Val Meets the New Year
I don't own Girl Meets World!
This chapter isn't going to follow the episode as closely as they have in the past. The original Girl Meets the New Year just has too many differences from this story and where it's going. This chapter is instead going to showcase the new friendship between Annie, Maya, Val, Lucas, Farkle, and Zay. Riley still likes Lucas, but we all know that. Maya will also continue to be working out her feelings regarding Lucas, because liking someone isn't like flipping a switch. Maybe I'll throw in the start of a Riley redemption arc too, who knows?
Anyway, read on!
English had quickly become a favorite class for the whole eighth grade, thanks in no small amount to Harper. She was funny and laid back, but her lessons held knowledge aplenty that had everyone on the edge of their seats whenever they started a new unit. That was beginning today.
"All right everyone!" Harper clapped her hands, drawing the class's attention to the chalkboard as they settled in "This week we're going to be learning about an English novelist who critiqued the British gentry and the rules that governed their day to day lives."
"Boo!" Maya called out "No rules!"
Farkle frowned "Didn't that already happen?"
"Yeah, I heard the stories." Harper glanced at Lucas "Mad dog? Really?"
Lucas buried his burning face in his arms "In my defense, I was left unsupervised."
"A very dangerous thing." Harper nodded understandingly "Glad you seem to have gotten it under control. Now, this author is best known for three of her works. 'Pride and Prejudice', 'Sense and Sensibility', and 'Emma.' These are the three we're going to focus on at the moment."
"Ooh!" Riley cheered "Jane Austen, right? We watched the movie once, right Val?"
"How else am I supposed to deal with a breakdown other than watching the BBC's Pride and Prejudice adaptation seven times before I fall asleep?" Annie joked throwing up a peace sign as she leaned back in her chair.
"I've seen it too." Charlie Gardner raised his hand.
His classmates turned to stare at him "Why?"
"'Cause I'm sensitive!"
Val quirked her eyebrow up.
Charlie crumbled under the power of the disbelieving arch "'Cause I got a mother and a bunch of sisters who took over the tv and sat on me like a beanbag chair." He admitted.
Harper drew the class's attention back to the front and started handing out books "I'm splitting you into groups for this project. Charlie, Maya, Annie, Lucas you'll be doing yours on 'Pride and Prejudice.' Zay, Farkle, Riley, and Val are 'Sense and Sensibility.'"
Harper continued handing out assignments and the student switched their seats around to be in their groups.
"Now," Harper clapped her hands "Miss Austen teaches us that romance comes with conflict. Take 'Sense and Sensibility' for example, two young women with different ideas about what love is. One hid her true feelings to protect others. She thought this made 'sense.' The other had more feelings than she knew what to do with. She was overwhelmed by 'sensibility.'"
Val cringed, remembering how she had tried to bury her own feelings for Lucas, thinking only of her sister and what she wanted. Fortunately, she had some very good friends who pointed out that feelings don't work like that.
It was strange to think back on her relationship with Riley, even just two years ago. Things weren't perfect, but Val loved her sister and had worked hard to keep their sisterhood strong. Riley might have gone about it in her own way, but she had loved Val too. The twins had schemed, studied, played, and grown up together, never one without the other...except when Val had been in the hospital.
"Love is never easy and often comes at a great cost." Harper reminded them "And the relationships that seem the strongest are the most tragically torn apart."
Farkle, Riley, Val, and Zay sat at a booth in Topanga's, each with a book in hand and a lemonade in front of them.
Riley set her book down and looked over at Zay "You know how the girls decide who they love? They throw a ball."
"Like Cinderella?" Farkle asked, looking up.
"Apparently all these sorts of things get decided at the ball." Riley smiled dreamily, staring out the window "You know what we need?"
"I'm sure you're gonna tell us." Zay squinted at the page in front of him and leaned over to Val "What page are you on?"
"304." Val laughed "You?"
"How? I've been reading as long as you and I'm on page seven." Zay set his book down, defeated "I don't think this is in America."
"We need a ball." Riley declared "A grand ball. A New Years Eve ball!"
"You want to throw a New Years Eve Party?" Val questioned, sneakily pulling out her phone and shooting off a text "You don't have long to get it organized. New Years is in like two days."
"It'll be fine." Riley insisted "We shall invite all the eligible gentlemen of good breeding-"
At a table across Topanga's, Maya, Lucas, Annie, and Charlie were reading 'Pride and Prejudice.' Charlie's phone dinged and he checked the message he'd received.
Quickly getting up, he swaggered up to the other groups table "I hear you're having a party."
Riley stared in shock "How?"
Val slipped her phone back in her bag, not making eye contact as she sipped her lemonade.
