Chapter 1 - Violet - 1993.
Violet Harmon opened her sunglass covered eyes to the vision of the back of her father's head rest, the unnerving vibrations of a moving vehicle beneath her seat, a frantically panting dog to her right. No this was not a nightmare, her parents really were uprooting and dragging her across country to live in tinsel town.
At least there was someone else who hated the heat of this place Violet thought glancing at her mom's dog. Violet suddenly felt itchy and uncomfortable in her layers, silently regretting not taking her mother up on the opportunity to go shopping for LA clothes before hand, she was still in Boston mode. She didn't know which was worse right now, the idea of clothes shopping with her mother or slowly dehydrating in the back of her parent's land cruiser.
They had just passed by a sign that read Los Angeles and under it some number of kilometres Violet hadn't manage to catch, not that she was bothered. In the distance she could see the faint outline of sky scrapers almost blending into the abnormally blue sky, hiding behind various approaching high way bridges.
"The light is different out here, it's softer." Vivien suddenly said, it was the first time she'd spoken since they left.
"It's called smog." Violet answered, her tone reminding them how pissed she was about moving here.
"You should be excited Violet, you can stop sniffing cigarettes and start taking deep breathes." her dad suddenly said humour in his tone.
Violet wasn't in the mood for jokes. Sulking she gazed out the window. They suddenly passed by a gas station, she smirked.
"I need to use the bathroom."
"We're almost there" Ben assured her.
"But I need to go." she pressed, wondering how far she could push Ben before he snapped.
"Violet it's a free way! Where do you want me to pull over? Maybe the Honda next to us has a bathroom or something..." Ben replied calming his tone slowly, knowing what Violet was trying to do.
"I bet if that dog needed a shit you'd find somewhere to pull over." Violet snarked.
"Really Violet? I hate that word unless I'm saying it!" Vivien scolded her daughter, Violet smiled back at her mother sarcastically.
"You know I'm really glad we named you Violet and not our second choice..."
"Which was?" Violet asked feigning indifference.
"Sunshine" her mother confessed trying to hide back a smile.
Violet threw back her shoulders in mock humour, her parents joined in. For a moment Violet wasn't feeling pissed. She liked when her family got on. Maybe this move would be ok if her parents had adopted this new attitude for real and it wasn't bullshit.
But it didn't last for long. Nothing good ever does.
"Come on you gotta admit it was funny." Ben placed a hand over his wife's but Violet noticed she pulled away. She suddenly felt sick, she reached for her walkman in her bag which was beside her feet. She knew there was a Bikini Kill CD in there so she highered up Suck My Left One as loud as she could.
Violet glanced around the car allowing herself to become absorbed within the angry drum beat that was penetrating her tympanic membrane - cause she payed attention in Biology. Her eyes suddenly came into contact with her mother's face who was mouthing her name, inaudable over her music. Violet pulled off her head phones.
"Violet what have I told you? Turn that down you'll hurt your ears!"
Violet rolled her eyes and turned down the volume.
"I can put on the radio." Ben suddenly said.
"No thank you." Violet muttered, she was craving her razor blades right now which were in a secret zipped compartment in the bag that was currently at her feet. She highered the music up again - with the sole purpose of annoying her parents, closed her eyes and wished she could disappear.