Val Meets the Secret of Life

I don't own Girl Meets World!

Riley skipped through the halls of the school, Maya and Val followed her.

"Y'know what I like? Life. And I like it when it doesn't change." Riley cheered "We should sing our happy song."

"We don't have a happy song." Maya told her best friend.

"We should have a happy song." Riley insisted.

"We will never have a happy song." Val shook her head.

"Not with that attitude."

The girls walked into their history classroom.

"So you don't want anything to change?" Maya asked.

"No, I don't like change." Riley shook her head "Change fills my pockets with pennies of uncertainty."

"What?" Val asked, confused.

Cory interrupted the conversation by starting class "All right. So should we actually learn about what happened in Belgium in 1831?"

"No!" Farkle shouted.

"No?" Val questioned "Farkle, you always say you know everything except Belgium 1831 and once you learn that you'll know everything, now we might actually learn about it and you don't want to?"

"I always get my hopes up and then something happens to hurt my little Farkle heart. Well, this time I refuse to believe." Farkle crossed his arms and put his chin on his desk.

"In 1831..." Cory began slowly.

"Yes? Wait!" Farkle turned to Riley "Anything going to suddenly happen to you?"

"No changes, lovin' life." Riley grinned.

Farkle turned to Lucas "Anything going to happen to you?"

"Nothing ever happens to me." Lucas shrugged.

"Val?"

"Nope, I don't think so." Val shook her head.

"Maya?"

Maya snored in response.

"Oh my gosh. This is it." Farkle gasped.

"In 1831... Belgium-"

"What? Y'all started without me?" A dark skinned boy entered the classroom.

"GET OUT!"

"Someone in this room is going to be very surprised to see me." The boy grinned and looked around, his eyes finally settling on Lucas, which Val noticed.

Innocently, Riley asked "Is it me?"

"Don't know, sugar, but could you get any cuter?" The boy leaned forward to smile at Riley.

Riley blushed "Well I can't answer that."

"You got a transcript, kid?" Cory asked.

"I do. Check out them grades. Here, let me sing 'em to you. De, de, de, de, de, de... de" Then flat "F."

Maya nodded "Yeah, I know that song."

"Isaiah Babineaux. From Austin, Texas." Cory read the transcript aloud.

Everyone looked at a very uncomfortable Lucas "What are you doing here, Zay?"

"Well, the first thing I'm doing is waitin' for a better reaction from you." Zay frowned.

"Maya, something's changing." Riley said nervously.

"Okay, Mr. Teach, where do I sit? You know, usually I'm more of a back row kind of guy." Zay looked to the back row where Brenda smiled and waved excitedly "Whoa. That's unusual."

"Have a seat right there, Mr. Babineaux." Cory gestured to the seat behind Val, next to Lucas.

Riley turned to face Lucas " Lucas, do you know this Isiah?"

"Yeah, tell 'em, you know me good." Zay grinned, taking a seat on top of his desk.

"How 'bout we talk later, okay?" Lucas tried to stay calm.

"Well, Mr. Babineaux, if you work out as well as last years new student" Cory pointed to Lucas "we're happy to have you."

"Wait. What? Lucas, you're doing okay here?" Zay asked.

"Why wouldn't he be okay here?" Riley's eyebrows shot to her hairline.

"Not currently on probation? No disciplinary actions? They just let you wander free?"

Val turned around to face the boy "Hey."

"Hey." Zay immediately turned flirty "What's your name?"

"Call me Val."

"Val? That short for somthin'?"

"It's none of your business what it's short for. But you, however, are quickly becoming my business since you decided to mess with my friend. Now sit down, shut up, and we can all talk later." Val's smile was sickly sweet and her voice oozed honey.

"Whatever you want, sweetheart."

"What?!" Cory shouted.

"Dad, chill."

"Dad?"

Val glared at Zay and he sat down quickly.

"Okay new guy's all settled in and there's still class time left so do it! Do it while I'm still tingly!" Farkle commanded.

Cory began again "So, In 1831, Belgium declared-"

"What is the secret of life?"

Farkle's face turned an ugly shade of purple as he glared at Yogi, who had spoken.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Farkle." Yogi stood up "I know I'm not your daughter, but I too have value in this world. What is the secret of life?"

