even though Valerie was at a good point in her life, her sisters friends and the people around her weren't. she had no clue, which is one of the things she admired about Maddys friends, they hid their feelings better than she ever could.

she had no clue Maddy was thinking about Nate again.. more specifically, their relationship. Maddy knew how much Valerie didn't like Nate, along with most people that was smart enough to know he was a huge asshole, and even after the many, many times Valerie would sit and tell Maddy she deserved better and he didn't love her, she chose not to believe it.

Valerie knew Rues stupid plan, and she knew rue wasn't in the right mind like ninety-nine percent of the time, but she didn't think she was serious. i mean, when was Rue ever serious about something like that? Valerie couldn't remember. but that's why she didn't go to Fezco about it, to at least warn him or something, even thought she probably should've.. she believed Rue was smarter than that, somehow.

that was the only two things Valerie didn't know that much about. where her and lexi are similar, they're both aware of what's going on around them.. for the most part. they both watch and observe, but never say too much. but lately, Valerie had been in her own space. she wasn't looking around for something new to know, she just minded her business and hangout with her boyfriend and her friends, which she liked way more anyway.

but, not even trying to find something new or get involved in anything, she did anyway.

                                      ———

"hey, there's a guy in a truck outside." Faye walked into the living room, plopping down next to ashtray and Valerie.

Fezco turned to her, glancing at ashtray. ashtray shook his head, taking his arm off of Valerie and standing up. Valerie wanted to follow him, and even tried.. but Fezco signaled her to sit back down.

"what guy?" Valerie asked Faye.

"i dunno.. that one guy, that was at that store." Faye shrugged, touching her lips.

"that one guy that was at that store?" Valerie repeated under her breathe.

it didn't click on her mind that Faye was talking about Cal Jacobs, until ashtray walked back in the living room, a shotgun in his hand pointed at Cals back, as his other hand held him. her eyes widened, watching as Fezco helped ashtray force him to sit in a chair before sitting on the side of the couch.

"so first, you come to my fuckin job askin all these weird ass questions like the feds, then i find you out front of my house.. the fuck are you doin, man?" Fezco asked Cal.

"you're free to call the cops." Cal stated blankly.

"why the fuck would i do that?" Fezco asked in a 'duh' tone.

"well, it's either call the cops, let me go or.." Cal paused, moving his head to look up at ashtray who was holding the shotgun to his head. "kill me."

"what the fuck, man?.. what's with your family, are you all just a bunch of fucking assholes?" Fezco asked, making Valerie snicker.

"you beat up my son." Cal stated.

"yeah well, he deserved it, man, he's a fuckin bitch." Fezco said, again making Valerie chuckle.

"oh, okay tough guy." Cal taunted, before the gun ashtray was holding connected with his head, making Valerie cover her mouth in shock.

"oh, ow, fuck!" Cal screamed, turning slowly to ashtray. "why did you do that?"

"cause you're in no position to talk shit." ashtray maintained eye contact.

"i'm warning you, you hit me one more—" Cal was cut off by the gun hitting him again, and he let out a loud groan. "oh, fuck!"

"why don't you call the cops?" ashtray asked him.

"the chief of police, Will Greenwood—" again, ashtray cut him off by hitting him while humming, "mhm."

ashtray kept hitting him, and the sound it was making and Cals shouts, made Valerie stomach start to hurt so she turned her head. Fezco noticed, and quickly stopped his brother. "all right, ash. chill out, man."

"fuck!" Cal yelled.

"this guy don't want the fuckin cops involved, watch." Valerie watched ashtray pull out his phone, before setting on the table next to both him and Cal. "call the cops."

"i will!" Cal glanced at the phone.

"dial, bitch." ashtray hit him again. "if you got nothin to hide, call the fuckin cops." and again.

"stop, stop, stop." Cal waved his arm around, out of breathe.

"i'm not fuckin stopping.. i'm not stopping, call the cops." ashtray pointed the gun at him again.

