Violet sighed, putting the 1930's magazine over her face. Usually she would've been content with reading about the stupid trends girls her age were supposed to be into, but today she wasn't feeling it. In her bedroom, the light of the dawn was filtering in slowly. Her head was hurting again. She wondered for a moment if it was possible for a ghost to get sick, but then thought better of it.
The girl sat up from the floor, the magazine falling from her face. Currently, there was no furniture in her bedroom, as the last family that the ghosts had scared off took it all with them. Her mother told her that she could sleep in their room with her brother, but Violet refused the invitation. Her brother, Jeffrey, had grown up in the four years* since their family's tragic end. He still, however, wetted the bed constantly. Violet did not want to wake up to the smell of pee in the morning. Who did?
She was happy, though. In death, she was surrounded by her family, and everything was warm. Violet felt happier in death than she did in life. But, not all the way happy. She took out a cigarette and a lighter, lit the cigarette, and took a huge inhale, relishing the smoke in her lungs. When she breathed out again, she could see Tate in the wisps that clinged to the air.
Quite literally, he was in the shadow of her open door. He was always there, she knew that. She chose to not see him, blocking him out of her life. But every now and then, he'd slip through the cracks, like he always did. Even in life, he had brought her to confess her feelings and she had opened up, innocent. Little did she know that at the time he had raped her mother and killed a bunch of people.
Violet inhaled again, the cigarette lighting up. She stared past him, where the staircase of the house could be seen. Moria was there, conversing with the exterminator while she dusted. The old woman laughed at something Violet couldn't hear, before the exterminator blushed and put his hand on hers.
"Huh." Violet said aloud, exhaling. She remembered when she happily in love. Through the smoke she saw Tate perk up. Whenever she made sounds when no one else was around, he would get excited for a moment, thinking that she was talking to him. He realized, eventually, that Violet was only talking to herself.
She continued watching the two lovebirds until she realized that Hayden was in the room with her. "Let's talk. It's important." She said, smiling like a crooked cat. Shocked, mainly because Hayden never bothered to converse with her before, Violet turned toward the woman who ruined her family's lives, curious as to what she had to say.
"What do you want?" Violet said harshly.
"Oh, don't act like that." Hayden said, pursing her lips. "It's about your dad."
"He doesn't want to talk to you, if that's what you're asking. Stay away from our family." Violet blew smoke all over the college girl's face. Without blinking, she waved the smoke away. "I should've known you would try to screw up our lives again." Violet turned away from the ghost.
"No, it's not that. I got my revenge when I killed your dad." Hayden smiled again. "Tate just wants to talk to him again, for some reason. I had to relay the message to you because your dad and mom refuse to talk to me and him."
Violet snorted, suddenly putting the stub of the cigarette out in Hayden's eye. The girl screamed, clawing at Violet's hands as she did the deed. When Violet withdrew, Hayden's right eye was now a blacked-out mess.
"Tell Tate he can back off." Violet tossed her long hair back, ignoring the fact that she knew Tate was still standing in the doorway. "Stay away from us." She turned on her heel and was about to walk out of her bedroom when she felt Hayden's hand grasp her ankle.
"YOU BITCH!" Hayden screamed, tugging Violet down onto the floor with her. Violet flipped back around, wide-eyed as she witnessed Hayden's eyes turn black with fury.
She began to punch Violet's stomach, who curled up in response.** "Get off of me!" She yelled, pushing off the baby-crazy ghost. Hayden snarled, her eyes still black, and took out a knife. She launched herself at the teenager, the blade flashing in the sunlight. Violet closed her eyes, waiting for the stabbing that wouldn't hurt at all.
But the stabbing feeling never came. Violet opened her eyes slowly, surprised to see Hayden four feet off of the ground, gasping and grabbing for her neck. Violet stood up, holding her stomach, and watched as little by little, Hayden's struggle for air stopped and she lay limp, floating in the air. She collapsed to the ground.
Confused, Violet removed the cover and saw Tate standing over Hayden's body, his back towards her. As he bent down and put Hayden's body over his shoulder, Violet spoke to her former boyfriend for the first time in four years.
"What the hell, Tate?" Violet asked, shocked.
Tate swiveled around. Violet had to take a step back as she took him all in. Nothing had changed about him, except for his face. He looked incredibly sad. "I had to protect you, Violet. She can do actual harm." He pointed to Hayden, who was now resting on his shoulder.
"Why do you still hang around me? You know that I hate you, right?" Violet said, hoping that her words would hurt him. She saw that he winced a little bit, to her satisfaction.
"Because I promised to myself that I would wait for you, even if it took forever." Tate walked out of the room, an unconscious Hayden in tow.
Violet stood, surprised. Beyond the door, Moria and the exterminator were now making out passionately on the staircase steps, the duster forgotten. Violet watched them caress each other, before realizing something important.
She missed loving Tate.
I just had him age normally. Deal with it!
This is meant to be a one-shot, but if I get enough people who want more, I will expand on it. :)
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