Emily's POV

Maya, Riley and I are watching a girl put on makeup.

"Look at that ninth-grade woman! She's putting on makeup. We're going to be ninth-grade women someday!" Riley says to us.

"This thing goes to ninth grade?" Maya asks.

Riley points to Allison. "Why that?"

"Brings out your eyes." I say to her. I've worn makeup before so I know about all of it.

"Why would I wanna take out my eyes?" Riley asks.

"She's not taking out her eyes." Maya says.

Allison takes out an eyelash curler. "And I think she is." Riley says pointing to Allison.

"It's an eyelash curler." I say then Allison continues for me.

"It doesn't even hurt." She holds out the eyelash curler.

Riley takes the eyelash curler and examines it. "I have eyelashes."

"Watch this" I say to Maya and Allison.

Riley clamps the curler on her eyelashes. "Ahhhhh!" She starts overreacting.

"Anybody else would stop." Maya says.

Riley clamps the curler on her eyelashes again. "Ahhhhh!"

Mr. Matthews walks up. "Open it."

Riley opens the eyelash curler. "Thanks, Daddy."

"Yeah, okay." He says and leaves.

"Yeah, okay." Riley says and hands back the eyelash curler to Allison.

"Ladies." Farkle says walking up to us.

"Farkle." The three of us say in unison.

"School dance. I'm gonna put you three down for Dance Numbers one through all of them. We will alternate. You and me, me and you. you and me. When you're not dancing with me, you may not dance with anyone else. So you may sit and wait until you dance with me again." He says.

"Yeah, none of this is happening." I say to him.

"Well, may I have one dance with each of you?" He asks.

"Sure." Riley says.

"Ha! That's all I wanted. You just got played by Farkle." He leaves and Lucas walks up.

"Hey guys!"

Riley raises her hand. "Lucas!"

"Hand." I say to her.

"Lucas!" She says louder than before.

"Grown-up voice." Maya says.

Riley walks up to him. "Lucas, hello."

"Hey." He says.

"Hey, yeehaw." I say to him.

"You going to Tick-Tock Shake Your Body Time, cause, you know, it's not a square dance, so, not gonna be a whole lot of do-si-doing." Maya says.

"Well then, I'm sure I'll have no idea what to do and you guys can make fun of me." He says.

Maya and I point at him. "You're not playing this right." We both say.

He puts our hands down. "Oh, well that's certainly not my intention. I'll try harder next time." He says to us.

"We'll break you." We say in unison.

"Well, if that's what makes you guys happy, then. I certainly can't wait for it," he tips imaginary hat. "ma'am's." He says. I glare at him.

We both shudder in annoyance and turn away.

"You going to the school dance, Lucas?" Riley asks.

"Thought I would. You?" He asks Riley.

Me and Maya make a gagging sound, and Riley turns around. "You hear me? '' We say. We make the sound again. "You'll both be there." Maya says.

"He'll be the one in a cowboy hat going like this." I say then Maya and I start to do some dance.

Riley and Lucas walk away while Maya and I are still dancing.

Everyone claps us on, then we stop. "It isn't for you." We say. Everyone keeps clapping us on. "Okay, fine." We sat then start dancing again.

After school I go home and walk inside the apartment. I don't hear anything so that must mean that he's not home. Thank god. I walk into the kitchen and put my stuff on the counter.

The apartment isn't the same layout as Riley's so you can't see the kitchen from the walk way. I open the fridge and grab out a small orange juice bottle. I grab my stuff and walk to my room.

I put my stuff on the bed as I hear the front door slam. My eyes widen. I rush and lock my door then go to my bed and sit down trying to not make any noise. "Emily!" I hear him yell. I ignore it with tears falling down my face. "Are you home yet?" He yells.

The doorknob rattles. "Emily! Open the door right now!" He yells then shakes the knob even more. "Don't make me break down the door!" I slowly get up and unlock it. I rush back over to my bed when he opens the door. "What did I tell you about leaving the door locked?"

