AS THE SUN rose on a new day, Kat and Riley stood in the school hallway by their lockers, awaiting Maya's dooming arrival.

With a history book in hand, Maya descended the stairs and approached them, dreadfully.

And as she handed Riley her book, the brunette declared, "We need to talk."

But to their demise, Maya put her pointers fingers into her ears, blocking out any noise her way. "I can't hear you! Baddada dadaa dadaa!" she sings, roaming away from them.

Katherine watched Maya with confusion. "Maya, what are you doing?" she asks.

She still doesn't listen however, and sings her way into the bathroom, and come out still preserving her behavior. "Da da dadaa. Whata whata whata, waa waa waa! And...Go."

Kat took in a breath. "Look, whether you're a thief or not, Maya. It isn't right that you stole the locket because it doesn't belong to you. It belongs to somebody else, and I think that you're upsetting the universe, and it's going to have the truth come out, anyway."

In that same sense, Maya argued, "And what about you and Riley? When are you both gonna tell the truth to Farkle?"

Kat shook her head. "Maya, I hardly think the universe is upset with us for lying to Farkle. I mean, what could possibly go wrong?"

But just as the words left her lips, Farkle comes shuffling down the stairs. "Hey, chess club! You can move king's knight to bishop six and then you can eat it! 'Cause I quit the chess club 'cause I'm an actor, 'cause Riley and Kat said so," he announced.

Maya spun around to them. "Cause Riley and Kat said so," she taunted, already forcing the Matthew's face to crack.

Farkle continued on, trudging up to another group of students by the vending machine. "Hey, chemistry club, you know what you get when you put sodium and chlorine together? You're a bunch of losers!" he proclaimed.

Riley rushed forward as she called out to him. "Farkle!"

"Riley," he says, his revelations still possessing him in a haze. "You and Kat changed my life. The Farkle you knew is gone. Because now, I am...Farkle!" he says dramatically before strolling away.

Kat looks back forward, shutting her eyes in dread. Meanwhile, Riley's face displayed hers.

Maya erupts in song again as she walks back up the stairs, "Whata whata what. What could possibly go wrong? Whata whata what could possibly go wrong?"

Riley follows her, shuffling backward, as Kat finally opened her eyes to look at the ceiling.

"You really do must hate me, don't you, Universe?"

⤵︎

PART OF KATHERINE felt strange at the moment. She's spent most of today and yesterday with Riley, and to some extent, it felt weird without Maya, and she knew Riley felt the same.

Right now, they were doing homework together, in a slump without their trusty blonde there with them. But abruptly, a knock on Riley's window drives them out of it.

"Maya?" they sputter in unison, their heads darting in that direction.

But it isn't their beloved Maya Hart they see at the window.

Instead, it's a widened-eye Cory Matthews on the other side. "Nope, me," he corrected.

Sharing a puzzled glance, Kat and Riley go to the bay window and let him in. "Told more truths, did ya?" the daughter inquired.

"Yeah, you truthful poodle," Kat added with a playful poke at her uncle.

"Well, the thing I probably should have mentioned is I've never understood the universe at all," Cory advised truthfully.

Riley began to rant about their current situation, "The universe is upside down. We lied to Farkle. He loves us. I told Maya the truth. She went out the window. Upside down! You hear me?"

But as they were processing their own chaos, Maya swiftly crawled through the window. "Hey," she greeted, settling beside Cory.

"Well, now she's back. Maybe it's not as upside down as you think," Cory noted, his attention veering to what was around his student's neck. "It's a nice locket, Maya."

She grinned. "Thanks, Mr. Matthews."

Riley interjected, "It looks like someone else's expensive gold locket."

Cory shrugged, acknowledging the possibility. "Maybe it is. But—you know, I don't think that matters to Maya at all."

Kat raised a skeptical eyebrow. "You don't?"

"You know, it's an interesting thing about lockets. It's usually what's in the inside that matters most to people. Isn't that right, Maya?" he prompted, directing his question to Maya with a knowing look.

She answers his question with silence, whether she meant to or not.

