This Connection We Share ~ Violentine

17 ~ Hideaway

Clementine awoke from her slumber feeling actually refreshed for once. She sat up, contently exhaled, and glanced around her room. Soon she would be leaving this room to begin her own adventure after college. Her and Violet would move in together, and hopefully they would start a journey of their own.

Though the poignant reminder that Clementine would be leaving behind this room, this house, this town, she wouldn't be leaving behind her family.

The brunette crawled out of bed and picked out an outfit to her liking. Once she was ready to head downstairs and make breakfast, she drafted Violet a good morning text as always before she exited her room.

Clementine: Good morning, beautiful. Are you still up for driving me to class this morning? I know you hate waking up early, so I'm perfectly fine with driving myself. Though I would enjoy the extra company :)

Today was going to be a good day.
Or so it seemed.

~~~

"AJ, breakfast is ready," Clementine shouted as she devoured the pancake stack in syrup. The gleeful boy descended down the stairs, eager to slay his voracious appetite. He took a seat at the counter and began to chow down.

"Slow down there, kiddo. Don't wanna choke on your food," Clementine remarked, pouring him a glass of milk.

"If I could control it I would," AJ joked, continuing to stuff his face.

Several minutes went by as Clementine waited for Violet's car to pull into her driveway. She checked her phone periodically, curious to when Violet would ever respond to her text. Knowing her she was probably still fast asleep.

"You should become a chef when you're older," AJ uttered with another bite. "This tastes really good."

"Oh yeah? Maybe someday this week you can help me make breakfast. I bet you're better at it than me," the brunette responded.

"I prefer to draw art, but cooking sounds cool."

Clementine chuckled and sauntered over to the window that casted a view of the street she lived on. The driveway was still free of Violet's car. "Well, goofball," she sighed, walking back toward the kitchen, "Violet said she was going to drive me to class this morning, but I think she may have overslept. Since I've got an early class, how about I drive you to school?"

"Okay!" the younger boy beamed, hopping off his stool and racing upstairs to retrieve his backpack.

Clementine cleared AJ's dishes and waited at the bottom of the stairs for her brother. She texted Lee explaining she was taking AJ to school, and in the blink of an eye AJ was already back downstairs and at the door.

The two left their residence and waltzed over to Clem's car. "Shotgun!" AJ yelled, turning around to his sister with a gargantuan smile stretched across his face.

"Oh no, kiddo. Not until you're all grown up like me," the brunette replied while stepping inside the car.

"Fine," AJ pouted, hopping in the backseat.

The car pulled out of the driveway and onto the street. After a few moments of silence, AJ sparked a conversation that wasn't all that happy.

"Clem?" he questioned while watching the other houses pass by out the window.

"Yeah?"

"Are you gonna leave me after college?"

That question threw Clementine off guard. Her heart ached knowing that's what's been on the younger boy's mind. "What? Of course not," she assured in a soothing voice. "I mean, Violet and I plan to move in together, but I'm always going to make time for you."