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it was maddys birthday, both of the perez sisters were dressed in black dresses as they sat around the howard's dining room, waiting for cassie to bring maddys cake to the table.

valerie kept a small smile on her face, watching maddy talk to all her friends with a huge smile never leaving her face. val hadn't said it out loud, but she was sad maddy was eight teen and was probably moving out sooner or later.

the two didn't hangout much, and didn't always get along but valerie didn't want to be alone at her house. she loved maddy, and she hated the thought of her leaving, but she knew it would happen eventually.

as cassie set the cake on the table, val playfully scoffed. there was a picture of maddy on it, it was fully lit up by the candles. cassie placed the cake right in front of maddy, and everyone began dining happy birthday to her.

maddy swayed back and forth, looking at everyone until her eyes met valerie's, and she stopped for a second to smile at her. valerie returned the smile, as maddy made a wish and blew out her candles.

every clapped, before cassie handed maddy her present. it was huge notebook, on the front said 'maddy' in big words, and inside were a bunch of pictures of cassie and maddy. maddy looked up at cassie as a tear fell down her face, cassie was crying too and it made valerie feel all sad because of it.

they hugged, the two whispering 'i love you' to each other. after that everyone else gave maddy their gifts, her getting up to hug them right after. valerie decided on a teddy bear that reminded her of when they were younger and maddy had one of them, and a long letter telling her how much she loves her and much more.

valerie smiled into her and maddys hug, not remembering when the last time the two hugged was. "i love you so much, okay?" maddy whispered, tightening the hug. "i love you too, always." valerie replied, it was something she had always said, which made maddy snicker.

maddy wiped her eyes, fixing herself before they all moved to the stairs to take pictures. valerie sat next to lexi, and noticed how she was hiding behind kat, and nudged her. "you look great, lex."

lexi smiled, "oh, thank you."

valerie nodded, leaning closer to lexi, and this caused lexi to finally pose for one of the many photos her mom had took.

lexi began handing out cake shortly after that, valerie didn't eat anybecause she didn't think cake was the greatest. so, as soon as that was over and lexi was cleaning up, the rest was drinking, laughing and enjoying their time. valerie wasn't going to drink, even if she had before, she was young. she could wait to do the stupid things she'd eventually do anyway. but instead of just watching and feeling left out, she was texting ashtray all about it.

eventually, she looked up from her phone and realized cassie wasn't in the room. she glanced around but didn't see her anywhere, making her confused until she saw her walk past outside, stopping the lean against the wall by the window.

"any of you snitches to your parents about this, your days at the howard house are finito burrito." suze spoke, follow by, "never that, suzeee." by maddy, and they all did a toast. "to my beautiful girls."

suze looked over to valerie, "you sure you don't want any?"

"i'm okay, thanks though." valerie nodded, smiling.

suze shrugged, hitting her cup that had juice in it, making her laugh.

everyone moved to outside, the song 'this is how we do it' playing loudly. valerie laughed watching suze dance down the stairs, "i fucking love this song!"

lexi was laughing as her mom attended to twerk, maddy behind her clapping. valerie laughed, but got confused when she saw cassie just watching on the stairs, a bottle of.. whatever liquor never leaving her hand. bb was beside val, a bottle also in her hand but she was dancing. and kat, she was also just sitting, outside.

maddy cheered, before stepping outside to get kat. "cmon, let's dance!" val heard maddy say, "what's wrong?" after.

she didn't heard anything else, but she was sure kat was coming inside. and kat left the room, cassie turning to her ad she walked up the stairs. "do you think nate's still coming over?"

"um, yeah. that's what maddy says." kat shouted over the music, continuing to walk.

valerie's face crunched, "nate's coming?"

cassie looked at her, her face looking worried and upset, taking another drink.

cassie left the room when someone knocked, and soon walked in nate jacobs. valerie rolled her eyes, which he saw, but ignored.

he had a small bag in his hand, and handed it to maddy after she sat down. there was a smile on her face while she opened the tiny box that was inside. valerie signed, it upset her that someone liked nate jacobs made her happy for whatever reason he did.

inside the box was a necklace, maddy gasped at the sight of it, turning to nate. she stood up and he put it on her, she looked at herself in the mirror before kissing nate on the cheek and giving him a hug.

valerie moved her eyes away from them, and to suze and cassie. cassie's eyes were wide and she looked like she had been crying, but valerie had been with her the whole night and hadn't seen her cry once. was she missing something?

kat and valerie followed behind maddy to the living room, as suze laughed and hit nate playfully in the arm. "you did good, big fella."

"hey, i'm gonna head out. but um, happy birthday." nate told maddy.

"why? don't go." maddy looked up at him.

val leaned on a wall and little bit away from them, watching.

"well, i just thought i'd give you guys a little bit of girl time." he told her.

"that's so sweet. nah, you should stay." maddy said, oblivious to the fact cassie was walking down the stairs, her eyes directly on maddy and nate as she was now in her bathing suit.

kat gave her a weird look, as valerie tried not to laugh. maddy and nate both finally turned to her, as she continued to walk outside.

