CHAPTER TWO
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PHONE HOME

VAL DECIDED SHE WAS GOING
to the party fairly quickly. At first, she thought it would be a mistake. That even if she got there and was able to drink a few beers and chat with the people who don't call her insulting names, she would have to lie to get there, so it wasn't worth it.

But then, the thought occurred to her that maybe this party was her chance to make a new name for herself completely. That if she was able to show up and show her peers that she was capable of letting loose then they would finally accept her. She was sixteen now, surely she wouldn't still have the (literal) knee-jerk reaction of kicking a boy in the nuts when they were in a room alone.

Attending a party outside of the suburbs was going to be a hard task to achieve, considering the fact that while Jolene was rather cool, she wasn't that cool. The kids that lived out on Cornwallis were notoriously troublesome, and often threw parties that got busted. Plus, it was a school night, and it was already well passed eight.

But, it's not like anything bad actually happened to the kids who got busted. A ride home and a grounding was the worst case scenario. So, there was no harm in trying, was there?

The night had wound down to a typical weekday, despite the rather torrent affair of going back to school. Val had been working up the courage to ask to go out for the past few hours. At first, she was going to bring it up right after Buddy dropped her off. But, Jolene had been stressed from work, and not in a particularly pleasant mood. An hour later, and after the two women had drank some coffee and watched a few reruns of Mama's Family, Jolene was in a much better mood. Mama Harper always knew how to make a girl feel better. But, then the Chief called, and Jolene was never much in a talking mood after she got off the phone with Jim.

Once she sat down with the yellow pages to find a place to order a pizza, Val knew her chances of success were waning. It was now or never. Jolene and Val sat across from each other, their kitchen table between them.

"So, mom," Val started, her smile wide and as charming as she could manage. Jolene peered up at her daughter, the landline in one hand, the long, curly cord resting along the kitchen tile floor, and the other flipping through the p's (for pizza) in the phone book.

"Yes," she answered hesitantly.

"I made a friend today," she said, trying her best to be nonchalant. It wasn't a usual occurrence for Val to blatantly lie directly to her mother's face. So, the act of concocting a tall tale of new friends and clandestine Monday night meetings made her palms itchy.

"You did?" Val nodded convincingly and rested her chin on her open hand.

"Yup."

"Oh, um, that's...great. It's about time."

"Mom," Val rolled her eyes.

"What? I mean, that's great. I'm glad you've proven to the general population that you don't have some type of flesh eating disease. I was worried."

"I'm being serious," she told her mother sternly, making Jolene raise up her hands in surrender. She stood up to put the phone back on the hook, and then she put the phone book up on top of the fridge.

"Sorry, sorry. Tell me about this new friend." Val grinned and leaned forward to capture her mother's undivided attention. The matriarch rested both elbows on the wood grain of the table.

"Their name is...Paul."

"Uh huh."

"And he's, um, the nerdy type. Ya know, glasses, trapper-keeper, all that." Jolene stared at her daughter with scrutinizing eyes and furrowed eyebrows. Val chose to ignore this. "He's such a nerd, in fact, that he invited me out to the...library. Yes, he invited me to the library. Tonight."

"Okay."

"So, is that alright?"

"Is what alright?" Val huffed, suddenly feeling flustered.

"Is it okay if...Pe—Paul and I go to the library tonight?"

"I'm sorry, so the only person you managed to make friends with today was Potsie Weber, and you want to go meet him at the library at," Jolene glanced down at her watch, "eight-thirty at night?"

"Well, if you must know," Val said with a sigh, "I have a crush...on...him."

"Right," Jolene hummed. Val knew her mother was unconvinced, but instead of laughing and saying just kidding! she decided to dig herself into an even deeper hole.

"His grandmother just died," she blurted out, "l-last week. She—she just died."

"How?"

"How, what?"

"How did Paul's grandmother die?"

"Oh—um, it was, like, a stroke or an a-attack or something."

"Val," Jolene said, giving the teen a heavy look. Val held her breath, and waited for her mom to laugh her out of the room. Her attempts at lying were sad and not very believable, so she winced in preparation to be told no and to go to her room. "Are you lying to me?"

