Val Meets Texas (Part 1)
I don't own Girl Meets World!
Val sat in her father's classroom chatting with Annie, Lucas, Farkle, and Zay before the bell rang. She was in her seat, Lucas was leaning on her desk, Annie was sitting in Cory's chair, and Farkle and Zay were lounging on their desks.
Riley and Maya rushed into the classroom excitedly.
"We have changed the life of somebody in this room." Riley announced, looking very pleased with herself.
"Oh, please not me." Zay prayed.
"Or me." Annie put her head down on Cory's desk.
"Yeah, I'm good." Val shook her head.
Farkle nodded "I'm happy with my life the way it is. I got tall, and my teeth came in nicely." He smiled, showing off his pearly whites.
"Yeah, we're not talkin' about any of you." Maya shook her head.
Lucas closed his eyes "Oh, no. What'd you do?"
Riley moved to sit down "Oh, Lucas, in your whole history, we know what has always been your biggest regret."
"Baaaah." Maya said quietly.
Val raised an eyebrow.
"What's that? Why would you do that?" Lucas asked, sounding horrified.
"Baaaah!" Maya shouted "You used to be a champion sheep rider at the Mutton Austin' Rodeo, until you fell off of Judy the Sheep."
"And then you gave up, but you never got over it." Riley bemoaned dramatically.
"That is my deepest, darkest secret." Lucas growled "No one knows I fell off Judy the Sheep except..."
Val and Lucas slowly looked over at Zay, who was grinning awkwardly.
"Think they made me, Lucas." Zay tried to defend himself "Think they made me."
Lucas crossed his arms "How did they make you?"
Zay sighed "I said, 'Y'all wanna hear a great Lucas story?' They said, 'Yes.'"
"Okay," Lucas turned back to Riley and Maya "It doesn't matter. I'm over it. I don't think about that day at all."
He went very stiff and Val got up and started to rub his shoulder.
Lucas sniffled "I fell off that sheep so fast."
"Let it out, Lucas." Val patted his shoulder "It's okay to cry."
"No one likes me." Lucas mumbled.
Val shot her sister and Maya a quick glare "We like you, Lucas. You're not alone."
Riley stepped forward and put her hand on Lucas's other shoulder "Lucas, you can fix this. Get back on that sheep and be a sheep champion."
"We have made that possible." Maya declared.
*Flashback*
Riley and Maya sat in the bay window.
"Any ideas?" Riley asked "I need to show Lucas how much I like him. But he's never going to look at me like he does Val. What do I do?"
Maya hummed for a moment "Hey, remember that Lucas story Zay told us yesterday?"
"The one about the barbecue eating contest?"
"No."
"The one about that horse show he entered?"
"No."
"The one about-"
"The one about Judy the Sheep!" Maya exclaimed "He said Lucas has never gotten over that."
"Yeah." Riley nodded slowly "But what can we do about that?"
Maya grabbed her laptop "We are going to make Lucas's sheep riding dreams come true."
"Oh!" Riley saw where her friend was going "And he'll be so grateful he'll look at me as girlfriend material instead of Val!"
"Bingo." Maya grinned as she found the online application.
*Present*
Lucas looked up "How? How'd you make that possible?"
"Show it to him." Riley smiled proudly.
Maya held up a shiny certificate with the words "Official Entry" printed on it.
"Ride, Lucas! Ride, boy!" Riley crowed.
Maya spread her arms "We have entered you in-"
"The annual Mutton Busting Tournament!" Riley shouted.
"In Austin, Texas!"
"In front of everybody you know."
"Yay!" The two girls shouted together.
Lucas shook his head "You can't enter me in Mutton Busters. You can't be over eight years old or over 55 pounds."
"You are wrong, young Lucas." Maya said sagely "We entered you last week and your application has been accepted."
She passed Riley the certificate and Riley started to read. "'Congratulations, Lucas Friar. You are an official entry in this year's Austin Round Up Rodeo. You will be riding Tombstone the Sheep.'"
Zay choked "What? Tombstone? Oh, well, that's the end of you." He patted Lucas's back gently.
"Why is it the end of him?" Maya's brow furrowed.
"What's the difference between riding Judy the Sheep and Tombstone the Sheep?" Riley asked.
"Read it again." Lucas was very pale and sweaty.
Maya grabbed the paper "Blah blah blah. Over the age and weight limit for Mutton Busters. Blah. We have placed you in the adult rodeo where you will, blah, ride Tombstone the Sheep."
"Oh, you only got one word wrong." Lucas cried.
"Let's see if they find that one word." Zay's voice was tight.
Val grabbed the paper away from Maya and read it, her eyes quickly widened to saucers and she looked up in horror.
"BULL?!" She clenched her fists tightly.
"She found it." Zay pointed.
Lucas looked furious "You signed me up to ride Tombstone the BULL!"
Maya grabbed the certificate back from Val and scanned it frantically.
"Are you excited?" Riley grinned.
Three loud thumps came from the front of the classroom and everyone looked over to see Annie banging her head on the desk. Val quickly grabbed Annie's shoulders to stop her.
Annie looked up, glaring at Riley and Maya "You stupid-"
"Okay!" Val covered her friend's mouth "Easy there."
"What's the difference between riding a sheep and riding a bull?" Maya asked, confused.
"Death. Death is the difference." Lucas ground out angrily.
Cory came in, smiling "All right. May we begin class?"
Everyone took their seats, Val glaring daggers at Riley and Maya who were grinning, oblivious to the danger they had put Lucas in.
Cory pointed to the board "The Railroad." He read aloud.
"I don't get it." Farkle shrugged.
"What do you mean you don't get it, Farkle?" Cory frowned, confused.
