�Constant Change� Chapter 9: Of All The Words

Valerie felt better after she made amends with Ashley. She also had a warm, fuzzy feeling from Dan. All in all she was feeling great. Joel could see the difference in his sister�s attitude. It was good to see her see happy.

The phone rang not long after the two of them had gotten home. Valerie ran to the nearest phone. �I�ve got it!� she yelled to Joel.

�Hello?� she answered it.

�Hey Valerie,� Dan�s voice said. �It�s Dan.�

�Hi Dan!� Valerie said. �What�s up?�

Dan hesitated before he spoke again. �I have to tell you something,� he said completely serious.

�Um, okay,� Valerie replied not sure if she wanted to know what was going on.

�I�ll meet you at the Starbucks by the school,� he told her.

�When?� Valerie could sense the urgency in his voice.

�In fifteen minutes?� Dan asked her.

�Ten. See you then,� Valerie hung up the phone and rushed to change her clothes.

She threw the yellow stained clothes into the laundry room and put on a black skirt and white tee shirt. She grabbed her purse, told Joel where she would be, and took off. The whole ride to Starbucks Valerie turned over all the possibilities why Dan had called in her head.

She pulled up in front of the coffee shop and walked in the door. She saw Dan sitting at a table near the door. His head popped up when she walked in the door. Valerie walked over to him and sat down. He handed her a cup of coffee and she accepted it.

�So, what did you want to tell me?� Valerie asked oblivious to what was about to happen.

�Valerie, I like you,� Dan told her taking her hand across the table. �And I never wanted to hurt you.�

Valerie stared at him blankly. �And?�

�And I haven�t been fair to you,� Dan said.

�What do you mean?� Valerie asked.

�When I saw you in the library yesterday fighting with Ashley, I fell for you,� Dan looked down at the table. �I didn�t want to see him hurt you so I stepped in. I didn�t know how attached I would become to you in only twenty-four hours.�

Valerie could feel something different about the way Dan was talking to her. She didn�t want to interrupt him before he made his point.

�And I should have told you the truth at the beginning but I could never find the right time to say it. I wanted to protect you from all things cruel in the world so I didn�t tell you,� Dan looked back up at her face.

She was still listening to every word he said trying to make sense of it all. She could feel tears well up in her eyes. Whatever he was going to tell her couldn�t be good.

�Dan, please just tell me now,� Valerie said meekly.

�I have a girlfriend,� Dan managed to say before tears began to fall down his face.

�What?� Valerie asked taken aback. �What?�

�My girlfriend�s name is Natalie and she goes to school across the city,� Dan said. �I�m sorry Valerie. I really am.�

�How long?� Valerie asked.

�Two and half years,� Dan tried not to cry, but the tears wouldn�t listen to him.

�I wish you would have told me,� Valerie said.

�I wish I would have too,� Dan tried to hold her hand again but she put it in her lap.

�Yeah because then I wouldn�t have to do this,� Valerie stood up and left before Dan could say anything else.

She got in her car and sat for a second. She could see him standing up ready to come after her so she stepped on the gas and got out of there. She drove home almost blinded by her tears. She had trusted him and he hadn�t told her the most important thing about himself.

Valerie got home and slammed her way through the house and up to her room. She threw herself on her bed and cried. She cried long, unkind sobs. Joel knocked on her door.

�Val? Are you okay?� he asked through her door.

When she didn�t answer he opened the door. The sight before his eyes terrified him. His sister was crumpled in a heap on her bed crying rivers of tears. Just hours before she had been the happiest person he knew. He ran to her and sat next to her on the bed.

�Val, it�s okay. I�m here. Don�t worry,� Joel soothed her by stroking her hair.

She laid her head in his lap and looked up at him with misery in her eyes. His heart broke to see her so dejected.

�Who was it? I�ll kill him,� Joel told her.

�No, Joel. It was Dan. Don�t,� Valerie�s sentences were choppy because of her sobbing.

�What happened?� Joel asked.

�He� he� has a� girlfriend,� Valerie said pained.

�He what?� Joel asked bewildered.

�Has a girlfriend,� Valerie said again.

Joel smoothed his sister�s hair from her face. �Shhh, Val. I love you and will be here for you. Don�t you worry your pretty head over him. He�s not worth it.�

Joel sat with Valerie until she fell asleep. He tucked her into her bed and silently left the room. Valerie slept throughout the night not once drifting off into a nightmare. She was too heartbroken to dwell on it. Her conscious blocked it all.

~*~

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