A/N: The time has come… Where's a drumroll when you need one?
This is the last chapter, split into two parts due to it's sheer size (over 23,000 words)! The perspective between Buddy and Violet will change. More warnings, but what do you expect? Mature means Mature Content (even though at times it's delivered in a very Immature way) lol.
Alright, folks, here we go…
Chapter Twenty-One: Prom Night (Part One)
"Under your spell again, I can't say no to you."
"Good Enough," by Evanescence
A hand was gently caressing her arm, rubbing up and down in a soft, steady motion. It drew her out of the darkness of sleep, and she turned her bleary eyes, looking over her shoulder and into a face that seemed contemplative, peaceful. She turned a little more to face him, his hand withdrawing. She looked up at him curiously, slightly tilting her head.
"Whatcha thinking?" she asked.
A pause, and then Buddy shrugged a little. "I don't know," he said, his eyes following the curve of the sheet that rose and fell over her small, womanly body. "I guess I'm just… relaxing." His hand came out again, slowly brushing across the smooth scar on the inside of her arm. She closed her eyes, recalling the pain, the agony, and then his soothing expression that made all the pain go away. Even then he was making her feel so good, his thumb drawing small circles into her skin.
"Mmmm," she murmured, "that's nice…"
He chuckled and withdrew his hand. Her eyes popped open and she glared at him, knowing full well he only did that because it would irritate her. And it did.
He yawned, stretching his arms over his head. She watched his muscles ripple and stretch, the morning light accenting the multiple scars across his skin, and longer, redder marks from her nails. She looked away, a hot blush washing across her face. Unconsciously, she hid her hands beneath the sheets.
"I suppose I should get into the shower," he said as he got out of bed. Violet froze, keeping her eyes pinned on the other side of the room. She knew that he was just as naked as she was, and despite all that they had been through and had done, she couldn't bear to look at him; it was just too embarrassing.
She heard the rustling of the sheets as they left his body, and the smallest puff of air from the mattress as he got up, and then his whole presence disappeared. It left her confused, and she couldn't help but look back over, wondering where the heck he had gone. She leaned forward a bit to see if he had gone into his closet, but she hadn't heard anything, and the door was closed-
Hot breath hit her ear. "You could join me you know." His velvety voice caressed the sensitive skin of her neck, and shivers went up and down her spine. A wave of heat hit her, the insinuation of his words causing all sorts of delicious mental images to flood her mind.
She bit her lip. Should she? She just got up, and she didn't know if she should join him after last night. It might be too much for her-
His hand slipped under the sheets, and her answer was clear.
An hour later, they got out, and then he had pulled her back in, falling into the shower with a shriek followed by his low chuckle. Another hour after that, and they finally managed to get out of the bathroom, their skin pink and clean. And while those two hours had been very… enjoyable, it left Violet with very little time to get ready for the day.
A glance at the clock, and she realized with horror she had no time.
"Oh no! I'm supposed to be home by noon! Buddy, if I don't get there in time, I'm going to be in deep trouble!"
"What's the big deal?" he asked, pulling his pants on, his orange hair hanging down his face, still damp from the shower. "So what if you're a few minutes late?"
She managed to shoot him a glare as she pulled on her pajama pants; she had forgotten to pack extra clothes. "What's the big deal? What's the big deal? The big deal is I'm going to be late, and then they're going to ask me why, and I won't be able to come up with a reasonable answer because I've never been late from coming back from Kari's house! Besides, I have things I have to do before prom tonight, and I can't afford to get my ride around town angry with me!"
She finished pulling her shirt over her head, smoothing it out as best as she could. She looked down at herself and sighed sullenly. She knew her mother would be cross at her for coming back dressed like this.
Buddy had a derisive quirk to his lips as he buttoned his shirt, each movement sharp and swift. "Yes. The prom." His eyes drew down with scathing sarcasm, his expression weaving into his voice. "So, what dunderhead has the honor of taking you to this fine event?"
She sent him a sharp look, twisting her mouth at him out of aggravation. "You really are a buzzkill, aren't you?"
He looked up at her, and then his bad mood turned sour, his smirk turning dangerous. "I'm only like this when little boys are involving themselves in my business."
Violet had to physically stop herself from jumping back from the ferocity of his words. It was clear he was jealous, but jealousy matched with unlimited power, unlimited temper, and a not so unlimited amount of tolerance wasn't a very good combo. In fact, it was dangerous, deadly, and unpredictable, and it reminded Violet to make sure that she kept a close eye on her date and all the places he went to later on that evening.