"No," she answered automatically.

"Because if you are lying—"

"I'm not!"

"If you are, I would hate for it to be because you think you have to hide stuff from me. You know you don't have to lie about going on dates or going to the movies or anything like that, right?"

Val was suddenly weighed down with heavy guilt. She knew she could tell her mom pretty much anything, that she was more understanding than most mothers were. But, something held her back. A feeling in her gut told her going to this party was a bad idea, that lying about it was going to blow up in her face. And she knew her mom would tell her the same thing that her gut was screaming at her right then.

But, if Val was anything, it was stubborn.

"I know, mom. I'm not lying."

—

Loud rock music blared from Jimmy Lockwood's house, the drive packed with cars and the lawn sprawling with inebriated teenagers. Val parked her mother's car on the street and ambled up the parkway. The early September air was still warm, and the kids Val saw were all jovial and red-faced. Luckily, there were enough people around for her to squeeze inside without drawing any unwanted attention to herself.

"She-Devil!"

Well, she spoke too soon.

"Jimmy," Val greeted, just outside of the kitchen, where she knew the sweet salvation of beer was residing.

"I have to say, it's an honor, Val. It really is," Jimmy slurred, very clearly already obliterated. "The She-Devil at my party. God, I'm honored."

"You are so charming." Val's sarcasm went undetected by the host, who shrugged at the pseudo compliment, feigning modesty.

"Just don't lure me to any closets, She-Devil," he waggled his finger at her. "I'd like to keep my nuts, thank you very much."

"In your dreams, Lockwood." Val gave the boy a shove and moved into the kitchen, beelining for the cooler of canned beers. She cracked open the first one she saw and took a quick gulp. The taste of beer absolutely disgusted her, she could admit that, but it sure took the edge off.

After a few more sips, Val rolled her shoulders back in an effort to relax. What was there to be nervous about, anyways? It was just a stupid high school party.

"Keg's here!"

The response to whoever entered the house, carrying a large keg of beer, was unanimous. A keg was a good thing according to the thunderous cheers echoing around Val's head. Val fell into the crowd as the can was dragged into the kitchen and hoisted into an awaiting pale of ice.

"Valerie," came a voice from over Val's shoulder, drawing her eyes.

"Steve," she sighed. He was gripping a can of beer, his eyes were glassy and his cheeks were flushed. If her judgement was correct, he was already drunk.

"What are you doing here?"

"Was I supposed to have an invite?"

"Well, no, but I didn't think you even knew about this party," he slurred, not able to control the smile on his face. Val took another sip of her own drink, hoping to replicate whatever happy high Steve currently had going on.

"I know about a lot of things."

"You are so weird, Val." A sharp correction was just on the tip of her tongue when a sudden hand slammed down on her shoulder.

"She-Devil!" God, couldn't these guys think of anything original?

"Get a life, Tommy," Val growled, shoving the already unbalanced teen away from her. He stumbled into the kitchen counter, cackling the whole way.

"So fiery," he commented with a waggle of his eyebrows. "Ya know, if you wanna have another go at seven minutes in heaven..."

"I would rather jump in front of a bus."

"So much violence, She-Devil. I really think you need to work on your inner Zen."

"Piss up a flagpole." The comment, while Val was intending it as an insult, made Tommy throw his head back and guffaw.

"Maybe you'll have better luck taming the She-Beast," he mumbled to Steve as he made his exit.

"So, seriously," Steve said once Tommy was far enough away. Well, far enough for Steve. Tommy could be in China and it still wouldn't be far enough for Val. "Why are you here?"

"Can't I just be here to enjoy the party?" Val's voice held conviction, but Steve cocked an eyebrow at her, clearly not convinced.

"I don't think I've ever seen you enjoy, well...anything." Steve took another drink of his beer, letting his eyes ghost around the kitchen. Avoiding the look that Val was giving him.

Tommy, who was already too drunk to stand on his own, was attempting to do a keg stand. Two boys, Val couldn't place their names at that moment, were trying and failing to haul Tommy's legs into the air. The room was roaring with laughter, and eventually Tommy gave up. He shoved the tap into his mouth and turned it on, drinking as fast as he could.