"How does this relate to what's going on in our lives, Hambone?"
Maya's eyebrows furrowed "You're just gonna let him call you "Hambone," Matthews?"
"I'll tell you how the railroad relates to our lives right now, Farkle." Annie smiled.
"How?"
Annie's gaze turned sharply on Riley and Maya "Because in a few days the bodies of two girls, a lanky brunette and a little blonde, will be found tied to the railroad tracks."
"Okay, so we're not gonna do that." Val piped up "They are in trouble, just not enough to have you go to prison for murder. Yet."
Cory decided that was a can of worms he wasn't going to open yet "The railroad allowed us to travel great distances. The railroad allowed us to see how other people live. When you see how other people live, it changes you." He glanced at Maya "And I like 'Hambone.' It's cool."
Lucas leaned forward "Riley, rip it up before he finds out!"
"Who?" Riley asked, looking around nervously.
"He's gonna find out and when he does, nothing will stop him!" Lucas fretted, breaking his pencil as he clutched it.
Val gently took his hand "You mean...?"
"Yes." Lucas gritted his teeth and glared at Riley "Rip it up!"
"Who?" Riley asked again.
Zay leaned forward "Oh you'll know who. You'll hear a big boomin' voice. He'll say somethin'. He'll say somethin' like..."
An older man wearing a cowboy hat, boots, and brown leather jacket sauntered into the classroom "This country was built on railroads. I, myself just arrived on the noon train from Austin, Texarkana and Arkadelphia. Guess why I'm here?"
Lucas deflated, defeated.
Val glanced at Zay "It's him?"
"It's him." He confirmed.
Cory looked at his class, confusion etched on his face "Anybody?"
Lucas's Pappy Joe laughed "Haha! I'm here 'cause I could not be more proud of my grandboy Lucas."
A grin spread on Maya's face "Pappy Joe. That's your Pappy Joe. That's Pappy Joe. Yes! More stuff!" She cheered and slapped her desk.
Pappy Joe pointed at Lucas "That right there is the first Friar that ever had the courage to ride the most ferocious creature in all of creation."
Riley grinned, thinking Lucas's Grandfather meant something completely different "Are we talking about Judy the Sheep, Pappy Joe?"
Pappy Joe stared at the girl in disbelief before he doubled over in laughter "Judy the Sheep!" He looked at Lucas "Remember when you fell off of Judy the Sheep for about two seconds, boy? Remember that? And we all said 'It was okay,' 'cause you were only five years old. So we said 'It was okay,' but it wasn't okay, because you were a disgrace to the community and you dragged your family name through the mud hole right up to this day."
Riley looked incredulous. Her gaze darted between Lucas and Pappy Joe, thinking that maybe, just maybe, her idea hadn't been so good.
"You put us in the mud hole, remember boy?" Pappy Joe plowed on.
"Yes." Lucas deadpanned "There is one moment in every man's life that shapes who he is forever. My moment was Judy the Sheep."
Annie growled and Val narrowed her eyes. She had heard the stories about Lucas's Pappy Joe, a lot of the tales had painted him as having high standards but being a good, kind man. Lucas loved his grandfather, but Val had her doubts that the man before her was really as good as Lucas made him out to be.
What Lucas had just said bothered her too. It sounded rehearsed, like it had been drummed into him that falling off a sheep when he was a literal child would define who he was, make him destined to be a failure for the rest of his life. Val didn't like that one bit.
Pappy Joe walked forward "Well, you know what, Lucas Friar? Forgiven."
Riley smiled, hoping that would be the end of what she perceived as Lucas's failure. Val grit her teeth. He had been a kid! Falling off a sheep was not something he needed to be forgiven for.
"You get on that bull for more than three seconds and you will be the master of Tombstone the Bull, and I'll tell you 'I love you.'" Pappy Joe shook his head "And that's somethin' I've never said to another human being."
Val's concern grew.
Cory raised his hand "Can we talk about this?"
"Time for talkin's over." Pappy Joe declared and pulled out three permission slips "I got a permission slip. One for Lucas, one for the girlfriend he keeps talkin' about, and Babineaux, got one for you, too. Come on, boys and girl. Let's go ride."
Zay slammed. his hands on his desk and shouted "Yeehaw!"
The class looked at him, surprised, as he grinned sheepishly.
"That slipped out." He muttered, embarrassed.
"Hold on, how'd you get a permission slip for my daughter?" Cory asked "It has to be signed by a parent or guardian."
"Yeah, her momma's one scary lady." Pappy Joe frowned "But when I mentioned it was for Lucas, well, I ain't never seen a pen move so fast."
Cory nodded slowly "Okay, then. Val, I guess you're going to Texas."
"What?!" Riley shouted.
Pappy Joe ignored her and beckoned Lucas, Zay, and Val out. He patted Zay and Val's shoulders and guided Lucas out with a firm hand.
Lucas turned back for a moment and pointed furiously at Riley and Maya "You did this!"
The train ride was long, Val sat next to Lucas in the compartment Pappy Joe had booked for them. Zay and Pappy Joe were playing a card game across from them.
"Are you okay?" Val asked carefully.
"Yeah, I'm fine. What would you ask that? Of course, I'm fine. I'm okay." Lucas rambled "I'm about to die to pull my family's name out of the mud hole I put it in when I was five years old. And if I don't stay on that bull for more than three seconds, then we're not in a mud hole anymore, we're in a grave. No pressure."
"Deep breaths." Val gently took his hand, holding it lightly enough that he could pull away if he wanted to "You don't have to do this if you don't want to."
Lucas looked up at her "But I do. It's my fault. I embarrassed my family when I fell of Judy the Sheep. It's my job to make it right."
