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�Constant Change� Chapter 10: Looking For You Joel woke Valerie up the next morning and asked her if she wanted to go to school. Valerie agreed and got ready to go. Joel promised to drive her so she wouldn�t be alone. Joel walked her to her locker where Cameron, Lisa, and Ashley waited for her. �Hi Valerie,� Cameron said cautiously. Joel never walked Valerie to her locker, there had to be something wrong. �Hey Cam,� Valerie said hugging Joel goodbye. �Hold your head up and smile,� Joel whispered in her ear. �I love you.� �Thanks Joel, I love you too,� Valerie whispered back. Once Joel was gone the silence that fell on the group was unbearable. Ashley was the first to speak. �Valerie, are you okay?� he asked in a gentle tone she was not used to hearing from him. He was determined to be a better man. �Um, yes and no,� Valerie said opening her locker. �Do you want to talk about it?� Ashley asked even more gently. Cameron was shocked by Ashley�s new approach to Valerie�s affections. Both Valerie and Ashley seemed to have a new respect for each other. Ashley was still trying desperately to win Valerie�s heart though; Cameron could see that. �That would be nice,� Valerie smiled at Ashley. Ashley unwrapped Lisa�s arm from around his shoulders and walked over to Valerie. He took her hand and they walked off down the hall. Cameron�s jaw was on the floor. Lisa was beside herself. �That bitch!� she screamed. �I thought she wasn�t into him!� �Whoa, Lisa, calm down,� Cameron said unsure what else to say. �I don�t know what�s going on but I don�t think we should blame Valerie, yet.� �Ooh, I�m going to kill them,� Lisa�s fists clenched. �Just you wait.� Cameron turned to Lisa and patted her shoulder. �It�s okay, Lisa. I�ll handle it, okay?� Lisa reluctantly agreed. �Okay.� The two went to their classes while Cameron tried to figure out how he was going to keep Ashley and Valerie safe from Lisa�s fury. He had no idea what to do. ~*~ �So, what�s up, Valerie?� Ashley asked. �You know that guy that punched you in the library?� Valerie asked. �Yeah, Dan Miller,� Ashley said. �Well I�ve had the biggest crush on him since I moved here and after you two got in that fight he and I have been chillin�,� Valerie explained. �There�s got to be more to it than that,� Ashley probed. �Well yesterday he called me and asked me to meet him,� Valerie stopped. �He needed to talk.� Ashley nodded waiting for her to continue. Valerie took a deep breath. �I got there as fast as I could but he was already inside,� Valerie paused replaying the events in her head. �Then he handed me coffee.� �Uh huh,� Ashley said. �He told me that he never meant to get so attached to me in one day but he had so he had to tell me the truth,� Valerie paused and looked at Ashley�s face. �The truth?� Ashley asked. �He has a girlfriend that goes to school across town,� Valerie looked down at her hands. Ashley grabbed one of her hands and pulled her to him. He gave her a hug. �Oh Valerie, I am so sorry. I really am.� �I know,� Valerie said feeling a tear fall down her cheek. Ashley stepped back and saw that she was crying. He brushed the tears away with his thumb. �Oh Valerie, don�t cry over him. He�s not worth it.� Valerie shook her head. �Joel said that too, but that�s just it, Ashley. He was worth it.� �If he was any sort of man, he wouldn�t have made you cry,� Ashley told her. Valerie threw her arms around Ashley and hugged him tight. �That�s exactly what I needed to hear.� ~*~
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