This has been lying around my computer for ages, I think I actually used to have later chapters of this written down on paper somewhere. . . Oh well, I lost it a LONG time AGO.

Time for the annoying part: DISCLAIMER! I. Do. Not. Own. Any. Part. Of. House of Wax. The only part that is seemingly mine is Valerie which you will meet while reading this chapter

The darkness seemed to avoid the three, young girls gathered around the old bench outside of the gas station; it was probably scared away by the dull, flickering lights. Slightly bummed that they were being dragged to some stupid football game, they still found a way to continue their feminine antics. What group of girls wouldn't?

Paige stuffed a greasy, french-fry down her throat as she skimmed the newspaper for Carly. "There's a place in Tribeca for three-thousand." She eagerly pushed the paper towards Carly and pointed to the article.

"That's too expensive. The money I saved up won't cover two months' rent. I'm gonna have to work every second I'm not in class until graduation." Paige sighed, peering over at the annoyed brunette beside her and she withdrew the newspaper. Valerie, the other brunette, shrugged and Paige turned back to Carly. "Don't even think about not going."

"Yeah Carles, what blondie said.." Valeria smirked as she stole one of Paige's greasy, french-fries. Paige glared, teasingly at her.

"I'm not, you guys." Carly reassured, once again gaining their full attention.

"Good because you know how proud I am of you."Paige smiled; Valerie nodded along with the idea of one of the trio actually getting out of their old town was unavoidable; if one of them could go to New York the rest of them would make her.

"It's just an internship."

"Yeah it's just an internship at InStyle magazine. Or would you rather stay at the Waffle House as a waitress forever?"Paige stated matter-of-factly, in a 'you're going to do what you're told kind of way', Valerie and Carly were used to that coming from Paige. "Besides after Valerie, here, gets her acceptance letter back from NYU, you both can just move in together."

Valerie shook her head in disbelief as she prepared to put in her two-cent but was she was interrupted by Carly. "Yeah I bet Wade and Dalton would love to be roomies."

The girls chuckled at the thought of it, while having their own secret concerns. Paige didn't even know if Wade would come with her, Valerie hadn't even opened her letter much less told her friends that she'd gotten it already, and Paige couldn't help but to feel slightly left behind with her friends moving up in the world. "Psh yeah that's if I even make it."

"Don't talk like that; of course you'll make it!" Paige scolded lightly, giving her a slight tap on the head to remind her no to talk like a crazy person.

"Yeah, they'd be lucky to have you." Carly agreed, she could feel that Valerie was really nervous about this thing. Her whole life that's where Valerie wanted to go, that's all she wanted to do, and if she didn't get in; where was she supposed to go from there? She cared about Dalton to death, but there was no way in hell that she was staying in that town forever. Even if Dalton was there with her. . .

Before they could say anything else, Wade, Carly's boyfriend, brushed past Valerie and sat next to Carly. Valerie stared, blankly, across the table. Wade lovingly smiled at Carly, and sweetly rested his hands on hers; sometimes she wanted a little more of that from Dalton. "Hey babe. Sorry there were these two rednecks wrestling in the bathroom."

"Was one of them you?"Valerie teased, tossing him an innocent smile. Wade grinned back, he knew she was only kidding, she couldn't help it she was playful by nature, and her friends seemed to understand that. "No, actually it wasn't."

"There aren't rednecks in New York."Paige noted Valerie curiously gazed at Wade; she was very anxious to see what his remark would be. "No, there's not."

Valerie frowned, she stole another fry and sighed at the haunting silence, she felt like she could cut all this tension with a knife or something. "I'm going to go see what Blake's doing; He seems to like that car more than me now-a-days."

Valerie followed Paige with her eyes, attempting to ignore whatever the little couple was chattering on about. The bell above the door rang, as it was pushed open; two boys strolled out of the gas station. One of them was hooded, Nick, and the other was Dalton and he was laughing while filming the whole scene with his camera. At first Valerie was smirking at her idiotic boyfriend until he started messing with a homeless guy sitting by the door. "How you doing? Hello. What's up, crow man?" He sneered; he looked towards Nick and received a nod of approval. Nick dauntingly kicked the poor man's cup out of his hands, "Get a job." He whipped, as he grazed by him. Meanwhile, Valerie inwardly groaned at his attempts to seem 'cool', she sent Carly a remorseful smile, and turned back to the boys. While they were walking over, Dalton caught the gaze of his girlfriend; he pointed the camera into her direction. After a couple of seconds, he peered away from his camera. He recognized the disappointed stare, she had been looking at him like that for a while now, a long while. He brushed it off and began recording again.

Nick scoffed at the whole scenario, he didn't understand why the hell she would waste her time with Dalton she was way too good for him. He sat to the right of Valerie, and Dalton sheepishly sat on the other side of her. There probably wasn't a quieter group of college kids, or at least college aged kids.