"Lucas," Val looked deep into his eyes "You were five. It was not your fault. Don't do this because you think it's your duty to make it right. I will support you no matter what. But I think you should do this if you want to. Not because you feel like you have to."
"If I don't do this Pappy Joe will-"
"This isn't about Pappy Joe." Val told him kindly "If he was the one riding the bull, then it would be about him, but he's not. You are."
"I want to make him proud." Lucas mumbled "That's all I've ever wanted."
"I think he is proud of you." Val sighed.
"He's proud of me because I'm supposed to ride Tombstone the Bull and clean up the family name." Lucas scowled.
"That's part of it. But, if I were him, I'd be proud of the fact that you have great friends, that you're happy and healthy, and that you do well in school. I am proud of you for having courage and being kind to everyone you meet, and for caring about the people in your life." Val smiled as she gently rubbed the back of Lucas's hand "I am proud of you because you are a good person, Lucas Friar."
"What are you two whisperin' about?" Pappy Joe asked, looking up from the cards in his hand.
"Nothing, Pappy Joe." Lucas shook his head "Just a project we're working on."
"Hmm." Pappy Joe hummed "Well, Miss Matthews, I've heard a lot about you from Lucas. He tells me you're smart and kind. You seem like a good kid. The kind of girl I'd like my grandson to end up with someday."
Val inclined her head, blushing lightly "Thank you, sir. I've heard a lot about you too. And you can call me Val if you'd like."
"Ha! Polite too?" Pappy Joe chortled "She's a keeper, boy." He turned to Zay "If Lucas mucks this up, I expect you to take good care of this girl."
Zay glanced at Val, nervously noticing her eyes narrowing "Yes, sir." He gulped.
"Very pleased to finally meet you, Val." Pappy Joe held out his hand for Val to shake.
"You too, sir."
Lucas sat forward and buried his face in his hands "Well, if I have to ride Tombstone the Bull and die in front of everyone, at least it won't be in front of all my friends."
The door banged open "Surprise!" Riley, Maya, and Farkle shouted.
"Heeeey, it's all my friends." Lucas sat up and ground his teeth "Yippee."
Val's eyes were slits as she sent a death glare in Riley and Maya's direction.
When the train stopped in Texas, Pappy Joe loaded all the kids into his beat up old car and drove down the dusty road to a small white house with a large front porch. Farkle ducked into the bathroom to change, Riley and Maya stepped into the guest bedroom to gussy themselves up, and Lucas, Zay, and Val sat on the couch while Pappy Joe leaned on the arm of a chair.
"You wanna change too?" He asked Val "We've got another guest bedroom if you'd like."
Val shook her head "No, thank you, sir, I can wait for Riley and Maya to finish."
"You'll be waiting for a while then." Zay mumbled.
Val shrugged "Oh, well then."
Farkle sauntered into the living room "Man, I look good in my 'Welcome to Texas,' Billy Buckaroo cowboy hat." He tipped his child's cowboy hat at Val and smiled "Lady."
Pappy Joe swiped the hat off Farkle's head "That ain't a hat. That's a teacup." He passed Farkle a larger, black cowboy hat "This is a hat."
Farkle tried it on "How's it look?"
"Not bad, Farkle." Pappy Joe nodded approvingly "Welcome home."
Riley and Maya came out from the guest room they'd been hogging. Riley wore a frilly white shirt, a light, loose, pink checkered jacket, ripped jean shorts, and her hair in two ponytails. Maya had a bandana tied around her neck, a white shirt, a studded belt around her waist, a light blue fringed jacket, ripped jeans, and her hair loose around her shoulders. The two stood in the doorway, awaiting praise.
Pappy Joe removed his hat "Well, look at you two little darlin's."
Riley chuckled proudly "Told you this was the best way to spend all of our allowance money on the first day."
"Take a look at us, Huckleberry." Maya prodded Lucas, who was staring despairingly at the floor.
Lucas glanced up "I'm sorry, Maya. You look...good."
"Oh, thanks." Maya rolled her eyes.
"Yeah, you both look good." Lucas went back to studying the floor.
Riley looked pleased with herself. She started to slowly walk forward, looking around at the living room.
"You know what this place needs?" She asked.
"Please don't say a bay window." Val begged the heavens.
"A bay window." Riley declared and grabbed a footstool "Bay window, right now."
She set the stool down in front of the window and Maya climbed on a saddle next to it.
Pappy Joe looked over at Lucas "What's a bay winda?"
"Oh, you know, a safe place where the girls have their private talks." Lucas explained, still glaring at the ground.
"Oh, well, then...I'll make sure these two stay right there, forever. You wanna join them, Val?" Pappy Joe asked.
"I think I'm alright. I haven't joined them in the bay window in ages. Don't really feel like breaking that record." Val tried to joke "I'll go change quickly if you don't mind."
"Not at all." Pappy Joe nodded.
Val went into the bedroom to find it was covered in Riley and Maya's clothes that they must have thrown out of their suitcases as they found their current outfits. She rolled her eyes and started to pick up the clothes. She shoved all Riley and Maya's clothes back into their suitcases, not bothering to fold them, and changed into a loose olive green t-shirt, ripped blue jeans, and a wide brown belt. She also brushed her hair so it hung in light waves down her back. She came back out and rejoined Lucas and Zay on the couch.
The door banged open and an old man with a hat and a nervous disposition burst in screaming "Pappy Joe! Pappy Joe! Pappy Joe!"
Lucas actually looked up when he heard the man's voice.
"Woah, woah." Pappy Joe steadied the man "Don't be alarmed. It's just Cletus."
