Val Meets Father
I don't own Girl Meets World!
Riley, Maya, and Val were in the hallway of John Quincy Addams Middle School. For some reason, there was a high school student sitting on the bench in front of them. Riley looked at her in awe.
"Look at that ninth-grade woman!" Riley exclaimed "She's putting on makeup. We're going to be ninth-grade women someday!"
"This thing goes to ninth grade?" Maya moaned incredulously.
Val smiled at her sadly and nodded.
"Nooooo!" Maya whined.
"Why that?" Riley pointed to the girl who had taken out an eyelash curler.
"Brings out your eyes." Val explained.
"Why would I wanna takeout my eyes?" Riley asked, very confused.
Maya rolled her eyes "She's not taking out her eyes."
"I think she is!" Riley said in horror.
"It's an eyelash curler." Allison, the ninth-grader, explained clearly sick of listening to them talk about her "It doesn't even hurt."
Riley took the curler from Allison "I have eyelashes."
Val pinched the bridge of her nose, knowing exactly what was coming.
"Watch this." Maya told Allison.
"Ahhhhhhh!" Riley clamped the eyelash curler down on her lashes.
"Anybody else would stop." Val shrugged.
"Ahhhhhhh!" Riley kept screaming.
The twins father walked down the hall and saw his younger daughter screaming.
"Open it." He told her.
Riley did so "Thanks Daddy."
"Yeah, okay." Cory walked into his classroom.
"Yeah, okay." Riley handed the tool back to Allison and the high-schooler left.
"Ladies." Farkle slid onto the scene.
"Farkle." The three girls replied.
"School dance. I'm gonna put you both down for dance numbers one through all of them. We will alternate. You and me, me and you. When you're not dancing with me, you may not dance with anyone else. So you may sit and wait until you dance with me again." Farkle ordered Riley and Maya.
"Yeah, none of this is happening." Maya told him.
Farkle looked dejected "Well, then may I have one dance with each of you?"
"Sure." Riley said kindly.
"Ha!" Farkle laughed "That's all I wanted. You just got played by Farkle." And he made his way into class.
"Hey, guys." Lucas walked up to them
Riley raised her hand excitedly "Lucas!" She shouted.
"Hand." Val said.
Riley lowered her hand but still spoke joyfully "Lucas!"
"Grown-up voice." Maya commanded.
"Lucas, hello." Riley said smoothly.
"Only takes three tries." Val whispered to Maya.
"Hey." Lucas smiled his ever charming smile.
Maya sauntered up to Lucas "Hey, heehaw. You going to tick-tock shake-your-body-time, cause you know, it's not a square dance, so, there's not gonna be a whole lot of do-si-doing."
Lucas grinned "Well then, I'm sure I'll have no idea what to do and you can make fun of me."
"You're not playing this right!"
"Chill, Maya!" Val put a hand on the blonde's shoulder.
"Oh, well, that's certainly not my intention." Lucas moved Maya's pointing finger out of his face "I'll try harder next time."
"I will break you."
"Well, if that's what makes you happy, then. I certainly can't wait for it," Lucas tipped an imaginary hat "Ma'am."
Maya shuddered in annoyance and turned away.
"You going to the school dance, Lucas?" Riley asked nervously.
"Thought I would, you?"
Maya gagged "You hear me?" She gagged again "You'll both be there. He'll be the one in a cowboy hat going like this."
She started doing a "country" dance. The bell rang.
"So, you going to class?" Lucas asked.
"Thought I would, you?" Riley smiled.
Meanwhile Val was leading the group of clapping kids that had gathered around the dancing Maya.
She laughed "Keep it up, Maya. They love you!"
"This isn't for you!" Maya stopped, then realizing the group was clapping for her said "Okay, fine." And she kept dancing.
Back at the Matthews apartment Riley burst through the door with Val following close on her heels.
"Mom, can I ask you a question?" Riley asked their mother who was sitting on the couch reading with Auggie.
"You can ask me a question." Auggie offered.
"It's a girl thing, Auggie." Riley tried to explain, but instead made her mother's face contort with nervousness.
"You don't think I know about girls?" Auggie asked, offended.
Riley sighed "Okay, I'm at a certain age where-"
"I don't care." Auggie walked away making Val laugh.
Topanga sat her younger daughter down "You're at a certain age?"