"So, what do you think guys, gonna be a sweet game tomorrow, huh?" Wade suggested, trying to play the friendly boyfriend card. Valerie smiled in Wade's direction, and He politely smiled back; on the other hand Dalton wasn't as smiley about it. He didn't get why she wasn't ever upset with Wade, but no matter what he did she was always upset with him. Nick let out a fake chuckle, while snickering with Dalton. "Gonna be a sweet game tomorrow, huh?" Dalton mocked, Valerie sadly shook her head, but Dalton didn't notice yet. He was filming the whole table, till he reached Carly.

"Dalton get that thing out of my face."

"I'm not filming."

"I can see the red light's on."

Nick casually leaned over Valerie as it was nothing, and pushed the camera down, "Stop it Dalton." He said something else but Dalton was distracted with his camera and his girlfriend. He brought it up to his face, and smiled brightly at Valerie.

"Hey Val, miss me?" She sighed, turning herself towards Wade and Carly, the golden couple. She pretended to zone out his presence and focus on their conversations, Nick was being an ass, Carly was sick of it, Wade didn't do anything, she couldn't quite concentrate on what they were saying but that's what it all summed up to. Valerie stole a glance at Nick and couldn't stand his cocky atmosphere and turned back to Wade. Dalton sadly brought his camera to his lap, "Val, baby. What's wrong, what'd I do this time?" He pleaded; he rested his hand on her shoulder and tried to turn her towards him but she just jerked away, come on why can't she look at me. He hated it when she didn't look at him when things were like this, it made him feel worthless. "Valerie, come on babe." He pouted. "I'm sorry. Val, please don't be like this…..Baby please." Valerie inwardly chucked, it didn't matter if she was upset or not whenever he talked to her the term 'baby' was used almost every other word.

She turned to him in defeat, and rested her head on her hand. "Do you even know why I'm like this?"

Valerie understood that Dalton was a joker, she liked that about him. She wanted someone to make her laugh, to tease her when she teased them; she needed that. But, she also needed someone who would take something seriously, who could be sweet without being a jerk. But by the looks of it, it seemed that Valerie could only attract jerks.

"Well, no I don't baby…but I'm sorry." He tried to smile, but when the girl you're crazy about is ashamed of you, it's hard; really hard. She sighed into her hands and looked back up at him, "I'm just tired Dalton."

He smiled lightly, he didn't want to let her know how bad he felt, he didn't want her to have to feel bad; he already did that to her. "I know, I know." He brushed her bangs out of her face, he wanted to see her. "I like what you did to your hair though." She looked away from him again, probably wasn't the best time to compliment her new hair, he just couldn't help it. He found himself playing with her bangs, twirling them in his fingers, weaving his way through her russet strands.

"What am I supposed to do with you, Dalton?" She stated, he could only pray that was only a rhetorical question.

"Tell me how much you love me on camera?"Dalton teased as he brought his camera back up to his face. He hoped that maybe he'd get at least one shot with his girlfriend not giving him a look. "Come on baby cameras rolling."

Valerie grinned playfully, and pushed Dalton's cap over his eyes. "Yeah, yeah you know I love you baby." She mocked, pretending to be like Dalton.

"Valerie babe, you're killing me here." While he pretended to pout; Valerie laughed and brought her lips inches away from his—she gentley brushed his lips. But before it could go any farther, Valerie flashed a teasing smile and stood up from the bench. "Hey wait…Val where you going?"

" I just remembered that there were something I needed to buy, I'll be right back."

He grinned as he watched her walk away, "Baby why do ya gotta be such a tease?"

She gazed back for a second and blew him a kiss; she couldn't help it, it wasn't her fault. Before she turned around, she caught the glaze of good old Nick. Well, he might not have been good, but he sure as hell seemed old. Jerk. She winked back at Dalton, and refused to look at the asshole now sitting beside him. She looked around the old gas station, and wrinkled her nose. It was old, and it had a weird smell that Valerie couldn't recognize but it was nasty. Wade was right, this place is filled with rednecks. Valerie walked straight towards the candy, and grabbed one too many bags of gummy bears but she didn't really care. Then she started walking towards the register, "Will that be all, miss?"

"Um yeah could I also have a pregnancy test?"Valerie asked sheepishly. The lady at the register grinned smugly, "Oh it's not for me it's for a friend."

"Yeah it's always for a friend honey." She smirked in an all knowing way. Valerie cringed, she wasn't lying it was for Paige, but if Dalton caught her buying it, things wouldn't be so good. She promised Paige she wouldn't tell anybody, but she wasn't sleeping with Dalton and she had told him that she wasn't ready. But, in honesty that wasn't completely true. It's not like she was still a virgin, she just wasn't ready to have sex again.

She paid the nosey lady, and quickly bolted out of the gas station. She peered at the table, just in time to see Dalton getting up from the table.