Emily's POV

Riley, Maya and I were at Riley's eating breakfast.

"How long we avoidin' this?" Riley asks Maya.

"Not avoidin' nothin'. Just life moving on beyond that thing that happened between me and Lucas." Maya replies.

"Hm." Riley says and starts to make kissing noises.

"I know what it was. You don't have to fish-face at me. There wasn't a kiss!" Maya says to her.

"There wasn't?" Riley asks confused.

"No." Maya answers. Darn it.

"What was there?" Riley asks.

"He just grabbed my head and stared at my face real close." Maya says and Riley does that to her. "Yeah. Just like that. Yeah."

"That's a good move." Riley says when she lets go of Maya's face.

"I didn't hate it." Maya says. Yay!

"Let's discuss!" Riley exclaims as I take a bite of my mac and cheese.

"Let's not. Other things are happening. Life has gotten over this." Maya says to Riley.

"If you pour ketchup on that mac and cheese, I will never forgive you." I say to her. She does so anyway. I look away in disgust.

"Life isn't over it, Maya. He held your face, you went on dates, you poured a smoothie over his head That's a good move." Riley tells her.

"I didn't hate it." Maya says.

"But now, what are you guys? Life wants to know, Maya. Life wants to know right now." I ask her.

"No, it doesn't." Maya says.

"I wanna know!" I exclaim.

"It does. Look around. Nothing's happening. Maya until we talk about nothing is ever happening again." Riley says.

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"No, no, no, no, no, no, no." Maya says as Harper, our English teacher, writes Sense and Sensibility on the board.

"Jane Austen's Sense and Sensibility focused on the multiple loves of two young women." Harper says.

"Well, would you look at that?"

"Miss Austen felt there were two approaches to love. "Sense," meaning what?"

"Good, intelligent judgment." Farkle answers.

"And "sensibility"?" Harper answers.

"When feeling is getting in the way of that." I answer.

"So, what you think you should feel versus what you feel." Harper says.

"You know what's a good book? Hop on Pop." Maya says.

"Come on, Maya. What's not to love about figuring out love?" Harper asks her.

"Help me." Maya says to Riley and I.

"Uh, this." I gesture from her to Lucas and Riley, "Not my area. Nope all you guys." I answer.

"Mm-mm. No. I'm out of this. I'm just gonna sit back and enjoy whatever happens for once." Riley says.

"Charlie Gardner." Harper says. I smirk.

"Unbelievable." Riley says.

"I saw the movie of this." Charlie answers.

"Why?" We all ask him.

"'Cause I'm sensitive." He answers.

"Why?" We all ask him, again.

"'Cause I got a mother and a bunch of sisters who took over the TV and sat on me like a beanbag chair." Charlie says.

"Did you learn anything from the movie, Mr. Gardner?" Harper asks.

"No, but I might've noticed that in order for a relationship to work, you need sense and sensibility." Charlie says.

"Why? Where was everybody?" Lucas asks.

"Oh, you noticed that, did ya? Miss Austen teaches us that romance comes with conflict. Two young women with different ideas about what love is. One hid her true feelings to protect others. She thought this made "sense". The other had more feelings than she knew what to do with. She was overwhelmed by "sensibility"." Harper explains.

"What about the character who knows all the secrets of the character who's hiding her true feelings?" Farkle asks. cough *Riley* cough.

"He's driven to madness and dies alone and scared." Harper answers.

"Oh shit." I mutter. Farkle looks at me, hearing me, then looks back at our teacher.

"Thank you." He says.

"Good." Riley says.

"Sneh." I say.

"Fneh." She says.

"What happens to the two girls, Harper?" Maya asks.

"Oh, yeah, the two girls." Harper says.

"Everything's always okay between the two girls, right?" Maya asks.

"No, Maya. Love is never easy and often comes at great cost. And the relationships that seem the strongest are the most tragically torn apart." Harper says.

"You know what's a book where no one gets tragically torn apart? Hop on Pop." Maya says. I sigh.

