Hi everybody. i hope ur all doing good. I've hit the wall of writer's block. it's like i wanna
hurry up and finish this story and do something else but i've had some trouble thinking of something.
It'll come to me..soon. i'm having the hardest time writing for Val and Tyler because to be honest,
i hate them. i don't know what it is about them but i just don't like their characters. they seem
very phony. all perfect and judgemental. i like Jamie and Caitie cause they are more complex and
interesting. they are not all preppy and annoying. lol i take my IaHB seriously. ha am i a loser
or what? lol here's chapter nine. enjoy


Parenting 101

How Quickly Things Change

Chapter 9



Val punched redial for the millionth time. Where is he? Where's Tyler? She wondered. Val had gotten
to the station a little late and when she finally arrived Jamie and Tyler were no where to be
seen and Hank didn't have time to tell her what happened. Val groaned as the phone rang and rang.
She decided to call Caitie.
"Hello?" A male voice answered. It must have been Chris, her older brother.
"Hi! Is Caitie around?" Val asked. Then in the background she heard voices.
("Shelly! Where's Caitie?") Val heard the muffled yell. Footsteps bounding down stairs. A little
yelp.
("Uh stupid backpack! Who left it there?") Shelly cried, sounding closer to the phone.
"Hello!" Val cried.
"Yeah hold on." Chris answered quickly.
("Where's Cait?") Chris repeated.
("She went somewhere with uh...Who's on the phone?")
"Keep holding." Chris reminded.
("Val.")
("Give me that phone!") Shelly said and the phone sounded like it was dropped. Footsteps and some
crashing. "Stop Chris!" Came a shriek.
"I was talking first! I know how to say she isn't here!" Chris yelled and some more crashing was
heard.
"Cut it out!" Shelly whined. "Stop! Give me that phone before I beat you with it you dumb a-!"
Shelly was about to use a bad word when from even farther away came the voice of Mrs. Roth.
"Shelly watch your language!" Val tapped her foot impatiently. Finally the sound of the phone
being picked up.
"Hello? Val! Are you there?" Shelly asked.
"Yes! Yes I'm here." Val cried, glad to be talking to someone.
"Well how are you? It's been so long since I've seen you!" Shelly exclaimed.
"Oh fine!"
"Good good. (Chris, I saw that!) Caitie was the reason you called right?" Shelly said, sounding
distracted.
"Yeah, it was. Is she around, by any chance?" Val was sick of talking to these people. Caitie had
a very colorful family.
"Here? Hmm well, I know she went out a little while ago with some kid with a black eye. Jamie. Is that
his name? (Robert you're home kinda late! What's Caitie's friend's name?)" Came Shelly.
"Yeah it's Jamie. What happened to him?" Val was finally hearing some news on the episode at the
station. She was so curious.
"(Spikey hair right? Jamie? Uh-huh) He and some kid, um, I wanna say Timothy. Starts with a T..."
"Tyler!" Val shouted.
"Yep. Anyway, they had a little brawl. Jamie came and then he and Caitie left a little while ago.
I hear he's suspended from the EMT squad with his little friend. Well I guess they aren't friends.."
"Could you tell Caitie I called?"
"Sure."
"Thanks. Bye." Val set the phone down carefully on its cradle. As soon as it made the little clicking
noise, the doorbell rang. Val flung open the front door, hoping to see Tyler standing on her doorstep.
But it was Caitie. She was grinning and looking the happiest anyone had ever seen her.
"Hi Val! You'll never guess what happened! Not in a million years!" Caitie cried, walking into the
house with Val trotting behind her.
"What?"
"It's amazing. I kissed Jamie, he asked me out, so he's my boyfriend. Finally he's my boyfriend!"
Caitie exclaimed and bounced around on the carpet. Her pigtails shot up and down behind her. Val
forced a smile but couldn't help feeling jealous. She wished it was her with the boyfriend and
not Caitie.
"Have you seen Tyler?"
"Ugh! I hate that kid. Jamie wouldn't tell me why they got in a fight but I don't care. Tyler's a
jerk Val. You could do better." Caitie insisted, acting more serious now.
"No. I like Tyler. I have to go talk to him. Where's Monique? I'll pretend I'm dropping her off."
Val exclaimed. A little light bulb clicked on over her head. Caitie shrugged.
"Hailey's with Jamie. Ah Jamie! I have to call him! I need to hear his voice!" Caitie cried and
waved good-bye to Val. Val shook her head. 'She's got it bad!' She thought.
Val didn't know what to do. She had to talk to Tyler. She had to hear his voice and let him tell