Cory stared for a moment before he chuckled and picked up the eraser.

"Don't do it! Put that eraser down and no one gets hurt." Farkle shouted.

Cory grinned and erased the chalkboard.

Farkle screamed and started to bang his head on his desk when Val grabbed his shoulders and held them to stop him from hurting himself.

"Easy, buddy, it's gonna be okay." She whispered gently.

"Thanks, Val."

"Yogi has asked the primary riddle of the universe: What is the secret of life? People spend their whole lives trying to figure it out. I was lucky. I had a teacher who cared about me to make sure I knew. Lucas, You got an opinion on this?" Cory asked the boy.

"Yes, What do you got, Mr. moral compass?" Maya teased.

"Did you just call Lucas Friar your moral compass?" Zay smacked Lucas's shoulder "Ha, they called you moral compass!"

Lucas turned to face his old friend. Val looked at the new boy too, an angry glare present in her eyes.

"Okay." Zay sat back.

"Something bad is going to happen, Maya." Riley said.

"Yeah. It occurs to me you're trying to tell us ranger Rick was a little different back in Texas." Maya mused.

"A little? What do they know, exactly?" Zay asked "'Cause I wouldn't wanna say anything wrong. They know you're a year older, right?"

"Yeah." Lucas lowered his head "Now they do."

"Shut up!" Val hissed.

"Oh, yeah, it's my fault. Look at you!" Zay looked at Val "So you know about him?"

"I know everything I need to."

"Excuse me?" Riley asked.

"Okay, that's enough, Mr. Babineaux." Cory said sternly.

"Oh, so you know about him too?"

"I know all about Mr. Friar." Cory nodded.

"Excuse me?" Riley repeated.

"Riley, you're shaking." Maya said, worriedly.

"Dad? Val? You know something?"

"Back in Texas-" Lucas began.

"Lucas! Are you sure?" Val asked.

Lucas nodded and continued "Back in Texas I did something. I had to leave."

"It was great! I mean, they threw him out of the whole school!" Zay cried.

"What?" Riley gasped.

"I came here to get a new start. Nobody knew me here." Lucas explained.

Zay grinned and raised his hand "I know him."

Riley's eyes were slightly wet "Do I know you?"

Riley and Maya walked over to Val and Annie's table during lunch.

"Look! We don't know the story yet, let's know the story before you go to Rileytown." Maya tried to reassure her friend.

"I'm not going to Rileytown. I'm calm." Riley said, sounding very tense.

"I like it worse when you're calm. C'mon. Be you." Maya lifted Riley's hand and waved it around "Y-Y-Y-Yay." She said weakly.

Lucas sat down next to Val across from Riley.

"Deny it." Riley demanded.

"Riley." Lucas tried to say.

"Tell me whoever this Zay kid is, that he can't just come and change you from the Lucas we know. Tell me nothing changes." Riley begged.

"That's all you have to do, Lucas. You hear me? I just called you by your actual name for the first time ever. That's how important this is to me. Because it's important to her. Deny it." Maya pleaded.

Val sighed "Riley, things change, it's part of life. You have to learn to be okay with that."

"I can't." Lucas said, over Val.

"I like you. I went on my first date with you. Do you think it's right to let me like you without telling me who you are?" Riley asked.

"You know who I am. I'm ranger Rick. We rode on a white horse." Lucas protested "I asked for your father's permission just to go out with you. Who does that?"

"Were you thrown out of school?" Riley asked.

"Yes."

"For a whole year?"

"Yes."

Maya pointed to the Texan "I finally like you."

"You told me you wanted to be a veterinarian. You told me you gave birth to a horse." Riley cried.

"That had to hurt." Maya smirked.

"Why wouldn't you tell me about this?" Riley questioned.

"It's not something I'm proud of. I thought I could start over. I guess I was wrong. I guess you do something and that's the end of you." Lucas shrugged.

"You think that's what I'm upset about? Whatever you did? Then I don't know you. And you don't know me."

"Why are you acting like this?" Lucas asked, angrily.

"Friends talk to you and real friends listen., remember? I would have listened, I'm your friend. Whatever you did , why wouldn't you trust me with it? People who care about you are supposed to trust you with stuff." Riley stood up, leaving her tray of food on the table, and left, pulling Maya with her.