"Tombstone the Bull gone crazy!" Cletus cried "He everywhere all over the place at the same time like one of them Houdini Bulls."
"Use your words, Cletus." Pappy Joe reminded the panicking man gently.
"I am using my words, Garducky." Cletus argued "Tombstone the Bull gone bananahooey!"
Maya pointed at Cletus "I love him."
"What did Tombstone the Bull do?" Pappy Joe asked.
"He done tore up the china shop, ironically. It's true what them say."
"You mean he broke out of his pen?" Pappy Joe asked, worry coating his features.
Val wasn't sure if he was worried about damages or whether or not Tombstone would be fit for Lucas to ride him tomorrow.
"Oh, he brammoed the pen!" Cletus threw his hands in the air, before he noticed Riley and Maya's position in front of the window and turned back to Pappy Joe "What's them, a bay winder?"
Lucas seemed to snap out of a daze "Ah, that's Riley and Maya, Cletus."
"Oh, well, how dee doo." Cletus took off his hat and bowed.
"Well how." Riley started.
"Dee." Maya shrugged.
"Doo." Riley finished.
Cletus turned back around and noticed Lucas, Zay, and Val on the couch and Farkle behind it "Lukey. Thissar Lukey!" He shouted joyfully.
Lucas stood up and gave Cletus a hug "Wait, did they get Tombstone back in his pen, Cletus?" His tone held a smidge of hope.
"Yessir." Cletus nodded and Lucas's face dropped "We shot him fulla sleepy juice, but I seen the look in them red eyes just afore he went nighty night. And when he wake up, huh-huuurr!"
Lucas closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose.
Maya grinned as she slid off the saddle and walked up behind Cletus "What?"
Cletus looked at her "Huh-huuurr!"
"Oh." Maya cleared her throat and turned Cletus back to face Lucas, positioning him so he was right in the boy's face then lifting Lucas's head slightly "What?"
"Huh-huuurrr!" Cletus shouted.
"I know it's early, but my life is complete." Maya smiled.
Cletus straightened up "Well, thankee."
"No, thank-ee." Maya laughed.
"All I know is, I feel sorry for the po' fool gonna ride on Tombstone." Cletus shook his head sadly.
Lucas grimaced.
"Did I tell you what he done did today?" Cletus asked.
Pappy Joe pointed at Lucas "Lucas is gonna ride old Tombstone in the rodeo, Cletus."
"Oh." Cletus's face fell and he looked at Lucas like he was seeing him for the last time "Oh. Oh no. Lukey..."
Riley's brows furrowed as Cletus took off his hat and looked about to cry.
"Lukey...Bye, Lukey." Cletus left, suppressing sobs that made his shoulders shake.
Val gently guided Lucas back down onto the couch and rubbed his shoulder softly. She honestly wasn't sure what to say. Cletus seemed convinced that Lucas was going to die. What do you say to comfort someone about that?
"Goodbye." Lucas whispered.
"No goodbyes." Val tried to sooth his shaking.
The next day everyone loaded back into Pappy Joe's car and they drove down to the rodeo fairgrounds.
"Welcome, once again, to the Austin Roundup Rodeo." An announcer blared over the speakers.
Lucas was in front of Tombstone the Bull's pen, trying to give himself a pep talk "I will ride you. I will ride you for more than three seconds. I will be the master of Tombstone the Bull."
The massive bull in front of him snorted and glared at him.
Lucas took a deep breath "All right, how bad is this gonna be?" Tombstone bellowed furiously and Lucas jumped back "Great."
A small boy in an orange shirt, Timmy McCullough, stood at the pen next to Lucas, apparently hyping himself up to ride Judy the Sheep.
"I will ride you." He declared "I will be the master of Judy the Sheep."
The sheep's head turned to Lucas who swallowed "Yeah, that's right, Judy. It's me." Judy bleated "You leave me alone!"
Timmy turned to sneer at Lucas "Good luck, Friar."
"Good luck, McCullough." Lucas nodded.
Timmy tipped his hat and walked away.
"Lucas?" Val joined Lucas "How you feeling?"
"I don't know." Lucas mumbled.
"Everyone else is in the pavilion, you wanna go join them?" Val offered.
Lucas shook his head "In a minute." He looked back at Tombstone and then glanced at Val "Do you think I can do this?"
Val looked straight ahead and sighed "I'm not going to lie, I am very scared that you might get hurt."
"So you don't want me to do this?"
"I want you to be safe." Val turned to him "I want you to be safe and happy. I don't want to see you hurt."
"So you don't want me to do this?" Lucas asked again.
Val sighed "I want you to do what feels right. I don't think you should do this just because you feel responsible for falling off a sheep when you were five. I think you should do this if you want to. But in the end, it's up to you. I will support whatever decision you make, but I can't make it for you."
Lucas fidgeted nervously with his shirt sleeve "I'm terrified." He admitted "Everyone thinks I'm gonna die riding Tombstone and I wouldn't be surprised if I do."
Val stayed quiet, letting him speak his mind.
"I know that if I ride Tombstone for more than three seconds Pappy Joe will tell me he loves me and he'll be proud of me. I also know that if I don't ride Tombstone for more than three seconds, it'll be Judy the Sheep all over again. But if I don't ride at all, I'll feel like even more of a failure." Lucas ranted "And I know you'll say that I'm not a failure because it happened when I was five, but I felt like a failure and I still do. I remember people seeing me after and hearing them tell my parents that they were sorry I was such a disappointment. I remember hearing Pappy Joe agree with them! I was a kid and people kept saying that I was a disgrace, a failure."
Lucas dropped down on a nearby bench and put his head in his hands. Val slowly sat next to him, not touching him, but letting him know she was there.
