Val Meets Brother

I don't own Girl Meets World!

Val followed Riley and Maya into the Subway. All three girls were wearing cheerleader outfits, having just come from tryouts. Riley had made them try out every year since they were old enough. Every year, Val would be pulled aside by the coach and offered a place on the squad, but every year she would refuse to do it without her sister.

"Well, another year we're not going to be cheerleaders." Riley sighed.

"Why do you make me do these things? Pom-poms are stupid and pyramids made of humans freak me out. And what are these?" Maya asked, looking down at her exposed legs.

"These are your legs." Riley explained.

"Have you ever seen anything so white?"

"Nope, never." Val deadpanned.

"One time when I looked into the sun." Riley shrugged.

"These need to be put away. We have to go to Demolition right now and get clothes. Because you know they're gonna find out we took these things." Maya commanded.

"But my curfew's in fifteen minutes." Riley protested.

"But they're having a sale. Vintage t-shirts." Maya wheedled.

Riley gasped "Ooh, I do love t-shirts that other people have already loved."

"You are the only person I know that has to be home by seven." Maya said, exasperated.

"Not Val?" Riley turned to look at her sister.

"No, my curfew is nine." Val sighed, preparing for another fight.

"Oh." Riley paused, her face crumpling in anger before she smoothed it away "It's ridiculous. They treat me like a baby."

"Who?" Maya asked.

"Ma-ma da-da."

"Well, when you still call them that can you blame them?" Val rolled her eyes.

"It's time I was treated like the woman I am." Riley declared, ignoring her sister "I am going to Demolition!"

"That's the spirit!" Maya headed for the stairs but turned around when she realized Riley wasn't following her "You're not really coming, are you?"

"Nah. Wait. You know what? I am. I am old enough to stay out past seven o'clock." Riley leaned in and whispered to Maya "What's the damage for this, in your professional opinion?"

"Broken curfew? Chump change. Whole thing blows over by Wednesday." Maya shrugged.

"Worth it! Let's do this!" Riley cheered.

"Great! See you Wednesday." Maya led Riley out then poked her head back in "You coming, Val?"

"Nah, I'm good."

Val walked into the apartment just in time to hear her father say to Auggie "Come on, Auggie. Just pick a babysitter."

"Why do you have to go anywhere? Aren't you happy with me?" Auggie stuck out his lower lip.

"Knock it off." Topanga told her son "It's our anniversary."

Auggie thought about it "All right. I'll give ya three hours. And bring me back an Auggie bag."

"Okay, deal." Cory nodded.

"All right. So how about Shelly from down the street?" Topanga suggested.

"Smelly Shelly?"

"He's right. How about Anna Stephonopoli?" Cory offered.

"'Wanna play monopoly?' No, Anna, I don't. Okay? I don't." Auggie shook his head.

"Val, can you babysit Auggie tomorrow night?" Topanga asked.

"Sorry, Mom, Annie has a party she invited me to. You know I have to go." Val said, ruffling her brother's hair "Next time, okay buddy?"

Riley burst in "I'm late, I'm late, I know I'm late!"

The twin's father checked his watch "Seven minutes."

"Say nothing. Keep walking." Maya pushed Riley past her parents but Riley ducked away.

"No. This is a thing. Deal with your bad girl." Riley ordered.

Topanga decided to humor her younger daughter "Okay, where were you?"

"Demolition. It's an alternative store. Where rebels go! And I bought this t-shirt I don't think you'll entirely approve of." Riley held up a shirt with the word 'Bleh' on it "Bleh!"

"Edgy." Topanga nodded.

"Wait!" Val shouted and felt her pocket "How'd you pay for that?"

"Oh, I, um, borrowed your wallet." Riley turned pink.

"Riley!"

"I'm sorry." Riley hung her head "I just wanted to be cool."

"Stealing isn't cool." Val shook her head and held out her hand "Give it."

Riley handed her sister the wallet.

Val checked the cash "That t-shirt was forty dollars?!"

"Uh-huh." Riley sighed.

"You can pay me back, right?"

"Uh..."

"Forget it, Mom?" Val turned to her mother who handed her eldest two twenties "Thanks."

Val left in a huff.

"Uh, Riley, what's going on?" Cory asked, very concerned, not only that his daughter was stealing from her sister, but that she didn't seem the least bit remorseful.

"I am too old for a seven o'clock curfew. I reject it!" Riley misunderstood and started to cheer "Reject it! Reject it! Won't even respect it!"

"Didn't make the team again, huh?" Topanga asked.

"No!" Riley did a little jump.

Cory shook his head "Every year."

"Okay, look, Riley, your father and I gave you a 7:00 curfew because we knew that even when you got all rebellious you'd still be home by 7:30." Topanga smiled.