"Buddy," she said, swallowing down the shakiness that kept rising up into her throat, "he's just a date. That's it." Saying the words urged her to act the role to enforce them. She tried to be as casual and indifferent as she could, but with his glare hitting her full force, it was more than just difficult- it was painful.
"That's it, huh?" he said sardonically.
"Yes," she said firmly, turning away from him and focusing on packing her things into her bag. "This prom is very important to me. It's the only dance I ever wanted to attend, and I only get to do it twice in my life. And while I would much rather go with someone else…" She looked up at him briefly before turning her attention back to her bag. "My tastes in men are… not so acceptable. So, I had to get someone else to take me."
"Who?" he asked brusquely.
She couldn't stop the look of displeasure on her face. "Joshua Bartelli."
His expression went from angry to entertained in a flash. He looked at her for a moment, almost staring, and then he crossed his arms slowly, an amused smirk forming on his face, an eyebrow arching slightly. "The boy who drew all over your shirt?"
"That's an exaggeration… but yeah. That's the boy."
She heard a strangled laugh come from him. One look, and he had the decency to stop himself from letting his amusement get the best of him. He cleared his throat, and then strode amiably around the room, a confident look on his face. It wasn't lost on Violet the reason why he was in such a good mood now.
Men, she thought crossly to herself. They're all the same: bigheaded and competitive.
Swiftly, she gathered up her articles of clothing that were scattered across the floor and mingling with his things. Briefly, she had a moment of embarrassment when she slid her socks from underneath his boxers, but the desire to get home was greater than her humiliation. Besides, she'd have plenty of time to mull over what happened later.
Not so sure… I'm looking forward to that…
She picked up her bag and turned to him, fisting a hand on her hip. "I'm ready to go now," she said curtly, halting him in his path.
"Of course, of course." He opened the door to the room with a command and stood by it, holding out his hand, gesturing her to go first. She rolled her eyes at him, but went anyway. Passing by him, she felt his hand slide down her backside, and she slapped it away, glaring at him.
"What?" he shrugged. "I've been waiting for months now. You can't expect me to stop now that-"
"You'd think you'd have your fill after last night- and this morning," she mumbled angrily, a hot blush spreading across her cheeks.
He gave her a deviant's smirk, his eyebrow quirking slightly. "Oh no," he said with a mischievous whisper, "that was just the beginning."
An unbidden rush of desire hit her, and she had to physically pull herself away from his gravitational aura. Stumbling back, she straightened her back almost painfully so, and spun around on the ball of her heel, beginning a sharp, firm pace towards the garage.
"Are you sure, Vi? I'm sure we could come up with a pretty good excuse…"
She wouldn't look back. She wouldn't. look. back. She wouldn't- couldn't- and she kept walking, her feet practically slamming into the carpet, forcing her onwards, her whole body shaking as her conscious began to split in half. One was dead set on getting into his car and bolting for her house, while the other half… The other half was clawing at the carpet, straining to reach the man who was casually standing behind her, leaning against the doorframe with a smug look on his face.
"I know you want to," he said smoothly.
It's not a matter of wanting, she thought to herself grittily, her muscles tensed, her jaw locked as she reached the stairs. It's a matter of right and wrong. Right and wrong, dammit!
But wasn't that line crossed long ago? Long, long ago, beyond the indecency. The line had been crossed, cut, and cleared over when she had gone back and defended his position at school. That was wrong, and she did it anyway to fulfill her own selfish desires.
Was this any different?
She stopped at the top of the stairs, her fingers digging into the smooth wood railing. She could still feel his presence behind her, unmoving and just as confident.
"Well?"
She took a deep breath, her body relaxing for a moment, and then she let it out, turning back towards him, setting her bag down slowly. She walked quietly towards him, watching him with unblinking eyes as she approached, his position never changing. She got up close, looking up into his eyes, his hand snaking around her waist just as she stopped, her own arm sliding up his arm, around his neck, her lips coming up close-
She stopped just before she kissed him. "After the dance," she whispered, feeling his body shiver when her hot, sensuous, tone caressed him like summer rain. "After the dance… I'm all yours."
His grip tightened around her, pulling her in close. She closed her eyes, the ability to keep them open lost when she felt his frustration against her. His fingers were twitching against the flesh on her back, and she heard him take in a small, sharp breath.
"Alright," he said after a moment. "I will hold you to your word."
She felt a smile creep up as he slowly let her go. "Alright," she said, looking at him with a slightly flustered expression, "then let's get going."
