Val Meets Popular

I don't own Girl Meets World!

"Look what's happening; look what's coming." Riley was freaking out in the middle of the hallway.

"What's coming, crazy?" Maya asked calmly.

"Invitations... to the seventh grade parties. It's begun. We could be party girls. I'm going to need a party-girl walk." Riley did a crazy walk down the hall.

"Yeah, that's not it." Maya told her.

"You know, there is going to be boys at these parties. But not just any boys." Riley said slyly "No, opposite-sex boys. They're the best kind. Like that one!"

She pointed to Val who was talking to Eric as they walked down the stairs.

"Yeah, you sound ready for this." Maya chuckled.

"Oh, I am. And I may just be the first girl who crosses over from our side of the room to the..." Riley smiled.

"Yeah, it's gonna be me/you." The two said at the same time.

"You know what pretty-boy hipster is handing out invitations to...don't you?" Riley asked.

"A party." Maya said.

"Membership cards to the popular club."

"What?" Val asked walking up to the two as she waved goodbye to Eric "What are you talking about?"

"Why can't you just let it be a party?" Maya asked.

"Ah, parties." Val sighed "Will the problems never end?"

"Because this is it, right here. This where you go one way and I go the other way. You get the invite and you marry pretty-boy hipster and I end up marrying Anthony Delveccio and we buy things in bulk. You're gonna be popular. I'm not." Riley started petting Maya's hair " Good for you. Good girl. Bye-bye, Maya. Bye-bye."

Pretty boy hipster tried to hand her an invitation but Riley pushed it in front of Maya. Pretty boy hipster moved the invite back in front of Riley.

"Yay! For me. Maya, I know you didn't get one, but is it okay if I'm really happy?"

"You go get 'em, tiger." Riley did her party girl walk into the classroom " I love you, but you're a lot of work." Maya then mimicked the party girl walk Riley did and followed her into the classroom.

Val took a deep breath "Yeah, you both are."

Riley slammed the invitation down on her father's desk "Boom!"

"You got invited to something?" Cory picked up the envelope.

"So much for genetics, baby." Riley smiled smugly.

"Ooh, seventh grade party. Yup, I didn't get invited to a whole lot of these. Good for you. I'm proud of you. Boy-girl party?" Cory asked.

"Yep."

Riley and Cory slammed their hands on the desk and shouted "You can't go."

Maya stepped forward "May I approach?"

Again in unison, father and daughter spoke "Hurry, please."

"I'm gonna keep your young'un out of trouble, sir." Maya bounced up and down.

"Hart, you are trouble. Why would I want my young'un anywhere near the same party you're gonna be at?" Cory asked incredulously.

"You wouldn't. Say it. You know you wanna say it." Maya urged.

"You can't go if Maya's invited." Cory shouted.

Maya pointed to Riley who said "Maya's not invited."

"Then you may go." Maya smiled, pleased with herself.

"Thanks, Daddy." Riley smiled so hard her face almost split in half.

"Alright, good day, everybody. Class dismissed." Maya shouted and most of the class stood up to leave.

"Sit down!" Cory yelled.

"Sit down." Riley and Maya mimicked.

Everyone, including Riley and Maya, took their seats. Val was already there.

"So, there's this guy Damocles who really really wants to be king. One day, he gets an invitation to come sit on the throne and actually hang with royalty." Cory started teaching.

"No!" Riley screamed.

Maya smiled evilly "'Sup, Riles? Pop's lesson hitting a little too close to home?"

"Nope, what he's saying has nothing to do with me. Yes, I've been invited to hang with middle-school royalty, but nothing bad could happen." Riley folded her hands on her desk.

"I'm sure you're right." Cory said then turned to Farkle "Farkle!"

"When Damocles sat on the throne he noticed a sword hanging over it, help up by a single tiny thread." Farkle told the class.

"Maya?" Cory asked.

"Be careful what you wish for?"