Cory rose to his feet and went to the door, only to be met with his wife standing in the doorway, smiling scarily.

"Yeah, okay," he nodded, slamming the door and retreating back into the room. "Please don't tell anyone this is how I live in my own house," he pleaded before crawling out of the window again, leaving the trio to ponder.

With Cory's words in the air, Kat wondered, "So, what's inside the locket, Maya, that's so important to you?"

Maya hesitates ad her fingers traced the edges of the locket before finally opening it.

Inside, there was a family photo—a mother, father, and a daughter—captured in a moment of bliss, their smiles radiating warmth and happiness.

Riley's expression softened staring at them. "Who is this family?"

Maya shrugged. "I don't know. A father, a mother, and a little girl. I just like that they're all together...I'm keeping it," she declared, closing the locket.

Kat sighs. "Oh, boy."

⤵︎

ONLY A WHILE PASSES before Cory comes crawling back into his daughter's window. This time, horrified.

"She's at the front door too! It's like there's two of her," he complains, before going to open the door again.

But like the last time, he's met with her again. Only this time around, she has the chicken from last night in her hand on a fork, mimicking a motor whirring his way.

"Ah!" Cory yelps out, slamming the door shut in fright. He ends up sitting back by the girls again, squishing between them. "So, what do we do now? Just sit here or what?"

Riley turned to her father and pondered. "Hey, Dad. Can you tell me why I kind of think me and Kat trying to help Farkle may have been wrong, and maybe Maya should keep the locket?"

"I should?" Maya raised a brow.

"You really think we should be honest about it?" Kat speculated as well.

"Maybe," Riley shrugged. "Is it us that's upside down?"

Cory offered his honest assessment of the situation. "You know what, girls? The universe is the most confusing place you'll ever live. But if you listen carefully, you'll find out that it's paying attention and that it cares about you.

Kat's expression tightens. "Is that the truth?"

"It's the only one I'm still sure of."

Just then, Auggie comes in with a plate of spaghetti in hand, catching everyone's attention.

"Hey, Auggie, is that for me, buddy?" Cory inquired, rising from the bay window.

"I made it for you," Auggie beamed proudly.

Obviously, Cory accepted this offering. "Oh, Auggie, thank you so much. Thank you." He sits on Riley's chair and puts the plate on her table. "Look at this. This looks good." He eats some of it, and noted, "It's...it's cold s'ghetti."

Auggie admits sheepishly, "I know it's better warmer, but I don't know how to do that."

The girls frowned at his kindness as they sit on Riley's bed. The little boy was trying, and his father knew that.

Cory's smile softened. "Auggie, I appreciate that you did anything for me at all."

His brows furrowed at his father's words. "You said that very nice. Why didn't you say it that way to mom?"

A little perplexed, Cory argued, "What? But all I did was tell Mom the truth."

"Then why do you get cold s'ghetti?"

Auggie's innocent observation sparked a revelation among the group then, leaving them all wide-eyed with realization.

The girls share a look to each other. "Woah..."

"Woah..." Cory trails off as well, a realization striking him like a baseball bat. "Auggie, are you saying the truth doesn't matter as much as how you treat people?"

His question encourages Kat to ask her own, "Auggie, are you saying that I shouldn't lie, even if it might hurt someone I love?"

Riley tails along, "Auggie, are you saying that the truth does matter, but you should tell it to people warmly?"

And Maya asks too, "Auggie, are you saying that the universe pays attention to me?"

Auggie waits a beat before turning to the girls. "Do you people realize that I'm only this many?" he passively queried to them, raising five of his fingers into the air.

This leaves them to chuckle as Maya gives his hand a high five.

Who knew that it'd take a five-year-old for the three others to come to a realization on their dilemmas?

Ain't that such a nice twist from the universe.

⤵︎

WHEN TOMORROW ARRIVED, the trio saddeningly found Farkle at the gym, lying down on the altar from the play a couple of days ago.

They wander to him, with Kat and Riley bearing guilty faces knowing they practically caused his downfall.