He nodded, a small glimmer of what was burning inside of him slipping out from behind his eyes, hitting her, warning her as to what he was going to do to her when they were alone. It was but a moment, but in that small, brief flicker, she knew- she knew that he would make sure that promise was fulfilled… and perhaps she might come to regret it.
She shivered. Oh, she would regret it. She would regret the hell out of it.
He dropped her off a few blocks from her house with a few minutes to spare. She gave him a brief kiss goodbye- a sweet temptation that nearly caused him to pull her back into the car and into the back seat- and then she was off, jogging to her house. He watched her go, and then a curious little voice in his head told him that this was going to be the last time he would have to do this. There would be no more need for this trivial chasing and hiding and silly sleuthing. He wouldn't have to watch her run off towards her precious family again, or have to see her off without having his thirst quenched. No, that time was drawing to a close, and as he saw the curtains slide shut, he felt a swelling of pride and excitement come up into his chest, threatening to burst forth.
After all this time… this work, the long nights, the years spent agonizing over those who have wronged me…
An evil grin split his face.
I will finally get my revenge.
It hadn't turned out exactly as he had planned it, but that wasn't necessarily a bad thing. He had gained something in the end, and even though he had a slight feeling- nothing much, just a barely noticeable prodding in the back of his head that could be ignored without a second thought- that perhaps, maybe Violet would bring him a bit of trouble, the upsides to her being around greatly outweighed any consequences that could possibly come his way.
"No," he said to himself as he made a u-turn and headed back to his house, "she won't be a problem. Maybe for the first couple of days, but after that…"
He knew the power he had over her. He'd be able to chase away her sorrows with just a touch. That was all it took for her to melt at her feet, leaving her open to his lustful manipulations. It was perfect, vulnerability with a smile.
"All that and more will be mine after this prom." He spat out the name with bitter distaste. Twilight Memories. Damn him and his moments of weakness and idiocy. And damn that Bartelli kid for thinking he had a change with her, even though he clearly didn't and would have better luck with a can of Crisco.
Although I'm sure they're already very well acquainted, he thought with a cynically humored tone.
He had poured forth an ungodly amount of money for this damned get together, even paying for all of the kids' tickets. All they had to say was, "Uh, yeah, sure, I'll go," and there went a hundred bucks out of his pocket. And because teenagers those days were incredibly lazy and greedy, Buddy found his pockets becoming increasingly lighter with each little non-committal shrug the hormonal-driven, pimple-popping idiots made.
And Mr. Bartelli had been amongst them. He was paying for Violet's date- a date he was not a part of.
His hands clenched his steering wheel, the leather creaking. His jaw clenched, teeth grinding together as he stared down at the road, unaware of the red haze that was slowly filtering into his vision.
"That isn't the focus," he growled to himself, a weak effort to get his mind off of the insane amount of rage and jealously that was practically eating away at his brain. "Focus on the goal… Focus on your reward for being so fucking hospitable…"
He felt a little better. A little. Not nearly enough to stop him from barreling on through a red light, nearly causing two cars to slam into each other.
I hope that little bastard was in one of those.
He swore to himself that he would never do something like this ever again. EVER. Because if he did, he was fairly confident that he would be unable to stop himself from unleashing untold horrors on anything that dared to breathe. And that included himself. It was a better fate than being turned into a mindless ninny who went around granting magical fucking miracles to complete nimrods who didn't deserve the hours of time and attention and money being dumped into an event that would be unappreciated and forgotten, the thrill of having their first bang with their date taking the spot known as 'memorable.' That was all that mattered to them, and that was all that this thing was for. He knew it, they knew it, the whole damn world knew it.
And that included Bartelli.
"Oh… You better not…" A dark, dangerous, frighteningly powerful glare filled his eyes, the haze of red becoming a thick fog as uncontrolled rage began to consume him. "You better not even think of doing that with her…" A chuckle fell from him, filled with loathing and poison and a promise of death and blood. "You do… and that will be the end of your short, pathetic life."
Violet was his. And no child was going to change that.
When Syndrome got back home, he arrived in a fury that swept the entire household. All of his workers made sure to stay far away from him as he thundered to his lab. Even Emily made sure to keep her distance, making sure that no one even breathed a word in his direction. When he was like this, he became dangerous, and no matter who you were, you made sure you stayed out of his path… or else.