Riley recovered and said in a posh voice "Well, Mr. Gardner, you are in excellent standing and well regarded in the village. Certainly you're invited."
Zay leaned over to Val "Translation?"
"He's nice, popular, and has good grades." Val shrugged "He's in."
Charlie played into the act, bowing deeply to the whole table "I shall be honored to attend."
Riley curtsied back clumsily "Great."
Charlie headed back and sat down with a dopey grin on his face.
"I still don't get it." Annie shook her head in wonder "Why do you still have this thing for Riley?"
Lucas set his book down to join the conversation "Yeah, I mean, she lied to you about the dance. I'm not saying this to be mean or anything, but why would you want to date someone who does that?"
"To be fair," Charlie pointed out "She was trying not to hurt my feelings. But I think she just needs someone to show her that, you know, someone can like her for her. Not just for the bubbly, sunshiny self she presents to the world. Maybe the right person can show her that she can be more than she is now. If there's even a chance I might be that person, I want to try."
"As the person who has seen and knows the not bubbly, sunshiny side of Riley, it can be a lot." Maya tilted her head "It's not necessarily that her intentions are bad, at least not most of the time, but she doesn't see the effect her actions have on other people."
Everyone stared at her.
"I'm not trying to make excuses for her." Maya hurried to explain "I mean, I think she's been so sheltered, by a lot of people, myself included, for so long that she truly doesn't realize sometimes her actions have negative consequences. Then when that happens, she doesn't know how to deal with it."
"It's not an excuse." Annie nodded "It's an explanation. It doesn't mean that her actions are okay, though. And she does have to learn how to accept responsibility for her actions and make an effort to be better. At some point, not doing that becomes a conscious choice, and that's on her."
There was a long pause before Charlie shut his book, joking "What is this doing to us?"
Back in their booth, Riley was already planning the ball. Val rolled her eyes a little at her sister's insistence that it was a ball, not a party, but she got to hang out with her friends so what did she care what the thing was called.
"And I was thinking confetti that we can all throw in the air when it's midnight." Riley yammered on.
Zay nudged Val "Some of us might be doin' something else at midnight, huh?"
Cheeks blooming pink, Val gently shoved his shoulder "I don't know, Zay. I know Lucas and I have kissed before, and it was great, but this feels a little like I'm rubbing it in peoples faces. I'm not big on PDA. Holding hands and little kisses is fine, but I don't want to be one of those couples who are practically having sex in the most public places they can think of."
"I don't think Lucas wants that either." Zay laughed "He still blushes when you give him a kiss on the cheek."
Val smacked his shoulder, but she was smiling too "Shut up, I think it's cute."
"Well, I'm going to be with Smackle at midnight." Farkle announced, drawing all the attention back to himself "Lucas and Val will obviously be together. Who's everyone else going to be with?"
Cory stood in front of the blackboard at the front of his class, on it he'd written 1. Friendship 2. Growth 3. Feelings.
Spreading his arms he started the lesson "We form friendship before we even know what friendship means. We just know, 'Hey, I like this person!'"
Riley held her hand out, offering it to Maya. The blonde glanced at it for a moment before she looked back down at her book, ignoring her former best friend.
Riley's hand dropped back to her side. As long as she could remember, she and Maya had been the best of friends. They knew each others thoughts, feelings, and ideas before they were said. When had that changed so much that Maya wouldn't even look at her?
Thoughtfully, Riley leaned back in her seat, fiddling with her pencil. The changes had started in the last year or so. She could place the blame on other people, Lucas or Val for example. If Lucas had only liked her instead of her sister then Riley could have been a good friend and given him up for Maya. Or if Val had turned him down, broken his heart, Riley and Maya could have been there to pick up the pieces.
Riley's pencil dropped on her desk with a clatter.
What was she thinking? She didn't want Lucas to have a broken heart, even if it could push him into her arms. Val had tried to turn Lucas down for her, had broken his heart, she'd stepped down the way Riley wanted to do for Maya, but it hadn't worked. Why didn't it work? Was Val just not strong enough? Riley huffed quietly, she would have been strong enough.
Looking back on her behavior the last few years, Riley wasn't sure what to feel anymore. At the time she'd felt right and justified, doing what she needed to to help her friends. But if she was right, why did she feel guilty about some of the things she said and did now? A look across the aisle answered that question. Maya, the person she cared about most was angry with her, ignoring her, because of her actions.
Still, Riley didn't really understand which action had been the tipping point. Was it pushing Maya to Lucas when she said she didn't want to? Or did it go back further? Riley absolutely did not want to lose Maya as her best friend, so she had to fix it.