"Why?"

"Being what other people want you to be is just a sword hanging over your head." Maya smiled.

"Good." Cory turned to his younger daughter "Riley?"

"Nothing to do with me." She smiled.

"Oh, honey." Val let her head fall onto her desk.

Riley, Maya, and Cory had gone so Maya and Cory could drop off the "party girl." But that night, Val had her own plans. She went over to Annie's and they got dressed up, did their makeup and hair, and headed to a nearby hotel.

"Are you excited?" Annie asked her friend.

"Not really." Val moaned "You know I hate these big parties your parents throw."

"Yeah, I do too." Annie shrugged "But I don't have a choice, so you don't have a choice."

The two walked into the fancy hotel lobby and groaned in unison. It was full of stuffy business men and trophy wives. Annie's parents owned a big company that made everything from toys for kids to makeup. They liked to throw parties for any little reason. This time it was something to do with a takeover of a smaller company. They made Annie go to the parties and, so she wouldn't suffer alone, Val went with her.

But her parents didn't know all the details of the parties.

Like the champagne (not that Val ever drank any) or the men that flirted with them. And they couldn't cause a scene without Annie's parents getting involved and getting mad at them. Neither girl liked it when they were mad at them.

"Well, here we go."

Annie and Val linked arms and made their way through the crowd, socializing and networking.

Val got home late that night. She slumped to her room and swung the door open. Riley was inside.

"Val, Val!" She cried "I need your help."

"Why?" Val moaned in protest "Riley it's almost four in the morning. Why are you up?"

But Riley was busy taking in her sister's appearance. A beautiful, fancy dress, that their father would probably never let either girl wear. But here Val was, in the dress. Her hair done up and makeup fancy.

"Where were you?" Riley asked.

"Out." Val said shortly.

"Out where?"

"Just out, Riley!" Val sighed "Look, what do you want?"

"Were you at a party?" Riley asked, horrified "Without me?"

"Riley, you wouldn't have enjoyed it. I know I didn't."

"But you were at a party?" Riley yelled.

Cory and Topanga came running in.

"What's wrong? What's going on?" Cory shouted, holding a frying pan like a weapon.

"Val went to a party and she didn't get back until just now!" Riley cried.

"We know, sweetie." Topanga sighed "Val told us about the party."

"And you didn't tell me?"

"Well look how you're reacting!" Val finally said "You're acting like a spoiled child who doesn't want to share their toys."

"But you should have told me!" Riley started to tear up.

"I don't have to tell you anything, Riley. It's my life." Val said softly "Look, if you really want to know, it was a party. But not a middle school party."

"You went to a high school party?"

"No! It was a party for Annie's parents." Val ran a hand through her hair "They throw these kind of galas all the time and Annie invites me. I only go so she doesn't have to deal with it all by herself."

"So you basically went to a ball?" Riley shrieked.

"Val?"

Everyone turned to face the figure in the doorway. Auggie stumbled into the room.

"What's going on?" He asked.

"Great job, Riley." Val said angrily "You woke him up."

"I can't believe you never invited me!" Riley was to mad to think about anything else "I'm your sister, your twin!"

"I didn't invite you because I couldn't. The power to invite people doesn't lie with me." Val turned to her parents "Now, can I please goto bed? It's been a long night."

"Of course, honey. Riley, Auggie, come on, let's get back to bed." Topanga picked up her son and beckoned her daughter to follow, but Riley didn't move "Riley, now."

"You love her more than me!" Riley wailed "That's why she can go to real parties and dress like that and be perfect at everything!"

"Riley, I'm not perfect-" Val protested but Riley cut her off with a hard smack across the face.

Val stood there, holding her cheek, stunned. Cory's face was red and Topanga had her hand over her mouth.

"I-I-I'm sorry." Riley quickly realized what she'd done and tried to apologize.

"Stop. Talking." Val's voice was dangerously low "How dare you?"