"What?" Riley looked shocked.

"Yeah. So when you come in here at 7:07 acting all dangerous, it's hard-" Cory lost it and started laughing "I'm sorry. I can't even keep a straight face."

Topanga started giggling with her husband.

"What are you laughing at? I'm outta control!" Riley flailed her arms wildly.

"Maya, you couldn't keep her out any later than that? I mean, what kind of bad influence are you?" Cory asked.

You're right." Maya narrowed her eyes "I gotta up my game. This'll look great in my room." She grabbed a couple pillows and left.

"Now, that's what I'm talkin' about!" Cory said, pointing after the blonde girl.

"I want to be taken seriously. I deserve a later curfew." Riley demanded.

"Okay, fine, but I'm your teacher, and I want you to get proper rest. I don't want your schoolwork to suffer." Cory pointed out.

"And I'm your attorney, so, please state your case, Ms. Matthews." Topanga stood up and faced her daughter.

"I submit to the court, 10:00." Riley tried.

"Ha! The court laughs in your face." Topanga chuckled "Not even Val has a 10:00 curfew. She can only stay out later when she talks to us beforehand."

"The legal system is a joke!" Riley cried.

"Your new curfew is 8:00." Topanga told her.

"God bless America!"

"I want a later curfew too." Auggie piped up.

"Why?" Cory asked.

"Where do you want to go at night?" Topanga questioned.

Auggie smiled "Wherever you go."

Topanga kissed his cheek loudly.

"Does that mean I can come to your 'nanoversary'?" Auggie asked hopefully.

"Sorry, honey, mommy and daddy haven't been on a date for, like three weeks and four days." Cory gasped in horror.

"Guys, guys. It's not just the curfew. I want you to think of me as more of a grown-up." Riley interrupted.

"I have an idea." Auggie said, visibly brightening.

"Define 'grown-up.'" Topanga smirked.

"I can go buy t-shirts whenever I want."

"And how do you make the money to do that?"

"I don't have to. I'm a kid." Riley said, proudly.

"Riley, grown-ups have responsibilities." Cory tried to tell his daughter.

"Idea idea idea! Idea idea idea!" Auggie shouted, jumping up and down.

"What's the matter, Auggie? Is no one believing that the little kid could possibly have an idea about how we could raise our older child?" Cory joked.

"Let Riley be my babysitter." Auggie suggested.

"Holy moly! All hail August Matthews!" Cory started to bow down to the little boy.

"Yeah!" Auggie cheered.

"King of apartment 26!"

"Whoo! Long live me!"

"Auggie, you think your sister's ready for that kind of responsibility?" Topanga whispered.

"I would put my life in her hands." Auggie said seriously.

Riley smiled, finally she was beating Val at something "Aww, Auggie, you really want me to babysit you?"

"Yes. I trust you. Catch me!" Auggie started to do a trust fall.

"Ten bucks an hour." Riley dodged her falling brother to try and get paid.

"The king's on the floor."

"Five bucks an hour." Riley offered.

"It's all going to Val. You owe her forty bucks." Topanga pointed out.

"Hey, Auggie, you really want Riley to be your babysitter?" Cory asked, helping the boy sit up.

"Riley makes me smiley."

Val was getting ready for Annie's parents party. When she had done her makeup and hair she went to help her mom get ready for her date. Topanga was in Riley's room when Val came in with her makeup kit and a hairbrush.

"Ready, Mom?" She asked.

"Bring it on." Topanga grinned.

Riley sat on her bed while Val helped her mother with her makeup. She watched closely as Val brushed a light blush on Topanga's cheeks, applied eyeliner with expert skill, and handed their mother a nude lipstick to put on. Riley wondered how long it had taken Val to get so good.

Topanga went into the closet and put on a gorgeous black dress. When she came back out the girls were speechless.

"Well, how do I look?" Topanga asked, slightly nervously.

"Wow. You look wow." Riley exclaimed.

"Wow is good?"

"Wow's amazing." Riley paused "When am I gonna look wow?"

"Oh, honey, you already do." Topanga hugged her younger daughter.

"Yeah, but not with the bam! And the boom! And the you know." Riley smiled "Daddy's going to love the way you look."

"Thank you, honey. But you want to know one of the reasons I married your father?"

"Yeah." Riley nodded.

"He loves me no matter how I look."

"That may be." Val smiled widely "But you're gonna knock his socks off tonight."

Val and Riley accompanied their mother down to the stairs where Auggie and Cory stood waiting. Cory's tie was tied in a sloppy bow.

"Wow." Auggie gasped at his mother.

"Wow." Cory agreed.

"And bam, boom!" Riley shouted, waving her arms.