--------------

"What page are you on?" Maya asks Riley as we were sitting in the bakery, reading Sense and Sensibility.

"304." Riley answers. "Maya, you know how the girls decide who they love? They throw a ball." She says.

"Cinderelli!" Maya exclaims.

"Apparently, these sorts of things get decided at the ball. You know what we need? A ball." Riley says.

"All I know is I've been reading as long as you, and I'm on page seven. I don't think this is in America." Maya says.

"What is essential to the situation, my dear Maya, is to host a ball. A grand ball. A New Year's Eve ball. We shall invite all of the eligible gentlemen of good breeding -" Riley says, getting cut off by Charlie. I groan as I hear his voice. I really dislike this guy.

"I hear you're having a party." He says.

"How?" Riley asks.

"Come on, Charlie Gardner. We'll get things sorted out at the dance!" Maya says.

"Ball!" Riley says.

"America!" I say.

"Oh. Well, am I included in the things who need to be sorted out?" He asks.

"Well, Mr. Gardner you are in excellent standing and well regarded in the village. He never makes it easy, does he?" Riley asks.

"Speaking of tough decision -" Maya starts.

"Hi." Lucas says walking in with Farkle.

"Hey, Huckleberry." Maya says.

"So, uh, Charlie Gardner just asked me if I was invited to your party. I told him that I didn't know about any party, and he smiled like a Charlie Gardner, gave me this weird bow, and walked away. I still like him." Lucas says.

"Well, of course you're invited, Lucas." Riley says.

"Oh, thanks, but I don't want to be some last-second invite." Lucas says. Oh be quiet and be with Maya already. I think to myself.

"Well, I do. I'm coming, right?" Farkle asks.

"Uh, everybody's coming. I thought of the party, like, two seconds ago. I don't know how Charlie does it." Riley says.

"Heard you just talkin' about me. What'll be interesting is who's with who at midnight." Charlie says.

"For why? For why would that be interesting?" Riley asks.

"Yeah, why would that be interesting, Riley?" I ask her. She drags me and Farkle outside. 

"Hey, remember when you did this?" He asks her. "We had a deal. We gave you some time to tell everybody the truth about how you really feel, and you haven't done anything about it yet. Guess how much time you have left?" He asks her.

"Oh. This has something to do with New Year's, doesn't it?" She asks us.

"Tell them you still like Lucas, Riley. Just tell them the truth. Don't start a new year with a lie." I tell her.

"Farkle, Emily, Maya stepped back for me when she saw that I liked him. If if she has feelings for him, how could I not do the same for her?" Riley asks us.

"You don't know that. You don't know how she feels. I don't think she knows how she feels. You know why?" Farkle asks.

"Because she can only read seven pages in three hours." She answers.

"Because all these things we're feeling are new. We don't know what they are yet. Harper said this all comes at a cost. What's your cost, Riley? Your own happiness?" Farkle says.

"Farkle, Em, you said that you guys wouldn't tell anybody. How could you do this to me?" She asks us.

"We're doing it for you, Riley." I say to her. "I care so much about you, I want you to know that the truth is always the best thing." I tell her.

"How is it the best thing if it turns everything into a mess?" Riley asks.

"You don't think this is a mess already?" I ask her. "I want you to tell them. I know you would have me do the same thing."

"You ever heard of the horn of Gabriel?" Farkle asks her.

"No." She answers.

"He's an angel. They say when he blows his horn, it's the end of time. If you don't tell everybody how you really feel his horn blows at midnight." He tells her. "Ha! Just because I don't do much doesn't mean I can't." He grabs my hand and walks in the café. "Okay, everybody. Riley's house. We're ringing in the new year. I'll be with Emily at midnight. Who will you all be with?" He asks.

--------

The next day in class.

Cory is teaching a lesson on friendship, growth, and feelings. "We form friendship before even we know what friendship means. We just know, "Hey, I like this person." He says.

"It's nice we're all looking at each other." Charlie says.