"Tommy! Tommy! Tommy!"

He threw the tap on the ground, beer spraying everyone in his immediate vicinity, and the teens surrounding him erupted into cheers.

"Now, see, what's not to enjoy about that?"

"Beats me."

The answer startled Val, who turned to see that Steve had left, and standing in his place was a stranger. The soft light of the kitchen made his pale skin sallow, and his small, bat-like eyes shifted around nervously. Like he was waiting for someone to make him for an imposter and throw him out. His voice had cracked when he spoke, leading Val to believe he was either young or nervous. Or perhaps both.

"What's your name, kid?"

"T-Tony." Tony winced at his own timid voice, and Val took pity on him. It wasn't that long ago that she was a young, nervous, bumbling freshman who just desperately wanted to be accepted by her peers. Hell, knock off freshman, and her and Tony really aren't that different at all, even now.

"I'm Val."

"Aren't you, uh," he visibly gulped, "the girl that all the guys call the She-Devil?"

"Yes," she answered with narrow eyes, "you aren't going to call me that, right?"

"No!" At his outburst, Val nodded, satisfied. She turned back to watch the teens stumble around the keg in the middle of the kitchen. Now, a petite, blonde girl was trying to convince Tommy and another boy to help her do a keg stand. She was sure she could do it.

"Good. I'd hate to have to punch any more guys in the nose. I don't think my knuckles could take it." After a moment, Val snuck a peak at Tony out of the corner of her eyes, and grinned at his frightened expression. "I'm just joking, Tony, relax."

"Oh," he sighed, letting his shoulders fall slightly. "Sorry."

"You don't have to be sorry," she assured, giving his shoulder a gentle nudge. Val could see that the poor kid was so nervous it was making his hands shake. Was he here to prove himself just as Val had all those years ago? Was he dragged along by his friends, who subsequently ditched him once they got through the door? Val let her eyes drag around, looking for any other young, nervous bean poles, but to no avail. "You came all the way out here by yourself?"

"My, uh—" he cleared his throat when his voice cracked, "my friends thought it would be fun. They're around here somewhere." At the statement, he glanced around, as if silently praying that his friends would come walking around the corner, smiling and red-faced and looking for him.

"Aw, do I spy two lovebirds?" Carol's shrill giggle echoed across the kitchen, and Val had to stop from visibly rolling her eyes. The unbalanced red-head drew laughs from the others in the room, and Tony took a step away from Val, putting distance between them. A fire rippled from Val's chest and down into her stomach. It was a shame that Carol was already drunk and too unstable to hold her own ground, or Val would've taken the opportunity off school property to slap the attitude out of her mouth. Darn her morals and good conscience.

"Lay off the booze, Carol, or you'll go cross-eyed permanently." The jab made Carol shriek happily.

"Oh, so mean, Val! I love it when they get mean," she mumbled the last part into Tommy H's ear, who was holding her around the waist to keep her standing. "Who's the new beau?"

"I'm Tony," he supplied uncomfortably.

"Tony..." Carol squinted her eyes in thought. "Do I know you, Tony?"

"Uh, we have Spanish together," Tony answered with an unsure shrug, "a-and ceramics—"

"Oh my god, you're Tony-Balogna!"

The nickname made Tony flinch, obviously dragging up an unsavory memory. Val couldn't really blame him. It was a wonder Val didn't recognize the kid right away.

In the beginning of Val's freshman year, while she was living the miserable existence of a social pariah, she heard rumors of a 7th grader taking 9th grade classes at the high school. He was very gifted, and Val shared a class or two with the kid. Val never really spoke to him, but she knew he was kind and had a good nature. If she wasn't mistaken, he had even loaned her a pencil or two.

While Tommy, Steve, and their loyal populace were trying to make an impact on the school's food chain, poor Tony became the target of their barbaric antics. One fateful afternoon, Tony brought a bologna sandwich for lunch, which Steve and Tommy stole and stuck to his seat with mustard. Tony ended up walking around with a slice of lunch meat stuck to his pants for two periods. And the rest, as they say, was history.

