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Farkle Minkus is a very loving kid. Anyone who knows him knows it. Farkle loves his friends, his teachers, his family, everyone! But who loves Farkle? Because he's not really sure he knows.
Farkle loves Riley. He's loved her as long as he can remember. She's a gangley, wide-eyed mess, but Farkle loves her. He loves everything about her; her smile, her laugh, her all around awkwardness (especially when Lucas is around). Riley, however, loves Maya, and Lucas, so she doesn't really need Farkle.
Farkle also loves Maya. Maya is strong, independent, artistic, and street smart, and everything Riley is not, which is why they complete each other so perfectly. Maya teases her friends, but they all know that she means no harm. It's just her means of showing affection. Maya loves Riley, and even Lucas, and definitely Riley's uncle Josh, and she really loves Shawn Hunter, but not Farkle.
Farkle, in a weird, you're-my-mentor kind of way, loves Mr. Matthews. Farkle has always been a smart kid, he is a Minkus, after all, and Mr. Matthews has let him flourish and shine in his classroom. It's why Farkle loves him. Mr. Matthews loves all his students, but out of all of them, he loves Riley and Maya the most.
Farkle banged his head against his locker. He knew who he loved. He loved a ton of people. But he couldn't think of a single one, save for his parents, that loved him back. No one seemed to love Farkle the way Farkle loved everyone.
"You're going to make a bruise on your forehead, or dent your locker, if you keep that up," Lucas said, pulling Farkle out of his tantrum. "What's wrong?"
Fatkle opened his mouth to explain, when he was cut off. "Look, Riley, it's Sundance," Maya sneered. Farkle was pretty sure he heard Rilet's typical 'Hiiiii Lucas,' but Maya kept talking. "You know, for a cowboy, you sure do spend a lot of time with us city slickers, especially Farkle."
"And your point is, ma'am?" Lucas played along, tipping an imaginary cowboy hat to her. This was their usual game, this was what made Farkle see that Maya loved Lucas, even just a little.
"Shouldn't you be, I don't know, tending the horses? Milking the cows? Something not city slicker-related?" she teased, but it was in good nature.
"Maya, leave Lucas alone. He's our friend," Riley butted in, smiling at Lucas. Yep, Riley loved Lucas, and Riley loved Maya, so no room for Farkle.
"Whatever. Come on Riley, see you later, Hop-along," Maya called as she walked away. Had they really not spoken directly to Farkle at all? Ouch. He hit his head into the locker again.
"Hey, I thought you were done with that," Lucas reprimanded, and gently pushed Farkle back from his locker. "So what's eating you up so badly?"
"I just...you wouldn't understand. It's not the type of problem you would have any experience with," Farkle brushed him off.
"Try me. You never know, I might know exactly what you're going through," Lucas suggested. How could Farkle say no to that face? He loved that face too much.
"I always get really close to people, and I love them, but they never seem to love me the same way," Farkle explained. Lucas appeared to be thinking about something, but Farkle wasn't sure what.
"Riley and Maya love you, don't they?" Lucas offered.
Farkle shook his head. "They have each other, and plenty of other people, they don't love me," he denied.
"Come on, Farkle, that's not true." Lucas didn't like seeing his best friend, the closest friend he'd had since moving to New York, this sad.
"They were here like five seconds ago and completely ignored me," he pointed out; Lucas couldn't really argue with that.
"Someone does love you, Farkle, they're just not brave enough to show it."
Farkle loved Lucas. Oh god, Farkle loved Lucas. He probably loved Lucas more than anyone else. Lucas had his back, and he was really the only friend he had besides Riley and Maya. They came from different worlds, but they had found that they were very much the same. But Lucas loved Riley and Maya, how could he love Farkle; how could he love Farkle the way Farkle loved him?
"Ladies," Farkle greeted, sitting down at their table in the lunch room. He wanted to come off as happy. He didn't need to burden the people he loved with how unloved he felt.
"Farkle," Riley and Maya said in perfect synchronization. They went back to whatever conversation they'd been having when Farkle walked up; something about a drawing that Maya had done.
"Are you feeling any better?" Lucas asked quietly while the girls were distracted.
"You don't need to worry about me, Pretty Boy," Farkle replied, not giving him a real answer.
"Farkle, I know for a fact that someone loves you," he whispered.
"Well then maybe they should say something."
Farkle washed his hands. He had seen many people go in and out of the bathroom without washing their hands, and he thought that was gross. So he stood, diligently washing his hands, when Lucas came into the bathroom.
"Farkle," Lucas said as he walked up behind him and put his hand on Farkle's shoulder.
"No. I don't want to hear it. If someone loved me, they'd say something," Farkle growled. He pushed past Lucas to the paper towel dispenser and dried his hands.
"Maybe they were kind of afraid to tell you, and they've been trying to, and you won't listen," Lucas said vaguely. He caught Farkle by the wrist and pulled him back, so he couldn't go running out the bathroom door. "Farkle, I love you."
Farkle Minkus is a very loving kid. Anyone who knows him knows it. Farkle loves his friends, his teachers, his family, everyone! He loves Riley, and Maya, and even Mr. Matthews, but he loves Lucas Friar the most. Lucas is the one who loves him back, and now, Farkle knows it.