Riley had hung their solar system project right next to it. Vibrant styrofoam planets brushed against her as she turned the projector on.
"Maybe you should move that," Principal Harper said.
Riley laughed.
"Okay. You don't have to wait for me though, it's rude to keep a guest speaker waiting."
"If you're sure," Harper told her, but Riley didn't reply. She was very focused on pulling the hangar from one of the ceiling tiles next to the projector.
The door opened and Riley heard the class clap and cheer.
"It's a prince!" Vivian shouted.
Riley blushed. Apparently the topic wasn't over.
"Is she alright?" A male voice asked. The voice seemed familiar to her somehow.
Riley was too embarrassed to turn around, and the stubborn ceiling tile didn't want to budge.
"She's fine," Principal Harper said, "She just wanted to move that display for you."
"Well, I can help," the male voice said.
Riley's heart skipped a beat. She heard footsteps behind her.
"That's okay," Riley said, "I've almost got it."
She tugged on the hangar, and it finally broke free, but she lost her balance and her foot slipped on the stepping stool.
She would have fallen, were it not for the strong arms that caught her.
"Are you alright?" The now very familiar voice asked.
Riley slowly opened her eyes, and she was stunned to see bright blue eyes staring at her underneath creased eyebrows and short brown hair. She blinked and noticed the NASA name tag on his shoulder.
She was in the arms of Farkle Minkus.
The planets brushed against them as Riley realized she was still holding the planet display above her head. Pluto tickled her nose as Farkle brushed Mars aside.
"Riley?" he asked.
"Farkle?" Riley asked.
They stayed there, just staring, until Principal Harper cleared her throat.
"Ms. Matthews found her prince!" Ashley said.
"Prince?" Farkle asked.
Riley blushed and steadied herself, she pushed away from him.
"I'm sorry about that," Riley said, "We don't use the projector very much."
"Are you alright?" Farkle asked.
"Yes. Thank you, for catching me," Riley said with a blush.
"He's wearing orange," Billy said.
Billy was right. Farkle stood there, briefcase in hand, wearing a black suit with an orange buttoned shirt.
"Are you from Mars?" Steven asked.
Farkle laughed.
"No," he told the boy, "but I plan to go there someday. Are you guys ready to learn about space?"
The class cheered.
Riley put the stepping stool away and walked toward the corner of the blackboard.
Farkle set his bag down on her desk, along with his laptop.
Riley couldn't help but smile. Of course he would have the latest technology.
As Farkle opened the laptop, he turned to Riley,
"Do you mind if I..." he said, picking up her nametag.
"One second," Riley said.
She took the name tag, and found a black marker.
She flipped it over and wrote "Farkle" in big letters.
When she set it down on the desk, away from the computer, Farkle smiled at her.
"Thanks," he said.
Riley smiled back.
"Do you need anything?" Riley asked him.
"Could you close the blinds?" Farkle said, "For this to work, it needs to be dark."
Riley nodded and closed the blinds. Harper placed a piece of construction paper over the window on the door.
"Perfect," Farkle said.
Riley heard a click, and then the stars and the planets surrounded her.
The children gasped.
"Welcome to the universe," Farkle said, "We are just one speck in a thing called space. Who knows the name of the planets?
The kids raised their hands.
"How about you?" he asked Vivian. "What planet do you want to see up close?"
"Mars!" She said, "That's where Ms. Matthews' prince is."
Farkle glanced at Riley.
"It's a long story," Riley told him.
"Mars it is, then," Farkle said.
The stars zoomed in to a 3D map of Mars.
"It's beautiful!" Riley said, before she could stop herself.
"Thank you," Farkle said, "My team and I worked very hard on it."
"What's on Mars?" Steven asked, "Are there aliens?"
"Well, there might be," Farkle said with a wink. "You never know."
Riley watched him. Was he joking? Farkle had never been one to believe in things without proof.
"I think Ms. Matthews's prince lives at the very top," Ashley said.
Riley's cheeks burned. She was grateful for the darkness in the room. Farkle's eyes caught hers again.
"I think I need to hear this story," he said.
"You really don't," Riley replied with a nervous laugh.
"He'll be orange!" Steven said.
Farkle's brows furrowed again as he looked at Riley.
"Why orange?" He asked.
Riley laughed.
