Behind the Clouds ✔️

012

Ben only saw Violet a couple of times in the next few weeks. The Losers' Club found out from their parents that 'The Hockstetter Girl' had gotten two jobs since school let out; one at the library and one at the ice cream parlor. Many of the rumors that went around circulated with Bower's gang using Violet to get them all sorts of money for their personal use.

Violet's wounds had healed pretty well since the rock fight. Well enough for her to be able to scoop ice cream again. It was busy for the fourth of July and Violet enjoyed being able to work. Around four o'clock, it began to slow to a steady trickle of one or two customers per hour.

Violet was sitting behind the counter, where no one could see her, and eating a dish of Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough, praying that Mr. Brown wouldn't come out of the backroom to see. The bell to the store rang scaring Violet, who jumped up with an ice cream spoon still in her mouth and ice cream coating her face. An instant blush formed, when she saw who was there.

"Uh, I thought the customer was supposed to eat the ice cream," Violet put her ice cream down on the counter and wiped her face off, before turning back to help him.

"What can I get for you, Eds?" Eddie gave her a look for the nickname, but ordered anyway.

"Two vanilla cones, please," Violet nodded and got to work, "When do you get off?"

"I think Mr. Brown wanted me gone by five," she replied in her soft tone, giving him his cones. Mr. Ian Brown himself came out of the backroom, to see Violet talking adamantly with a customer. He smiled at her and began to see just a normal girl in her place. Taking a glance at the clock, he made his presence known to the two children.

"Violet," she turned at his voice, "It's July fourth and I normally close at six on holidays. I think it'd do you some good to hang out with your friend here." Violet and Eddie perked at what he might be hinting at. "If I let you off early today, can you work a little bit later all next week? I could take you home even." She beamed and nodded at him.

A few minutes later, she and Eddie left with ice cream for everyone. Mr. Brown had let them pick a flavor for each of their friends and pack it up as two scoops. Violet carried the bags full of two scoops, while Eddie ate his ice cream and tried to keep Richie's from toppling over.

"How do you spend your fourth of July, Eds?" Violet asked as they walked.

"Usually mom keeps me inside. The amount of people, space issues, but sometimes she let's me hang out with the gang if she thinks I've been doing well enough," Violet held a concerned look on her face.

"Hey Eddie, for real now," Violet stopped walking and leaned against the brick wall behind her, "How do you really know that you're allergic to all this stuff?"

"That's easy. Mom tests me all the time," Eddie took another taste from his ice cream, as Violet still looked confused.

"But has a doctor ever confirmed any of that? Doctor Forrester had to actually come over to my house to see what was wrong with my mom, and he found a diagnosis within three hours," Violet stared right at Eddie when speaking and he seemed to be wondering about his conditions now, too.

"What," he started, gulping, "What does she have?"

"It's called dysthymia. It's a type of depression where she can't sleep, can't eat, won't do anything. For the past six years, I've tried to take care of my own mother who doesn't even have the strength to get out of bed. Her concentration is totaled. She only ever talks about how my father is going to come home at some point. It's painful, seeing her holding on to him as if he's truly there," Violet paused, seeing Eddie's face. He was thinking about his own father.

"You know," Eddie started, "I lost my dad, too. It was so long ago, I don't even remember what he looked like. After he died, my mom wanted to make sure that she never lost me, too."

They walked in silence for a bit, until Violet shifted the bags she was carrying.

"I'm sorry you had to see me covered in ice cream," she muttered, making him laugh, "Stop laughing."

"Sorry, but I didn't know you were working and you didn't know who entered. It's called a coincidence," he stated, getting her to laugh.

"Yeah, right," she gently knocked into his shoulder, almost making him drop his ice cream, "You all probably knew where I was today."

"No, we already passed your house asking Ben where the hell you were. He didn't even know, but he decided on joining us today for the fourth of July parade," Eddie was soon cut off by Richie, obnoxiously playing another boy's euphonium. Violet shared a look with Eddie, before bursting into laughter.

That laughter brought the rest of the Losers' Club to see Eddie handing Richie an ice cream cone, with Violet at his side.

"Lettie?" Ben asked, seeing her smiling for real.

"Hi, Ben. Hi, guys," she stated, a little louder than her normal voice. Stanley waved, while the rest of them just smiled back at her. Stanley looked away from Violet at a poster that she hadn't seen yet.

"They say they found part of his hand all chewed up near the Standpipe," Violet looked at everyone's facial expressions, confused. Beverly gave Bill and Violet a reassurance look, as Bill stepped forward.

"He asked to borrow a pencil once," Ben said, not meeting Violet's gaze. Her heart was pounding, and she didn't know why. She heard Bill flip a paper on the brick wall up, and turned the corner to see the missing person poster of Betty Ripsom, but not knowing who he had lifted up.

"It's l-like she's been f-forgotten because Corcoran's missing," Violet's blood ran cold, as Bill lowered the poster back down. She shook her head, not wanting to see her best friend's face,  and nearly backed into Richie, who's ice cream fell from his hand.

"Whoa, watch it," Richie snapped, until he saw Violet's fearful face, "Uh, oh." All the Losers looked at Violet, who's lip quivered and who's arms looked real shaky with all the weight she was carrying.

"Lettie, I'm so sorry," Ben said, softly. None of them really knew what to say. Beverly ran up to her and grabbed the bags, before she dropped them. Beverly knew how hard this was. She knew that Betty and Edward both were Violet's only friends.

"Vi-"

"Vi, what?" Violet stated, her voice lower than ever before, "You all knew? You all knew and you didn't tell me?" Her voice was shaky, as tears fell and her heart ached, yet again for her friend. "None of you know how bad it is, to have just seen someone yesterday to finding out that they are gone and not coming back."

She ran to a nearby bench and laid down on it, tears free falling down her face. Bill took in a breath and walked over to join her. He leaned down in front of her and placed a hand on her shoulder. She locked eyes with him, the both of them seeing and feeling the pain. The rest of them made their way over to the two, quietly. Yet again, Violet had the Losers' Club surrounding her in remorse.