Send me a number from 1-500 and I’ll tell you how I feel about you in a post without anyone knowing your identity.
Dear Number 382... Thank you so much for being to patient with me! I know I'm not easiest nor the best rper around, that I will more often than not lost our threads and that my replies will be slow as fuck because I'm a potato. You don't know how much mean to me that you take your time to send me memes and talk with me. You are such a great writer with a fantastic muse! I feel so glad to have you as my rp partner even if we only rp little bits. you are amazing and it's good to see you on my dash everyday.
Title: Page 119
Fandom: Valdaya
Note: For 500themes using the prompt, Treachery runs deep
"Page 119 you’ll find it highly fascinating." Even through the phone Val’s sarcasm is loud and clear; Zendaya can even picture his no fucks are being given look.
"Hold up the book is in the kitchen.’ She makes a dash for said room, nearly knocking her youngest nephew down in the process, she smiles sympathetically at the boy. ‘Alright I got it. Page 119 you said?"
"What?! I fucking knew it!" Zendaya knew with some many people running in and out of rooms, especially the little ones that she should be cautious of the language coming forth. Though right now she was too angry to think of things like that.
"So I take it you found it?" Val’s sarcasm is stronger than ever. Now mixed in with his own anger.
"I mean I always suspected something, but to see it right there in black and white…I mean wow!"
"Its bullshit Zendaya. Nothing short of complete and total bullshit. I can’t believe they had the fucking nerve to do that to you."
"Val they did that to you just as much as me. Maybe to you more. After all you were the glue and brains in all of it."
"And that is bullshit. Anyways we could argue for hours who deserved that mirror trophy more, you, but that’s not the point. Fuck can you believe those dicks had the fucking nerve?! Won’t allow us to win?! Won’t allow us to win?!" Zendaya has to pull the phone off of her ear as Val gets louder and louder, at his last win he could break glass at the pitch reached. Even with the phone at a distance she can still hear him carrying on with a few more select curses. He didn’t have little kids around to watch his p’s and q’s.
"You feel better?" She asks after a couple moments of dead space coming from phone.
"No." He did sound completely miserable and depressed, it is a stab in her heart.
"You know I appreciate Tom telling the truth, but apart of me wishes he hadn’t. You know that old saying ignorance is bliss? Oh and also! What you don’t know won’t hurt you!"
"I’m hurt he never said anything to me one on one. I thought we were friends." That hurt in his words is really starting to get to her. Phone still pressed against her face she steps back into the living room, placing a finger against her lips to allow her family to be quiet. She removes her keys from the hook and without a goodbye or explanation she leaves the house. Hmming and saying yeah along with similar things to allow Val know she's listening as he continued to talk during that time.
"Val where are you?" She suspects where.
"At the apartment why?"
"Alright good. I’ll see you in about twenty minutes. Don’t go anywhere!"
"Zendaya no! Stay where you are."
"Nope. I won’t let you win this argument, because it isn't an argument. You need me right now. And I need you. Partners forever right?"
"But…"
"Partners forever right?!"
"Right. OK OK come on over if you insist. I’d love to see you."
"That’s more like it! So like I said I should be there in about twenty minutes."
"Drive safe Dayachka."
"Always. See you soon Val."
"Thanks babe." She is about to reply with something in kind, but the connection dies between them, he never was one to use traditional farewells. Zendaya unlocks the drivers side door, tosses her phone onto the passenger seat before sitting onto the other buckling the seat belt (something grilled into since a small child). Before starting the engine she considers undoing the belt and running into the house to let someone know what was up. Instead she reaches over to the still warm phone next to her.
Hey somethng came up don’t worry I’ll give a call later.
Zendaya reads over the text to her sister. Trying to decide if she should more details, such as her ending destination. Realizing that would raise ridiculous and pointless red flags; Zendaya hits send message and turns that ignition key and care carefully pulls out of the driveway.
Even with the texting delay Zendaya’s estimation time of arrival was off by a whole four minutes, off in a good way. She grins as she spots Val sitting on his balcony enjoying the spring night, or perhaps just waiting for her to arrive.
"How many red lights did you run Z?" He calls out as she exits the vehicle.
"What? Me disobey traffic laws? Never!"
"I know what happened. Even traffic lights are so amazed by you that the thought of making you wait hurts them, so whenever you approach they instantly turn to green."
"Wow.’ she says softly not even sure he could hear it equipped with a light chuckle. ‘If you don’t mind I rather continue this inside."
"You don’t like playing Juliet to my Romeo?" Its than she hears it ever so slightly, that slurred speech; he's drunk. She just hoped he wasn't at the uncontrollable plastered stage.
"I’m heading up now Val, ok?"
"Yeah fine just take away my fun." Zendaya shakes her head having no clue how to respond to that. Being in great physical shape she’s up to the third floor of the apartment building in no time flat, and not out of breath. Before she can rap the white painted door its pulled open.
