Chapter 14: State of Depression

When I awoke, I was in the nurse's office and my friends were standing around my cot. They told me someone had found me unconscious on the grass and brought me back to the school. When they asked what happened, I quickly recalled how Ian told me he was Icy's son, how much I didn't want to believe it, and how Icy then attacked me, but Ian saved me and left with her. When I told this to my friends, they were shocked, though Isabelle didn't too surprised. She must have known Ian was hiding something.

"I just can't believe that Ian is Icy's son," Nicole looked down.

"I can; the guy was a jerk," Melody said. "I'm not really surprised that he came from the womb of that ice queen."

Isabelle sat down and put her arm around me. "How are you coping so far?" She asked.

I said nothing but shook my head. My chest hurt and I felt like I would break down in tears any minute. Ian had left with Icy and I probably would never see him again; it was too much. I turned to Isabelle and buried my head in her chest, and let out loud sobs. She kept her arm around me and used the other to stroke my hair. The other girls said nothing as they watched me break down and eventually left, leaving Isabelle and me alone.

"I'm sorry," was all she said as she held me.

I was let out of the nurse's office once the nurse was sure I was okay but I really wasn't. For the next four weeks, I didn't talk to anyone; I hardly ate and I didn't go to the mall or movies with my friends. I didn't even feel like drawing. After classes were over, I sat in my room and did nothing but think about Ian. I really , really wanted to see him but I knew that couldn't be. Ian was gone and he was never coming back. I had lost the only real love I had ever known.

"C'mon girl, you can't go on like this," Cheyenne said to me one afternoon. I sat on the couch, absent-mindedly playing with my hair, while my friends just looked at me with worried faces.

"She's right," Rachel said. "We're really worried about you; ever since Ia-"

She stopped in mid-sentence when she saw Isabelle shake her head. My best friend sat next to me on the couch.

"V, I know it's hard but you can't do this to yourself," she said. "It's hard for the people who love you to see you like this. Please, Violet, for the sake of your friends," she took hold of my hand. "Please don't let what happened change who you are. You are someone who is loved for her kindness, creativity, and strength. You are an important friend to all of us here."

I looked around at her and then at all of my friends, who smiled warmly. That warmth somehow lifted my spirits and I knew Isabelle was right. Even though it hurt to have Ian gone, I couldn't let myself get so depressed over it. I smiled at Isabelle and she smiled back, and then we hugged.

"Thank you," I said. "You are all true friends."

"Of course we are," Rachel said. "It'd be shameful to name Winx if we weren't BFF, right, girls?"

The others nodded in agreement and then Rachel sat down on the other side of the couch next to me.

"I know just the thing to help all the doom and gloom," she said. "I recently just heard of this great hot spot in Magix that has dancing, guys, karaoke, and great entertainment! Why don't we all check it out tonight?"

"Sounds good; I'd like to bust some moves," Cheyenne said.

"And I'd like to check out what kind of tunes they play," Melody said.

"I'll go, if the rest of you are going," Nicole said.

"That's the spirit!" Rachel beamed at them and then turned to me. "So what do you say?"
I smiled at her. "Sounds like fun."

We each got dressed and did prep to go to the club, which Rachel said was called the Hot Spot. I decided on a black mini skirt with a side slit, a bright pink shirt that had no shoulders and stopped around my middle, and had the words Flower Power in black print; netted stockings and black knee-high boots. I also put on a few bangle bracelets and loop earrings that nearly matched my shirt. I did my hair in a side ponytail and applied a shade of pink lipstick to my lips and purple eye shadow. When I stepped out of my room, Isabelle and Rachel were already ready and waiting for the others.

"Wow, you look great," Isabelle said. I smiled

"Thanks, you too," I said. Isabelle wore a long, neon green halter-top, black leggings, green high tops, and earrings that matched. Her hair was fashioned in a French braid and she also had on makeup. As soon as the other girls were ready, we headed outside Alfea and got on a bus toward Magix. Around the center of the city was the club Hot Spot, which has a large sign on the front with its name in bright neon. Inside were boys and girls in our age group dancing to hip-hop/electronic music. A large disco ball hung from the center of the ceiling wall, glimmering brightly. It reflected balls of light that fell upon the dancing crowd. Waitresses in blue and purple streaked wigs and skin-tight blue mini dresses walked around serving drinks. A DJ in a colorful bright wig and wearing shades stood at his table on stage in front of the crowd.

"What I tell you?" Rachel's voice said over the noise. "Isn't this great?"

"You said it, Ray," Melody said. "That tune is awesome!"

"I'm going to go see if there's a cute boy who'll dance with me!" Cheyenne said and then she disappeared into the crowd.

"I think I'll do the same!" Rachel said and with that she was off in search of a dance partner.

"I'm going to go talk to the DJ," Melody said. "Maybe he'll show me how he mixed that tune." She headed toward the stage.

"I'm not really in the mood to dance, so I'll just go sit at one of those tables and order a drink," Nicole said and then walked away.