"That happened for years. Every time I went to the stables to visit the horses or just left the house, people would give me these looks, like I wasn't good enough. But since I came back, I haven't gotten any of those looks. No comments, no digs. People either look at me like I'm the comeback kid or like they're planning what they're going to say at my funeral." Lucas chewed on his lip anxiously "I'm so scared, because, if I don't do this, I'm letting Pappy Joe down, but I'm also letting myself down. And if I do, then it might be the last thing I ever do."
"Lucas," Val paused to take a breath "being scared is normal. If you weren't scared I would be even more worried than I am right now. Fear can keep us alive...but it can also hold us back. I have faith that you could do this, my fear is that you might not be able to do it today."
Lucas looked up at her, confused "Huh?"
"Lucas, how much experience do you have with bull riding?" Val asked.
"Eddie Callaway taught me everything he knows."
"Okay, so you've ridden a bull before. How long ago was that?"
"I stopped when I came to New York, so about two years." Lucas saw where she was going with this.
"So you're out of practice. I did a little research on bull riding last night. Might not have been my best idea to do that before bed, but oh, well. Lucas, I know you are aware of the dangers. I know you have been taught how to ride a bull. I know that you are strong as a horse. I know that you want your grandfather to be proud of you. But doing this, today when you haven't had any practice for two years is dangerous." Val slowly took Lucas's hand "I believe with all my heart and soul that you could do this, if you had been practicing and training for the last two years or longer. I believe that there is a possibility that you could do this today with a tremendous amount of luck and a couple guardian angels."
Lucas cracked a weak smile "You are my guardian angel."
Val turned pink "Bonus points for flattery."
"What can I say? I'm a charmer." Lucas smiled, still pale and nervous looking "I think I know what I'm going to do."
"Yeah?"
"I'm going to try." Lucas could see the concern on the girl he liked's face "But I'm doing it for me. For closure. If I fail, then at least I tried. If I succeed, then I can be proud of myself for doing something that scares me. I think I'd regret not trying."
Val smiled at him, tears were in her eyes, and she gave him a quick hug "Promise me you'll do your best to not die." She whispered into his chest, her tears dripping onto the protective vest he wore "Promise me that much."
"I promise." Lucas hugged her back for a moment before she pulled away, wiping her tears "You wanna head to the pavilion?"
"Sure. And for what it's worth, you are not a failure."
The two walked up to the pavilion, just as Riley and Maya did too. Riley glared at Lucas's arm which rested on Val's shoulder.
"I just saw Tombstone the Bull," Lucas told them "And, uh, why do you hate me?"
"Come on, a bull is just a man cow." Riley sassed angrily.
"You're a-scared of a man cow." Maya pointed and laughed. "A-moooo."
"You won't be laughing in a minute." Val growled, trying to contain her anger.
"You two have never actually seen a bull, have you?" Lucas realized, horror creeping into his voice at the thought that they had signed him up with no idea what they were getting him into.
"No." Riley shook her head "What we'd like to see are some cold drinks inside an air conditioned refreshment tent."
"Oh, lookee here." Maya pointed at the tent opening behind them and they entered the tent.
"I just think you may react differently when you actually see a man cow." Lucas called after them.
"A-moooo!" Maya shouted again.
Lucas looked down at Val "Are they...? Did they...? Why would they...?"
"Yes, yes, and you know why." Val sighed glaring after her sister "Let's get some water before you have to ride."
They entered the tent and spotted Zay watching a television inside.
"Oh, boy. It's hotter out here than my momma's barbecue sauce." The announcer declared.
Riley walked up to Zay "Hey, Zay. What are you watching?"
Zay shook his head "Not anything you'd wanna see."
Riley and Maya scoffed and turned to look at the screen.
"Hey there, Rodeo fans." The announcer called, on the screen a man was getting ready to ride a bull "Now, for your viewing pleasure, some of last year's greatest hits. These, here, are what we call 'Love Taps.'"
The gate on the screen swung open and varies clips played of bull riders being violently thrown in seconds played.
Riley's face turned to one of terror and Maya's smile slid from her lips. Lucas looked away from the screen, looking faintly green and queasy. Val quickly passed him a chilled water bottle and he sipped it gratefully.
Maya turned around "I don't want you going anywhere near that bull." She demanded.
Lucas scoffed "Yeah, that makes two of us."
"I want you to take off that stupid outfit, and I wanna get outta here." Maya shouted.
"Maya." Lucas tried.
"I saw the bull." Maya gestured to the screen "I don't think the bull knows this is supposed to be fun."
"Okay, Maya, let's not shake Lucas's confidence." Riley tried to sound sure of herself "You can do this, right? You can just ride a bull for four seconds and win the master of Tombstone award?"
"Lucas is gonna need a tombstone. There isn't going to be any more Lucas." Maya cried.
"Maybe if you did a little more research before you decided to meddle in his life this wouldn't be happening." Val pointed out.
"Why are you okay with this?" Maya screamed "You care about Lucas, right? You like him! Why are you okay with this?"
"I never said I was okay with this." Val replied calmly "I've expressed my concerns about this to Lucas calmly and in an adult fashion. Lucas has explained to me his reasoning behind why he is doing this. And, while I may not like the idea of him being hurt, I trust him and I believe in him."
"Tell him he can't do this!" Maya was hysterical "He's going to die!"
"I'm not going to tell him what he can or can't do." Val told her "This is his decision. I am not going to force him to do anything."
"He's going to do great, Maya." Riley tried to reassure the blonde "Zay, tell him, 'He's going to do great.'"
"You'll do great." Zay lied through a mouthful of peanuts.
"Truth." Maya ordered.