"You had to know this was going to happen." Riley told her.
"I know a lot of things are going to happen. Which one is this?"
"Makeup." Riley smiled.
"Oh. Good." Topanga sighed with relief.
"I can have some?" Riley asked excitedly.
"Ha! no."
"But Val wears makeup." Riley protested.
"Yes, well..." Topanga searched for the right explanation "Val is older."
"We're the same age! So why can't I have some?"
"Well, because makeup leads to other things, that I..." Topanga tried.
Riley interrupted "We have our first school dance on Friday night."
"And we're there." Topanga nodded.
Auggie peaked his head around the door.
Val noticed and looked at him curiously "What are you doing?" She mouthed.
Auggie put a finger to his lips silently telling his sister to keep her mouth shut.
"What's the difference between daytime makeup and nighttime makeup?" Riley asked.
"No difference. Because you're not wearing any." Topanga smirked.
"But what about when I do?"
"When we decide that you're at the right age to start wearing makeup-"
Riley interrupted her mother again "Friday?"
"No." Topanga shook her head "You might find that you prefer a more natural look during the day, like Val does. Some women prefer to go a bit bolder at night. You are not allowed to hang out with those women."
I wanna paint my face!" Riley shouted making Val jump at the volume.
"Wait," Topanga realized the tragedy that was about to strike "The dance is Friday?" She looked at Val for confirmation.
"Yep." Val popped the p.
"You're doing that thing with your voice." Riley said nervously.
"But, Friday is the last night for the Coney Island Cyclone." Topanga reminded Riley of her father-daughter tradition.
Riley's mouth dropped open in horror "But it's our first dance, and Dad takes me to ride the roller coaster a bunch of times, right?"
"Your father thinks of it as a tradition."
"How bad is this?" Riley asked.
"Dad thinks of it as the reason he wakes up in the morning." Val told her sister.
"Maybe he won't remember this year?" Riley said hopefully.
"Three days till Cyclone Day!" Cory shouted, entering the apartment.
"Yeah, not likely." Val said "Sorry, sis."
"When's my birthday?" Topanga asked her husband.
"148 days from Cyclone Day." Cory said like it was obvious.
"Good luck to you." Topanga smiled slightly bitterly, she was exaggerating, at her daughter.
Auggie ran up to his father "Daddy!"
"Auggie!" Cory mimicked and picked up his youngest child "Tell me stuff."
"Riley wants to wear makeup like Val." Auggie reported.
"Hey, you little spy." Riley accused.
"Don't call him a spy, he is not a spy." Cory scolded his daughter.
"I am a spy." Auggie pulled out a card that read Auggie Spy "You made me a card."
Cory turned back guiltily before smiling "Alright, he is a spy. And guess what? He's working for me and he just got promoted."
Cory handed Auggie a new card that clearly read Auggie Super Spy.
Auggie cheered and threw his hands in the air "Super Spy!"
"Dad." Riley stood up and moved closer to her father.
"Yeah?"
"Dad." Riley hugged her father.
Cory looked awkwardly over his shoulder at his son "Hey, Super Spy, tell me stuff."
Auggie leaned in and whispered "Riley wants to go to the school dance on, dun dun dun, Cyclone night."
"Oh." Cory's eyes widened with realization "Wow. It's the same night? I understand. I understand completely. I'm sorry, you'll have to miss the dance." He nodded at Riley.
"Try again." His wife told him.
Cory paused, his face crinkled with effort "I'm sorry you'll have to miss the dance." He turned to Topanga "Nope, same thing."
He sat down next to Val and put his arm around her shoulders.
"But it's my first school dance, Dad." Riley pleaded "Why can't Val go this time?"
"Don't drag me into this, I have plans for the dance already. Sorry, Daddy." Val stood up.
Cory dramatically clutched his heart in fake agony.
"Oh boy." Topanga sighed.
Cory seized his chest even tighter.
"I'm growing up, Dad."
"Oh boy." Val mimicked her mother.
"Goodbye." Cory flopped down on the couch
"You're breaking him!" Auggie cried.
"You were a great father to me when I was a kid. Don't take this the wrong way, Dad, but there's just some things that Mom can actually teach me, like, what do you know about makeup?" Riley shrugged.
"I know it's what you're gonna have to do with me." Cory said, and tears in his eyes walked up the stairs to his room.