Distantly, Riley remembered the echo of Maya's voice.
"Because every time something involves Val, you have to be on the side of Val not being happy and I don't know why I've been okay with that for so long."
Did she really do that? They hadn't gotten along recently, but that didn't mean she didn't want her sister happy, did it? If Val had stayed away from Lucas then none of this would have happened.
Riley turned to glare at Val, but for the first time, she saw something different. Val was leaning over, pointing out something to Lucas from the book. She tucked a lock of hair back behind her ear, and Riley could suddenly see the smile that was dancing on her lips, the bright look in her eyes when she watched Lucas, the way she blushed just a little when their hands brushed. Val looked...happy.
"May I be excused?" Riley interrupted her father, raising her hand.
"Uh," Cory looked around, clearly unsure what was happening "Sure?"
Riley quickly grabbed her bag, dashing out of class and to the nearest girls bathroom. She leaned over the sink, splashing water on her face, trying to snap to of it. Val had stolen Lucas from her, just like she'd stolen their parents when they were younger. That was how it was. That is what had always been true, a fact of Riley's world. The bay window is magical, Maya is her best friend, Val stole everything from her.
Val was the perfect child, perfect grades, perfect hair, perfect behavior. She cooked and cleaned, helped take care of Auggie, volunteered in her spare time, was popular, and pretty, and everything Riley had ever wanted to be.
When they were little girls, before Val started taking all her parents attention, the two were joined at the hip. Whatever Riley did, Val did, and whatever Val did, Riley did too. But things had started to change when they were five.
Riley knew Val had gotten sick, she remembered hearing her rattling coughs and wheezing breathes before she had to go to the hospital. She remembered sitting next to Val's bed and watching the slow rise and fall of her chest, just to make sure she was still there. She remembered crying when the doctors said she couldn't see her twin when she'd had a fever and not understanding, they were both sick now. Why couldn't they be together again?
But, she also remembered the times her parents forgot to pick her up from daycare because they were at the hospital with Val. The times a babysitter would show up in the middle of the night because they had to get to the hospital to be with Val. Days her mom wouldn't have time to pack her lunch or drive her to school or say 'I love you." because she was meeting with the doctors to discuss Val's care. When her dad was to busy to help her with her homework or tuck her in at night because he had to go pick up Val's prescriptions.
Maybe, it hadn't been Val's fault...maybe Riley was acting as silly now as she had at five years old when all she'd wanted was her parents and her best friend. Then her window opened and a new best friend appeared. Val got better, her parents came back, drove her to school, gave her hugs and kisses, and helped her solve her problems.
But Riley had wanted more. She wanted the time she'd lost with her family to come back, for the world to start over so Val was never sick, for her parents to never have stopped loving her, and everything to be exactly the way it had been, perfect, forever.
The bell rang, jolting Riley out of her thoughts. Quickly wiping the water, or maybe tears, off her face, she shouldered her bag and headed to English.
Harper started class holding up a book, Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen. The class quieted down, waiting for Harper to impart her words of wisdom.
"Do you give in to your feelings or let your mind rule over your heart?" Harper asked.
"I follow my heart." Maya grumbled "It gets me in trouble. It makes me crawl through peoples windows."
Harper wisely chose to ignore the additional comment "What about you, Riley?"
Sitting up straighter Riley smiled "My mind tells me to do what's..."She faltered.
She had thought for so long that she only did what was right, but her doubts and confusion from earlier were still haunting her. Had she been right? In everything she had done? Was it really her mind tell her to act the way she had, or were she and Maya more alike than she thought?
"Riley?" Harper prompted.
Resolving to figure it out later Riley shoved those thoughts away "My mind tells me to do what's right." It didn't sound as confident out loud as it had in her head.
"Can anyone answer which is more valuable to follow?"
"It depends on the situation." Lucas shrugged.
He'd followed his heart back in Texas, defending Zay with his fists and paying the price for it. If he had listened to his mind, he wouldn't have been expelled, he would still be in Texas. But he'd followed his heart with Val, asking her out and letting their relationship grow. Who knows what wold have happened if he'd followed his mind's advice.
"No, it doesn't." Harper shook her head.
"Just taking a shot!" Lucas's head thumped down on the desk.
Harper laughed "Very passionate."
"Thanks." Face still smushed in the desk.
Val poked his shoulder lightly from behind, laughing when all she got was a groan in response.
"That's where we run into trouble." Harper continued.
Lucas sat up sharply "You set me up!" He accused.
"Guilty." Harper smirked "The untamed heart can be reckless and sometimes harmful to yourself and to others. But pure intellect, never following your heart, is a life unlived. Sense and Sensibility. What's the most important word in the title?"