"It's a silly story," she said, "Didn't you want to show us Mars?"
Farkle pressed a button, zooming in on what appeared to be a lake placed in a crater.
"This is the Holden crater," Farkle said, "It's about a hundred forty kilometers wide. We believe it contains water, because a layer of it actually contains some type of clay."
"Martians must live under it to survive," Steven said, very seriously.
Riley smiled at him.
"Maybe so," Farkle said.
As Farkle showed the class different landmarks and places on Mars, Riley couldn't help noticing how his eyes shone with excitement. Science still fascinated him.
"Maybe we'll go there!" Billy said.
"Ms. Matthews wants to go to Mars!" Stephen said.
Farkle looked over at Riley. With the projection of Mars and the darkness surrounding her, Riley couldn't read his expression.
"Does she?" Farkle asked softly.
The room got quiet, as if everyone anticipated how important Riley's answer would be.
Farkle clicked a button, and Mars zoomed out again, a round red planet hovering above his head.
"Do you want to go to Mars, Riley?" Farkle asked.
She felt all eyes on her as Farkle stood up.
Principal Harper clicked the lights on, and Riley finally saw Farkle's expression.
His eyes were focused on her, eyebrows raised, and his lips were slightly parted.
She watched him take a step toward her.
"I've always wanted to go to Mars, Farkle," Riley said.
The bell rang, and the class hurried out the door excitedly. Principal Harper, Farkle and Riley stayed where they were.
"Farkle," Principal Harper said, "I'll have Riley escort you to the teacher's lounge for recess. Riley, I'll watch your class."
As Principal Harper walked out of the classroom, and the door closed, Riley and Farkle continued to stare at each other, not moving.
Finally, Riley broke the gaze, moving to open one of the blinds on the window behind her.
"Riley," Farkle said.
"Yes, Farkle?" Riley replied, facing the window.
"How long have you wanted to go to Mars?"
His question hung in the air between them, and she heard him step toward her. Her heart pounded as she replied.
"I don't know," Riley said, "A very long time, longer than I can remember."
"Riley," Farkle asked, "Why didn't you tell me?"
"Because you were trying to understand love. I didn't want to get in your way."
Farkle took another step toward her. She quickly walked to the other window and opened the blinds.
"You wouldn't have been in my way," Farkle said.
Riley looked around the room. She was running out of options to distract herself. She found the solar system display and walked toward it.
"Riley," Farkle said.
She stopped.
Farkle walked toward the desk, picked up the display and found one small planet tied to the string furthest from the sun. It was painted bright orange.
"What about Pluto?" He asked, "Do you still believe in it?"
"Well, it hasn't been considered to be a planet again."
"But you still have it, don't you?" Farkle asked.
Riley slowly met his eyes.
Farkle took the bright orange styrofoam ball and placed it in Riley's hand.
"Do you still believe in Pluto, Riley?" he asked, "or did you stop believing in things?"
Riley searched his eyes for an explanation. She thought back to the day she, Farkle, Maya and Lucas each placed a trinket in a time capsule. How had Farkle remembered what she said? After all those years?
"Do you believe in things, Farkle?" Riley asked, "Things that science can't explain?"
Farkle placed his hand over hers and he stepped forward.
"I do now," he said.
Farkle gently pulled Riley over to her desk.
Without explanation, he let go of her hand, shut the blinds for both windows, clicked the projector on and turned off the lights.
As Farkle walked over to Riley, the stars surrounded them, and they watched one small planet grow closer and closer until Riley recognized its appearance.
"Pluto will always be a planet to me," Farkle said.
Riley watched him, her heart racing.
She stepped toward him and he pulled her into a hug. As they stood there, Riley pulled back to look at Farkle again.
"I didn't know you were speaking to the class today," Riley said, "Do you think it's a coincidence?"
"I don't believe in coincidences anymore," Farkle told her, his gaze drawn to her lips.
Riley leaned forward and Farkle kissed her gently, the universe surrounding them.
When they broke apart, Riley saw a small red dot in the distance above Farkle's shoulder.
"I guess I found my prince after all," Riley told him with a smile, "The kids are going to love this story."
Last picture in aesthetic created by girlmeetsparkleyfarkley:
http://girlmeetsparkleyfarkley.tumblr.com/post/151028239825/it-was-through-all-these-little-moments-that
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