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�Constant Change� Chapter 8: Small Miracles �Valerie! Get up! You�re late!� Joel screamed from the door to her room. Valerie slowly woke up rubbing her eyes. She looked at the clock, blinked and screamed. �Oh my God! It�s 7:00 A.M! School starts in fifty-five minutes! Joel! Why didn�t you wake me up sooner?� Valerie screamed tearing her way to the bathroom. �How was I supposed to know you weren�t up?� Joel retorted. Valerie rushed through her morning routine cutting a few things short. She threw on a blue long sleeved tee and jeans. She ran out the door and sped to school. She reached the entrance just half a minute before the bell rang. She ran to her first period before the bell rang. �Thank goodness for small miracles,� Valerie thought to herself. She sat through first period then made her way to her second hour art class. She was finishing up a huge watercolor project so she sat down and got right to work on it. The people around her sat and chatted but Valerie was totally absorbed in her work. She felt someone tap her on the shoulder. She spun around and knocked the person�s arm. The person dropped the bowl of yellow paint they were holding. It fell to the floor and splattered all over Valerie�s clothes. Her eyes snapped up to the person�s face. �Oh my gosh, Valerie. I am so sorry,� the person, Stacey Lush, said. �Oh Stace, it�s okay. I know you didn�t mean to,� Valerie sighed. �I feel so badly though,� Stacey replied. �Well there�s nothing either of us can do about it now,� Valerie waved her off and went to try to wash the yellow off. She tried everything, yet there was still a huge yellow stain on her blue shirt. Her jeans had yellow splatters on them too. She tried her best to cover it with her arms, but there wasn�t much she could do. The bell rang and she walked down the hall hoping not a lot of people would notice. �Valerie!� she heard a voice shout. She spun around and saw Dan running toward her. �Great,� she thought. �I don�t want Dan Miller to see this stain on my shirt.� She ducked into the nearest ladies room. Valerie pretended that she was checking her makeup in the mirror. She heard another girl come in. �Oh my gosh, Dan Miller is standing outside the door!� the girl told her friend. �I wonder who it is he�s got his eye on.� Valerie rolled her eyes. She wasn�t getting out of this. She decided just to face him. It wasn�t like her face was deformed or anything. She casually opened the door and strolled out. �Valerie,� Dan said when he saw her. �Oh hi Dan,� Valerie did her best to cover the stain with her arms. But he wasn�t about to let her off that easily. He eyed her suspiciously and went to hug her. Valerie gave him a quick hug but it was too late. He saw the stain. �What happened?� Dan asked trying not to laugh. �I had art first period. This girl spilled paint on me,� Valerie told him as they walked toward the cafeteria for their ten minute break between classes. �I have my football sweatshirt in my locker if you want to put that on,� Dan offered. Valerie�s eyes lit up. �Please,� she said. They stopped at his locker and he gave her the sweatshirt. Valerie thanked him endlessly. �I�ll give it back to you tomorrow,� she told him. �Don�t worry about it. It�s yours,� Dan told her taking her hand in his. She squeezed his hand. �Thanks Dan.� They walked hand in hand around the school for the rest of the day. Ashley gave Valerie evil glares whenever she passed him in the hall. It was only a day after the whole fight between Ashley and Dan. Lisa stayed by Ashley�s side and Cameron was forced to choose between two long time best friends and Valerie and her newest friends. In the end he chose to hang with Lisa and Ashley with no hard feelings from Valerie. Valerie was about to get in her car to go home when Ashley stopped her. �Valerie, can I talk to you?� Valerie decided to give him the benefit of the doubt and talk to him. �Sure.� �I�m sorry for being such a jerk to you. I should�ve let you get to know me and me get to know you before I came on to you,� Ashley said. �Yeah, you should have,� Valerie said coldly. �Why me anyway? �You�re beautiful. And Lisa�s told me so much about you that I wanted you for my own. Lisa and I are not the super couple that I want us to be. I feel that connection with you,� Ashley told her. Valerie nodded taking it all in. �I�m sorry,� Ashley said sincerely. �And I accept your apology,� Valerie offered her forgiveness trying to make the whole issue go away. �Thanks,� Ashley said. �Do you think we could start over?� �Of course,� Valerie hugged him. �I�m Valerie Ford.� �Ashley Angel,� he returned her hug. �Nice to meet you.� ~*~
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