valerie walked alone at school, she was making her way to the bathroom where her, victoria and daniel would meet up, and saw cassie. valerie hadn't spoke to the girl since new years, so when she saw her walking fast down the hall with a stressed look on her face, she decided to talk to her.

"hey cass! you look pretty." she complimented.

"oh- hey, really?" cassie didn't want to make it obvious anything was wrong with her, but even without saying anything, valerie knew. cassie was thankful valerie thought she looked good, but the only person she actually cared about for the opinion, was nate.. and even after getting ready for hours, he hasn't noticed her.

"yeah.. it's different, but you look good." valerie nodded, she began to say cassie looked like maddy a little, clothing wise.. but didn't think it would be the right thing to do, comparing them.

"thank you..." cassie played with her hair, looking around.

"cass.. are you okay?" valerie finally asked her, moving her eyes to where cassie was looking.

"i'm fine, thanks." cassie paused in between her words, before quickly walking away from the younger girl without a goodbye.

valerie watched her walk away, before shaking her head and continuing her way to the bathrooms. luckily, maddy was in there too, and valerie could ask her about cassie's weird behavior.

"hey, maddy, is something wrong with cassie?" val asked her.

"no? she seems fine to me." maddy shrugged, fixing her lipstick in the mirror.

valerie looked at her through the mirror, she wanted to say more but didn't want to start an argument with her older sister or say the wrong thing, so just sighed and shrugged her shoulders, sitting on the counter as she waited for victoria.

"hey, you remember that fight we had? about you hanging out with ashtray... you aren't still hanging out with him, right?" maddy turned to val.

"ashtray? like.. the kid drug dealer?" kat walked in the bathroom, quickly joining their conversation.

"what other ashtray do you know?" valerie quintet her eyes, only getting a shrug from kat in response.

maddy turned to valerie again, once she didn't answer. valerie sighed, "yeah, i am."

maddy tilted her head in a judgmental way, making val roll her eyes. "maddy, ashtray isnt a bad guy, okay?"

"so what? y'all are dating?" maddy ignored what she just said.

valerie nodded, not caring what maddy thought because she has been on and off with nate for so long that she shouldn't be judging anyone about who they're with.

before maddy, or kat, could respond, victoria walked in and valerie hopped off the counter with a smile. she didn't say a word to her older sister or her friend as she left, being petty... but also because she's annoyed with how judgy maddy always is to her.

"what was that?" victoria pointed back to the restroom door, the two of them leaning on the wall next to the boys bathroom.

"maddy doesn't like that in hanging out with ashtray— dating him." valerie rolled her eyes.

"why not?" victoria asked.

"i don't know, she thinks he's a bad influence." valerie shrugged.

"who's a bad influence?" daniel finally walked out of the boys bathroom.

"fucking finally." valerie smiled, the three walking down the hall.

maddy and kat continued talking about valerie and ashtray, even after she walked out of the bathroom.

"i didn't see that one coming." kat chuckled.

"i know, i don't know why she likes him." maddy shook her head.

"do you think he gives her drugs?" kat asked, fixing her hair and outfit.

maddy turned to kat with a bored look. "that's not funny."

kat shrugged, "i'm just saying, he is a drug dealer."

"yeah, he better not." maddy shook her head, the two of them walking out of the bathroom.

valerie sent rue a wave as she passed her, jules and elliot while walking down the hall. if valerie seen correctly, rue looked like she was third wheeling, and it confused her since jules her girlfriend and all.. but that's usually what happens, always a duo in a trio, right?

"if only i was older." daniel spoke, shaking his head dramatically.

"what?" valerie and victoria laughed together.

"elliot. he is one fine man." dani looked back at elliot, while valerie continued laughing.

                                          ———

after school, ashtray invited valerie over, and like... almost always, she agreed and was over within thirty minutes. she sat with him on the couch, watching tv until someone knocked on the door and soon.. rue came in, greeting fez with a "yo, fez." and giving a head gesture to faye.

valerie smiled, "hi, rue."

"oh, hey, valerie." rue nodded, following fez into the kitchen.

the two made small talk, before rue finally got to the point. "i'm a fuckin genius, fez." she leaned on the fridge door as faye looked through it.

"is that so?" fezco asked, and val and ash exchanged weird looks.

rue clapped, "it is fucking so, because.. i came up with an amazing fuckin plan."

"plan?" valerie whispered, while ashtray shook his head.

"and what would that be, rue?" fezco asked.

"all right, so... all you would have to do is front me like five thousand worth of drugs, okay? and-" fezco cut off.

"hell the fuck no." he chuckled.

"jesus, five thousand?" valerie mumbled.

"okay.. well, before you say no you kind of have to let me finish, right?" she tried to start again, but fezco cut her off, again.

"hell the fuck no."

"okay, why do you keep saying that?" rue asked him, while valerie chuckled, finding this amusing.

"i did not like the way that the plan started." fezco said to rue.

"okay, well, you have to let me finish the fucking plan!" rue waved her hands around.

"no."
"yes you-"
"hell the fuck no, rue."
the two went back and forth, before rue sighed.

she threw her hands down, "fuck it. i give up, whatever... i'll just take my fucking business elsewhere. it's your fuckin loss, man." she began walking away, before turning to see if fezco would change his mind or not.

"hell the fuck no." fezco still stuck to saying no.

rue shook her head, throwing her hands in the air and then actually leaving, and valerie laughed. "rues funny."

"she's stupid." ashtray scoffed.

"that's mean." val shook her head.

"you call me stupid." he squinted his eyes.

"yeah.. sorry." valerie laughed again, while ashtray shook his head.

AUTHORS NOTES:

you guys are getting the wrong impression of dani 😭