Kat drags herself to speak first. "Farkle, me and Riley need to talk to you. We've been looking all over for you."

He doesn't talk at first, prompting Maya to grab his spear from the play and jab his sides a couple of times. "Farkle?"

She hits him another four times before he finally answers, "Farkle's gone. He gave up the chess club. He gave up the chemistry club."

Riley's brows furrowed. "What happened?"

"You and Kat happened. You both told me I was good, and well—I just auditioned for the next play."

"Are you gonna be in the next play?" Kat asks.

"I'm not even allowed to watch the next play."

Maya scrunched her face. "I'm sorry you stink."

"I'm sorry. You know I could never hurt you, Farkle. I'm so sorry," Kat spoke again with guilt.

"I'm sorry you stink."

"I heard you, Maya!"

"Well, it was very important."

As Farkle sat up from the altar, he sighed. "You two made me think I was this great actor," he says to Riley first, "You filled me up with confidence that I was really special."

His attention drifts to the girl beside her. "And you made me think I could go after something totally unrealistic."

"And that's why me and Riley are here to say sorry," Kat assured at first. "You're one of my best friends now, Farkle. You know I never mean to hurt you at all. I care about you too much to do that."

Farkle smiles delicately at her. It made him feel lighter after hearing her honesty. "Thank you, Kat," he sighs, before stepping off the altar.

And before Kat can react, Farkle suddenly brings his face close to hers and starts to smooch below her lips.

Clearly—missing the important part.

Kat clamps her eyes shut before it hits her on what he was doing. She hardly even had any idea on what it was he was doing, anyway.

He stays like this for a moment (or what felt like eternity in Kat's mind) before pulling away. He hazily gazes at her for a bit, seeing her face all scrunched up before walking away, bawling his fist to the air in pride.

As he left, Riley and Maya stare at Kat, both holding in this urge to burst out laughing. "Well..." Maya trails off, struggling to keep her face intact, "That happened."

Katherine's face falters. "Is it over? I can't tell and I don't want to see if it isn't."

Cracking her eyes open, Kat watches Riley break into a smile. "Can we talk about this, honey?"

"Nu-uh," she shook her head.

"Because that was your first kiss, and it was with Farkle," Maya noted.

"No, no, no no," Kat repeats as she lays down on the stage alter. "It was not because he missed my lips, people! He missed my lips!"

"Still counts," Maya raised a finger, "Now for the rest of your life when people ask you, "Hey, Kitty-Kat, who was your first kiss?" You're gonna have to say-"

"Eyes, look your last," Lucas' voice appears, entering the stage.

"Oh goddamn it!l Kat grumbled out loud.

Lucas walks towards her and recites his lines, "Arms, take your last embrace. And, lips, oh, you the doors of breath, seal with a righteous kiss," kneeling with his words.

She dreadfully shifted her head to Lucas, already greeted by his' gaze staring back at her. "Hi."

"Hi."

"Alright, tell me how long have ya been here..."

"Yup, I saw the whole thing, red," he admits, adding with an amused grin, "You know I'm never going to let you live that down, right?"

Her sights narrow at his. "I know...But if you do, just make sure you have the reflex to catch my punch before it hits your face."

He shrugs. "Not that I haven't done that before."

"What?!" Riley and Maya exclaim upon finding this out.

The Decker rolled her eyes as Lucas stood back up. "Anyways, I'll leave you to it, Juliet."

Kat's face spoils. "Is that seriously my new nickname now?"

He tilts his head. "You're the one that gives me a new one, every day," Lucas argued, which wasn't wrong at all. "You aren't the only one who wants to win this game between us."

Kat's eyebrow arched a brow. "Oh, and who said this was a game, Huckleberry?"

A daring grin dances at the corners of his lips. "I did...and I'm clearly winning."

She sputters out a chuckle at his boldness. "I've seen you've grown guts, Romeo. I would say I'm proud of you, but I don't want you thinking for a second you're gonna win."

He hummed a chuckle. "We'll see about that," Lucas retorted, before walking out of the auditorium, leaving Kat a bit amped-up, and the two others to be intrigued.