"You're gonna die."
Riley pushed Zay out of the way "I believe in you. I believe that you can do anything you want to." She shot a triumphant smirk at Val who rolled her eyes.
"Riley, why do you want him to do this?" Maya begged.
"Because this is better than riding Judy the Sheep."
"Better?" Val scoffed.
"And I don't want him to be disgrace to his community anymore." Riley said bluntly.
"Well, I don't actually think that I'm a disgrace to the community." Lucas tried to defend himself.
"You are." Riley said.
Val set her water bottle on the table as she focused all her rage at her twin into a glare that, if Riley was looking at her, would have put her six feet under. She didn't like what her sister was doing, it felt wrong and left a bitter taste in her mouth.
"I've been talking to people." Riley barreled on "They have long memories around here."
A waitress walked up to them and flicked Lucas's shoulder "Baaaah." She bleated.
Val turned her gaze on the woman who promptly scurried away.
"See? I have to do this." Lucas sighed.
"Okay," Riley nodded "Then go out there. Be the hero I know you are."
Lucas shifted uncomfortably as Riley moved a little closer and he stepped back firmly.
Pappy Joe and Farkle came into the pavilion.
"The mutton busters are getting ready to ride," Farkle reported "Then it's you, Lucas."
"Make us proud, boy." Pappy Joe grinned.
Another man in a blue shirt, jeans, and a cowboy hat joined them "Friar."
"McCullough." Pappy Joe greeted distastefully.
"I'm talking to the young Friar." Mr. McCullough patted Lucas's shoulder "So, you fixin' to ride again, huh?"
"That's right." Lucas confirmed.
"Well...Don't think about last time." McCullough chuckled "You don't want that in your head." Val narrowed her eyes at him and felt her lips drop to a frown "Let's watch my grandson, Timmy master Judy the Sheep. Oh, you were about two seconds on Judy the Sheep, as I recall. But don't let that be in your head."
Pappy Joe stepped in "How come you ain't out there with your grandson?"
"Well, then I wouldn't have the pleasure of watching him right in front of your face." McCullough smirked.
Val bit the inside of her cheek hard, she didn't know what kind of rivalry was going on between the two, but was rubbing something in the other's face more important than supporting a child? She dug her nails into the palms of her hands.
"And now, ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, it's Mutton Bustin' time!"
Everyone's attention turned to the screen just in time to see the first kid ride out on a sheep falling off before he made it twenty feet.
"And here they come, the Mutton Busters!" The announcer's voice crackled as several more kids rode, none making it very far or hanging on very long "And now everybody's favorite, Judy the Sheep, who will be ridden this year by Timmy McCullough."
"That's my grandson!" Mr. McCullough bragged.
"And the gate opens, and Timmy McCullough's holding on!"
Little Timmy McCullough rode out on Judy the Sheep and promptly toppled off.
"No, he's not." The announcer relayed.
"Ha ha! That's his grandson!" Pappy Joe crowed.
"Pappy Joe!" Riley and Val admonished the older man together.
"Sorry, Val, Riley. Stereotypical cultural reduction's all I have left." Pappy Joe bowed his head, looking abashed.
"And now, for the event you've all been waiting for, Bull Ridin'!" The announcer cried "And this year, will we finally have a master of Tombstone? The record on Tombstone is three point seven seconds. Will someone finally beat it? But first, riding Buttercup, is, Eddie Callaway!"
Eddie Callaway appeared on the screen, staying on the bull for a few seconds before he was tossed off and the bull's back legs hit him in the chest.
Val made an audible, half choked squeak as she grasped Lucas's hand. Riley's jaw had dropped and Maya leaned on the chair to hold herself up.
"Oh! Eddie, that had to hurt. Looks like Eddie's gonna have himself a little lay down for a moment."
"Are you out of your mind?" Maya shouted, turning to face the others.
"Lucas, you're serious, right?" Riley asked hopefully "You can seriously do this."
"Yeah. I learned from the best, actually." Lucas sounded like he was trying to convince himself too.
"Who's the best?" Maya asked.
"Eddie Callaway." Lucas looked down and bit his lip.
The announcer came back on "Coming up, our main event. Lucas Friar tangles with Tombstone."
Lucas grabbed his helmet and headed out. Val followed him, still digging her nails into her hands.
Pappy Joe clapped him on the back "Why you're here, boy."
"Lucas, look at me." Maya called, making them all turn back "If you do this...I will never speak to you again." She threw down the ultimatum like a challenge.
Val felt the skin of her palms break as she clenched her fists tighter.
"Maya." Riley tried to say.
Maya spun to face her "Riley, why are you for this?"
"Because I-I want him to succeed." Riley tried to defend "I want him to make his grandfather proud."
Maya stared down Pappy Joe "You're not proud of him if he doesn't do this?"
"I think you have a fine grasp of the general situation, yeah." Pappy Joe nodded.
Val sucked in a sharp breath as she felt drops of blood begin to fall from her hands "You should be proud of him regardless of whether he does this or not." She spoke up.
"Excuse me?" Pappy Joe turned to her.
"You should be proud that Lucas is a good person, proud that he has friends and does well in school. You should be proud that he loves you and wants you to be proud of him so much that he's willing to risk his life to make you proud. To hear you say'I love you.' You should be so proud of the fact that he cares about his family, his friends, animals, and the world that we live in." Val's tone was sharp as ice and her eyes were glacial "Lucas is a good person. And, if you are only proud of him because of this one thing, then you are not a good grandfather. If you are ashamed because he fell of a sheep when he was five, and you have held that over his head for all these years, you are not a good person."
Pappy Joe looked at her and a large smile spread across his face "I knew there was some bite in you!"