"Mom?" Riley asked.
"That went better than I thought!"
"Val?"
"You killed him. You completely broke his heart and killed him." Val said softly.
The next day the students were walking into Mr. Matthews's History class.
"Friar. Farkle. Hart. Matthews. You." Cory hissed at the younger twin.
"I-"
"Ferp!" Cory shut her up.
"Okay." Riley walked to her desk, defeated.
"Well, guys. I've got your test results on Darwin to give back to you, and uh, I'm pleased to see some of you have "evolved" since the last quiz." Cory laughed at his own terrible joke.
There was a long moment before Farkle laughed "Ha!"
"Thanks, Farkle."
"Well, you were drowning sir." Farkle explained.
"Miss Hart." Cory started handing back quizzes "Mr. Friar. Nice work."
"Thank you sir." Lucas smiled.
"Mr. Farkle." Cory handed the genius his paper.
"Number 700! Huzzah!" Farkle pulled out a noisemaker and blew it in Val's ear accidentally.
She turned around and smiled sinisterly at the boy "You know, Farkle, if you really wanted to talk you could have just asked."
"Heh heh, sorry, Val." Farkle blushed sheepishly.
"Matthews." Cory gave his daughter her quiz.
"Thanks, Daddy." Val grinned.
"You're welcome, pumpkin." Cory moved forward to Riley's chair "You."
But Riley wasn't paying attention to him anymore she was looking at a very upset Maya "Are you okay?" She asked.
"He gave me an F." Maya said, stunned.
"That's nuts." Riley said "You're a solid D student."
Cory had finished passing out the papers and was back at the front of the room "Mr. Friar, I took particular note of your position that evolution does not preclude the existence of... How did you put it?"
"A guiding hand that has your best interest at heart." Lucas answered.
Maya raised her hand, her shock quickly turning to anger,
"Yes, Miss Hart?"
"You failed me."
"What?" Val asked in surprise "Dad, I know her work's not always A+ material but she tries hard. Why would you fail her?"
"Why don't we talk after class." Cory suggested.
"What's there to talk about? You failed me." Maya stood up "You think I'm a failure. There's nothing more for you to teach me."
"Aw come on, both of you gotta say that?" Cory looked at Riley.
Maya walked out the door.
"What do you mean? I lost you both? Maya," Maya turned around in the doorway "You do not walk out of here."
Maya shrugged and left. Riley raised her hand and lifted Val's arm in the air too.
"Go." Their father sighed and gestured to the door.
Riley pulled Val from her seat and out the door.
Maya was cleaning out her locker in the hallway.
"Redecorating your locker?" Riley asked hopefully.
"Nope, cleaning it out." Maya took a headless doll and put it under her chin before throwing it in the box "You want one? Because it's the last one you're gonna get."
Riley nodded enthusiastically and Maya took a small stick from the box and stuck it in the locker. Circus music started playing making Val look around in confusion for the source.
"What the-?"
"Maya, it's just one F." Riley said as Maya handed her a stick of cotton candy.
"How the-?" Val tried again only to be interrupted by Maya.
"It's not about the paper, Riley. Your dad failed me."
"Yeah, I know, and, I'm not going on the Cyclone, I failed him. Can we just call it even?" Riley tried.
"Nope, we can just call it I'm leaving." Maya retorted.
"Maya, I know you. You'll make a big deal about of this, pretend to leave school forever, and you'll be back by gym class." Riley reasoned with her friend.
"No, this time I mean it." Maya started to walk away.
"Alright Maya, I'll see you tomorrow." Riley called after her.
"No, you won't."
"You'll pick me up at seven!"
"I won't be there." That was the last thing Maya said before walking out of the school.
"She'll be there, right, Val?" Riley asked her sister.
"I don't know, Riley. She's upset and it seems like she has a valid reason to be. Do you get why she's so upset?"
"Because dad failed her?"
"Partly, but I think, to her, it seems like he's lost faith in her. Like he's abandoning her."
Back at the Matthews apartment that night, Cory was watching a video of him and Riley on the Cyclone.
Auggie walked up to him "Okay, buddy?" He asked sweetly.
"I lost the two most important girls in my life today." Cory said softly.
Topanga and Val looked up from their books and said together "How ya doin'?"
"Still got those two." Cory sighed.
"Thanks, Dad." Val said sarcastically.