her everything was okay. Maybe he needed a little TLC. Val stepped outside, with Monique, into the
fresh air. Birds were singing and a gentle breeze lifted Val's hair in little strands. It was a
beautiful day. The perfect time to be in love. Val walked quickly down the sidewalk, passing
dog-walkers, bicyclers,and rollerbladers. Everyone was outside. Val's problems seemed to drift
away in the breeze, until she was standing in front of Tyler's expansive home. Val formed her lips
into a tiny line as she jogged up the driveway. Val rang the doorbell and caught a glimpse of herself
in the glass lining both sides of the front door. Val muffled a scream at her far from perfect
reflection. A nervous hand smoothed over her hair and she fumbled for her Triple Berry Lipgloss.
The door swung open, a barely audible creak finding its way to Val's ears. William glared down
at the hinge in disgust.
"Val! Hey come on in. I need some WD-40 for that door. I'll tell Tyler you're here." William left
Val standing in the huge foyer, marble floors stretching before her and a enormous glass chandelier
dangling over her head. Val craned her neck to peek at the stairs. She didn't see anyone coming.
William appeared with the bottle in hand and looked perpared to tackle the squeaky door. He glanced
at the baby resting on Val's hip and shot her a puzzled look. He shrugged it off.
"Tyler's up in his room. Third door on the right." William directed and opened the door a few times
listening for the offending squeak. Val nodded and walked cautiously up the stairs. She didn't know
what she expected to pop out at her from behind statues and works of art. She didn't know what hid
behind the potted plants. The house was uptight and Val felt out of place in her baggy light blue
pants and white shirt with a whole in the armpit. Val took a quick peek in a gold mirror sitting
above a polished oak table before knocking lightly on the door that was third on the right. She
could hear music playing but clicked off abruptedly. The opened harshly and Val stepped back, startled.
Val gasped to see Tyler. His face was black and blue and a hideous shade of purple. His eye was
swollen shut and his lip looked like it was split open. Val gawked and Tyler looked away, a little
bit of pink poking through the bruises. Tyler silently ushered Val in and sat down on the bed.
Val held Monique out like she was a pass for her to be there.
"I brought Monique. I needed to drop of her off. But if you aren't up to it, I'll take her home."
Val said. She sat down on the edge of a leather arm chair and wondered why anyone would have that
kind of chair in their room.
"Yeah, if you don't mind." Tyler's voiced sounded a little raspy.
"No problem." Val answered quickly. An odd silence overpowered the room. Val glanced around nervously.
Tyler coughed and looked out the window.
"You walk here?" He asked, slicing the quiet. Val nodded without looking at him. It was too unbearable.
"Yeah. Nice outside." She answered. Tyler nodded again.
"You heard I'm off the squad for a while?" Tyler asked, leaning back on his pillows.
"Yeah."
"I can't believe it. It was so stupid. Wasn't even my fault, ya know."
"Yeah."
"I wish I could go back and change things. Do it all different. Stay away from Jamie. Would have
been a lot smarter."
"Yeah." Val said and wondered if that was the only word existing in her vocabulary. Tyler was
shaking his head and looking regretful. "Tyler?"
"Huh?"
"About the other day, with the kiss. What does that mean?" Val spit out. Tyler looked a little
surprised, like he'd forgotten all about it. For some reason, that made Val angry.
"Mean?" Tyler said the word in doubt.
"Yes, mean." Tyler only shook his head. Val stood up.
"It doesn't mean anything does it?" Val demanded, raising her voice a little. "Does it? You were
just toying with my feelings. Well fine Tyler! I don't need you at all." Val stormed over to the
door and swung it open full force. "And I'm glad Jamie beat the crap out of you!" She screamed
and slammed the door. Val ran down the hall and didn't even remember descending the stairs. She
ripped open the front door, not even bothering to turn around and see she'd knocked William over
from behind the door. She ran home in a blind rage. Now she knew what Tyler really was. A wimp,
a jerk, and a coward. How quickly things change.

*Sorry all you Val and Tyler fans. But don't worry, things will get better for them. And next will
be Jamie and Caitie, and probably resolving Val and Tyler too. then that'll be it. review please!