"We grow before we even know what growth means. We just know, "I see things differently now." And finally, we feel. And you know what we know from feelings? Nothin'. We just feel. It's how we know we're alive. But you have to be careful with feelings. They can tear apart friendship and growth." Mattgews explains to all of us.

"Friends come first, and growth is knowing that your friends' happiness comes before your own." Riley says.

"That's nuts." Matthews says.

"You tell her, ham bone!" Farkle says.

"But Dad, you've always lived that way." Riley says to him.

"Not always, Riley. I didn't used to." He says. "But I learned the way you're learning now. Every event in history comes from people feeling something and then acting on those feelings, or sometimes being smart enough not to. That's how you grow."

"Is that on the test, sir?" Farkle asks.

"It is." He answers.

"When is the test, sir?" Lucas asks.

"Every day. Happy New Year, everyone." He says to all of us.

-----------

In English Harper was still teaching about Sense and Sensibility.

"Do you give in to your feelings or let your mind rule over your heart?" She asks us.

"I follow my heart. It gets me into trouble." Maya answers.

"What about you, Riley?" She asks the brunette.

"My mind tells me to do what's right." Riley answers.

"Can anyone answer which is more valuable to follow?" Harper asks.

"It depends on the situation." Lucas says.

"No, it doesn't." She replies.

"Just taking a shot!" Lucas exclaims.

"Very passionate." Harper says.

"Thank you!" He says.

"And that's where we run into trouble." Harper says.

"You set me up!" He says

"The untamed heart can be reckless and sometimes harmful to yourself and to others. But pure intellect, never following your heart, is a life unlived. Sense and Sensibility. What's the most important word in the title?" Harper asks us.

"Sense".' Riley says.

"Sensibility".' Maya says.

"Farkle?" Harper asks.

"And". Head "and" heart. You need to use both." Farkle says.

"Very good." Harper says.

"You have until New Year's Eve. This horn blows at midnight." Farkle says, mainly to Riley.

---------

Farkle and I walked into Riley's right after Lucas, Smackle and Austin.

"Hi." Lucas says.

"Hi." Maya says.

"Hi." Riley says.

"Heard this is gonna be awkward. Mr. and Mrs. Matthews." I hear Charlie say.

"Charlie. Topanga, this is Charlie Gardner." Cory says to her.

"Oh! Hi, Charlie." She says to him.

"Hi. I'm a good person." He says.

"A good and very annoying person." I mutter but only Farkle hears me. He gives me a look. I shrug.

"Okay." Panga says.

"Uh, what are these? Games? Yeah, these are games."

"We got The Family Game, The Friends Game, The Couples Game, and Twister. No Twister." Cory says.

"The Couples Game, please." Charlie says.

"I wouldn't." Cory and I both say at the same time.

"The Couples Game, please." Charlie repeats.

"I done what I can." Cory says.

"What do you got there, Charlie?" Riley asks the boy.

"It's The Couples Game. Wanna play?" Charlie asks.

"What is it?" Lucas asks.

"Shows if you'd be a good couple or not. Wanna play?" He asks again.

"No!" Riley, Maya, and Lucas exclaim in unison.

"What's wrong, Lucas? Scared?" Charlie asks Huckleberry.

"No, I'm not scared of anything. Let's go." Lucas replies.

"Riley, think you might find this interesting. Would you like to be my partner?" Charlie asks her.

"Sure." She replies.

"You and me?" Lucas asks Maya.

"Sure." She says.

"I like it better when we're on the same team, Austin." Smackle says to him. 

"And now, I go like this."

"Okay, first question is for us." Riley says to Charlie. "What is your partner's favorite movie snack?" I know this. It's popcorn and licorice." She says.

"When something funny happens and she thinks she's laughed too hard, she looks around the theater to see if anybody heard her. And if she thinks something scary is gonna happen, she reaches out and grabs your arm." Charlie says. Okay I hate to admit this, but that was kinda cute.

"And she doesn't even know she did." Lucas says.