"I'm hangin' on." Topanga replied.
"But I'll always be here for you, Daddy." Auggie sat down next to his father "Me and you, together forever."
"Awww!" Val cooed "Adorable."
"Thank you, Auggie. But you know that's really not the way it works, right?" Cory said wistfully.
"I know." Auggie cuddled up to his father.
Topanga sat down next to them "Aww, my two sad little men" She and Val wrapped them in a hug from both sides.
Auggie leaned around his dad and whispered to his mother "I'm not really sad, I'm just doing it for him."
"I know." Topanga whispered back.
"You got this?"
"I got."
Auggie let go of his father and grabbed Val's hand. He pulled her away and up the stairs.
"Are Riley and Daddy going to be okay?" He asked once they reached his room.
"Of course they are sweetie." Val assured him "They're always okay."
"Val?"
"Hmm?"
"Why don't you and Daddy have a tradition like Cyclone Day?"
Val paused "Auggie, you know how when I was little I was really sick?"
"Yeah?" Auggie asked "What does that have to do with this?"
"Well, when I was young, younger than you, I got really sick with something called pneumonia. Mommy and Daddy had to do a lot to take care of me back then. It meant a lot of time at the hospital and at doctors appointments. Riley kinda got left out a lot. I know Mom and Dad feel kind of bad about it now and I think they're trying to make up for it. I'm trying to let them. That's why Daddy and I don't have a special tradition." Val explained.
"But it wasn't your fault you got sick." Auggie pointed out.
"I know that. But in some ways I think Riley blames me for taking so much attention off of her as kids. We're over that now, we talked it out, but I want her to have just as much love and attention from our parents as I do. And if that means I have to go without as much for a while, I'm okay with that." Val paused for a moment "Does that make sense?"
"I guess." But Auggie didn't look convinced.
"What else is it?" Val asked.
"Does that mean Mommy and Daddy don't love me as much as they do Riley right now?"
"No, honey, that's not what it means at all." Val assured him "It only means that I don't get as much from them as you two do right now. One day it'll be different though and we'll all get the same amount of love from them. Right now, this only affects Riley and me. I promise it will never be a problem for you." The two hugged tightly.
Later that night Val went with her mother to her sister's room.
"How's it going in here?" Topanga asked as they entered.
"Mom," Riley whined "Tell Maya to come back to school. Regular school."
"Hmm, so, you don't like this, huh?" Topanga asked.
"Of course not! Maya always comes to school with me. She always picks me up at seven. I look forward to it." Riley exclaimed.
"Like a tradition?" Val offered.
"Yeah! Oh..." Riley's face crumpled in realization "You know, even though you're my mother and sister, that was creepy good."
"So, Maya doesn't show up like she's supposed to and how does that make you feel?" Topanga asked, sounding like a therapist.
"Oh." Riley said.
"Honey, you have to go to him. He feels bad. You have to go to your father." Topanga told her daughter.
"I feel bad. Will he come to me?" Maya asked.
"No. He's your teacher. He doesn't have to." Val explained.
"But he will." Topanga finished for her daughter.
"What?" Maya asked.
"He doesn't have to, but he will." Val reiterated.
"Why?" Riley asked.
"Because he's always there." Topanga smiled "Always."
Cory entered and held out his hand to Maya. She took it and he led her out the door down to the kitchen.
"Read it." Cory put the quiz from class in front of Maya.
Maya stood up "I don't wanna do this, Mr. Matthews."
"Sit down." Riley told her.
"You can't tell me what-" Maya protested.
"I just did." Riley said smugly.
Maya sat down.
"Thanks." Riley sat down next to Maya "Go ahead."
"Darwin animal studies were thought to be when the travels he took on the boat with the Beatles." Maya read aloud.
"Are you kidding me?" Riley asked incredulously.
Maya pointed at her best friend "Does she have to be here?"
"What were you trying to do?" Cory asked.
"I tried to write it like I was smart." Maya said sheepishly.
"You are smart." Riley told her.
"What did you mean to say?" Cory asked.
"Darwin studied animals."
"What kind?" Cory asked.
"I don't know." Maya lied.
"She knows." Riley could tell when her best friend was lying.
"I don't know. You think I don't know what I don't know?" Maya scowled.
"I think you know more than you don't know, but you don't know that!" Riley shouted.