The lab door slammed shut, and he stood in the darkness for a long time, savoring it. Then, he snapped his fingers, and white, artificial light filled the room in small intervals. He crossed quickly to his lab bench, his eyes pinned on the suitcase sitting on top of it. He reached out and touched it, feeling the power underneath, the long hours spent-
-days and weeks and months nurturing her, caring for her, making sure she was so beautiful, so beautiful when he finally took hold of her and used her-
"This…" He whispered harshly to himself. "This… is blood. This is sweat. This is tears. And she…" A harsh chuckle echoed through the room. "She… is my beautiful tool." He gently touched the leather of the case. "They both are, in fact." He laughed to himself as he pulled away, folding his hands together behind his back. "How ironic. And yet…" He paused. "She has… taken so much from me, more than just blood, sweat, and tears. She has taken…"
Another pause. He looked down at the ground, a crease forming in the middle of his brow. Then, a slow smirk stretched across his face, his eyes glinting madly in the light.
"She's taken… my sanity…"
Syndrome threw his head back and laughed at the absurdity of it all. Stealing sanity from an already insane person was like trying to draw water out of a dry well. Although, there was some order to his mad thoughts. Perhaps that was where she had made her niche, where she had burrowed herself deep into his mind, forcing him to think of her, desire her, long for her. And it was more than just physically. If it wasn't, then there wouldn't be the incessant desire to make her happy, or the protectiveness he felt towards her, or even the small, incomprehensible feeling of pity he felt when he realized she would be very alone, very soon.
"My precious, precious butterfly," he murmured, sinking into a chair, his fingers sliding through his hair, tangling themselves as he pulled, the pain sharpening his thoughts. "All the cards have been dealt, and you have so many of them…"
He laughed, pulling harder as he spun around in his chair, his insane cackles echoing off the ceiling.
"But I… I have the ace! And you… You cannot win without me."
He heard the click of a phone, and then a familiar voice filtered around him, making his grin widen.
"Monsieur Syndrome. Everything haz been prepared. Zey won't know what hit zem."
Syndrome chuckled, long and low. "Of course not," he said with an amused growl, "they're entering a game they've never even played." His chuckling continued deep in his chest, his eyes sliding towards the case sitting beside him, the leather colorless in the pale light.
"And the only ace in the hole they had is mine."
"I really don't understand you," said her mother as she pulled into their driveway. "First, you come home in your pajamas. Next, you wander around the house, bumping into nearly everyone. Then, when we go shopping for those curlers you wanted, you say you don't want them anymore!" She huffed as she parked the car. "Really Vi, you're acting like you don't want to go anymore!" She looked over to her, a worried expression on her face. "You've been doing so well! Please don't tell me you're getting back into that elmo faze again."
"Er… I think you meant to say 'emo'…"
"Whatever it is! I don't even care!" Helen placed a firm hand on her shoulder, squeezing it slightly. "Are you sure you're okay?"
"Yes," said Violet, giving her mother a small smile. "I'm okay. Thank you."
Helen remained unconvinced; it was all in her eyes. But she knew better than to push her daughter. The only thing that would result from that would be total isolation. So, she reluctantly nodded, forcing a smile onto her face.
"Alright," she said. "If you say so."
Violet thanked her mother silently for not prodding. She grabbed up the bags of things they had gone out and bought that afternoon and got out of the car. After putting everything away, she visited a little with the family. Her father was busy with a new project (it looked like some sort of cup holder, even though he insisted it was a bird house), played a little with Jak Jak, and challenged Dash to a quick racing video game. It was nice, natural, and for a little while, it was as if the last two months never happened. It was all the way back to the beginning, the morning of March 16, and she was still that dark, lost, depressed girl who couldn't go through a the harshness of life without taking up a razor. And even though she had cut and bled, she was still free. And she was closer to her family, a family that she loved with all her heart.
Now, she was chained to a man, unable to do anything without him. She was following him down a path that was dragging her further and further away from her parents, and even though she knew this, she continued, freely distancing herself from them in order to get closer to him. She was happy and content to be bound forever to him, and to be controlled by him brought her more satisfaction than the sight of blood had formally brought her. In a way, she was healthier, but in some aspects, perhaps things were not so different. It was a trade off, and she wasn't so certain if it had been an equal exchange.
Her mind became distracted from the game. She heard Dash call out with glee as he sped past her, but she was focused on the growing feeling of trepidation in her chest. Was she making the wrong decision? She knew that once upon a time, she hated Buddy with all her heart, but now her heart was his. Would she even be able to notice if something was wrong? Or would her feelings for him numb any sensations of pain or sorrow?
Violet…
It was the voice of the tortured soul lingering within the depths of her mind. It was shivering, hunched over, clutching something to it's chest, rocking back and forth.
