A/N-This story is written by Val and Luke (green*star). Portions of the story between *'s are instant message conversations.

Disclaimer: We don't own anything In A Heartbeat related. Please...don't sue. ;-)

New Life

"Brooke! It's my turn! Stop hogging the computer!" Val was annoyed. Brooke had been on the computer for 3 hours, and it was Val's turn to
get on. Val could have the computer from 7:00-10:00.

"Just a second..." Brooke's words vanished.

"It's already 7:15! Get off!"

"Okay!" Brooke always got very defensive when it came to her time to talk online.

Brooke pushed the chair away and ran out of the room.

'What's her problem,' Val thought to herself.

Val brought back the computer chair, and noticed Brooke didn't close out of her instant message window. When Val was moving to close it out,
her eyes caught the message.

*****
Brian_007: Brooke...I think we need to end our relationship...I just don't feel any love anymore.

BrookeBaby: Fine...if that's what you want, then that's fine with me!

Brian_007: Brooke! Listen!

BrookeBaby logged off
*****

"Wow. I didn't even know she had a boyfriend." Val mumbled to her self.

Val logged on, and a message popped up that said:

SuperTyler has sent you a message. Do you want to Accept?
YES NO

Val thought that it was another person to talk to, so she accepted.

*****
SuperTyler: Hey, I think I might know you...Is your last name Largin?

ValL: No...why?

SuperTyler: OK sorry...there is a Val Largin that goes to my school and she just moved.

ValL: Oh.

SuperTyler: Well, have a nice life.

ValL: Wait, talk to me anyways. I'm bored :-)

SuperTyler: Ok...where do you live?

ValL: I live in New Jersey. You?

SuperTyler: Virginia.

ValL: Cool.

SuperTyler: How old are you? I'm 16

ValL: Cool so am I.

So the conversation continued, and they made small talk. Val started to feel close to him. Soon, he had to log off, saying something about
work. So she decided to message her best friend, Jill.

*****
ValL: Hey Jill!

JillGrrl: Oh, it's you. I have to go.

ValL: What?

JillGrrl logged off
*****

That didn't make any sense. Val and Jill had been best friends since 2nd grade. Val tried to shrug it off, but she knew something was not right.

Val decided to go into a chat room to pass the time. After awhile she noticed GothSloth signed in the chat room and started saying mean things
about cheerleaders, and dissing all kinds of people. So she decided to IM her to see what her problem was.

*****
ValL: Hey I'm a cheerleader. What is your problem. You don't know people and you dis them.

GothSloth: Ow look I care. Cheerleaders are losers, who have no life. Get over it.

ValL: Yeah well back off.

GothSloth: Oh a girl with guts. What is your A/S/L?

ValL: Why should I tell you. Than you can make fun of that too?

GothSloth: No I was just asking. Hoping you would accept my apolize and maybe become friends. Though from what I see we are very different.
Your a cheerleader and I'm a goth. Though oppites may make the best of friends.

ValL: OK. Fine. I'm F/16/New Jersey. And you?

GothSloth: Cool. I'm F/16/VA.

ValL: What part of VA.

GothSloth: Kingsport. Why?

ValL: Just asking.

GothSloth: Well, I guess I better go. Have fun in your perfect cheerleader world.

ValL: Um, Okay.

GothSloth: Maybe I'll e-mail you sometime. If you're lucky.

ValL: That would be cool.

GothSloth: Bye.

GothSloth logged off
*****
Val looked at the computer's clock. It stated it was 10:15.

"Oh my gosh! I was supposed to be off 15 minutes ago!" Val thought maybe her parents would be angry, but they had already gone to bed. Val
logged herself off and got into her pajamas.

As she crawled into bed, the day's events ran through her head. 'I wonder who this Tyler guy is? And 'GothSloth'?' she thought to herself. Just
when she almost fell asleep, she remembered about the big World Civilization test the next day. She shot up in bed.

"Oh, no!!" Val got up and studied until she almost fell asleep. She looked at her alarm clock and noted that it was 12:30. She put her books up
and crawled in bed, falling asleep before her head hit the pillow.

The sound of the alarm clock was the next sound that Val heard. After hitting the snooze button about 5 times, she supposed it would be a
good time to wake up. She threw some clothes on and walked to the kitchen. She grabbed an apple, kissed her mom goodbye, and started to
walk out the door. Then, she realized something wasn't right. Her mom didn't say anything. She turned around and saw that Mrs. Lanier's facial
expression was not quite normal.

"Mom," Val started, "is something wrong?"

"Yes Val," her mom answered, "Yes."

"What is it?" Val wanted to know what was going on.

"We are," her mom hesitated to finish. "We are going to have to move."

"No, mom, don't say that!"

Mrs. Lanier nodded her head. "Your dad has been transferred."

"To where?" Val asked.

"Virginia," her mom replied.

They talked for a few minutes about how much they would miss the house they were living in. Val noticed that if she didn't leave now, she
would be late for school.

"Well, mom, I better get going."

"I love you honey," Mrs. Lanier said as she brushed her hand across Val's cheak.

"I love you too, mom."

Val left the house feeling sick to her stomach. She didn't want to move. As she walked to school, she thought about how long they have lived in
their small New Jersey town, her whole life. She liked it there. Everything they needed was only about 10 minutes away, if not in the town. She
sighed and kept moving along.

When she reached her locker she noticed her best friend, Jill, was already there, "Hey Jill. Sorry I was late to meet you."

"Oh it's you. I got to go. Bye."

"NO. Jill wait." She grabbed her arm and pulled her back to her, "What is up with you?"

"Do you really want to know?"

"Your my best friend, why wouldn't I?"

"I-I-sa-saw you and my boyfriend, really close together the other day. When I told my sister she said that you wouldn't do that to me. We have
been best friends, that I need to hear what you have to say. So go ahead and explain your self."

"Hun. I would never steal your boyfriend on you." Just then the bell rang, signaling to get to class. The two gathered up there books and
started to walk to there class that they had together, "If you really want to know what we were talking about i'll tell you."

"Ya I do want to know." Jill said kind of snotty.

"All he did was ask me what you would like for your birthday. What I told him, I wont tell you though."

"I'm sorry I thought you would stell him from me." Jill said just as they reached the class room, just as the bell rang. They sat down in there
seats.

After class, Jill had noticed Val wasn't paying much attenion. And she was worried about her. They got up and headed for there lockers, "Hey
Val. What is wrong?"

A/N: So what do you think? Do you like it? Well it is fun writtin this. Look out for another story but me and 2 friends. Don't want to give it away
and plz don't forget to reveiw. Thanks.