"Sense." Riley answered.
"Sensibility." Corrected Maya.
Harper pointed at the resident genius "Farkle?"
"And. Head and Heart." Farkle glanced around the room "You need to use both."
Riley had decked the apartment out in shiny streamers and colorful confetti artfully scattered across the tabletops. People would be arriving any moment for her New Years Eve Ball and she was determined to make it a success.
Val and Auggie were sat on the couch, reading a chapter before Auggie headed to bed. Riley found herself tuning in, listening to Val read aloud as she frantically tried to make the final adjustments.
The doorbell rang, making Riley jump "I got it!"
She opened the door to their first guests, Smackle, Farkle, and Lucas.
"Hello, Riley. Happiest of New Years." Smackle held her arms out robotically and tried to give Riley a hug "Tell me when the pressure is sufficient."
Riley hugged her back "All you have to do is mean it, Smackle."
Smackle might have been the only person unaware of the drama and mess that was going on in the life and times of Riley Matthews and Riley was going to savor someone who wasn't mad at her.
Quickly disentangling herself, Smackle patted Riley's head "One thing at a time."
"Tick, tick, tick!" Farkle wedged himself between them "Let's get this party started!"
"You know, Riley, as a spinster you may not be aware, but romance is very much in play on New Year's Eve." Smackle wrapped an arm around Farkle "Isn't that right, dearest?"
"Yes. I'm told who you're with when the clock strikes 12:00 is how you'll spend the coming year." Farkle nodded, eyeing Riley suspiciously.
"I will certainly be with you." Smackle turned to Lucas, who was still staring, dumbstruck in the doorway, at Val "Unless my third wheel intervenes."
Shaking himself out of his daze Lucas sighed good naturedly "Not your third wheel, Smackle. I'm with Val. I just happened to arrive at the same time as you."
"Desperation doesn't look good on you, Lucas." Smackle patted his arm, straightening his sleeve "Even though everything else does."
"Smackle!" Farkle scolded.
"Which part was I not supposed to say out loud?"
Fortunately Maya chose that moment to bounce down the stairs, allowing Lucas to escape to the couch "'Sup losers."
"Where did you come from?" Farkle asked.
"I came through the window." Maya shrugged.
Riley looked up hopefully "My window?"
"Val's window." Maya corrected.
"Wait a minute." Val shut her book with a snap "My window was locked."
"Yeah." Maya slid a bobby pin back in her blonde locks "Not anymore."
"Okay, we need to have a chat about boundaries." Val teased.
"Tomorrow?"
"See ya at midnight, Hart."
"And here I thought this was going to be awkward." Charlie sauntered in, a bouquet of roses at the ready he greeted the adults "Mr. and Mrs. Matthews."
"Charlie." Cory grinned pointedly "Topanga, this is Charlie Gardner."
"Oh? Oh!" Topanga realized "Hi, Charlie."
"Hi, I'm a good person." He presented the flowers to the lawyer.
"...Okay?"
Charlie smiled, looking around the room, his gaze settling on the games Val had displayed purposefully on the living room table "What are these? Games?"
"Yeah." Cory rushed "We have the Family Game, the Friends Game, the Couples Game, and Twister."
He suddenly noticed just how close his oldest daughter was sitting to Lucas and shoved himself between them "No Twister." He decided.
"The Couples Game, please." Charlie pointed.
"I wouldn't." Cory tried.
"The Couples Game, please."
"I really wouldn't." Pleaded Topanga.
Charlie held out his hand "The Couples Game, please."
Val took matters into her own hands, passing the box to Charlie "Dad hid the rest of the cards under the chair."
"How did you know that?" Cory asked, flabbergasted.
"I'm her daughter." Val pointed to her mother "I know everything."
Lucas snorted, reaching around his teacher to give Val a high five.
"Anyone want to play?" Charlie asked "It shows if you'd be a good couple or not. Riley, would you like to be my partner?"
"Uh...sure, I guess." Riley hesitated before agreeing "Anyone else? Anyone at all?"
Lucas lowered his voice, whispering to Val "We don't have to if you don't want to."
"Nah, this'll be fun." Val grinned, her eyes sparkling with mischief "Besides, what could go wrong?"
"I guess, we're in." Lucas nodded.
"We shall partake in the playing of the game also." Smackle pulled Farkle to the loveseat to join the group.
"Can I be the host this time?" Maya begged "I'm still tired from the Family Game."
"Sure!" Honestly, Riley was just happy Maya was there at all "You can read the questions."
Maya pulled the first card and read out "What is your partners favorite movie snack?"