"I'm sorry, Val. Please, I'm sorry!" Riley's eyes filled with tears.

"No." Val put up her hand "You don't get to cry."

"But-"

"I. Don't. Care." Val's voice trembled slightly "I'm going to bed. So everyone get out."

Everyone fell over themselves to get out of the room.

The next day Val walked past her parents, out the door, and to Annie and Eric's apartment with an angry, red slap mark on her cheek.

"Val-" Topanga tried to say but her daughter ignored her.

She stalked into the apartment across the hall and dropped like a stone on the couch. Eric came out of the bathroom with a toothbrush in his mouth.

"What's the matter with you?" He asked.

Val looked up, showing the handprint on her cheek.

Eric gasped "What happened?" He asked, rushing over to her, dropping his toothbrush in his haste.

"Riley." Val said bitterly "She found out about the party last night and got real pissed."

"Why?"

"Because she wants to go to a real party and she got a nerd party last night." Val sighed.

"Don't take offense to this, Val." Eric said softly "But your sister seems really self-centered."

Val laughed dryly "No? Really? I hadn't noticed."

"Yeah." Eric said "So she hit you?"

"Yeah."

Eric stood up and made for the door "I'm going over there."

"Oh, no you're not." Val grabbed his wrist and pulled him back onto the couch with her "Annie, come here! I need you to help me stop Eric from killing my sister!"

"Why would Eric kill-?" Annie walked into the room and stopped short at the sight of Val's face "Aw, Hell no. Who did that to you? No wait, it's obvious. Riley did it, didn't she?"

Val nodded.

"Oh, she's gonna get it!" Annie pulled her cousin away from Val's grasp and led the way to the Matthews apartment.

"No! Wait!" Val shouted running after them.

The cousins had burst through the door and were storming up the stairs, leaving Cory, Topanga, and Auggie watching in horror. Val came through the door a second later and chased the duo up the steps.

Eric was first into Riley's room "Where is she?" He asked the girl sitting in the bay window.

Maya stared at him in shock "You're that boy we saw Val with. What are you doing here?"

"Where is she?" Annie snarled, popping around her cousin.

"Riley? Why?"

Val crashed into the two and knocked them over. Maya gasped as she looked up.

"What happened to you?"

"Riley happened."

"No way. Riley wouldn't do that! She wouldn't hurt you." Maya protested.

"She found out I went to a party with Annie last night and she got upset." Val explained.

"Now where is she?" Eric asked angrily.

"I don't know." Maya put up her hands "She was missing when I got here."

"Then she's probably already at school. I'll see you there, Maya. I gotta find something to cover this up." Val gestured to her face.

"Um...bye." Maya scrambled out the window.

"Bye." Val sighed "Come on Annie, help me find something to hide this."

Val and Annie walked into the history classroom just behind Maya who now had Farkle in her grasp.

"Okay, Farkle. Where is she?" Maya growled.

Farkle smiled weirdly "Whatever have I done to deserve this display of affection?"

"This look like affection to you?" Maya raised her fist.

"It takes it however it goes." Farkle touched his jawline "Right here, nurse."

"She wasn't there when I tried to pick her up this morning and I couldn't find her in the halls. What'd you do with my girl?" Maya asked threateningly.

"Maya, release the Farkle."

"Oh my God." Val groaned at Riley's outfit "Is this what you needed last night?"

She was dressed like a Harajuku girl. She wore a brightly colored wig and massive glasses.

"What is wrong with you?" Annie asked in horror "You do realize you're completely disrespecting an entire culture, right?"

"Farkle didn't do anything except open my eyes to what the world really thinks I am." Riley ignored Annie and Val.

"A Harajuku girl?" Maya asked incredulously.

"Yes, because I figured if what I am is nerdy-geeky, I'm going to set the nerdy-geeky world on fire." Riley said, waving her hands in the air.

"You take it." Maya told Cory who had just walked in.