Riley and Maya soon join her side, the same way they did before. And with a grin, the blondie asks, "How you doing?"

Kat smiles at the question. "I think I'm finally liking that we end up in situations like this."

⤵︎

WITH EVENING COMING SOON, the trio settled their way to the subway station. Maya decided for herself (though with the influence of Kat and Riley these past couple of days) to take the locket back to the lost and found. Something she knew was a tough decision to make on her part, but had to be done.

"You're doing the right thing, returning the locket to the store," Kat affirms, not wanting Maya to second-guess herself, especially now.

"I guess so," she shrugged, still holding the locket in her grasp.

"Maya, I know how much you want a locket with a family inside it," Riley said, knowingly.

She takes a moment to think. "You two want the truth?" she poses the question, watching them nod, "My father hasn't sent me anything in a long time. And the universe is probably much too busy to notice whether or not I'm doing the right thing."

In a twist of fate, however, Kat notices something from afar, driving her to nudge Maya's shoulder, pointing her left.

It was the family of the people in the locket. They were right there, close by.

Making sure they were seeing right, Maya opens up the locket, confirming it was them. She peers back at her girls as they smile, encouraging her to go by them.

Slowly, she does so with them behind her. "Hi," Maya greets the family, keeping her voice soft. Part of her is hesitating, but she continues on, "I think this belongs to you."

The mother's eyes widen noticing the familiar necklace on Maya's neck. "Oh my gosh. I've been looking all over for that. Thank you."

Maya grins before kneeling to the little girl, taking the locket off, and putting it around her.

"Thank you," the little girl said, beaming.

Maya's grin livens. "Never lose this," she advised, hoping she'd listen, even if it seemed like such a small thing to do.

And with that, the girls walk away, wrapping their arms around each other.

"A cool universe, huh?" Kat spoke with a smitten smile on her lips.

In reply, Riley and Maya smile in agreement as they walk out of the subway once more.

Perhaps the universe wasn't too busy after all.

Perhaps so.

⤵︎

NIGHTFALL HAD DAWNED in New York by then, and there Katherine was now, on a video call with her father on her laptop.

"So, Dad, how's the house and grams doing?" she asks, sitting crisscrossed on her bed, her laptop inches away.

On her screen, it shows him roaming around the living room while responding, "The house is fine. And your grandma is still a headache, but that's just been her, always."

Kat wheezes at his snarly reply. "Yeah, I won't tell her you said that in the future."

Maverick gives her a look. "Yeah, sure." He knew his daughter. There was no doubt she'd rat him out, eventually. "Anyway, how have you been? And also, how has eating with Castle's family been? I told him to cook for you guys instead of getting fast food all the time."

Richard Castle had become one of Maverick Decker's best colleagues, quite unexpectedly on his part. The man was welcomed in by Castle with open arms, even though Castle wasn't actually a part of the NYPD, more so just a civilian consultant for the past six years.

But their bond grew quite fast in a matter of time. Enough that Maverick trusted him with taking care of dinner for his daughters while he spent some time visiting his mom in Philly.

The daughter musters out a laugh. "He's been fine. But for the record, he's been taking us to killer new restaurants for dinner with Beckett."

Ah yes, Kate Beckett. Aka, the person Castle found himself tailing along with for those past six years. Who just so happened to be his fiance.

(And if anyone asked, she was so on the bandwagon that the real life Nikki Heat and Jameson Rook from the Nikki Heat series were eventually going to be a couple. But she'd also tell you to not tell anyone she thought so.)

"That's—nice to hear, I guess," Maverick noted before plopping himself on the couch. "Well, how was school?"

"Oh! It's—It's been interesting, to say the least."

Already, Maverick raised a brow at the camera. "Why?"

"Well, you know how I played Romeo and Juliet in the school play a couple of days ago?"

"Oh yeah! Again, I'm sorry I couldn't make it. Your Grams was really persistent in wanting me to help her clean out the basement for the past couple of days. I tried to tell her that Josh and the Matthews family could do it, but she said only a Decker could touch our stuff."