"Little Tony finally made it to high school? I thought you would've graduated by now, wonder boy," Tommy jeered. The smug, antagonistic smile that Tommy wore brought a sneer to Val's curled lips.

"God, can't you guys go nauseate people somewhere else?"

"So protective of the new boy-toy, huh?" Carol waggled her finger in their direction. "You lost me twenty bucks, Miss She-Devil."

"What are you talking about?"

"Oops," Carol feigned a gasp in Val's direction, taking pleasure in the mousy girl's frown. "I've said too much."

"We just thought you'd never get laid," Tommy chuckled as he lit up a cigarette.

"Oh, we're not—I'm not—" Tony's stuttering brought a guffaw racing from Tommy's throat.

"What's that? Not even Tony-Bologna can crack open that chastity belt, She-Devil?" Val's lip curled, a snarling insult just on the tip of her tongue. "I guess your twenty bucks are safe, Care."

"Why are you so worried about my virginity, Tommy? Got a crush on me or something?"

"Try or something."

"Hey!" A loud exclaim from the hallway outside the kitchen stopped Val from saying anything she might regret. (As if.) "Spin-the-bottle, rated R edition! Jimmy's room, 5 minutes!" Tommy and Carol cheered at the announcement. If Val didn't hate them so vehemently, then she might've admired the way they knew each other so well. Like two perfectly crafted cogs that were made specifically to fit with one another. Val could see their future already: married at 18, two kids by the time they're 25. It would be a happy marriage until Carol realizes that guys like Timmy Hagan never grow up, they just get older.

As they made their haste exit, Tommy leaned over to give Val a wink.

"If at first you don't succeed..." he mumbled, grinning like a Cheshire cat.

Fire burned deep inside of Val's chest, resentment and rage licking up at the back of her neck. Maybe, just maybe, this was an opportunity. It was a game of spin-the-bottle that earned Val her stupid, insolent nickname in the first place, wasn't it? And it was her stupid, fourteen year old fear that made her so freaked at the thought of kissing Tommy Hagan on the lips that she hit him on the nose before the timer had even struck a minute passed.

Val was all grown up now. She was older and wiser and much more prepared to handle any amount of time locked in a closet with a boy. In fact, she would welcome the idea. It was about time she had her first kiss, right? (Right?) And if the bottle landed on some bottom-feeder like Tommy then that was just a bridge she'd have to cross when she came to it.

With a newfound determination, Val slammed her can of beer on the countertop, causing Tony to startle backwards. Her brows were settled low over her eyes, all furrowed and narrow.

"Screw it." Tattered converse marched down the hallway and into the room that Val knew all too well as Jimmy Lockwood's.

"Val," a voice was quick to halt her before she could enter, "what are you doing?" Val looked over her shoulder to find Steve with a small, mousy sophomore standing behind him, clinging onto his arm like a life-preserver. The girl watched Steve with large, wet doe eyes. She was so cute and innocent it almost made Val ill. Of course Steve would single out the nearest unsuspecting victim to shower with charm, date long enough to deflower, and abandon the moment she got too attached. God, he was predictable.

"I'm joining the game, Harrington," she said, rolling her eyes.

"But, why?" If Val had paid any attention in that moment, she would have realized that the look on Steve's face wasn't annoyance or mirth, it was worry. It seemed that Val wasn't the only one who remembered the last time she played spin-the-bottle in Jimmy's bedroom. After all, it was Steve who convinced Tommy not to chase her out of the house, wasn't it?

But, she had only been paying attention to the laughs of glee echoing from Jimmy's bedroom. Ones that beckoned her towards the path of social acceptance. "Why do you care?" The question must have caught the basketball star off-guard, because he stuttered momentarily before answering.

"I-I don't."

"Good," she said, "so, go away." Val didn't give him a chance to say anything else, and she turned into the bedroom. The lights had been turned off, so only porch lights shining in through the windows cast shreds of luminance across everyone's happily drunken faces.

"Here to watch, She-Devil?" Jimmy asked upon her entrance. Val shook her head and sat down on the carpet, joining the circle of other high schoolers that she was only vaguely familiar with.

"Nope," she told him after she took a deep breath, "I'm here to play."

—

"Okay!