You promised… You promised you wouldn't…
There was something she was forgetting. There was a deeper promise, something running through her bones. She couldn't pin it, her thoughts scattered, and whenever she thought she had it, images of him would whisper, drawing her away. And through it all, a long, agonizing feeling was pulsing through her, as if it was a cry of pain turned into a physical sensation that wracked her body. She felt something horrible clench when she heard the distant laughter of her brother.
That's gone, whispered the shattered girl. That's all gone…
Her stomach churned, her vision swaying. Her heart was thudding in her chest, a horrible feeling crawling upwards through her limbs, swirling inside her skull. Visions of her family washed over her, echoes of laughter and joy becoming muted and dull as they lost color and drowned into the darkness that was collecting around the broken sobs from the huddled vision within her.
So stupid… You're so stupid, Violet…!
Dash's fist punched her arm, knocking her out of her reverie. She dropped her controller, looking up at Dash with a dumb expression as he danced around her, shaking his butt.
"Oh yeah!" he exclaimed, punching his fists into the air. "Uh huh, who's number one? Who's number one? Hahah! You lost! You-" He stopped in mid step, staring down at her with a confused expression. He dropped all feelings of pride and victory, tilting his head at her as his eyes drew down. "Vi? What's wrong? You look… sick."
"I… I think I am," she said slowly, her eyes slowly brushing across her body, over her arms, down her legs. She saw that she still existed, but did she really? Was the Violet she thought she knew still here? Or was that a lie? Were all those horrible feelings and images real? Was she actually blind, and that was the real reality? Where they all dead? Was she?
No, she whispered to herself. You're not dead. Those feelings you have for him are real, and they are just as true and passionate as the feelings you have for your family. You're not dead.
A breath fell out of her with a whoosh, and she relaxed. No, she was over thinking things again. Sure, her parents were going to be upset when they found out, but… but it wasn't going to mark the end of the world. They would forgive her, and they would accept in due time, and they would be alive, and she would be alive, and the darkness wouldn't come back and scare her like that again. She wouldn't let it.
And neither will he.
"Vi?"
She blinked. She had been staring up at Dash for the past minute.
"Holy moley," he said slowly, shaking his head at her, "you really are crazy."
She turned her nose up at him. "Sweet little brother, my butt."
"I never said I was," he replied with a snide tone.
She shot him a smirk and then got up, smoothing out her pants. "Alright," she declared as she stretched her arms over her head, "time for me to get ready."
"Awww! Just one more game?" He grinned. "Whooping your butt is so much fun!"
She smacked him in the arm, and he returned the favor. She glared at him and did it again. Before she knew it, they were racing around the house, tackling each other to the ground and wrestling each other, screaming and laughing. It wasn't long before their parents came in and told them to knock it off. For a moment, they reluctantly pulled apart, downcast, and then, all of a sudden, their mom and dad double teamed them, pinning them down and tickling them until their ribs ached and dots danced in their vision.
"Stop, stop!" Dash kicked his feet, tears streaming down his face. "I'm going to pee my pants!"
"Whoops Don't want that!" Helen got up, laughing while she watched Dash race off towards the bathroom. Bob laughed too, but he wasn't letting go of Violet, her head currently locked in his massive arm.
"Mmmf mff rrf!" She beat her fists against him. The affect was similar to throwing pebbles against a brick wall. "Mmmf mff rrf!"
"Huh? What's that?" He leaned his head down, putting his ear closer to her. "You said you want more?"
"Mmmmff!" She punched him at a rapid pace, trying to get away from him. He simply stood there, holding a casual conversation with her mom. She could barely hear it, but she knew that they were both laughing at her.
This isn't fair! her mind screamed with frustration. I'm puny enough, but now he has to use his stupid super strength!
Well fine. If he wanted to use super powers… Well, then she was obligated to use hers.
Bob was in mid laugh when all of a sudden, something sparkling caught his vision. He looked down and his eyes widened when he realized he was holding what appeared to be something made of light in the crook of his arm. Momentarily, he was confused. Then, he realized that the light was his daughter. Too bad for him that realization came too late.
The shield around her expanded with a snap, effectively tearing his grip from her and throwing him backwards. He would have slammed into the wall were it not for his wife's quick reflexes. Her elastic arms wrapped around him, halting him in mid flight before springing back and flinging him to the floor.
Violet's shield flickered and faded, and she wavered on her feet, holding a hand to her head. "Urg…" She stumbled around, vision tilting. "That was… so weird…"
Helen stared at her daughter, shock plastered all over her face. "Vi…" She blinked a few times, perhaps thinking that what she just saw was all a figment of her imagination. But everything remained the same, and when she realized this, a smile began to grow on her face.