"Annie, can you give us a minute?" Val asked.

Annie looked between her best friend and Lucas before she nodded, stood up, and left with her lunchbox in hand.

"Why is she so upset?" Lucas asked, looking at Val "I don't want to ruin our friendship, because I like having her as a friend."

"I know you do." Val assured him "She's not upset about what you did, she's upset that you hid it from her. She might also be upset that Dad and I both knew and didn't tell her."

"Why?"

"Do you remember when you told me about it?" Val asked.

"Yeah, it was one of the hardest things I'd ever had to do." Lucas recalled.

"Well, do you remember what I said?" Val paused "I said that you probably couldn't keep it from Riley and the longer you did, the worse it would be when the truth finally came out. You couldn't have kept this a secret forever, it's just not possible."

"I know." Lucas hung his head sadly "I just wanted everyone to see me as who I want to be, not who I was."

"Lucas," Val shook her head "there's a line from a song that now is stuck in my head, thanks to you. 'Just be, who you wanna be. Never let 'em tell you who you ought to be. Just be, with dignity.' That means you are who you want to be. Nobody can change that unless you let them."

"What is that song from?"

"You're not ready for that yet." Val stood up "Look, I down know exactly how to help, not because now I have a feeling Riley is gonna have another problem with me, but because I'm not my sister. I don't know exactly how she wants you to react. My best advice is to explain and apologize."

"Thanks, Val. I'm sorry Riley's gonna be mad at you again." Lucas sighed.

"It's not your fault." Val smiled "We're all young, we make mistakes. You couldn't have known Zay was gonna come here and spill the secret. Don't blame yourself."

Val took her lunchbox and left the cafeteria in search of Zay, they needed to have that talk. Finally she found him, talking to a kid.

"And then I was all like whatever!"

"Excuse me, can I have a word with him?" Val asked, coming up behind Zay and making him jump.

"Sure, Val. See you in math." The boy scurried away from them.

"Hey," Zay's face was slightly nervous but he stood his ground "You're not gonna yell at me about class today, are you?"

"No, but I do want to talk to you." Val grabbed his hand and led him to Janitor Harley's closet "Hey, Janitor Harley, can we borrow this place for a bit?"

"Sure, Val, you doing okay?" Harley asked.

"I'm fine." Val smiled "Don't worry. Just need to have a chat."

Harley nodded and left.

"How'd you get him to leave?" Zay asked, amazed.

"He's, well, not exactly a family friend, but he's a good guy. He lets me use this as kind of a therapy room."

"I don't need therapy." Zay protested.

"Who said the therapy is for you?" Val quirked an eyebrow "Sit." She gestured to an upside down bucket and Zay sat "Look, Lucas is trying really hard to make a new life for himself. I know you've known him longer than any of us, but he's different now than he was in Texas."

"How do you know what happened?" Zay asked "Did your Dad tell you?"

Val shook her head "Lucas told me. My Dad wouldn't betray a secret like that. Anyway, what I'm trying to say, is that I don't want Lucas to lose himself again. Can you help me make sure he stays true to himself?"

"You want my help?" Zay was shocked "Why? I'm the reason he got kicked out!"

"But you can change too." Val smiled "You are Lucas's friend and he's loyal to his friends. He needs us to trust him."

"I do trust him."

"I never said you didn't." Val put her hands up "But he doesn't trust himself. He trusts in the fact that we trust him, and that's what gives him the confidence to be himself."

"So, I need to prove to him that I trust him?"

"No, you don't need to prove anything. You just need to be there for him, like he would be for you, when he needs you to." Val stood up and made for the door but paused and turned around "You know, Lucas doesn't blame you for his getting kicked out."

"I know." Zay sighed "But he should."

"Why?" Val asked, coming back to sit across from the boy.

"Because it's all my fault." Zay started to fidget "I'm the reason he got in the fight, I'm the one who needed Lucas to get me out of trouble, and if I hadn't he would never have had to leave Texas and we'd still be best friends."

"Hey, breathe." Val commanded, knelling in front of the panicking kid "In and out, match my breathing."

After a few minutes, Zay calmed down "Sorry you had to see that." He whispered.