"Absolutely. You look stunning." Cory kissed his wife's cheek "Happy anniversary, Topanga."

"You too, Cory. What's up with the, uh..." Topanga looked at the tie, unsure what to say.

"Oh, Auggie did it."

"It's magnificent." Topanga smiled.

"No going to my room until I tell you, okay, Riley?" Auggie told his sister.

"Deal." Riley looked at her mom and dad "Aw, look at you two, all dressed up. Going out for dinner?"

"Ba ba Sushi." Topanga smiled.

"Ooh, you hipster!" Riley exclaimed.

"And then a horse-drawn carriage and a play." Cory wrapped his arm around his wife's shoulders.

"Ooh, you 80-year-old man."

"And then jazz night at mudbone." Cory tried to seem cool.

"Now we're playin'!" Riley cried.

"Nice save, Dad." Val winked.

"That's why I married him." Topanga told her children.

"Yeah, we're sophisticated adults." Cory grinned stupidly.

"With a sophisticated babysitter, right?" Topanga quirked an eyebrow.

Riley put her hands on Auggie's shoulders "The kid's in good hands."

"We're sure he is." Cory led Topanga to the door.

"We trust you completely." Called his wife.

"Good night." Cory shut the door.

Riley shook her head "Yeah, I don't believe this for a second."

"No way." Val agreed.

"I don't blame ya!" Topanga reentered.

"Yeah, let's talk." Cory sat his younger daughter down on the couch.

"Man, you just can't get out of here without the life lesson thing, can ya?" Riley asked.

"Oh, please, like I had something planned." Cory scoffed and pulled out an egg "Say hello to your new best friend."

"Hello, egg." Riley looked at the egg.

"Not this one again." Val groaned "You did the same thing to me the first time I babysat Auggie."

"Oh, yes again." Topanga nodded "You gonna introduce us, Riley?"

"Okay, um, mom, this is Amanda McScrambleface." Riley introduced.

"McScrambleface?" Val raised her eyebrows.

"She is lovely." Topanga smiled.

"Oh, mom, you, too?" Riley gasped.

"Yeah, I'm with him."

"Draw a face on her." Cory said, holding out a marker.

Riley took it and started drawing "Okay, we're doing the whole 'take care of an egg' thing? 'Cause I've seen this."

"Not the way they're gonna do it." Val groaned.

"Yeah, there's a big twist at the end." Cory grinned "So, uh, tell us about your new friend, Riley. What are her hopes, what are her dreams?"

Riley looked at the egg "Amanda makes friends very easily. Everybody likes her. She's a good egg. We're going to go backpacking through Europe someday."

"Wow. Okay, well, before you do, may I hold her?" Topanga asked, holding out her hand.

"Sure. She's a people person." Riley did a funny voice "Hi, wiley's mom. You wook wow."

"Thank you, Amanda. That's very sweet." Topanga looked at her husband with puppy dog eyes.

"Come on!" Val cried "Don't do this to her."

"Do it." Cory ordered.

Topanga threw the egg onto the coffee table, smashing it to bits.

"No! What is the point of this horrible lesson?" Riley wailed.

Val gently patted her sister on the back and handed her a tissue.

"This is an egg you knew for a minute. We're giving you responsibility for our child." Cory told her.

"We all love him. Don't drop him." Topanga said, threateningly.

"So, clean Amanda up and have a good night!" Cory and Topanga walked to the door and left.

"Bye!" Val called.

She turned to go upstairs but Riley grabbed her hand "What time will you be back?" Her younger sister asked.

"I shouldn't be too long. Annie said we only need to stay for about an hour. But we might go out to eat with Eric afterwards." Val replied "Why?"

"Maya's coming over to watch the season finale of Red Planet Diaries."

"What?! Riley, you can't have friends over when you're babysitting." Val pinched the bridge of her nose.

"But every babysitter needs a babysitter's best friend." Riley defended.

"No. Every babysitter needs to spend their time babysitting the baby." Val glared "If you feel like you need someone else to do this, then too bad. I already have plans tonight, I can't get you out of this. Auggie's gonna be heartbroken, he really wanted to spend some time with you tonight."

"Val, I'm-"

"Don't say you're sorry, because I know that you're not." Val sighed heavily "I have to go finish getting ready."

She pulled her hand from Riley's grip and hurried upstairs. As she passed Auggie's door she paused and thought 'I have to tell him.'

Val knocked softly.

"Riley, I said no going in my room yet!" Auggie shouted through the door.

"It's me, Auggie." Val called "Can I come in?"

"Val!" The door flew open "Look what I did for Riley and me!"

The room was decorated to look like a pirate ship, Auggie was waving around a foam sword and wearing a captain's hat.