"Oh honey!" She reached forward, squeezing her daughter tightly. "You're powers! They're getting stronger!"
"Uh huh…" Her head was still spinning. She hadn't planned on that happening. She had just wanted to put a shield around them both and maybe just… stun them or something. But the feeling of being encased in her father's arms reflected on her powers, and she in turn encased herself. In a moment of fear, she had reflected that outwards. It had been like tearing a part of herself from her and throwing it, kind of like a boomerang.
"Damn, ow…" Her father was getting to his feet, rubbing his shoulder, his face wincing in pain. "I hadn't expected that. I tensed at the last second." He rolled his shoulder in it's socket, and he bit back a curse. "Probably shouldn't have done that."
"Sorry, dad," she said sheepishly, giving him a weak smile.
"No, no, it's alright." He pat her on the back, giving her a proud smile- even though she could tell he was still in pain. "I'm glad you're getting stronger."
Jak Jak's cries echoed down the hall. Helen shook her head with a sigh. "Oh dear, looks like we woke him up. Coming, honey!" She went to go get him, passing Dash on the way back.
"What's goin' on?" he asked. "I heard something."
"Oh, nothing much," said Bob. "Your sister just nearly threw me into a wall, that's all."
"What?" Dash gaped at her. "How'd you do that?!"
"I don't really know," she said slowly, putting a hand to her finally clearing head. "It just sort of… happened."
Dash pouted. "Lucky," he mumbled. "I wish I could do that."
"A few more years, and you probably will," assured Bob with a pat on his back. "Alright now, in all seriousness, we need to calm down. We woke up your brother. He's going to be a pain to get back to sleep." He walked away, mumbling to himself, and Violet saw his hand go up to his shoulder again. She suppressed a laugh, but she still smiled.
"Whew." She wiped a hand across her forehead. "I really needed that. It's been a while since I rough housed like that."
In fact, it's been a while since you've done any super work at all, noted a voice in her head.
"Vi," called her mom from down the hall, Jak Jak's sobs subsiding. "It's nearly five! You really need to start getting ready!"
Violet's shoulders slumped. She really hadn't been doing a good job at keeping track of the time lately.
"So," said her brother as he followed her into her bedroom, shutting the door behind them as if it was the most natural thing in the world, "what did Syndrome think when you told him about your date?"
"Buddy," she corrected, her tone irritated. "Geez, Dash, I'm getting tired of reminding you."
"And I'm getting tired of reminding you that I'm not going to call him by his real name." He changed topics easily; this argument was old and pointless and they both knew it. "Well? What did he think?"
She sighed as she sat down in front of her vanity, reaching inside one of the shopping bags from earlier that day and pulling out a brand new curling iron. "He was jealous," she said with a shake to her head, placing the new box of bobby pins next to her hair brushes. "I'm going to have to keep a close eye on Joshua tonight. I'm afraid that if I don't, I might end up dateless."
"I wouldn't put it past him," murmured Dash, and unlike Violet who had a hint of sarcasm in her words, he was utterly serious. It reminded her just who exactly Buddy could be, and she suddenly felt that her words were far more true than she realized.
"Well," said Violet awkwardly, glancing briefly at Dash through the mirror, "I don't think he'd do something like that in public. He has appearances he needs to keep up. I don't think murdering a teenage boy would help him much."
"True," shrugged Dash. "He wouldn't risk murdering him, not with… well." Dash looked up and caught her eyes. She stared forward and read his expression far too well.
She gave him a small smile. "Yeah. I know."
He wouldn't dare do something like that with me there.
The thought was almost egotistical, but she couldn't help but believe that maybe… maybe she held at least some power over him, that it wasn't just her who could be swayed. It was something that any relationship would promise, and if there's was true, then…
"He wouldn't do it." She said it firmly and with confidence. "Never."
Dash sighed at her. "Alright," he said, although he still clearly sounded doubtful. "If you say so."
Violet frowned at him. She wasn't in the mood to deal with her brother's words. He could doubt him, fine, but she wouldn't surround herself with such negativity. She gestured towards her door.
"Out of here," she said brusquely. "I need to get ready."
"Yeah, yeah…" He hopped off of the bed and went to the door. Instead of leaving, he paused for a moment, and then slowly looked back at her. "Vi?"
She sighed, and then turned around in her seat. She couldn't stay mad at him when he sounded so concerned. "Yes?"