Isabelle and I danced together; it was a lot of fun to hang out with her as it always had been. I'm always happy to be with my best friend because she always makes me feel good about myself and I can always make her feel good about herself as well. I was glad she had talked to me about my being depressed because now I understood how it had made her feel. I couldn't let Isabelle or any of my friends worry about me constantly because I knew how tiring being worried about someone could be. When the Trix abducted Isabelle, I was so overcome with concern that the next day it exhausted me. I couldn't put that on her or the others.

"Are you sure you don't to dance with a boy instead of me?" I asked Isabelle as we danced.

"Hey, you're a good dancer," she said. "And I'm already seeing someone, remember?"

"Does that mean you and Tulio are officially going out?" I asked.

"I guess so," she shrugged. "I still have to ask him what he thinks. So do you want to dance with someone else? I saw quite a few guys checking you out as we came in."

I had also noticed guys who had ogled at me but I didn't pay much attention to them. I didn't exactly come to mingle with boys; I had come to help take my mind off of Ian and a night out on the town with my girlfriends seemed like a good idea to do so.

"Not interested," I shook my head.

"Okay, if you say so," Isabelle said.

After a few songs we decided to take a break and joined Nicole at one of the tables. Eventually Cheyenne and Rachel came over and joined us as one of the waitresses brought us drinks. They had both found a cute boy who was a good dancer and waved to them when they spotted them. Melody joined us as well and talked about how the DJ had shown his tricks and was surprisingly nice enough to let her work the table one time.

"He was impressed at how good a music mixer I was," she was saying. "I told him how my Mom had showed me how and he said she must have had a lot of experience."

"Did you tell him she's the Fairy of Music?" Isabelle asked.

"No, but I could tell that he was wishing she was his mom," Melody said. The rest of us laughed.

"So did you three meet any boys or what not?" Rachel asked. "Or did you just sit here and watch the rest of us have fun, Nicole?"

"I talked to some people who were fairly nice," Nicole said. "As I may have said before, Rachel, I'm not particularly interested in places like this."

"But it's better than hanging around the library, isn't it?" Rachel asked. Nicole just shrugged.

"What about you two?" Melody asked Isabelle and me.

"We just hung out together," Isabelle said. "We're not that interested in meeting boys, right?" I nodded in agreement.

"Well, I guess that's understandable," Rachel said. "Especially for you, Violet, and I know you've already got someone, Izzy, but you can't quite call it cheating if you just dance with a guy. What Tulio doesn't know won't hurt him."

"Even so," Isabelle said. "It would be inappropriate."

"Whatever you say," Rachel shrugged. She took a sip from her drink and then looked behind me, and smiled. "Why hello; fancy seeing you here."

I turned around and saw Joshua standing behind me with a smile on his face. I hadn't seen or heard from him in awhile. Ever though I was with Ian I had maintained a friendly relationship with Joshua but, after Ian left, I had sort of been distant with him and now I was nervous because I was almost sure he would want to know an explanation.

"Oh hi," I said to him.

"Hi, Violet," Joshua greeted me happily. "I'm glad to see you're having fun with your friends."

"Thanks; uh, what brings you here?" I asked.

"Oh, some of my buddies and I decided to come here because we had heard of this place from one of the guys from Red Fountain," he said.

"That's nice," I said. "So how have you been?"

"I've been good," he said. "How about you?"
"I've been….well…" I wasn't sure how to respond. I couldn't say I was doing good or great because I hadn't been. I hadn't exactly been myself either.

"She's doing better," Isabelle said as she put a hand on my shoulder. Joshua smiled.

"Glad to hear it," he said. "So how about a dance?"

"Uh…sure, why not?" I got up from my seat and followed him to the dance floor. Joshua was a good dancer; seeing him made me wonder if Ian knew how to dance but I quickly brushed aside the thought. If I thought about Ian, I would want to see him and I just wanted to enjoy myself tonight.

"You're good," Joshua said over the music.

"I'm not that great," I said. "You should see Cheyenne dance."

He laughed and I laughed along with him. I had to admit I liked being around Joshua; he was nice, easy to get along with, good at listening, and I recently learned a great dancer. Not to mention cute; albeit any girl would want to be on the dance floor with him.

"How about some fresh air?" Joshua asked at the end of the song.

"I could use it," I said and followed him outside onto the balcony. Night had already fallen and stars was beginning to come into view despite of the brilliant city lights. I leaned against the rim of the post on the balcony and let the cool night air brush against my face.

"It's nice out tonight, isn't it?" Joshua asked.

I nodded. "Yes, it is."

"Violet, I know you haven't been yourself since Ian left" I cringed slightly at the mention of his name. "And I just want to know if you really are doing alright; even if you did come out here tonight, are you really happy?"

I sighed. "Well, to be honest I just needed to take my mind off everything, including Ian. But I really am enjoying myself; my friends are here and we all having a good time."

"Violet, you're a really sweet girl," Joshua came closer. "You really are and you're strong, too; after all you've been through, I honestly am surprised you're still yourself."

He drew nearer until his arm was around my back. "I hope you'll forgive me for what I'm about to do, I really do."

I turned to look at him in question and suddenly a rag was over my mouth and nose. I panicked as I found myself less and less able to breath and then suddenly my vision began fading. Strong arms wrapped around my waist and lifted me up as I slowly lost consciousness.