Valeries face scrunched in disgust at the blood pouring down Cals head, and looked up to Fezco who just shook his head.

Cal didn't say anything else, so ashtray looked up to Fez, "i told you." and then hit Cal again.

"all right, man.. i get it." Fezco said, trying to tell ashtray to stop without actually saying it.

"i know you and your drug addict friend, that girl. you're trying to extort my son." Cal wiped his face.

"what?" Valerie and Fezco said at the same time.

"because of what i did to her friend." Cal kept his head down.

"the fuck are you talkin about, man?" Fezco asked.

"you know, the blonde." Cal looked up at Valerie, making her turn away.

"who, jewel?" Fezco questioned, and Valerie chuckled, mumbling "jules."

Cal sighed, "look, man.. i didn't know she was seventeen."

Valeries eyebrows furrowed, glancing at ashtray and then Fezco. silence filled the room for a second, and Valerie tried to understand what he was saying.

"you tellin me you had sex with jewel?" Fezco asked, making Valeries eyes widen and her posture drop.

"what the fuck?!" she whispered to herself, ashtray making eye contact with her.

"who's jewel?" Faye turned to her.

"what the fuck, man?" Fezco shook his head.

"do i know jewel?" Faye asked her again, and Valerie shook her head, mouthing a 'no.'

"the fuck are we even talkin about right now, bro?" Fezco kept talking, as Cal wiped his face.

"Jewel.. Jewel.. Jewel.." Faye mumbled, making Valerie turn to her and snicker.

"i just want the disc." Cal glanced at Valerie.

"what disc?!" Fezco exclaimed.

"of jewel and i." Cal said.

"yo, you recorded that shit?!" Fezco leaned forward.

"i didn't know." Valerie looked at Cal as if he was stupid.

"you didn't know that you were recording?" Fezco looked at him.

"i fucked up." Cal breathed out.

"obviously, man.. yo, who the fuck even told you i have a shit about this anyway?" Fezco asked.

"my son." Cal spoke, making Valerie scoff.

"your son, the one that's in love with jewel?" Fezco asked, making Valeries jaw drop.

"aw, that's cute." Faye smiled.

"that's not cute, man.. what the fuck?"

"what?"

"what kind of father-son shit is goin on around here, bro?"

Valeries brain was processing everything she just heard, and she didn't know what to think about it just yet.

"i'm extremely confused."

"you're confused? i'm fuckin confused, bro."

"me too." Faye added, getting a nod in agreement from Val.

"i don't even know what the fuck you're doin here." Fezco said blankly.

Cal breathed in, "do you mind if i just leave? i'm not gonna say a word about anything, i swear to god. let's just pretend like.. none of this ever happened."

Fezco looked at Cal, before looking at up ashtray while shook his head. "yo, ash, lemme talk to you real quick."

the two walked away, ashtray giving valerie one last look that she didn't quite understand, but leaned her head on the couch and watched Cal.

"hi.. what's your name?" Faye asked him.

"Cal." he answered, keeping his head straight.

"do you and your son like— do you like, fuck people together?" she asked, making Valerie gasped and then laugh.

Cal turned away from her, before looking at Valerie. "your sister know you're hanging around them?"

Valeries eyebrows raised, "your wife know you fuck teenagers?"

"yo, check it out, man. imma let you walk out of here on one condition." Fezco walked back in the room before Cal could say anything else.

"anything." Cal looked at him.

"you keep yo bitch ass son out my fuckin life, and Rues and Jewels. til the end of fuckin time, you understand?" fezco told him.

"i promise." Cal glanced at Valerie again.

"now, i don't know shit about no fuckin disc, man, that's not my problem." and Cal nodded.

"now, get this motherfucker up outta here, ash." Fezco told him, and ashtray grabbed Cal up, leading him out the house.

Fezco turned to Valerie, "he say anything to you?"

"just about Maddy, im fine." she nodded.

"ight." he sighed, walking away to his room.