Dash bit his lip, his worry showing only briefly though that small gesture. Then, his eyes set in a firm look, his jaw locked. "Violet," he said, his voice carrying a sense of maturity and concern that only an adult could have, "please be careful. Buddy may have changed for you… But that doesn't mean he's changed for the world."
Violet bit down on her tongue from stopping the bitter remark that had suddenly jumped forth from her. Defending him was becoming automatic, but somehow she knew that this wasn't the proper time to rebuke her brother. He was too serious, too stern. She wouldn't dare trample on this moment.
"Alright," she said after a pause. "I will."
He sighed a small sigh of relief, his posture returning to one of an adolescent. "Sweet," he said, further revealing his true age. "Okay then, I'm gunna… go…" He scratched at his leg awkwardly. "Yeah…" Glancing up at her again, he cleared his throat and opened her door, exiting swiftly. She smiled at his departure and turned back towards her vanity. She stared at herself in the mirror for a moment, his words somehow still ringing in her mind.
Buddy may have changed for you… But that doesn't mean he's changed for the world.
"No," she said suddenly, interrupting the rising feeling of anxiety that had slowly begun it's trek up her spine. "It's nonsense." She looked at her brush and picked it up with a snap, running it through her hair. "He's different… I know he is."
She brushed her hair for a long time, long past necessity until her hair shone and her arm went limp from exhaustion. And still she stared at herself in the mirror. She couldn't chase it away. The feeling still lingered, remaining on the coattails of her senses.
"What is wrong with me?" she whispered to herself with bewilderment. "What's with all this doubt? These thoughts?" She put a hand to her forehead, checking for a fever that wasn't there. "I must be nervous or something. Too much excitement, maybe."
Something in the mirror caught her eye. She looked, and noticed that her nightstand seemed oddly bare. Confused, she turned around, staring at it.
There was her lamp. There was her alarm clock. It looked fine, and yet…
A slow ache began to build in her chest as her heart skipped a beat. Slowly, she rose from her seat and walked forward. She came to a stop, and then she bent down, looking behind her nightstand.
There it was, leaning against the plaster, the wooden frame peeking behind a bit of her blanket. She reached out and carefully grabbed hold of the object, pulling it forward. As it came into view, the ability and will to stay standing dissipated, and she sank to her knees, her arms coming closer to her chest, her head bending down as her eyes slid across the image hidden behind dusty glass.
Distantly, she heard the sounds of a carnival.
"I can't do this," she groaned, staring up at the metal beast towering over her.
"Oh come on," he scoffed, grinning down at her. "This isn't nearly as scary as the roller coaster you insisted on going on three times in a row." He raised an eyebrow at her, his look reminding her just how irritated he had been with her about that.
"Eh heh…" She scratched at her cheek sheepishly. "I suppose so… But… But this is different!" She pointed up at the tower and at the circular arrangement of seats around it. "It's up, and then it's down, and the worst part is they don't tell you when they're going to drop you! At least with a roller coaster you can see when you're about to take a seventy foot plummet."
He rolled his eyes at her. "Violet, you never cease to amuse me."
She pouted at him, sticking her bottom lip out. "You're making fun of me, aren't you?"
He looked sincere. "No, never."
She poked him hard.
"Okay, maybe."
She poked him harder.
"OW! I told you the truth, didn't I?"
"Yes!" she said with a snap. "But it was rude nonetheless!"
He rubbed his arm. "Man, I can't ever make you happy."
She smiled, and then reached out and wrapped her arms around his middle, coming in close and looking up into his handsome face, a slight blush on her cheeks. "Oh, I wouldn't say that," she said coyly.
He chuckled slyly, his arms slowly making their way around her, pulling her even closer. "Oh really?" he said, a playful tone in his words. "Would you care to enlighten me?"
"Mmmm…" She put a finger to her chin in thought, and then she dropped it and smirked at him, eyes twinkling. "Guess."
"Well," he said slowly, "I can think of three good reasons, buuut…"
Her face fell. "But?"
He returned her mischievous smirk. "Before I tell you, you…" He pointed to the ride. "Have to go on that with me."
She stared up at him, hoping that his expression would change. It didn't, his impish grin unfaltering. She waited for a few more moments, and when she realized he wasn't going to budge, she whimpered and dropped her head against his chest.
"Really?" she whined.
"Really."
She sighed heavily. "Fine," she grumbled, raising her head and poking him. "But only if you're going with me!"
He laughed. "You actually think I'd make you do this on your own?"
She gave him a flat look. "That's a rhetorical question and you know it."
He snickered. "Yeah. It is."
