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CHAPTER THREE: people love an ingénue _______________________________ NEVER LET PEOPLE MAKE MORE WITHDRAWALS THAN DEPOSITS IN YOUR LIFE.
That was something Valerie learned the hard way. Manipulation is a tool, and when used the wrong way, it can destroy what had been made.
Valerie wasn't always as self-assured as she is now. She used to be easily deceived by the masks people wore to conceal who they really were. She was blinded by what she thought was love. Safe to say that it wasn't real love. Manipulation was mostly used as a tool for people to get what they want. Whether they guilt-tripped their parents into lending them money, or manipulated someone into thinking of themselves as a completely different person, it always worked. But for Valerie, she wasn't manipulated into giving people money, or making her think differently of herself. Valerie had an entire life on her hands, and her hands only. So if she used the wrong pair of words, or wasn't there for them at a certain time, their blood was on her hands. Luckily for Valerie, she escaped the labyrinth of manipulation she was trapped in, and they're both still on this earth, living their life apart from each other.
That's why she always knew what to say, and when to say it. For months, she was forced in a position where if she said the wrong thing, someone's life would be gone. Well.. not exactly. They weren't actually planning on ending their lives. But they fed off of the attention and words Valerie provided for them. Told you! Manipulation can work wonders, and not the good kind. That's enough for now. You'll understand the impact of this information.. somewhat soon.
Valerie decided to spend her Saturday afternoon driving around in her car, Selina in the passenger seat, obviously. They didn't have a specific destination, they just drove around until they got bored of seeing the same old trees and houses. Selina looked on Valerie's side of the car, only to see Dustin Henderson riding his bike at the fastest pace possible. "Hey! That's the one curly haired boy, remember?" Selina said, pointing her head towards Dustin's direction. He wasn't too far behind Valerie's car. Valerie pulled over, confused as to why he was in such a rush. She got out the car, walking towards the boy. "Henderson? What are you doing all the way over here?" Valerie asked, his head turning to her as he struggled to get off his bike. "Oh, um, hi Valerie!" The boy waved awkwardly, trying to keep a cool face. He always had a crush on her.. even though she was four years older than him. She smiled, from what Valerie had seen, he had always been such a sweetheart to everyone. "Hey!" She replied, mimicking his wave. "I was heading to Mike's house. There's been a minor inconvenience." He replied. Well, shit. She had a big feeling that this 'minor inconvenience' wasn't going to be good. "What do you mean by, 'minor inconvenience'?" She asked, not necessarily wanting to know his response. Valerie looked back at the car before he responded. Selina clearly wasn't aware of what was happening, because she was filing her manicured nails as if she had no care in the world. "Hold on. You can explain on the way." Valerie said, pointing her head towards the car.