"What?" Val's eyebrows jumped to her hairline.
"I knew you had your doubts about me." Pappy Joe chuckled "So I decided to see how long it would take for you to voice them. It was an...what do you call it, Farkle?"
"Um, an experiment?" Farkle offered, confusion clouding his eyes.
"An experiment." Pappy Joe nodded "You stood up for my grand boy. And for your information," Pappy Joe turned to Lucas "I am proud of you for just getting in the saddle. I am proud of you for your kindness and the fact that you are, as Val said, a good person. I don't say it much, I know that, but I am extremely proud of you, boy."
Lucas looked stunned "You are?"
"I am. I'm also very proud of your good taste in women, something you get from me." Pappy Joe laughed "I know you Lucas, and I know that any girl who cares about you enough to stand up to me is a real prize."
Lucas looked over at Val who seemed to be in shock "Yeah, but Val's not a prize to win. Val is a prize to love."
That seemed to surprise Val out of her frozen state and she flew into his arms "I love you too." She kissed him on the cheek.
Lucas took a chance and kissed her gently on the lips "I meant every word."
"If you still wanna ride that bull, you'd better get out there." Val mumbled.
Lucas looked at Pappy Joe, who shrugged "In my opinion, it's about facing life, which runs harder than any bull. You gotta face your fears. You ride them, or they ride you."
"I'll never speak to you again." Maya said, drawing the attention back to herself.
She stomped out of the tent. Riley cleared her throat, refusing to believe that Lucas loved Val. He belonged with her, her sister got everything, attention, love, praise, Riley wanted Lucas. And she was determined to have him. But she took a breath, and tried to behave like Val would, like an adult. When Lucas rode the bull, he would see that Riley had done this for him and how she liked him more than Val ever could.
"Maya, what-?" Lucas tried to ask, but the blonde was already gone.
They all left the tent, Lucas glanced after Maya, who was storming away from the fairgrounds.
"Why would she do this?" Lucas wondered aloud.
"I don't know, but I'm about to find out." Riley frowned then added as an after-thought "After I watch you ride, of course."
Lucas glanced worriedly after Maya "Don't you want to check on her?" He asked awkwardly.
"I'll do that after, I wanna be there for you." Riley shrugged "After all, you wouldn't be doing this without me."
Lucas struggled not to roll his eyes and simply turned to get ready.
Val frowned at her sister "Lucas is doing this because he wants to. Not because of you."
"I'm the one who signed him up." Riley crossed her arms.
"With no idea what you were getting him into." Val shot back "If you looked into what bull riding entails and how dangerous it is, this wouldn't be happening. You signed him up without his knowledge or permission. You put him in danger. Maybe he wouldn't be here if you hadn't signed him up, but he's not doing this because of you."
Riley tilted her head "Isn't he? I'm the one who's been supporting him."
"You told him he's a disgrace to his community if he doesn't do this. That's not support, that's extremely emotionally manipulative."
"I just want him to be the best that he can be." Riley smiled innocently "Why don't you want that for him?"
"I do. But I'm not going to bring him down. I told him I would support whatever decision he made, that I would care about him no matter his choice." Val shook her head "But why am I defending myself to you? You are toxic and I haven't even done anything wrong. I have never intentionally hurt you, Riley. But you seem to take so much pleasure in causing me pain. So I'm done."
Val walked away, leaving Riley in the dust, staring after her sister. Swallowing her rage, Riley glanced at where Maya was now sitting on a small, stone wall, refusing to look at the fairgrounds. Then she turned and raced after Lucas.
"All right, as we know, Buttercup the Bull ain't no Tombstone the Bull, but Buttercup, as you can see, has sent Eddie Callaway on a little vacation." The announcer said "Bon voyage, Eddie. And now, the main event. Let's welcome Lucas Friar into the riding ring."
Lucas gave Val a quick kiss for good luck and climbed over the tall fence that encircled the riding ring.
"You can do this, Lucas! You can do anything! This bull is nothing." Riley shouted, glancing hatefully at her sister who was chewing anxiously on her lower lip, then she looked past her sister at the pen Tombstone was being kept in and was filled with horror "THAT'S the bull!?"
Val was so focused on Lucas and silently begging any higher power that could possibly exist to keep him safe that she didn't even roll her eyes.
"That's Lucas Friar right there climbing up onto Tombstone." The announcer narrated "Let's see how old Tombstone feels about that."
"Lucas, tell the bull you want to be a veterinarian!" Riley cried desperately "It's your only hope!"
"The bull doesn't understand, that's not going to help!" Val growled, tearing her eyes away from Lucas.
"It could help!"
Val did roll her eyes this time, then turned back to the pen just in time to see Cletus in a clown costume approach Lucas. Val couldn't hear what he said, but the bull bellowed and bucked furiously and Cletus scampered away, climbing over a gate.
"Here we go, folks. Time for the moment of truth." The announcer said.
Val squeezed her hands into tight fists, not caring that she was cutting into her palms even more "Please, please, please, let him be okay after this." She whispered "Please, please, please."
"And the gate opens!"
Val sucked in a breath as Tombstone raced out, Lucas clutching tightly to the grip as he tried not to fly off. Val could no longer hear the cheers of the crowd as she watched transfixed in silent horror as Lucas was flung from Tombstone's back and landed hard on the ground, not moving.
"Lucas!" She shrieked and scrambled over the fence to get to him.
Riley followed "Lucas! Lucas, are you okay?"
"Lucas, please, get up. Please say something!" Val begged softly.
Riley pushed Val aside and pulled Lucas's head into her lap. Val had enough. If Lucas had a concussion, Riley just made it much worse by jostling his head like that. She moved to hold his head steady, but Riley kept shifting and shaking Lucas, trying to wake him up.
