Keep It A Secret
Riley puts the finishing touches on her mascara and lip gloss, thinking about the day ahead of her. An interview with the band, some time to catch up with Farkle, and then the concert. It was going to be a long day, but Riley was glad for that. Hopefully it would put the night before out of everyone's head.
She joins the band in the room where they would be waiting; they still has another half hour before their interview started, so they were all sitting around the screen, watching the show that was going on before them. It was mostly demonstrations on products the show was advertising, and interaction win the audience about recent events.
"You know," Zay says, the only one not done primping - all he had to do was his hair, and yet, it took him longer than any of the three girls to 'find his perfection,' as he called it, "I don't see what's so entertaining about watching a bunch of people give their opinions of things that don't even affect them.
Maya ponders for a moment, then gets up stands beside him at the mirror. "Everybody wants to feel like they matter, even if they don't."
"Well, I do," Zay says, turning to her and smirking. She rolls her eyes, about to say something when the door opens, entering a brunette woman dressed in slacks and a blazer. Maya gives him a look, as if to say, you win this round.
"You're on in five," the girl say. Maya gives her a thumbs up and they all make their way to the stage door. This would be Riley's third interview, and yet, she was still nervous as heck. She could get used to the music and the hotel rooms and the traveling, but she doesn't know if she'll ever get used to the hordes of fans and the interviews in front of thousands of people.
The interview starts and it's going pretty great; they're fielding questions about the tour, the concert that night, about their relationship with the fans, and upcoming music. Then, the question that all celebrities hated.
"So rumor has it that there's a little band member romance going on?" The host, a man in his mid thirties to late forties, with short black hair and dark brown eyes, asks.
Zay, always the funny one, puts his arm around Maya with a sly smile. "It may seem like there is something between us, but I can assure you that Maya and I are just friends."
Maya hits him playfully on the shoulder and interviewer gives them a look. "Actually, your fans seem to think that Maya and Riley are hiding a secret relationship."
Riley can feel the color drain from her face. The night before had been put behind them, but this... this was definitely worse. Riley couldn't speak, she couldn't think. She looks at Maya expectantly. Maya was always cool and collected, but Riley could detect a hint of an unknown emotion passing across her face.
"Riley and I have an extraordinary relationship," Maya says carefully. Riley can feel everyone looking at them, as if it wasn't obvious before. And now Maya would be fueling rumors about them. Only God knows what Maya could possibly mean by 'extraordinary relationship.'
It was true that they were close, closer than any of the band members, and even closer than most friends. But they needed each other in a way that was different than most friends needed each other.
"So you two aren't dating?" The man asks, for clarification.
"No, we're not dating," She senses that Maya wants to add to that, but she doesn't.
"Alright then, that's all we have for today folks! Up next we have..."
---
"Are we not going to talk about any of this?" Farkle asks, his elbows resting on his knees. "Whatever this is."
"I don't know what this is," Riley says. They had been in the middle of playing a board game when Farkle had interrupted her move. She moves the pawn three spaces, carefully avoiding Farkle's gaze, then selects a card.
"That's why we should talk about this." Farkle says, rolling the dice.
"That's why we shouldn't. Because I don't know if I can trust you anymore." Riley finally looks up, meeting Farkle's eyes. Her expression softens, and she lets out a sigh.
"I was only trying to help you," Farkle says, reaching out to one of Riley's hands in his own. She had laced her fingers together, a common habit to combat her anxieties. But holding Farkle's hand - or anyone's hand that she was close enough to feel safe with, always made her calm down.
"I know," she bites her lips, watching as Farkle moves his pawn across the spaces. She wanted to talk about it, really, but she had had enough to deal with, with the past two days. She didn't know how the world could be so unfair to her, but it was.
"Riley," Farkle says, and just like Maya had, he looks like he wants to say more. But he doesn't.---
"I like Maya," Riley shrugs, "and she doesn't like me. There's nothing to talk about."