"No, don't be sorry, I get like that all the time."

"Is that how you knew what to do?"

"Yeah." Val brushed her hair behind her ear "It sucks, but that's life with anxiety."

"Is that what that was? Anxiety?"

"I'm not a professional, but it sure seemed like a very minor panic attack." Val nodded.

"That was minor? It felt like the only thing in the world." Zay chuckled weakly "How do you deal with it?"

"There's a few ways to calm down, here give me your number and I'll send you links to teach you." Val offered.

"Thanks."

"Anytime. Now come on, we'd better head to class."

That afternoon, after school Val came home and, avoiding Riley, headed to her room to do her homework. It didn't take long for her twin to burst through the door.

"You knew?!" She shouted.

"Knock, Riley." Val sighed, exasperated "And yes, I knew."

"How much?"

"All of it."

"Why wouldn't you tell me?" Riley screamed.

"Because it wasn't my secret to tell." Val shrugged.

"You said that about Farkle too!" Riley complained "Why do you keep saying that?"

"Because it's true. And before you ask, I'm not going to tell you what happened."

Riley pouted "Why not? I deserve to know. Lucas is my friend."

"Just because he's your friend doesn't mean he needs to tell you everything." Val frowned.

"Yes, it does." Riley crossed her arms "When you're friends with someone you don't lie or keep secrets."

"Lucas never lied. Neither did I. You never asked. And the secret was his to keep. He trusted me to keep it too and I did. If Maya told you a secret and asked you not to tell me, you never would."

"I guess." Riley uncrossed her arms "But that doesn't mean I'm not still mad."

She stomped out of her sister's room.

"It never does."

"Al washes a car in six minutes. Fred washes the same car in eight minutes. How long does it take Al and Fred to wash the same car together?" Cory asked in class the next day.

"How is this anything?" Riley asked.

"Three minutes twenty-five point seven seconds." Farkle said, doing the calculations on a piece of scrap paper.

"Wrong!" Cory pointed to the genius.

"I'm sorry what did you just say?"

"You're wrong." Cory repeated.

"I'm wrong? You're a history teacher teaching English, science, whatever you got going on at home. You waltz your wife in here on career day." Farkle ranted.

"She's a respected attorney."

"My father said she should've been my mother!"

"Gross!" Val gagged.

"What do you want from me?" Cory sighed.

"Mr. Matthew teaches us about a lot of things. He's open-minded that way." Lucas said looking pointedly at Riley.

"He can be open-minded because he knows who we are." Riley responded primly.

"Oh. She took us all out." Lucas chuckled.

"I teach this way because in my old school I had a very strict teacher." Cory told them.

"Did he teach history, English, or math?" Zay asked.

Cory paused, thinking "I don't know. But in his class there was no talking. No interruptions."

"So you didn't like him?" Zay questioned.

Cory shook his head "I loved him."

"Then why don't you teach like him?" Farkle asked.

"Because I would never try and be like him. I could only fail. I only succeed you guys if I get my teaching across as effectively as he does."

"You do." Maya told Cory, then turned to the class "He does."

"Thank you, Maya." Cory smiled "And I will now. Al washes a car in six minutes. Fred washes the same car in eight minutes."

"He thinks it's math class! Somebody stop him!" Zay pointed at Farkle "You, what's your name?"

"Farkle."

"What'd you call me?" Zay asked angrily.

"Hey, watch it." Val warned "Be nice."

"My name is Farkle." Farkle clarified.

"Who would do that to you?"

"So your assignment today is to wash a car, together." Cory kept the class going.

"With them?" Riley glared at Lucas and her sister.

"Especially with them." Cory nodded.

"If you do it correctly, You will find the answer is three minutes twenty-five point seven seconds." Farkle said, matter-of-factly.

"If you do it correctly, You will find the secret of life."

It was Maya's turn to wash the car, she'd been at it for almost 20 minutes. Val's time had been seven minutes and 32 seconds. She was rather proud of herself.

"Done." Maya finally announced.

"Amazing." Farkle said.

"How long?" Maya asked.

"Nineteen minutes, forty-two seconds. You are the worst car washer in the class."

Maya threw her rag on the ground "Oh, You mean no one will ever ask me to wash a car for them? Say it."