"Are you stupid?" Finally burst from Val's lips "Stop shaking him!"
"I'm waking him up!" Riley argued.
"You're going to hurt him if he has a concussion!"
"Val?" Lucas said weakly.
"Lucas, yeah, I'm here." Val immediately took his hand "Are you okay?"
"I stayed on for, like, 30 seconds." He mumbled.
"Yeah, yeah. You did." Val mustered a smile.
"I knew you could." Riley bragged.
Zay and Farkle clambered over the fence and joined the twins helping Lucas up. Lucas took off his helmet and Val checked his eyes and had him follow her finger to see if he had a concussion, luckily it didn't look like he did, but Val wasn't about to be reassured until he was checked out by a medical professional.
"Look, you did it." Zay pointed at the timer.
The time read 4.468 seconds.
"Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, that is an official time! He's done it!" The announcer declared "Let's hear it!"
The crowd roared and cheered, whooping and hollering their support for the new master of Tombstone.
Cletus ran up to them "Lukey! I'm proud of you, Lukey."
Pappy Joe brought the trophy over "We all are, boy. I never seen nothing like it in my life." He handed Lucas the large trophy.
Lucas smiled at the shiny trophy before he looked back at his grandfather "Wanna hold onto this for safe keeping?" He offered.
"I'd be honored." Pappy Joe took the award back, cradling it like a baby.
"I'll keep it shinin' like the sun, garducky." Cletus promised.
Pappy Joe held the trophy in the air and the crowd cheered some more.
"Ladies and gentlemen, Lucas Friar!" The announcer shouted "The new master of Tombstone!"
Lucas held his helmet in the air and waved to the onlookers. Then he looked down at Val and pulled her closer.
"Do you mind if I kiss you right now?" He asked "I mean, I know we did before, but now in front of everyone? I wanna make sure this isn't a dream."
"I don't mind in the slightest. I might need the reassurance myself." Val smiled.
Lucas leaned down and kissed her firmly on the lips and the crowd roared their approval.
Lucas and Val broke apart and left the ring, Riley trailing sullenly behind them before she spotted Maya and headed over to her. Standing next to a tree was Mr. McCullough and his grandson Timmy.
Lucas paused "Hey, hold on a minute." He knelt down in front of Timmy "Timmy, you did good out there. All right, you tried hard. Tombstone is tough, but he is no Judy the Sheep. Sometimes you get thrown. Don't let it throw you. Understand me?"
Timmy smiled and nodded "Thanks, Lucas."
Lucas patted the kids shoulder and stood up.
"That was a fine ride, son." Mr. McCullough said.
"Thank you, sir." Lucas nodded.
Mr. McCullough turned to Pappy Joe "Friar."
"McCullough." Pappy Joe offered his hand and the two men shook hands before Pappy Joe led Lucas and Val away.
Farkle, Zay, Lucas, and Val were sitting on the couch in Pappy Joe's living room, admiring the trophy. Lucas had his arm around Val and she was snuggled into his side.
"I really do wish I'd grown up with you guys, Lucas." Farkle mused.
Lucas clapped him on the shoulder "You just did, Farkle."
"Yeah, from now on, it's always been the four of us." Zay agreed.
Riley and Maya came in, the screen door creaking behind them.
"Hey, Val, can I talk to you?" Riley asked, nervously.
Lucas tightened his hold on Val's shoulder instinctively but she slipped away "Yes, Riley."
"Outside?"
"Fine." Val followed her sister out the door onto the porch "What?"
"Maya likes Lucas."
"...Okay? So?"
"So she should have a chance with him. I'm going to tell Lucas I love him like a brother, you need to do the same." Riley said, determined.
Val stared before she snorted with laughter "Oh, so you back off Lucas for Maya, but not for your twin sister?"
"That's not what I'm-!"
"It's exactly what you're doing. You're asking me to break the boy I love's heart so your best friend, who has never been my friend by the way, can have a so called 'chance with him?'" Val made quotation marks with her fingers "No way in Hell, Riley. We may be young, but I care about Lucas a lot. And I've done the whole giving up thing before, I'm not putting myself through that again."
"But you didn't give him up, you're with him now!" Riley complained.
"Yeah! 'Cause I realized it was a stupid and unfair decision, for both of us." Val replied, rolling her eyes "I realized that my personal happiness matters just as much as yours. I realized that I wasn't fair to Lucas, turning him down for you when he had no romantic feelings for you. I'm not giving up someone who makes me happy, who I hope I make happy too, for you or for Maya."
Val turned to go back inside but Riley grabbed her arm "Val, please."
Val wrenched her arm away "I'll say this one more time, so clean out your ears and listen up. I am not breaking up with Lucas for you or for Maya. My happiness matters just as much as either of yours."
She walked back inside, letting the door swing shut behind her, closing with finality, leaving Riley outside staring after her sister.
Word count:8598 words
Wow, this is a long chapter! I'm sorry it's taken so long to get out, but I hope you all like it. Also I'm really glad I got to post this today, because...
It's my birthday! (4/9 I posted this late last night on Wattpad, so the date is wrong)
I'm officially no longer a teenager! Yay! I really hope that you all like this chapter, you wonderful readers enjoying this book is the best birthday gift I could receive.
Since it's my birthday, I was thinking that if you have them, you could ask questions in the comments (about this book, me, my writing, my goals, etc.) and I could do a chapter answering them. If you are interested in that please ask away! All I ask is that you don't ask anything inappropriate or super personal (address, what school I go to, etc.). #BlackLivesMatter
Lots of love,
The Author