"wow, that was certainly a choice." kat said, making val chuckle.

with a sigh, she went back to the kitchen, sitting down on one of the tables to update ashtray with what had happened since she texted him last.

lexi on the other hand, followed her sister outside. she knew something was up, just didn't know what, yet. "what are you doing, cassie?"

"waiting for the hot tub to get hot." cassie said blankly.

lexi stared for a moment, before just walking away. cassie moved from outside, to dancing in the living room with the strings that were hung from the ceiling. maddy and nate watched her, "she always like this?"

"no, but when she drinks, it's just tragic." maddy shook her head.

maddy went inside to change into her bathing suit, passing valerie on the way she put her hands on her shoulders. "come get in the hot tub!"

valerie turned, "uh, maybe."

maddy smiled, grabbing nate's hand and going outside. "get in the hot tub with us."

"i don'tβ€” i don't really feel like it." nate shook his head.

"it's my birthday, cmon." maddy put her hair up.

nate and cassie glanced at each other, as nate took his shirt off and got into the hot tub. valerie walked from out of the kitchen, seeing lexi watching every one from the window.

"you not getting in either?" val asked her, leaning next to her.

"no." lexi chuckled, turning to her for a second before going back to watching out the window.

they both watched as cassie walked to the hot tub, falling over a little and landing on nate. "happy birthday." cassie smiled at maddy.

"thank youuu." maddy moved around.

"i'm so glad you guys are back together." bb told her.

"we're not back together." maddy shook her head.

"you're not?" cassie asked.

"no." nate responded really fast, making valerie's face scrunch is confusion.

"i mean, i was gonna say no but why are you saying no?" maddy asked.

"uh, because we're not." nate looked at her.

"i know, but why do you sound so definitive about it?" maddy rubbed her fingers together.

"i wasn't being definitive." nate shook his head.

"it sounded like it." maddy stared at him.

"no. i mean, she was just asking a questionβ€”" maddy cut nate off, "that you didn't have to answer... but you did."

"i don't understand what we're arguing about." nate shrugged.

"you and your tone." maddy kept eye contact.

"bud were not back together.." nate stared, as maddy glanced at cassie, leaning back. "β€” uh, yet.." nate added.

"i mean, why not just say 'we're working it out.'?" maddy waved her hand around.

"you literally just said you were gonna say no." nate continued.

"right, but that's me."

"meaning what?"

"meaning, that when i say it, it means something totally different than when you say it."

"okay. it might seem that way in your head, maddy, but it's the same word."

"yeah, but it's also the speed with which you said no."

"oh give me a fuckingβ€”"

"it was quick! was- it was like a-"

"no, it wasn't like a refl-"

"it was like a reflex! it was like his natural instinct, right?" maddy turned to kat.

"it was hasty." kat shrugged.

"you see?" maddy cocked her head to him.

"you really think she's gonna disagree with you?" nate chuckled.

"if i disagreed with her then i would.. what? you don't think i have a mind of my own?" kat asked.

"no, i'm sure you do." nate looked around.

"ooo, he's such a cunt!" maddy clapped.

"what the fuck is your problem?" kat furrowed her eyebrows.

"you see, i'm not crazy, right? because he's always tryin to gaslight me." maddy side eyed him.

"look, i don't wanna argue about this." nate said.

"you see, this is why i don't believe you when you make all these promises, and you're like, 'oh, let's get back together.'"
"you're the only person in the world i care about.'"Β  "'you're a goddess and it's my fault for not treating you like a goddess.'"Β 
"'i promise, maddy. i'll change, i'll grow, i'll be better. i don't deserve you, but i love you.'"
"'please, when i got to college, move with me.'"
"'marry me. have my babies!'"

valerie gasped when cassie leaned forward, throwing up in the hot tub and all over every one. they all yelled, "ew!" while getting out.

cassie continued to throw up more, as maddy gagged. she ran out of the hot tub, cassie crying, "i'm so sorry!" "i'm so sorry, maddy!"

valerie moved to go get maddy a towel, hearing as suze dragged cassie out of the hot tub. "nate, get me a fucking towel!" valerie heard maddy yell, making her roll her eyes.

since nate was already bringing maddy one, she watched as suze dragged cassie up the stairs and after that, grabbed her phone and gave lexi a goodbye hug. it was late, she was tired and had already seen enough tonight. she stepped outside, watching as maddy dried herself off. "bye, maddy. i'm going home! i love you."

"i love you too, bye." maddy said, not even looking at her as she was too disgusted.

valerie texted ashtray about what she had just saw go down, before hugging herself from being so cold. she didn't bring a jacket, and was only wearing a dress. so walking alone in the dark, she was actually terrified.

valerie let ashtray know she was walking home, and he immediately suggested he'd go get her, but she said she was fine and not too far from her house, which wasn't true, but she didn't want to make fezco get out so late so she turned down his offer, which she regretted as a random car that went by honked their horn at her, cheering as they put their head out the window.

she rolled her eyes, but walked faster because of it.



AUTHORS NOTES:

this is so fucking long i'm not writing another chapter until later on 😭😭😭

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