"You're a genius." Riley conceded.

"Oh stop." Maya flipped her hair.

"The only two who washed the car in six minutes and eight minutes was Riley and-" Farkle read from his notes.

"Lucas?" Val asked.

"Was it Lucas?" Maya joined in.

"Could it have been Lucas?"

"Lucas?" The two girls said together.

"Yeah, Lucas." Farkle nodded.

"I'm not washing a car with him." Riley said stubbornly.

"Oh yes you are, in three minutes twenty-five point seven seconds and I will go back to your father and say, Ha!" Farkle jabbed Riley in the chest "Now pick up that hose!"

Riley rolled her eyes "Fine!"

Farkle turned to Lucas "Now pick up that bucket!"

"Yes, sir." Lucas saluted sarcastically.

"And... Go!" Riley and Lucas started to clean the car but Farkle stopped them "No, no. Work together. The equation doesn't work if you don't work together."

"Riley, I could use some water over here to rinse this off." Lucas asked.

"Oh. Water? You want some water?" Riley turned around, hose in hand.

"Yes, please."

"Oh, Huckleberry, Huckleberry, Whatever bad, bad things you did at your school, you are still a Huckleberry." Maya shook her head.

"Why? You need water to rinse off-" Riley sprayed him in the face with the hose.

Lucas gave an undignified shriek and leapt over the car's hood to escape the flood of water being shot at him.

"Tell me what you did!" Riley demanded.

"Nothing this bad!" Lucas called.

"They threw you out of school!"

Farkle stormed up to Riley "Wash the car! You're supposed to be washing the car! Why aren't you washing the car? Wash the car!"

Riley almost sprayed the boy in the face, but stopped herself.

"Okay." Farkle backed off.

"When are you going to tell me what you did? You told Val, why not me?"Riley went back to shouting at Lucas.

"Fine! You want me to tell you what I did?" Lucas stood up, hands up in surrender.

"Everything!"

"Okay. Good girl, Just give me the hose, and I'll tell you. Good girl." Lucas slowly took the hose from Riley.

"Fine. Thank you." Riley said, handing him the hose.

Maya and Val both smacked their hands to their heads and groaned.

Lucas smirked "No, thank you."

"Maya!" Riley shrieked.

Lucas sprayed her with the hose.

Zay climbed out of his hiding spot in the car and walked over to where Maya and Val were sitting on some buckets "Wow. Yours is a lot of something."

"She's a lot of work." Maya smiled tiredly.

"What happens to her when you're home, sick?"

Maya shook her head "Oh, I could never get sick."

"That's when I step in and make her go home for the day." Val explained.

"So, just between you and me what did Ranger Rick really do? Did he tip over a cow? Did he put eleven gallons in a ten gallon hat?" Maya asked, jokingly.

"I already told you too much and he'll tell you what he wants to tell you." Zay sighed.

Val patted his shoulder.

"You were really best friends?" Maya asked.

"Oh, there were never better best friends." Zay grinned.

"I think there were and if Riley was coming from Texas, at least she'd tell me what happened." Maya told him.

"Like I said something happened."

Riley screamed louder as Lucas got a perfect shot in her mouth.

"Your friend's a fountain."

Maya sighed and stood up to start walking over.

"Actually, she's my twin." Val whispered.

"Seriously? The teacher is your Dad and your sister is the fountain?" Zay joked "That's some life you've got there."

Val laughed "Isn't it?"

The class trooped back into the classroom where Cory was waiting for them. When they had all taken their seats he began. Zay was missing, having walked off after talking to Val.

"Al washes a car in six minutes. Fred washes the same car in eight minutes. How long does it take Al and Fred to wash the same car together? Farkle?"

"They were snapping towels at each other! I said, "The car's not even dry yet!" and they went..." Farkle imitated the hose "Whoa! She's the fountain!" He gurgled.

"So, not three minutes twenty-five point seven seconds?" Cory raised his eyebrows.

"I was 'Wruh'"

Cory smiled "Excuse me?"

"I was 'Wruhh!'" Farkle repeated.

"Well... Takes a big man to admit when he was 'Wruhh!' There is no answer to this equation. Except on paper. Except in a math class. Which this isn't."