Val smiled "Oh, Auggie, it looks great. But there's something you should know."

"What?"

"Riley...um...Riley invited Maya over tonight." Val said softly "I'm so sorry, but she wants to watch the season finale of some show with her."

"What?" Auggie's little face crumpled and he looked like he was about to cry "But-but we were supposed to hang out together."

"I know buddy." Val held out her arms and Auggie dove into them "I'm sorry. I'll come back as quick as I can and I'll play with you, if you want."

"Can you stay?" Auggie's lower lip trembled "Please?"

"Oh, sweetie, I wish I could, but I can't let Annie deal with the party on her own. It wouldn't be good for her. I won't be gone long, I promise." Val stroked his hair gently "I'll only be gone an hour and, when I get back, we can play."

"Okay." Auggie gave a little hiccup.

"Are you gonna be okay?"

"Yeah." He sniffled "I'm just sad."

"I know. I know you had high hopes for tonight and I'm sorry that this messed them up." Val stood up "I'm always here for you, Aug, you know that, right?"

"I know, I love you Val."

"I love you too."

Val went to the party, but she had a terrible time, the whole time she was just worried about Auggie. Finally, the hour of torture was over and Val and Annie got in the car to go home. When Val got to the door she found it locked, so she knocked.

"Who is it?" Riley called.

"It's Val, open the door, please." Val responded.

The lock clicked open and Riley and Maya stood in the doorway, arms crossed.

"Why did you tell Auggie?" Riley demanded.

"Because he deserved to know." Val rolled her eyes "Now can I come in? I told Auggie I'd play with him when I got back."

"Why should we let you in?" Maya asked.

"Because it's my house." Val tried to shove past the girls, but Maya stopped her "What? You think you can keep me out of my own home?"

"Not think, can." Maya smiled and shoved Val outside, making her trip on the hem of her dress and fall, slammed the door, and locked it.

"Maya Penelope Hart, you open this door right now or else!" The door didn't open "Fine."

Val went to the fire escape that led to her window and climbed up it, which was hard in her high heels, she tried to open the window but found it locked. As Val peered inside, she saw Maya throw a lamp to the floor and smash it. Riley tore the curtains from the window and froze when she saw Val's livid face. Her room was destroyed.

"I didn't want to do this, but..." Val pulled out her phone and dialed her mother.

"Val?" Topanga asked when she answered the phone "What's going on?"

"Hi, Mom, I'm so sorry to disturb your date. But Riley and Maya are trashing my room as we speak. Do you have any advice?"

The door to Val's room flew open not even a second later and there stood a fuming Topanga and Cory.

Val waved through the window.

"Riley Matthews!" Topanga shouted "How dare you?"

Cory dashed over and opened the window "Are you okay, Val?"

"I'm fine, Dad, just a little cold. How did you get here so fast?"

"We were in Auggie's room." Cory explained "He's very upset."

"I think I know why." Val glared daggers at her sister and her friend.

"You are grounded for the rest of the year, young lady!" Topanga shouted "You will clean up this mess and pay for anything and everything you have broken. Maya I will be calling your mother. She needs to know what kind of child she's raising."

"Actually, Mom, I'd prefer to clean up myself." Val spoke up "I don't exactly trust Riley to do anything at the moment."

"Fine, but Riley, you are still paying for everything broken in here."

"But Mom!" Riley cried "Val betrayed me! That's why we did it!"

"I told Auggie what you were planning tonight, nothing more." Val said, her voice level and dangerously calm "It is not my fault that you are a awful babysitter and a worse sister."

"But-!"

"Shut up, please. I'm sick of this, I'm sick of you. Mom, Dad, I'll stay at Annie's tonight and see what can be salvaged tomorrow." Val grabbed a pair of pajamas and clothes for the next day, her hairbrush, and what makeup hadn't been destroyed and walked out.

"I'm so disappointed in you, Riley. I thought we raised you better than this." Topanga sighed.

"But-!" Riley tried again.

"No. Go to your room and think about what you've done. But first, give us your phone, computer, all of it. You will get them back when you have paid Val back and learned why what you did was wrong." Cory held out his hand.

"What?" Riley screamed, clutching her phone to her chest "You can't!"

"We pay for it, we can." Topanga scolded "Now hand 'em over."

Reluctantly, Riley passed her parents her technology and sulked out of the room. May tried to follow her but Topanga stopped her.

"No way, Maya. You're not getting out of this that easily. We're calling your mother, now. And you're gonna be there when we do." Topanga pulled out her phone and dialed Katy's number.

Maya hung her head, ashamed.

Word count: 3381 words
Please don't forget to comment, vote, and add to your reading lists! There will be a Valentines Day special posted soon!
Love,
The Author