Hearing familiar names, she questions, "How are they?"

Maverick takes a beat to sigh. "Well, you know Josh is still handsome, but not on my level." This undoubtedly earns an eye roll from Kat. "And Amy and they have been as good as ever." She smiles, feeling a slight tug on her heart thinking about how she misses them too. "Anyway, what about Romeo and Juliet?"

Kat sighed. "Well...I kinda lied to Farkle."

His lips part. "Oh? Why would you do that?"

"Well..." She lets more tension escape her chest, "Well, he might've sorta—uh, stopped Lucas from kissing me."

"What?!" Maverick yelps out, finding himself on his feet again. "Oh-oh boy, I have to give that boy twenty dollars now."

Confusion floods her gaze. "For what reason?"

"For stopping that boy kissing my damn daughter."

"Wha—Dad!"

"I'm kidding! I'm kidding," the father assured lightly. "You know I'm still interested in your friendship with that boy...considering you tell me you hate him, but it seems like you don't."

Kat shook her head. "Dad, trust me, I do," she assured.

Though still on edge about that, Maverick decided to take her word for it. "Well, I'm sorry that your first kiss was ruined by Farkle...I mean, it is your first kiss, right? Right?"

She continues to keep a miffed expression on her face. "Yes, Dad. It is.

"Okay, good," Maverick noted with a nod.

"But it doesn't matter now, because I told him the truth about how I felt, and I—kind of got over it, I think?"

Again, Maverick is confused about her wording. "You think? How do you think so?"

"Because now I'm kinda mad at him for something."

"Oh...for what?"

Kat scrunches her face, knowing her next words would sound ridiculous to him. "For making him almost be my first kiss?"

On her laptop screen, she watches her father's face contort. "Katherine, how does that even happen?"

"I-I don't even know, okay! He just sorta went up to my chin and kinda smooched there—for a long while—a really, long while."

Maverick pursed his lips. "Oh...so you did have your first kiss?"

"That wasn't a kiss, Dad!" She'd rather gouge her eyes out before admitting to anyone that it was anything close to a first kiss.

"Alright, alright fine..." his voice trails off, accompanied by him raising his other hand in defeat. "Well, I'm sure when I get back home tomorrow afternoon, I'll make a pit stop to get some brownies and cookie dough to make you feel better."

Of course, the idea quirks the corners of Kat's lips easily. "Okay...Thanks."

He grins in reply. "Well, I think I'll let you sleep now. Or at least try to, you know?"

Yes, thank you for indirectly reminding your daughter that she has insomnia. Somebody give this man a Father of the Year mug asap.

"I will certainly try, considering the things I've endured these past couple of days." But before Maverick could question further into what that meant, she insisted, "Just don't question it, please. For my sake and yours."

At this juncture, Maverick shakes his head. "Alright, I won't," he assured. "I'll call you and Kim in the morning, alright?"

"Alright. I'll talk to you later, Dad."

"Okay. Bye, Kid," he waves before his face disappears off her screen.

Kat sighs afterward, letting her back collapses onto her bed. Considering the week she's had, it felt nice that now she could breathe without feeling weighted down by something.

Well, for now at least.

But even in this respite, her thoughts couldn't help but circle back to Lucas's cryptic words from earlier today.

You aren't the only one who wants to win this game between us.

Did he truly see their friendship as some sort of competition?

If so, he had another thing coming.

With determination in her eyes, Kat curled her lips into a confident grin.

"You are so... going down, Lucas Friar."

If this was a game, Katherine Decker was not only ready to play hardball to win, but she was prepared to give Lucas the challenge of a lifetime.

But would she be ready for his challenges?

Only time will tell.

lani's talking!

THEY MAKE ME SO SICCKK

if y'all follow me on tiktok, you would know that I'm literally going through a literal brainrot over them and AHHHHH

also if you don't follow me on tiktok, pls do. my user is @/4everlaniwp !!

anyways, idk what else to say besides thank you guys for the love you've continued to give to this story, and i will see you guys later!

byeeee <33333