"Nope, beyond me. All yours." Cory stared at his younger daughter, horrified.

"Val?" Maya pleaded

"I'm not talking to her right now." Val shrugged and took her seat.

"Why should I struggle to be popular when I can be these people's express fairy queen? Ha!" Riley did Farkle's signature laugh.

"Ha!" The nerdy-geeky boys from the party mimicked.

"No, please." Maya begged "The one guy was two guys. The sword fell. This is the way you're gonna go? You're gonna embrace this?"

"Deal with it. I've gone over to the dork side." Riley smirked.

"This isn't you." Maya said.

"This is her." Farkle replied.

"They love this me." Riley grinned goofily.

"I'm not changing you back." Maya threatened.

"Oh, yes you are." Cory said.

"Why aren't you making Val help?" Maya asked.

"Because, Riley didn't treat her sister well last night. Let's leave it at that. Now my daughter's going through this week's crazy, you get in there."

"Father, may we continue with the lesson? I seek knowledge." Riley asked.

"Never mind, leave her alone."

"Look at her!" Maya shouted.

Cory shrugged and ran over to two boys "All right, what do you guys know about girls?"

"Mostly we're terrified of them, sir." One boy said.

"So we try to keep our distance." The second finished.

"Well, then I choose express fairy nut job." Cory raised his hands.

Riley lifted her arms in the air and the boys around her cheered.

"Aw come on!" Val groaned "It's gonna be us, isn't it?" She asked Maya.

"Yep. Let's fix this."

The next day, Riley, still dressed as a Harajuku girl, sat in her bedroom's bay window with Farkle. Maya came through the open window.

"Okay, I'm gonna take one last shot at this while I believe Riley is still in there and not completely under the spell of-" Maya said.

Farkle pointed at the two girls "Ladies."

"Farkle!" Maya grabbed his arm

Farkle stood up "She's one of us now, Maya."

Maya pulled him back down "She's one of me, Farkle."

"You're not letting her reach her full potential." Farkle said loudly.

Maya turned to Riley "The world I know wants you to be yourself. In my world, it needs you in it."

Farkle turned Riley to face him "You're one of us now. And I've decided to prove it by letting you help the John Quincy Adams' spelling-bee team to the regional finals."

"Really?" Riley asked, surprised.

"I'm right about you, Riley. I know I am." Farkle smiled.

"Thank you, Farkle." Riley smiled back and turned to Maya "Sorry, Maya. The world wants what it wants. And right now, the world wants me like this."

"This isn't over, Farkle." Maya warned the genius.

An obviously scared Farkle said "I'm not scared."

"Oh really?" Val said from the doorway.

"Val!" Riley cried joyfully "You came to see me!"

"Not talkin' to you, Harajuku."

"Now I'm kinda scared." Farkle admitted "But I'm still right about Riley."

"Both of you, get out. I need a word with my sister." Val ordered.

Maya grabbed Farkle by the arm and dragged him out the window.

"Val, can I please apologize?" Riley asked "I didn't mean to hit you. I was upset and I was wrong and I'm sorry." She hung her head.

"I'm sure you're sorry." Val sighed "But, Riley, do you understand that these parties wouldn't be a good place for you?"

"Why not?"

"Because, Riley, you listen to people. You do whatever you're told and that's not always the best idea. Do you remember what I told you? About having the confidence to be yourself?"

"Yes." Riley nodded.

"Then why are you changing yourself and dressing like a Harajuku girl?" Val rolled her eyes "You still aren't confident in yourself. At these parties there are creepy old men you would like nothing better than to have a pretty girl on their arm. They will ask you to do stuff you and I don't fully understand yet. And it's important that you have the confidence and power to say no."

"Then why do you go?" Riley asked.

"Because," Val explained "Without me there, Annie would have to suffer through it alone. And I don't want her to be taken advantage of when I could be there to do something about it. That's why we never leave each others sides at those parties."

