Ephemeral (#Wattys2016 #JustWriteIt)

Chapter 4

I hear loud knocks on the door and wake up abruptly. I look at the clock and see that its 10 am. I'm late for work. I look back at clock and relax. It's Sunday. I stand up from the sofa I slept in, letting Violet, the name of the earphone's girl, sleep in my bed, and head to open the door. When I open it I see Anna with a frown in her face standing on my doorway.

"You haven't been answering your phone. I' e been worried" She said staring at me. "Well, aren't you going to let me in?" She said and I start to get nervous. She's gonna think I cheated on her once she sees Violet.

"I don't think its best for you to come in right now, I mean look at this mess!" I tell her while signaling my house behind of me.

"Don't be silly I've seen your house being messier. Let me in" She tells me and I shock my head, wishing she would just go home.

"Seriously I don't thi-" I start to say but the Violet's voice from behind me makes me stand still like a soldier, completely paralyzed.

"Jonah, who is she?" Violet says and I close my eyes, awaiting for the storm to hit.

"This is my girlfriend Anna. Anna, Violet" I tell my girlfriend, without look at her eyes, nervous to see the disappointed, sad, confused, and mostly furious look on her face. I hear her cough loudly at me and I look up to meet her face. Tears are threatening to spill down her eyes, her face is red with anger and embarrassment and her fists are clenched at her sides. "I swear it's not what it looks like" I tell her and she turns around, walking away from my apartment.

*~*~*

Anna and I talk in my room while Violet is watching tv in the living room.

"What the hell Jonah?! You're cheating on me? With a seventeen year old girl?!" She whisper-yells and is grab her shoulders making her be quiet.

"Let me explain! She's this girl I see everyone on the train and she just seemed so... I don't know.. Weird? Peculiar? I just don't know but I followed her last night to her home and there was screaming and breaking glass and sounds of skin against skin and she came out of the house without a place to stay for the night. If I cheated on you why would I do it with a seventeen year old girl? I'm too young to go to prison! And if I cheated on you, why would the couch be filled with blankets and pillows and my bed would be also a mess? Don't you think we would've both slept on the same bed?" I ask her and she blinks astonished with what I just said.

"She lives in an abusive home" She whispers and I can see her eyes fill with a thousand emotions but she quickly looks down, making it impossible for me to make them out. "Okay... She can stay with me as long as she needs. I'll take her with me tonight" She tells me still not meeting my eye.

That was all that was said, and a few other things I don't think I should share right now, that are best to keep a secret until everything sorts out.

*~*~*

"Violet, come on. You're staying with me tonight and any other night you need" Anna says and I see panic flash through her blue eyes.

"No I'm not. I'm sleeping tonight in Jonah's extra room. I just didn't sleep there last night because his old roommate left a mess in the room but thats it. I'm staying here" She says and looks at me for help, and I can see the tears start to gather at her eyes.

"Okay how about we go shopping, you stay with me for the night, and tomorrow you can come back here. I have some things I want to talk to you about" Anna says, and I can still sense the numbness in her voice lingering from when we were in my room, and I wonder what they want to talk about.