"I'm -I'm sorry." I stutter.

"You're gonna be." He says. A stinging pain erupts on my cheek. "Don't lock it again." He says then leaves the room. I fall asleep with tears falling down my face.

I wake up the next morning and look in the mirror, there's a huge hand print bruise on my left cheek. I sigh and start putting makeup on it. This is why I'm so good with makeup. Maya, Riley and Farkle don't even know what he does but last night was just a small glimpse at it.

I enter my history classroom later that morning, slightly in pain. "Daniels." I sit in the seat in front of Lucas, not muttering a word to anyone.

"Hart!" He says when Maya enters. She sits on my left side.

"You." Mr. Matthews says when Riley enters the room.

"Dad, I... " He cuts her off and makes the closed mouth signal with his hand.

"Okay." She walks over to her seat in front of Farkle.

"Well, guys. I've got your test results on Darwin to give back to you, and uh, I'm pleased to see some of you have "evolved" since the last quiz." He waits for us students to laugh, but no one does.

"Ha!" Farkle says.

"Thanks, Farkle." Mr. Matthews says.

"Well, you were drowning, sir." Farkle says.

Mr. Matthews passes the papers out to us. "Ms. Daniels." He says and hands me back the paper. I read the top of it. A 'D', just what I needed. I put the paper down on my desk not even caring. I can feel Lucas looking at me but I ignore it. "Ms. Hart." He hands Maya's test to her. "Mr. Friar." He hands Lucas' test to him. "Nice work."

"Thank you, sir." Lucas replies. I roll my eyes, something that doesn't go unnoticed by Farkle. He gives me a look but I just shake my head.

"Mr. Farkle." He hands Farkle's test to him.

"A number 700. Huzzah!" Farkle says and takes out a noisemaker.

"You." He hands Riley's test to her.

"You okay?" I ask Maya.

"He gave me an F." She replies.

"That's nuts, you're a solid D student." I say to her.

"Mr. Friar, I took particular note of your position that evolution does not preclude the existence of... How did you put it?" Mr. Matthews asks Lucas.

"A guiding hand that has your best interest at heart." Lucas replies.

Maya raises her hand. "Yes, Ms. Hart." Mr. Matthews asks.

"You failed me." She says.

"Why don't we talk about this after class?" He says.

"What's there to talk about? You failed me." She stands up. "You think I'm a failure." She takes the test paper. "There's nothing more for you to teach me."

"Oh, come on, both of you gotta say that?" He looks at Riley then at me. "Are you gonna say that now?" He asks.

Maya goes to leave. "What, you mean I lost you both? Maya!" Maya turns around. "You do not walk out of here." Maya leaves. Riley and I raise our hands. "Go." He says. Riley and I leave.

"Redecorating your locker?" I ask Maya who's taking everything out of her locker.

"Nope." She takes a doll body and puts it below her chin. "Cleaning it out! You want one? Because it's the last one you're gonna get." Music plays as she puts two paper sticks in a cotton candy machine, then hands them to Riley and I.

"Maya, it's just one F." Riley says.

"It's not about the paper, Riley. Your dad failed me." Maya says.

"Yeah, I know, and, I'm not going on the Cyclone, I failed him. Can we just call it even?" Riley asks her.

"Nope, we can just call it I'm leaving." Maya says.

"Maya, I know you. You'll make a big deal about of this, pretend to leave school forever, and you'll be back by gym class." I say to her.

"No. This time I mean it." She says the walks away.

"Alright Maya, I'll see you tomorrow." Riley says.

Maya turns around. "No, you won't."

You'll pick me up at seven with Emily!" Riley yells.

"I won't be there." She says.

"You made your point, okay? You didn't come to school today, and your teacher is really upset with you." Riley says as we sit on the bay window the next day.

"He's not my teacher anymore. I now attend a prestigious online academy." Maya says.