"Ooh, I know this!" Riley cheered "It's popcorn and licorice."
Charlie stared at her dreamily "When something funny happens and she thinks she's laughed too hard, she looks around the theater to see if anybody heard her. And if she thinks something scary is gonna happen, she reaches out and grabs your arm."
Val, not so subtly, kicked his shin.
"Ow! Red gummy bears." Charlie answered, reaching down to rub his knee "She bites their heads off first so they feel less pain."
Everyone stared at him.
"Okay," Maya winced "creepy. We're gonna move past it. But, creepy."
Farkle raised his hand "Smackle's favorite is Junior Mints."
"And so is Farkle's." Smackle also waved her hand in the air.
"Are we sure they're not clones?" Maya wondered.
"Popcorn, with extra butter and a blue raspberry icee." Lucas wrapped his arm around Val "She thinks it's funny when they stain your mouth blue."
Val leaned into him, innocently "Red Vines, those huge chocolate bars, and a cherry icee. He thinks it's funny to make purple."
Cory dropped the bowl of punch he'd been stirring as he watched them play "Ack!"
Maya was giggling so hard she had to wipe tears from her eyes "I'd never have thought you had it in you!" She snorted.
"NO!" Cory shouted.
Riley tilted her head "I don't get it."
Farkle turned around, hugged himself, and started making kissy noises.
"Oh," Riley's eyes widened "Now I get it. Next question?"
"How would you describe your personality? Adventurous, dramatic, or caring?"
"Dramatic." Farkle and Smackle chorused in unison "Wait, I'm not dramatic. You're dramatic! Stop it!"
"Clones, I'm telling ya, they're clones!"
"Adventurous." Charlie answered "She's always up to try something new."
"Caring." Val leaned her head on Lucas's shoulder "He cares about his family, his friends, animals, and the world around us."
"Back at ya." Lucas pressed a kiss to the top of her head.
Maya pretended to retch "Blech, you hear me? Blech I say!"
"You're not a very good host, are you?"
"Smackle!"
Play continued until it was almost midnight with questions like 'If your partner could only eat one food for the rest of their lives, what would it be?' 'Where is your partners happiest memory?' 'What food is your partner bringing to the picnic?'
Val and Lucas had tied with Farkle and Smackle, Riley and Charlie were a solid fifteen points behind, not for lack of trying on Charlie's part.
"I guess we should head up to the roof." Riley interrupted before Maya could ask another question "It's almost midnight."
Val checked her phone "Huh, I guess it is. Grab your coats everybody, it's windy up there."
Annie threw open the door "I'm here, you're welcome! Let's get this show on the road."
"Where've you been?" Val asked "We're about to head upstairs, you missed the whole party."
"Ball!" Riley called.
"Oh no, am I late?" Annie deadpanned "You mean I missed most of the party I didn't want to go to, thrown by one of the people I dislike most? Who's a genius?"
Val chuckled "You are. But next time, take me with you?"
"And third wheel you and Lucas, I think not." Annie shook her head "You may be my OTP, and I may be captain of this ship, and I may think you two are the best couple ever, where was I going with this?"
"Upstairs, for midnight." Lucas helped Val into her coat "We only have a few minutes left of this year."
The kids filed upstairs, crowding around the rooftop, waiting for the countdown. Lucas and Val leaned on the wall, looking out at the city that never sleeps.
"It's funny, isn't it?" Val asked suddenly.
"What?"
"How much a year changes things. You can start in one place and end up in a completely different one. Last year seems like it was a decade ago, but it was only 365 days. My relationship with Riley is so different now. My relationship with you is so different now!"
"I know" Lucas agreed, slipping his hand into hers "I've done things this year I never would have imagined doing a year ago. I helped get your uncle elected to the senate, we got together, I rode Tombstone the Bull. A lot of really good things happened this year. But, there were some not great things too."
"Oh. If life were made of moments, even now and then a bad one-! But if life were only moments, then you'd never know you had one." Val sang quietly.
"Ten...Nine..."
"Val?"
"Eight..."
"Lucas?"
"Seven...Six...Five..."
"You're the best moment."
"Four..."
"You have no idea what that song is from, do you?"
"Three..."
"None at all."
"Two..."
"That's okay, I'll show you later."
"One..."
"I love you."
"I love you too."
"Happy New Year!"
Word count: 4544 words
I've written more today than I have in a whole year. Those new meds are working wonders for me.
Thanks for sticking with me through the long break(down)s. I'm so grateful to everyone who's still here reading after 55 chapters.
Please don't forget to comment, vote, and add to your reading lists! #BlackLivesMatter #FreePalestine #SaveOurChildren
Love,
The Author