"It's not your turn, Friar!" Charlie says.

"And that wasn't the question, Gardner! What's her favorite snack?" Lucas asks him.

"Gummies." Charlie answers.

"Yeah, but that-" Charlie cuts him off.

"Red."

"Yeah, but what does she-" Charlie does it again.

"She bites their heads off first so they feel less pain." He says.

"He's like a creepy creep-creep!" Lucas says.

"Why are you interested?" Maya asks him.

"I'm not." He says.

"Okay. You wanna pick a card for us?" She asks.

"Yeah." He says and grabs a card. "How would you describe your personality: library or campfire?" He reads the card. "Oh. Well, you know..." he says then eats the card.

"Huckleberry, it's just a game." She says and grabs a card and reads it. "Is it possible to love two people at the same time?" Um." She then eats the card. "Yum!"

"Our turn." Smackle says about her and Austin. "What is your partner's most ticklish place on their body?"

"Uh, Austin and Smackle -" Riley says.

"How would they possibly -" Maya says.

"Know anything like that?" Lucas says as Smackle tickles Austin.

"Huh. Okay." Riley says.

"Em, Farkle, your turn." Maya says. Farkle grabs a card.

"What's your partners favorite type of ice cream?" Farkle asks reading the card. "Well Emmy's favorite type of ice cream is chocolate chip cookie dough." I smile at him.

"Farkle's is Mint chocolate chip." I say and he smiles at me.

"Um we'll do one more." Riley says about her and Charlie. "Have you ever kept a secret from somebody you love?" Riley reads. "Game over." She says.

"Why?" I ask her. "Because you know secrets are dangerous?" Farkle asks her.

"No, Farkle. Because it's almost midnight." She says.

"And you know what happens at midnight." I say.

"Okay, it's time to go up to the roof." Riley says. Riley had dragged Farkle and I all the way up the stairs. "Farkle! Emily!"

"You dragged me all the way up the stairs, and I'm in heels." I say.

"I just need a little more time." Riley says to us.

"No more time! We made a deal, Riley." Farkle says. 

"We're not starting off the new year with lies between friends." I tell her.

"I'm lying for my friend, Farkle, Emily." She tells us.

"I don't think you know what you're doing. I don't think she knows what she's doing." Farkle says.

"Do you know? Either of you?" Riley asks.

"I'm sorry, Riley." I say to her. 

"This is all new for us too. All I know is that we should always tell each other the truth." Farkle says.

"He's right Riles. I don't wanna see anyone hurt especially not you and especially not my sister." I say to her.

"Emily, Farkle if you really care about me I know that you will do the right thing." She says to us.

"I do. And I will." Farkle says. We walk away from the girl as others come up to the roof.

--------

"I'm happy I'm with you Farkle." I say to him as we were on the roof, waiting for the new year.

"I'm happy I'm with you too Em." He says. I smile at him and he smiles back.

"We have about a minute till new year. What are we gonna do about Riley?" I ask him. "Maya and Lucas deserve to know. She just cant keep hiding her feelings. It'll get to messy."

"I know. And that's why I'm gonna tell them." Farkle says. I nod sadly and look over at Maya, she was talking with Lucas. I smile a little bit then look back at Farkle.

"Ten, nine -" Others count down. I give Farkle a small kiss before they get to one.

"Seven, six, five, four three two one!" Everyone counts. Riley goes to walk by but Farkle's voice stops her.

"Riley still loves Lucas."

Riley looks around. "Happy New Year." She says.

"Thank you for a wonderful evening." Yogi says and rushes with Darby, and everyone else, besides our small group, downstairs.

"I'm sorry, guys. I did the right thing. I hope you can forgive me." Farkle says to them, grabbing my hand. "Happy New Year." He says. I give Maya one last small smile before leaving with Farkle.

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GM New Year is done. What do you all think? Was Farkle and Emily right? Or should it have been left a secret? Anyways please comment. Thanks for reading. Bye.

-Kelly.