"Welcome to the Frank Mantucci on da computer school, where youse get out of it what you put into it. And what you need to put into it is 400 dollars. Gimme." Some guy with a Brooklyn accent says from her computer.

"You paid that?" I ask her, wide eyed.

"Free trial. I took the test to see if I qualify for the free trial." Maya says.

"Maya, it's a scam, they take anybody." Riley says.

"Congratulations!" Brooklyn accent says.

"I got in!" Maya says excitedly.

"You are the first person to ever fail the Frank Mantucci on da computer school. How'd you do dat?" Brooklyn accent says.

"How'd you do dat?" Riley and I mimic the dude

"We asked: "Name?" You didn't put nuttin'." The dude says. I shrug.

"Well, at least you were smart enough not to give them your name." I say.

"It's not that I'm smart enough." Maya says.

"Then what is it?" Riley asks her

"Maybe sometimes, I'm not so proud of who I am." I frown at her words.

Topanga enters. "How's it going in here?" She asks us.

"Mom, tell Maya to come back to school. Regular school." Riley tells her mother.

"Hmm, so, you don't like this, huh?" She asks Riley.

"Of course not! Maya always comes to school with me and Emily. She always picks us up at seven. I look forward to it." Riley says.

"Like a tradition." Topanga says. Ah, she's trying to tell Riley that it's like Mr. Matthews tradition to go on that roller coaster

"Yeah!" Riley says then continues. "Oh. You know, even though you're a mother, that was creepy good."

"So, Maya doesn't show up like she's supposed to and how does that make you feel?" Topanga asks.

"Oh." She puts her hand on her heart.

"Honey, you have to go to him. He feels bad. You have to go to your father." Her mother says.

"I feel bad. Will he come to me?" Maya asks.

"No. He's your teacher. He doesn't have to." Riley says.

"But he will." Topanga says.

"What?" Maya asks.

"He doesn't have to, but he will." Topanga says.

"Why?" Riley asks

"Because he's always there. For both of you." Topanga says to Maya and I.

Cory enters and holds his hand out to Maya. Maya takes it and they exit.

"Always." Topanga says. Riley lays her head on her shoulder.

Maya is sitting at the kitchen table.

Cory hands a paper to Maya. "Read it."

"I don't wanna do this, Mr. Matthews." Maya says standing up.

"Sit down." I say.

"You can't tell me what... " I cut her off.

"I just did." I tell her.

Maya sits down. "Thanks." Riley says then Riley and I sits down next to Maya. "Go ahead." She adds.

"Darwin animal studies were thought to be when the travels he took on the boat with the Beatles." Maya says.

"Are you kidding me?" I ask.

"Does she have to be here?" Maya says and points to me. I smile innocently.

"What were you trying to do?" Mr. Matthews asks her.

"I tried to write it like I was smart." She says.

"You are smart." Riley and I say to her in unison

"What did you mean to say?" Mr. Matthews asks her.

"Darwin studied animals." Maya answers.

"What kind?" Mr. Matthews asks her. I raise my eyebrows at her.

"I don't know." She says.

"She does know." I say

"I don't know, you think I don't know what I don't know?" Maya asks.

"I think you know more than you don't know, but you don't know that!" Riley says for me.

"You know what?" Maya asks

"What did Darwin study?" I ask her

"Birds." Maya answers.

"There you go." Mr. Matthews says

"Really? I got that one wrong." Riley says.

"You wanna be smart, Maya? Say what you mean. I understood that perfectly, and you're correct." Mr. Matthews says to her.

"That's all I had to say?" She asks.

"What was the name of his boat?" He asks.

"The Beatles." I sigh at her answer. The Beatles were a band from the sixties not a boat name.

"The Beagle, it's a tiny difference, but an important one. Because if you know it, Maya, you don't fail." Matthews says.

"I want to not fail." She says.

"What kind of birds did he study?" Matthews asks her

"I don't know." She says.

"You do." I says. She gives me a look.

"Finches." Maya replies.

"And what else?" Riley asks her.