"Is there an answer in life?" Lucas asked.

"Ah. Now we have arrived at the secret." Cory said with a grin.

Riley sat up straighter "Lucas' secret?"

Cory shook his head "Bigger than that."

"Riley, sometimes things come out when they're supposed to come out." Lucas told the brunette.

"As long as you're not different than I think... because I think a lot of you." Riley smiled.

"I used to be different than I am now."

"What happened?"

"I came here."

"And there's your answer, Yogi. There's the secret of life." Cory spread his arms "People change people. No matter what I teach you in here, learning from the people you care about is more important than words on any page. That's why I let you talk in here sometimes. That's why it's interesting. Mr. Babineaux might've appreciated that, if he was here. Where's your friend, Mr. Friar?"

"I don't know. I can't always be responsible for him." Lucas rubbed his temples.

"Sure you can. But maybe in a different way." Cory told the boy.

"Look! Zay's mouth is what gets him into trouble. He may act tougher than he is, maybe. But he's my friend. And I care about my friends. Riley, you understand that better than anyone. What was I supposed to do?" Lucas shouted then quieted "I'm sorry, again. I'm working on it, okay?"

"Lucas!" Zay's voice came from the hallway.

"Oh, not again..." Lucas groaned "I'll be right back, sir."

"Lucas?" Val asked.

"I'm okay." He tried to assure her.

"Lucas?" Cory asked.

"I'm okay, sir. If I manage not to come back expelled, you have all changed me." Lucas said, leaving the classroom.

"Dad? Val?" Riley asked, looking between her father and sister.

They both sighed and left the classroom. Riley, Maya, and Farkle followed them.

Out in the hallway, Zay was being held up against some lockers by the school's resident bad boy, Joey.

"I did it again. I'm sorry." Zay apologized to his friend.

"It's okay, Zay. Get outta here." Lucas told him.

Joey let him go, but wouldn't let him move, he instead leaned against the boy, pinning him to the lockers. He wiggled a bit before releasing Zay.

"Are you kidding me? I had a neck in my hand. I liked it. I miss it. You my new neck?" Joey asked, pointing at Lucas.

"Are you the one? Because there's one in every school, isn't there? So, in this school your the-" Lucas rambled.

"Yeah, It's me." Joey confirmed.

"Daddy, are you going to stop this?" Riley whispered.

"Not yet."

"I couldn't help but notice your pointy boots. Back in Texas we appreciate a nice pointy boot. They can end a fight real quick." Lucas quickly pinned Joey against the lockers " Unless somebody knows how to put his heel on the soft part where all your toes are."

"Ow." Joey said flatly.

"Now I'm sure you'd like to throw a punch. Except I got both your wrist and I'm as strong as a horse. I don't even work at it. I just am." Lucas told the older boy

"The way I see it. All that matters is what happens after you let go."

"Yeah. I know it'd be simpler to just start takin' shots at each other, But I'm going to tell you something, and you really need to hear this. In the end, you're going to be the one on the floor. And I'm going to be the one who walks away."

"Oohhh!" Maya shuddered.

"He's going to be a veterinarian." Riley nodded.

"So, I'm going to do you a favor. And let you keep your reputation. Now I'd like you to keep mine," Lucas released Joey " otherwise we're going to be twenty and still be in middle school. You want that?"

"I am twenty." Joey growled, but he walked away all the same.

"So, I could've taken him right?" Zay asked, coming up behind Lucas.

"Sure." Lucas chuckled "Why do you keep finding yourself in these situations?"

"Well, I like knowing you have my back." Zay sat down on the bench and patted the seat next to him.

Lucas joined him "What are you doing here, Zay?"

"Maybe I miss my best friend, okay? Maybe I had a friend in Texas and he moved away and I miss hanging out with him and I convinced my entire family to-"

Lucas cut Zay off "Your dad got transferred?"

"Yeah, same as you." Zay nodded.

"Look, I'm glad you're here, buddy but.. I don't want to keep being the same guy you knew in Texas."

"Yeah. I'm not so sure you are." Zay grinned.

The two boys put their arms around each other and walked back into the classroom.

"People change people." Val smiled "Secret of life."

Word count: 4749 words
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Love,
The Author