Chapter Seven: Violet Meets Minerva

The next morning, Clementine and Violet arrived at Minnie's door, and while on the way part of Violet hoped that they'd never get there. This might end up being the hardest thing she's ever had to do, and when you live in the aftermath of a worldwide apocalypse, that's saying quite a lot. Violet had spent most of last night planning how she was going to explain this to Minnie, finally having to settle on what she had come up with, before collapsing from lack of sleep. It had been one of the longest nights of her life, rivaled only by the first few nights after Minnie's "death."

"You sure you don't want me to come in with you?" Clementine asked, although she already knew the answer.

"No," Violet said firmly, "I need to do this alone. She needs to hear it from me and only me. You being there would just make things more painful for her."

"Alright, I'll be waiting right here then. You can do this Violet. I know you can," Clementine said, giving her a quick kiss on the cheek.

Violet took the deepest breath she could muster. "Alright, fuck this, no more putting it off," she said, trying to hold her shaking arm steady as she knocked on the door.

"Violet? Is that you?" came Minnie's waiting voice.

"Y-yeah. It's me," Violet responded. "Can I come in?"

"Well yeah, of course!"

Violet looked to Clementine one last time before entering, receiving a comforting nod. Clementine watched as Violet entered the room and closed the door behind her. She was more than confident Violet's strength, but couldn't help but worry all the same. Then again, if she wasn't worried, she could hardly say that she cared about Violet, let alone be her girlfriend.

Violet wanted nothing more than to just get this over with, but she couldn't speed through it either. She wanted to hurt Minnie as little as possible, although in this situation that would be equivalent to stabbing someone two times in the chest as opposed to three times. Either way, this wouldn't be pretty. Best case scenario, Violet has to watch her cry and Minnie reluctantly wishes her good luck with Clementine. That was the best result she could hope for, and it wasn't a possibility she put a lot of faith in. Minnie was a sweet, gentle soul, and very rarely got mad, but Violet knew her well enough to know that the only sure way to make Minnie angry was to make her very, very sad. And Violet was about to do just that.

"Violet, I'm glad you're here," Minnie said with her inherent, warm smile.

Violet wished she could say the same.

"Hey, Minnie," Violet said, not even forcing a smile. This wasn't going to be a happy moment, and Violet wanted to be as upfront as possible.

Minnie wasn't stupid, in fact, she was sharp as a tack. She knew Violet knew what this conversation was going to be about, and the fact that Violet wasn't happy to have it said it all. Minnie's smile slowly faded. Violet had a feeling she already knew what she was about to hear.

"Minnie," Violet started, stepping right in front of the bed, facing Minnie head on instead of hiding in the corner. She deserved that much, at least. "I'm just gonna come right out and say this. I can't be your girlfriend anymore."

Minnie didn't say anything at first, but Violet could tell she was crushed, an expression of despair forming on her beautiful, sweet face. Any faint hopes Violet held out for a mutual understanding were dashed in an instant, and all of Violet's worst fears were confirmed. This was going to be one of the worst moments of her life.

"No," Minnie said in denial, tears already coming on fast. "Why?" She managed to get out, before breaking out into a sob.

Violet felt like she was committing the vilest act humanly possible by breaking this girl's heart, but there was no going back now. Violet wouldn't be able to hold out much longer before she started crying as well. Violet wasn't generally the kind of girl who cried much at all, despite her tear-filled outburst the day before, but seeing Minnie like this would definitely do it. Violet fought it back as long as she could.

"Minnie . . . the new girl you met last night, Clementine, she's not just my friend. She's my girlfriend."

"Oh my God," Minnie whimpered, realizing the true reason for Clementine's visit. "You sent her here last night, didn't you?"

Violet said nothing, but Minnie knew she was right.

"Oh God," Minnie turned away, crying into her hands. "I don't understand! What happened?" Minnie said through her tears. "I had a feeling you two might've been dating when she brought you up last night, but I never imagined you'd pick her over me! I thought you loved me, Violet!"

"I do love you . . ." Violet admitted, unable to hold back the tears any longer.

"Then why are you doing this to me?" Minnie demanded, almost screaming.