"Finches and mockingbirds." She says.

"Yes." Mr. Matthews says.

"Yes." Riley and I say.

"How did you guys know she knew?" He asks us as Topanga enters.

"We know she listens to you." Riley says.

"I listen to you." Maya says.

"Then you won't fail. And then neither will I." He says.

"How about some turkey sandwiches?" Topanga asks.

"Darwin didn't study turkeys. He studied finches and mockingbirds. His boat was the Beagle." Maya says.

"And for extra credit?" Matthews asks.

"Galapagos. The islands he studied were the Galapagos." Maya says.

"Because she listens to me. Hey, Maya. Watch this." He writes on her test. He changed the F to an A.

"You're giving me an A?" Maya asks him, shocked.

"No, I'm giving you a C+. But I want you to see how easily an F can become an A." He tells her.

"Nothing to be ashamed of anymore, Maya." Riley says.

"My dad doesn't live with..." Maya says.

"It's okay." I tell Maya.

"He's got this new family." She says.

"Maya, you don't have to... " Topanga tells her.

"I do have to. I have to be able to talk to you. If you give me an F, if you decide I'm not worth working on... " Maya says.

"Maya, take a look around you. We're all here for you. Does this look like we think you're not worth working on?" He says to her.

"I just don't wanna fail, Mr. Matthews. Thank you." Maya says to him.

"I don't wanna go to the dance. The dance doesn't matter to me at all. I want to go on the Cyclone with you more than anything in the world!" Riley says.

"You're going to the dance." Cory says.

"Hooray." She says wistfully.

"I'm going to chaperone." He tells Riley. I smirk.

She raises her hand. "What's that mean?"

"Hand." I say.

"What's that mean?" Riley asks louder.

"Grown-up voice." Maya says.

"Lucas, hello." Riley says. I laugh and Mr. Matthews asks.

"What's that mean?" I just laugh at her words.

It's the "tick-tock Shake Your Body Time" (Maya's words) school dance, and Riley and Lucas are dancing to soft pop music. Farkle is dancing with Maya. While I'm sitting down at a table.

The music soon ends, and everybody claps. &Well, guys, it looks like the night is winding down. We hope you all enjoyed the dance. But before we go, I notice some fathers have arrived to pick up their daughters. I wonder if we might have one last dance." People clap at Mr. Matthews. "A father-daughter dance." Soft music plays, then Cory approaches Riley, but she steps out of the way so he's facing Maya. "May I please have this dance?" I hear him ask her. Maya takes his hand, and they step to the center of the floor. After a bit, Cory holds out his other hand to Riley, and she takes it. I smile at the three.

I get up and grab my small purse. I look at the three of them and then the other people in the gym, the girls dancing with their fathers. I smile a little before I walk out of the gym and go home.

Monday morning, I come over and eat breakfast with them. I still had to put makeup on my cheek though

"Riley, I never want our daddy-daughter story to end." Mr. Matthews says to his daughter.

"Neither do I, dad." Riley says.

"It doesn't end. In any good book, you turn the page and there's another chapter." Topanga says.

"Daddy, since Riley's too big for you, maybe we could do something every year." Auggie says.

"Of course, Auggie. What do you have in mind?" Mr. Matthews asks him.

"You and me. A singles cruise to Alaska." Auggie says.

"Well, I guess some traditions are meant to change." Topanga says.

Maya enters. "'Sup, goofballs? Hey, Riley. Hey Emily. 7:00." She says.

"And some should always remain the same." Cory says and Maya, Riley and I exit the apartment.

Okay. I finally finished the chapter. Okay so you guys got a small glimpse on Emily's life at home. :( It wasn't so good but. So please comment what you think about this chapter it would mean a lot. And also, if I were to put Emily dating anyone, in season 2, who would it be? Who would you guys want it to be? Farkle, Lucas or someone else? Anyway please tell me your thoughts. Thanks. Anyways thanks for reading. Bye.

-Kelly.