�Constant Change� Chapter 2: Trying Too Hard

Lisa�s giggles rang in Valerie�s ears. Ashley was tickling Lisa and the two of them looked very happy to be together again. Cameron watched them and laughed. Valerie was spacing out staring at Dan.

�Val? Val!� Lisa said loudly in her friend�s ear.

�What!?� Valerie screamed. Ashley and Cameron gave her weird looks. She could feel her face getting hot. �I mean, what?�

�We�re going. Do you want to come or are you too busy staring at Dan?� Lisa said mockingly.

�I�ll come,� Valerie stood up.

Lisa and Ashley strode ahead of Cameron and Valerie giving Valerie time to finish her staring. Ashley was still giving her that weird feeling; she couldn�t quite place her finger on it.

�So you like Ashley?� Cameron�s voice made her jump.

�Huh?� Valerie asked. Of course she didn�t like Ashley, she didn�t even know him.

�He�s a pretty cool guy to hang out with, right?� Cameron looked at her strangely. �You okay?�

�Yeah, fine. He seems okay. I don�t really know him yet,� Valerie wanted more than anything to get out of the conversation.

�Well I gotta go to class. See you later,� Cameron waved as he walked in the opposite direction down the hall.

Valerie continued on to her locker and grabbed her books. She shut her locker and jumped as someone stood on the other side of the door. Ashley smiled as her.

�A little jumpy?� he asked.

�Ashley? What do you want?� Valerie asked a little annoyed that he was there.

�I want to get to know you,� Ashley replied following her as she walked to her class.

�Why aren�t you with Lisa?� Valerie asked trying to make him go away.

�Lisa?� Ashley said taken aback. �I thought the two of you were friends.�

�Lisa and I are, but you and I aren�t,� Valerie said hastily.

Ashley looked hurt. �We aren�t?�

�I don�t even know you!� Valerie sighed. �I gotta get to class.�

With that she walked off leaving Ashley watching after her. Lisa and he may have had something before but now he wanted Valerie, there was no denying that.

~*~

�Hey Val, you wanna come with Ashley and Cameron and me to get pizza?� Lisa asked as the pair walked to the student parking lot after school. Their heels clicked along the pavement.

�Sorry Lisa. I�ve got homework to attend to,� Valerie said as she unlocked her green Jetta.

�Okay. Call me later,� Lisa waved as she walked away.

Valerie got in her car and turned up the volume on her stereo. Puddle of Mudd�s song �Blurry� came on. Valerie backed out of the parking space singing along with the radio. She slammed on the brakes when someone walked behind her car.

�What in the fu�� Valerie started to curse.

Ashley walked alongside the car and tapped on the driver�s window. Valerie almost ran him over when she saw who it was. She decided against it and rolled down the window.

�So pizza�s not your thing, huh?� Ashley smiled naughtily.

�Um, excuse you?� Valerie played the part of the ice queen perfectly. �Why do you care anyway?�

�Cause baby, you make me so hot and horny,� Ashley said playfully and only slightly teasing.

�Get away from me!� Valerie demanded. �Go be horny with Lisa! Now!�

�Ouch,� Ashley pretended to brush off his sleeve. �I was only joking.�

�Just leave me alone,� Valerie said rolling up the window.

Ashley stayed for another two seconds then turned and left. Valerie hit her head on the steering wheel causing the horn to blare. She shot back up in her seat alarmed. Gently this time, she put her head back down. She sighed to herself a few times.

�You only get like that when you really like a guy,� she thought in her head. �What�s wrong with you? He�s Lisa�s man! Leave him alone! Don�t tease him like that!�

Valerie turned the car off the school�s property and drove the few miles to her house. She pulled into the three-car garage and gathered her books in her arms. She unlocked the back door and dropped her stuff in her bedroom. She went into the kitchen to make herself something to eat.

She spread a thin layer of peanut butter on her peanut butter and jelly sandwich. She sat down to take a bite when the phone rang.

�Good thing I hadn�t taken a bite yet. I wouldn�t want peanut butter stuck to the roof of my mouth,� Valerie thought as she picked up the cordless. �Hello?�

�Valerie?� a very familiar masculine voice said.

�Ugh,� Valerie debated whether or not to hang up.

�It�s Ashley,� the voice stated the obvious.

�Yeah, so?� Valerie said taking a huge bite of the sandwich. She took pleasure in pretending it was Ashley�s head.

�I was just calling to talk to you,� Ashley replied.

�Stalking is illegal in all fifty states,� Valerie stated.

�You think I�m stalking you?� Ashley asked.

�Um, duh?� Valerie said as if explaining to a three year old.

�Well I�m not,� Ashley replied.

�Then what in the hell are you doing?� Valerie paused. �And how in the hell did you get my number?�

�Lisa gave it to me. She�s so infatuated with me that she�s blind to the love we share,� Ashley giggled.

�Did he just giggle?� Valerie asked herself. �We share NO such thing.�

�Then what do you call it?� Ashley asked her innocently.

�Obsessive compulsiveness,� Valerie spit out the words.

�Fine, I see when I�m not loved,� Ashley said faking the hurt in his voice.

�Goodbye,� Valerie hung up the phone. She took another bite out of her sandwich and rolled her eyes. This guy was trouble, she could feel it.

~*~

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