Ephemeral (#Wattys2016 #JustWriteIt)

Chapter 11

I wake up the next day and decide to call in sick today, because I want to take the time to really talk to Violet and ask her what is going on.

I tap on the bedroom door, and when Violet doesn't answer I just assume she's asleep because of the hangover, but when I enter the kitchen I find her sitting on the table with a bottle of aspirins I left out for her last night and a glass of water.

"I expected you to be asleep. You were pretty drunk last night" I tell her and she looks down, embarrassment feeling hers eyes.

"How did I end up here? Last thing I remember I was walking to my neighborhood" She tells me and for the first time in weeks out eyes meet again, making me feel like it was the first time I came across them. They feel equally as aggressive and as piercing as they did the day I met her. It was like she could read my like an open book the second our eyes meet. Like her eyes penetrated into my mind and crept into every single thought I had.

"Well I bumped into you when I was walking out if your neighborhood and you were too drunk to even stand" I tell trying to lighten the mood at the end, but her eyes flood with more embarrassment and her cheeks turn red.

"What were you doing in my neighborhood?" She tells me, embarrassment being replaced by a hard, icy glare in her eyes and I feel all my muscles begin to tense up as a reaction of her stare.

"I went looking for you. I was worried, now I understand why. You were so drunk last night it probably was illegal and dangerous to be that drunk. Your aunt told me she didn't know where you were but she did say to go over there. When I was walking away from your house I bumped into you and I brought you here" I tell her and she looks down at the floor.

"Is my aunt mad at me?" She asks me in a small voice, almost fragile and I shudder.

"No, she was hitting on me" I tell her and she snorts while muttering the word 'typical". "Finish up and after we're going to talk about what happened last night. I don't want any but's or no's. You're going to tell en what happened because last night you were walking drunk all by yourself. Do you know how dangerous that is?" I ask her and she shrugs her shoulders.

"I don't really care. I wanted to forget about everything and the bar was just next block" She tells me like it was nothing and I roll my eyes.

"Thats exactly why we're going to talk about it" I tell her walking out of the kitchen before she could protest.

*~*~*~*

It was already past 8 and I still haven't had the chance to sit down and talk to her, but luckily for me tomorrow is Sunday, and I could stay with her all night of her getting it all out of her system. For her own good... And for something I need.

We decide to order KFC while watching old Disney films. We decide to start with Finding Nemo, but since the food hasn't arrived, I decide to open the conversation.

"So, tell me. What happened last night that made you do all that?" I ask her and she looks anywhere but my eye.

"Nothing happened last night" She says lowly and I start to get frustrated.

"Don't tell me that shit someth-" I start to tell her but she cuts me off my screaming at my face.

"NOTHING HAPPENED LAST NIGHT!" She says before running her palms through her face and opening her mouth to speak again. "This has been happening for more than three years" She says again in a low voice and my insides crunch. "Last night just happened to be my breaking point" She says again and my insides crunch again.

"I'm sorry, but I need you to tell me so that I can help you" I tell her and she looks furiously into my eyes.

"You can't help me" She says harshly and I blink twice.

"I can. Trust me. I took a minor in physiology in college" I tell her and her shoulders relax.

"But why would I tell you?" She asks looking down at her open palms before closing them and opening them again.

"Because I can help you solve whatever is bothering you, and if I can't, it would be nice to tell someone at least" I tell her and she still looks skeptical. "I won't tell anyone okay?" I ask her and she nods her head before opening her mouth to speak.

"3 or 4 years ago I don't really remember, I've been trying to suppress that memory as much as I could for the past years. I never really told anyone so it's really hard for me to say this" She says before taking a deep breathe and continuing. "I was 14 years old I think, and my 'friends' decided to throw me a birthday party. Every teenager of the neighborhood and from outside came, and there was this one guy that I really liked who was a few years older than me. We talked a lot. Like everyday. He was walking me home, but on a dark curve, he pushed me against the wall and started asking me to kiss him. I was looking for signs of alcohol or drugs in his breath or eyes or any sign really, but he was completely sober. That just sickens me even more, even to this day, I still have nightmares about that night.
I decided to kiss him to get him to leave me alone, but he just kept asking for more. Touching me in places before I even let him and without asking. He whispered in my ear 'You're gonna become a woman soon" and then, well I guess you can make out the rest of the tale" She tells me without meeting my eye and all the air is knocked out of me body.

"That's not all.
I was really lonely in that moment of my life. I had no one. All my friends turned their backs on me and I was completely alone. Then, I met Jaxon. We dated for 3 years. He ended me 2 weeks ago. He used to cheat on me a lot and sometimes even hit me because we fought a lot, but I loved, love, him, and he was the only person ever to take an interest like that in me, so I felt special. And now its just over.
Also that stuff you read about my dad... Yeah that really affected me. Not because he's in jail or because my mom is dead. I never really liked her. She always told me how horrible and disgusting me and my body and personality is. And also she was a junkie and a hooker, even though she was married. Also my dad had this lover, but we always thought it was random girls, but one time I found him with my mother's best friend. A lot of times actually, but I'm the only one who knows, and thats a lot to carry, because not even my dad knows I know, so its totally secret. But... My brother. I miss him so much. It's like my life is not complete without him. The only reason I wake up every morning is because of my little brothers and what would happen if I left them alone with my aunt. She would kill them. She hates my family" She tells me full sobbing right now.

I wrap my arm around her shoulders and pull her to my chest until she calms down. We stay like that for a while, because when I pull her up, is when the doorbell rings.

We eat and then Violet stand up, wiping her eyes again.

"I'm gonna go to sleep. I don't feel like watching anything tonight. Thank you for everything" She tells me before going into her room.