Lost Cause Diaries #4: The Humbling of Violet Gray

CHAPTER 1: VIOLET MAKES NEW FRIENDS

In the years since she and her parents moved to California, Violet had changed completely. She went from a snobby girl who was judgmental, to a girl who was being judged. She went from being a bully to the one being bullied. And who was her tormentor? Her nemesis from Day 1, Angie Monroe. As the years went on, Angie would shoot out the same verbal attack on Violet that she did on Charlie Brown years earlier. And, as a result, Violet's self-esteem was at an all-time low. The only person she talked to about it was Patty, who she kept in contact with. As a result, Patty also started changing how she acted towards Charlie Brown and others, and started being nicer to them, herself. But Violet had very few people to talk to about her problems in California.

But one even more cruel prank was done to her not by Angie directly, but someone associated with her. It was something Violet herself would have never done to anyone; not even Charlie Brown. A boy who seemed interested in her started talking to her around 8th grade. This guy was one the girls had a huge crush on. And then Violet was the one he seemingly picked to go out with. At first he took her out on dates and to the movies, which were innocent enough. But then the boy, named Gregory, asked Violet if she would like to go to a party on a Saturday night, which Violet agreed to. So the night of the party came, and Violet and Gregory walked in together. She was shocked to see Angie and her friends there, as well, but Gregory said to ignore them as this was her night and not theirs. Well, Violet's suspicions proved correct as the party they went to was an "Ugly Girl Party" to see which guy had the ugliest date. Angie said that Violet was way too homely-looking to even win THAT kind of contest, let alone a beauty contest. She ran away running home crying. While her father Grant was sympathetic to what happened and was ready to kill those kids who did that to his baby girl, Kathleen, Violet's mother, still felt like Violet was getting what she deserved as punishment for how she acted back in Sparkyville towards Charlie Brown and others. But what Kathleen failed to put into account was that version of her daughter was long gone and a former shell of that girl was what existed now. Kathleen's indifference to the even worse attack of her daughter was the final straw for Grant. After packing some clothes and gathering his work, he and Violet went to a hotel to stay until they found a place of their own. Eventually Grant found another apartment far away from the schools Violet was going to.

Now divorced from Kathleen and having full custody of Violet, Grant wanted to make sure his daughter had the best environment for a girl to be in. She was starting high school, but it would be world's away from the jokers of her old junior high school; a fresh start and a clean slate. But before he and Violet left, he talked to the parents of those students, including Angie's and Gregory's, about the abuse they heaped on his daughter and he went to the principal about the "Ugly Girl Party". Some justice was served as Angie and her friends had to serve detention for the rest of the school year, and Gregory's parents pulled their son out of school and sent him away to a reform school for boys. In addition, Angie was not to have any contact with Violet for the rest of the school year as a result. But with them being in a new neighborhood, Violet would not have to deal with Angie Monroe ever again.

As high school began, Violet was nervous. What if these kids were even worse than Angie was? Would she be able to make friends finally? She went to her first classroom, not talking to anyone. If she was going to be an outcast, it was better if she blended into the background and not even noticed in her mind. But fate had other plans. A really pretty girl came walking up and sat right next to Violet, who just looked down and didn't say anything.

"Hello," the girl said.

"Hi," said Violet, meekly.

"You're new here, aren't you?" asked the girl. Here we go again, Violet thought to herself.

"Yeah," said Violet, cautiously.

"Cool," said the girl, with a smile. "My name's Julia. Julia Robinson. What's yours?"

"Violet. Violet Gray."

"Nice to meet you, Violet," said Julia. "If it makes you feel any better, I'm a frosh myself."

"You're a freshmen?"

"Yep. I know I don't look like it, but I am. So where are you from originally?"

"I just left the north side of LA. I am originally from a town called Sparkyville. But I've lived here for three years now."

"That's cool. I pretty much lived here all my life."

And Violet and Julia got to know each other well. Julia was down-to-earth and not superficial like Angie was at her old school. Violet was finally making her first friend in California.

NEXT CHAPTER: GRANT AND KATHLEEN'S MEETING