Valerie Veal Waters the Weeds.

Valerie Veal will stay outside for awhile longer. She won’t go in for supper. She won’t go in for tele. She won’t go in even if called. She hates her brother. She hates her parents. But most of all Valerie Veal hates her boyfriend Tony.

Valerie goes to Cloverdale’s Comprehensive School. Her friends call her the drama queen of the 10th grade. Her nickname isn’t because she excels in the school’s drama club. It is because everything in her life relating to Tony, and boys in general sends our little diva into fits of passion that if bottled and sold on the movie sets of Hollywood would inspire performances so inspiring movie audiences world wide would weep and laugh with each word spoken, each eyebrow raised, each glance and half smile delivered in a dark room illuminated by a single candle. Such is the passion of Miss Valerie Veal.

Her tears, delivered over a black rusted pipe onto a weed springing forth from a crack in ancient concrete are the result of something seen during her 4th period lunch. Tony entered the cafeteria and Valerie’s world stopped. Her increased blood pressure brought a a rosy blush to her cheeks. Tony walked toward the serving line. Valerie watched, knowing Tony’s walk was the essence of perfection delivered to mortals through the grace of evolution and natural selection. He was the perfect example of male perfection seen not only in his confident stride but in his perfect proportions.

And then, as he stood making a choice between pizza and a roast beef sandwich her world ended in fire. Tony was bumped from behind by Elizabeth Ward, a busty blond tart who has sniffed around Tony since the first grade at Confederacy Primary School. Valerie couldn’t hear the words exchanged but she saw the result. Tony put his arm around her waste. She leaned forward and rested her head every so slightly on his shoulder. For the brief second or two her cheek and his shoulder were united, Elizabeth had Valerie in her sight. Her eyes telegraphed a declaration of war.

Valerie stood up holding her tray. Her three best friends stood with her. She waited until Tony reached the cashier then the four marched toward the trash can, which happened to be opposite the bar beside the cash register. She bumped Tony and went out of her way to cut in front of Elizabeth. They slammed their trays down and marched out. Valerie bust into hysterics in the girl’s restroom afterwards. She was inconsolable.

Tony phoned multiple times while she stood outside her home on District Lane. She wanted to take his calls but couldn’t, knowing the words she needed to use to adequately deliver her feelings would be overheard by her family or the neighbors. She wasn’t prepared to add being grounded to her troubles. Her friends would be over soon. The four of them would scheme. There would be hell to pay for Elizabeth. And as for Tony, Valerie knew just what the occasion called for. Tomorrow will be a day Tony will never forget.