"Because things aren't the same anymore, Minnie!" Violet said, unable to help but raise her voice. "You were gone for a year! I thought you were dead. Marlon told me you were dead. I was, I was fucking crushed," Violet admitted, trying her best to stay strong. "I almost fucking lost it. I really did. The only way I was ever gonna get over it, was if I forced myself to move on. From you. So that's what I did, and I only barely managed it. I cried every night for weeks! But I got over you!"

"But I'm not dead! I'm right here!" Minnie argued, trying her best to fight this.

"I know, and as much as I'm thrilled you're alive, and that you're back, that doesn't matter, Minnie. I can't think about you without thinking about all that fucking grief, and I can't look at you the same way anymore." At this point, Violet was sobbing almost as much as Minnie. "We can't be a couple again, we just can't! Even if Clementine wasn't here, we still couldn't be together."

"What?" Minnie asked, now looking Violet in the face. "You're not interested in me at all anymore?"

"Not like that, no," Violet said as honestly as she could. "I can't do that to myself again, Minnie. I was so fucking upset, that i almost didn't make it. I closed that chapter in my life," Violet explained, trying to say the words she rehearsed as best she could. "You were my best friend, and you still are, but . . ." Violet trailed off, words now totally failing her. "I just can't," Violet looked away, unable to continue as her cries totally overtook her. "I just can't."

As Violet stood there sobbing, Minnie hung her head, tears raining down from her eyes like a storm cloud. Then she began to shake violently, her right hand forming a tight fist. "I . . . went through a whole year of Hell, Violet. I watched my sister . . ." Minnie bit her lip, forcing the ugly words from her mouth. "I watched my sister fucking die! I wandered that goddamned forest, with nothing to eat, for a whole fucking week! Trying to find my way back to this stupid fucking school!"

Violet's eyes widened as Minnie began screaming and swearing, never having seen this side of her before. She just didn't care anymore.

"The only thing that kept me going, was you," Minnie said, turning to see Violet once more. Minnie gave her a glare so hateful, so intensely furious, that Violet didn't even recognize her.

She didn't know who she was looking at, but it definitely wasn't Minnie.

"Your face. Yours and Tenn's. The hope that I'd be able to come back here, and be with you, and my brother, and everything would have been the same. That's the only thing that fucking kept me going! Do you have any idea what they did to me Violet? Any fucking idea?"

"Minnie . . ." Violet found herself backing away, honestly terrified. This was a million times worse than Violet's worst nightmares. She couldn't believe this was happening.

"And now I get back, and learn that I've been replaced?" Minnie continued, growing more and more furious. "That you're with someone else? That you don't love me anymore?"

"I do love you!" Violet repeated, shaking her head in denial. "You're not listening Minnie!"

"Shut up! Shut the fuck up!" Minnie screamed back, shattering what was left of Violet's weakened spirit like glass. "You're afraid," Minnie spat, managing to rise from her bed. She stood on her own two feet, facing down the broken Violet. "You're too afraid to love me again!" Minnie accused Violet, pushing her away. "I went through all that, for you! And it didn't even fucking matter? Fuck that! And fuck you! You fucking coward!"

That was it. That was all Violet could take. She turned away, fleeing from the girl she thought she knew. The sweet, kind girl she had loved for years. Clementine was still waiting outside, seriously contemplating going in when she heard the muffled shouts from beyond the door. She would soon be wishing she had. Violet burst from Minnie's room, collapsing to the ground just outside, sobbing uncontrollably.

"Violet!" Clementine screamed with a panicked look.

Violet looked back at Clementine, tears streaming down her face, and took off down the hall. She didn't know where she was running, she just had to get away. Clementine watched helplessly as her shattered girlfriend disappeared around the corner. Clementine looked into the room, seeing Minerva just standing there, staring at her now.

"What the hell did you say to her?" Clementine demanded.

Minerva said nothing at all, only giving Clementine the same glare she had torn Violet apart with. Clementine had been right, she wasn't the same sweet Minnie, even if she had tried to be. Minerva looked away.

Clementine couldn't waste any more time, she had to find Violet. Fast. There was no telling what she'd do to herself in that state of mind. Clementine turned and ran after her traumatized girlfriend, leaving Minerva alone to think about what she had just done.


AN: Alright, so I know this chapter is shorter than the other ones, but I wanted this chapter to consist of this moment and only this moment. I can honestly say that this is the single most intense thing I've ever written. For anything.