"Why couldn't you and I do that, then?" Riley questioned.

"Yeah, like you wouldn't run away from me at the first chance you got." Val laughed "No. It's safer if you wait on the real parties until you're ready."

"But I am ready!"

"No, honey, you're not. Look what happened when you went to a nerd party. You let it change you completely."

Riley looked down, ashamed "But they like this me." She mumbled.

"Some people like it. But what about what the people most important to you think? Me, Maya, Mom, and Dad?" Val pointed out "We hate it. And you're being incredibly disrespectful to the culture. Look, I can't make you change back, but think about what it's doing to your friends and family."

And Val got up and left her sister sitting in the bay window, thinking.

"Welcome, to this qualifying round of the city regional spelling bee between our own John Quincy Adams Middle School" Cory announced and there was slight applause "and Einstein Academy." There was more applause for the opposing school.

"Formidable opponents. And Smackle." Farkle snarled.

"I will destroy you." Isadora Smackle smiled proudly.

"I am energy, you can't destroy energy. Ha!"

Smackle leaned forward and mouthed 'I love you.'

Farkle turned to Riley "Riley, get up there and show us who you really are."

"Okay, Ms. Matthews." Cory started "Your first word is -" Maya placed a card on top of the one he was reading "Maya, you can't-"

"Check out the word, Dad." Val walked in behind Maya.

"Maya, Val, what are you doing?" Riley asked nervously.

"Hey, Farkle's not the only one with a master plan." Maya smirked.

Cory read the word and smiled "Ms. Matthews, your word is Harajuku."

Riley's eyes got wide "Excuse me?"

"Harajuku." Cory repeated.

"Uh, may I have the meaning of the word?"

"Oh, you don't know? Then let me tell you. It's a real neighborhood in Japan, where authentic Japanese girls have created an authentic look and life for themselves that is unique to them." Annie stood up from the crowd "It's a beautiful place that I've actually visited."

"Country of origin?" Riley asked.

"Are you kidding me?" Val raised her eyebrows in frustration.

"Can I hear it in a sentence?" Riley was almost begging.

"Yeah. 'Stop pretending to be a Harajuku girl, because you're not; you're Riley.' R-i-l-e-y." Maya walked up to her friend.

Cory looked at his watch "Five seconds, Ms. Matthews, or you're eliminated."

"What do you mean 'eliminated'?" Riley wondered nervously.

"It means you won't be a part of the group anymore." Farkle told her.

Riley turned to face the audience "Harajuku, something I'm n-o-t." She looked at Farkle "Sorry, Farkle. It was a lovely party and your friends are really cool."

"We are?" One of the team asked.

"We've never been called that before." His little friend said, smiling.

"Thanks, Riley. We feel the same way about you." Farkle told Val's sister.

Riley took off her glasses and the wig she was wearing and sat down in the front row with Maya "Well, I guess we're back to where popular is gonna be kind of hard, huh?"

"I wouldn't know. And let's not try so hard to find out." Maya leaned her head on Riley's shoulder and Riley put her head on top of Maya's.

"Hey, Val?" Riley asked as her sister walked by them "Why did you help me? Aren't you mad at me for hitting you?"

"Riley," Val sighed "I'm always gonna help you. You're my twin, so for better or worse, I'm stuck with you. But I don't want some cheap, fake version of you. Yes, I'm still mad at you and, you know, I probably will be for a while, but the more you can be yourself then the sooner I can forgive you. I can't forgive someone who lies about who they are."

Riley was silent as she and Maya watched Val walk away and joined Annie and the boy she'd brought to dinner. The one Riley had accused her of dating. What was his name? Erin? No, it was Eric, wasn't it?

"Maya?" Riley asked.

"Yes, darlin'?"

"Val's always gonna be cooler than me, isn't she?"

"Not to me."

"Thanks, Peaches."

Word count: 3662 words
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Love,
The Author