"My Zendayachka! My darling." No not plastered, damn close though. She considers turning back and heading back home. Sure Val would be hurt, later she’d explain why. This is Val, it’ll be fine, you’ll be safe! She gives herself a quick internal pep talk, ignoring the bewildered look from her host.
"I’d ask how your doing but I think its fair to assume what you’ll answer with. Come on I’ll get you some water." Zendaya steps inside not letting any of that hesitation from a second ago show. She goes right towards his refrigerator pushing aside the partially empty twelve pack of beer to get to two bottles of water. When she exits the kitchen she discovers him sitting on his sofa, that sad look she heard over the phone live and clear. It hurt worse in person.
"I know you don’t want to hear it, but I am sorry." Zendaya just stays quiet not sure if he’s apologizing for being drunk, because of the revelation in Tom’s book, or for something entirely different.
"Its ok Val, really it is." She takes a seat next to him, handing him one of the bottles.
"Thanks babe."
"Don’t mention it." With him Zendaya doesn’t mind the silence never feeling the need to fill it with pointless chitchat. And sit in silence is what they do, their arms knocking into each other as take sips from their waters. She considers reaching for the remote sitting on the coffee table. Decides against it, the silence was somehow comforting.
"Well this is exciting." Val broke first after an entire eleven minutes of nothing.
"Sometimes just a few minutes of quiet is all you need."
"And a good friend." Val reaches over and places his hand gently on her knee and gives it a quick squeeze.
"Yeah that’s the best thing in the world. Ok I hate to bring up the elephant in the room, but I have to."
"Page 119?"
"Exactly. God I still can’t believe that! I honestly feel hurt more than anything. I know that’s dumb…"
"Like hell that’s dumb! You have every right to be hurt, pissed, sad, and whatever emotions in there. What they did was fucking rotten."
"But I suppose when it comes down to it, it doesn't matter now. Its over and done with. They won’t apologize for it. Oh hell they’ll straight out deny it."
"And half the stuff from the book."
"God I almost hate to ask!" Since getting the book three days ago she had only found enough spare time to read the first chapter; and page 119.
"Yeah, lets just say Tom is gonna piss a lot of people off when it’s officially published. Number one enemy? Dancing with the stars producers!"
"Can I see it?" She figures he has his copy close by, he pulls it off the side table on his side of the couch a second later, tosses it onto her lap.
"Knock yourself out,"
"Thanks.’ Zendaya flips through the pages the numbers racing by in a blur until 119 is displayed, ‘Alright let’s see here; it was decided upon the producers after week seven that no matter what the fan votes intendegated that Valentin Chmerkovskiy and Zendaya were not to win. The producers having received an impressive amount of complaints over Zendaya’s dance experience and it making her a ringer. Than on the other hand their was the complaints from those viewers who felt the young dance couple was getting too close and the producers feared if they were presented with the win of how they’d celebrate and how that would anger the shows more hardcore fans…."
"God! Did they think I was going to make out with you or something!?" Val interrupted the reading, while making a fist and giving the arm a nice punch.
"Perhaps. Really who knows. Alright where was I? Yes the online voting system did go down, that part was legiment. However the part when I said them being removed did not effect the final results? That was a lie. Because with or even without them in Val and Zendaya had won. But the producers were set on keeping that promise from week seven and keeping the win away. They hoped playing the card of ABC.com fail would help cover up the lie. One of the worst lies ever."
"Yeah Z, go ahead and be hurt. And be mad at me."
"Never Val, never. I already told you were an equal victim in this as I was."
"If you had Tony as a partner nobody would have fucking thought he was well, fucking you!"
"Trust me Val, somebody would have thought that. And nothing against Tony, but if he were my partner I’d have been out by week six. That’s a fact. Win or lose. Scandal or no scandal, it was you and me. They can’t take that away. No one can." He reaches and squeezes her knee again, this time leaving his hand resting there, she places her own atop of it.
"How’d you get your parents to agree to let you come over here on your own?"
"Well that was easy!’ He cocks his eyebrow at her, ‘They don’t know."
"Daya!"
"Jesus calm down! I’m a big girl. Plus I told my sister I was heading out."
"Still makes me feel uneasy. Especially how close I know I was from being a blubbering mess on the damn floor."
"But you weren't and you got a handle of yourself."
"Yeah but…"
"No more buts and regrets!" That blanket of silence returns to hug them close, she sighs and without thinking falls against his upper arm. She always felt safe in and even near those arms.
"You know what else really ticks me off?" She this time broke the stillness in just three minutes this go around.
"And what is that?"
"So they didn't want me to win because of my past dance experience. Yet it was acceptable with Nicole in season 10 and later in the very next season Corbin won! It was alright for them but not me?!"
"Yeah I really don’t get it Z. But I think you’re right no more buts and regrets!"
"Still arg!"
"I couldn't say it better myself. Now what do you say you hand me that remote and let’s watch us some b-ball?"