"You know what?" Maya slammed her hands on the table.
"What did Darwin study?" Val asked calmly.
"Birds." Maya replied without thinking.
"There you go." Cory said.
"Really?" Riley looked confused "I got that one wrong."
"You wanna be smart, Maya? Say what you mean. I understood that perfectly, and you're correct." Cory told her.
"That's all I had to say?"
"What was the name of his boat?" Cory asked.
"The Beatles."
"The Beagle, it's a tiny difference, but an important one. Because if you know it, Maya, you don't fail." Val smiled.
"I want to not fail." Maya said softly.
"What kid of birds did he study?" Cory asked.
"I doth know." Maya sighed.
"You do." Riley told her.
"Finches."
"And what else?" Riley asked.
"Finches and Mockingbirds."
"Yes." Cory grinned.
"Yes." Riley repeated, smiling even bigger.
"How did you know she knew?" Cory asked his younger daughter.
"I know she listens to you."
"I listen to you." Maya said like she was realizing it for the first time.
"Then you won't fail." Cory told her "And neither will I."
"How about some turkey sandwiches?" Topanga asked, entering the kitchen.
Maya bounced out of her seat "Darwin didn't study turkeys. He studied Finches and Mockingbirds. His boat was the Beagle."
"And for extra credit?" Cory asked.
"Galapagos. The islands he studied were the Galapagos." Maya said proudly.
"Because she listens to me." Cory beckoned Maya over "Hey, Maya. Watch this."
He wrote on her test, changing the F to an A.
"You're giving me an A?" Maya asked, astounded.
"No, I'm giving you a C+. But I want you to see just how easily an F can become an A."
"Nothing to be ashamed of anymore, Maya." Riley hugged her friend.
"My dad doesn't live with-" Maya began but was cut off by her best friend.
"It's okay."
"He's got this new family." Maya sighed.
"Maya, you don't have to..." Val told her.
"I do have to. I have to be able to talk to you. If you give me an F, if you decide I'm not worth working on..." Maya trailed off.
Cory smiled sadly "Maya, take a look around you. We're all here for you. Does this look like we think you're not worth working on?"
"I just don't wanna fail, Mr. Matthews. Thank you." Maya hugged him.
Riley joined the hug "I don't wanna go to the dance. The dance doesn't matter to me at all. I want to go on the Cyclone with you more than anything in the world!"
"You're going to the dance." Cory told her.
"Yay!" Riley whispered.
"I'm going to chaparone." Cory grinned wickedly.
Riley raised her hand "What's that mean?"
"Hand." Val said.
Riley put her hand down "What's that mean?"
"Grown-up voice." Maya commanded.
"Lucas, hello." Riley's face turned to one of horror.
Cory pointed at his daughter "What's that mean?"
At the dance Riley was awkwardly swaying side to side with Lucas's hands on her waist and her hands on his shoulders.
"You're a really good dancer, Lucas." Riley blushed.
"Thanks, so are you." Lucas replied.
"Look, everyone's copying us." Riley giggled.
That was true for everyone except for Farkle and Maya who were doing a fancy tango. And Val who was waiting by the gym door. Farkle and Maya danced up to Riley and Lucas. Lucas was wearing a cowboy hat.
"The hat's just for me, isn't it? You actually put thought into our little game, don't you?" Maya asked teasingly.
"I actually do." Lucas smiled and put a rose in Maya's mouth.
She shuddered in irritation.
Farkle stole the rose and shuddered back.
Cory took to the stage "Well, guys, it looks like the night is winding down. We hope you all enjoyed the dance. But before we go, I notice some fathers have arrived to pick up their daughters. I wonder if we might have one last dance. A father-daughter dance. May I please have this dance?"
He began to dance with Maya and soon held out his hand to Riley. Val still waited by the entrance, not paying attention until she heard a familiar voice.
"Hey, Val."
"Annie!" Val launched herself at her friend and wrapped her in a hug "I didn't think you'd make it."
"Bu I did." Annie smiled and hugged her friend back "And I brought friends."
Standing in the doorway was...
Word count: 3706 words
Please don't forget to comment,
Vote, and add to your reading lists!
Love,
The Author
P.S.
Can you tell me who you think Val should end up with in the comments?
A. Lucas
B. An OC
C. Farkle
D. Zay (when he comes in)