"But you don't know that," Farkle counters. Their game had ceased. Farkle moves to wrap an arm around Riley, who rests her head on his shoulder.
"Can we talk about something else?" Riley asks. "How is school?"
"Difficult," Farkle says, sighing, but then he perks up, "But I love it. There's so much to learn, and people there actually seem to like me."
Riley let's herself relax, listening to Farkle ramble on about school and the people he had met, the things he had done. He even mentions a conversation he had had with Smackle, and Riley smiles fondly.
This had been one of the few moments her mind was taken off of the band and Maya and her feelings for Maya; she wanted to enjoy it, wanted to enjoy Farkle's presence as long as she had it.
---
"You're looking beautiful tonight, Boston!" Maya's words echo across the cram-AP led stadium, eliciting a roar from the crowd. Smackle was tearing it up on the guitar, the background music to Maya's monologue. It differed from state to state, but it always came from the heart.
"My girl, Riley, here has a special place in her heart for Boston," Maya says, sling her arm around Riley's shoulders. She's too amped up on adrenaline to care. "You see, Boston is now home to a very special friend. Everybody say hello to Farkle."
The crowd cheers and Riley glances at the left wing, where Farkle was watching from back stage. Maya continues her speech about how much she loves the fans and the music, and how Boston has truly been spectacular and she can't wait to play for them. And then the first song starts.
Riley had started off just singing backup vocals, but a few concerts in, Maya had told her they would make this a kind of duet. It was great, and they always had fun with it. Even during the romantic songs, which there were plenty of, they danced around and goofed off. Occasionally they would take a moment to get serious, but all in all, their shows were wild.
As the last song approaches, Maya gestures for the music volume to be lowered. The stadium gets quiet, and Riley looks at Maya, confused. They had never done this before; Riley had never seen the crowd so curiously enthralled, never heard a stadium this packed so eerily silent.
Riley glances to the wing where Farkle is, and he smiles, giving her a look as if he knows something she doesn't. Farkle was a genius, so he probably did. Which kind of scares Riley, if she really thought about it too much.
Zay brings out a stool and Maya grabs Riley's hand, leading her to it and gently pushing her down onto it. She smiles at Riley, then turns to the audience. She takes a breath, then speaks. "A lot of you seem to think there's something more between me and Riley."
"And there is," Maya says, glancing at Riley, whose eyes widen at Maya's statement. "We can both feel it, but neither of us has said anything. But right here, right now, on this stage, I just want to say... I like you, Riley Matthews."
Smackle strums the strings on her guitar, launching into a song that Riley was unfamiliar with; it didn't sound like anything off of any of the albums, but at this point, nothing was going to surprise Riley.
"And I would stop trying to fall in love again, and keep it a secret," Maya's voice drifts across the stadium, like honey; pure and golden. Riley can see the emotions in Maya's eyes, can hear it in her voice; she was putting her heart on the line tonight. They both would be, if Riley knew anything about their dynamic.
The song continues, Maya moving away from Riley. The stadium gets darker, darker than it was, and the lights on stage get dim, too. Riley feels her heart beat racing, watching Maya own the stage. The song slows down, then comes to an end, Maya coming back to Riley just as the last note sounds out.
"I know this is crazy, but so are we," Maya says, laughing breathily. She takes Riley's hand in hers, biting her lip as she sinks to be on Riley's level. Their eyes meet and Riley doesn't know what Maya is going to do, and she doesn't know what to do, herself. "It feels like I've known you forever, and I wish I had. But we know each other now. And I really care about you."
Riley looks away momentarily, but then her eyes deceive her heart and she's staring at Maya again.
"I know life is difficult, but with you in it, it seems so much easier," Maya continues. They had planned their final song for this portion, but Riley suspects that they won't be getting to it tonight. She also suspects that no one will care too much about that.
"And I you want you to be in it for as long as possible, but as more than just the best friend anyone could ever have," Riley had been expecting something like that, but her breath still catches in her throat. "Riley, will you be my girlfriend?"