The moment had come too soon, and soon she found herself being strapped in. Her heart thundered in her chest, and she swore she was going to throw up. She was almost positive she would have lost her lunch all over the incredibly grumpy looking operator were it not for his hand wrapped around hers.
"It'll be alright," he soothed, his thumb rubbing over the top of her hand. "I promise."
She took in a deep breath, and slowly let it out. "Okay," she breathed, "okay."
"Oh! There you two are!" Her mom appeared from the crowd, Jak Jak in her arms. "I thought I told you two to wait!"
"Sorry, Mrs. Parr! I wanted Violet to try this ride, and the line was short. We needed to get in before it grew again!"
"Well, alright. Just let me get- don't start that ride yet!- a picture!" She fumbled expertly with her things, retrieving her camera. She put it to her eye and said, "Say cheese!"
Violet rolled her eyes, but the silly moment momentarily made her forget her current position. Leaning in close, hands intertwined, they grinned.
"Cheese!"
'Click.'
It was the sound of the camera and the ride at the same time as she felt herself lurching forward and slowly climbing. Immediately her fear returned and she swore she fainted momentarily.
"Vi? Vi, breathe!"
"Can't," she explained in a daze, "I'm dead."
He laughed. "You're not dead, now breathe!"
She did as she was told, and with oxygen in her lungs, she managed to look out at the growing view before her. And as they rose, the feelings of fear became translucent, feelings of warmth and happiness replacing it when they began to slow, pausing at the top, bathing Violet in the warmth of the summer sun's rays as it slowly began to set over the city.
The sky was orange and red, like a fire, and it burned her soul with the amount of passion it had. The silhouettes of the towers in the distance were dark, but handsome and mysterious, pillars of wonderment and strength that stretched across the horizon.
"Oh…" Her eyes softened, a sigh of wonderment falling from her. "This is… so…"
"I told you you'd like it," he said with a murmur.
She looked over at him, a task in itself with the shoulder restraints. But she managed to catch his eyes. They twinkled with warmth and laughter, his soft brown hair auburn in the dying light. He was handsome and beautiful, and in that moment, she loved him more than she had ever loved him before.
He squeezed her hand. "You ready?"
She smiled. "Always, Tony."
Then, they both leaned back, sharing one last glimpse at the setting sun, and then they closed their eyes just as the locks released and they fell, holding onto one another's hand tightly as they screamed with sheer delight, sinking back into the shadows of the tower below.
A single tear hit the glass of the picture, clearing away a trail of dust as it fell, disappearing into a corner of the frame. It was shaking, held in trembling hands, small sobs coming from her quivering form.
"Oh," she whispered with a wet, broken cry, "Tony… Oh Tony… I…" Slowly, the picture frame went to her chest, and she curled around it, a terrible sob hiccupping from her. "I'm so sorry…!"
She had forgotten. She had forgotten his warm smile, his joyful laughter, his sparkling eyes, his warm embrace. His vision, with all it's purity and strength, had been swallowed whole. The single most important memory she had had been consumed- and it was her fault.
"I didn't mean for it to happen!" she cried, rocking back and forth, tears streaming down her face, her hair sticking to her skin. "I didn't want to forget you, I swear. I love you, Tony, I do, I do, I do…!"
But even though she said it, she knew… She knew with all her heart that he was no longer the one who occupied the most special part of her soul. That belonged to another now, even though she had promised that she would never- never let that happen.
She had failed him. She had made a promise of her soul, and she had broken it. She had turned her back on the thing that was most important, and now she was drifting down a dark path that strayed from the one he had once promised her. She was dooming herself, damning herself, trapped inside evil's vice-like grip. She was seduced by it's warmth, numb to it's dangers. She was a fool, and now, she couldn't return to the boy who had been her light, her life.
"I tried," she whispered, her chest burning with shame. "I tried to keep the memory of you safe, but I… I was weak. I…"
She pulled away the frame, looking down into his smiling face. He looked so happy, so carefree, and the girl beside him… She, too, looked happy. So happy. But that had been so long ago, and no matter what, she couldn't turn back. Even if she could somehow discover how to travel backwards in time and stop that truck, she still wouldn't be able to change anything. Her soul was lost, her heart stolen, and nothing would bring it back.
"I couldn't take it anymore," she sobbed, tears sliding down her jaw, her eyes stinging. "You were gone, and he was there, and I… I…"
So vulnerable… so weak… and he had been there, offering her a hand. And she had taken it, and he had pulled her upwards, and that had been that. Her fate had been sealed. In that moment, she had been completed, the empty space within her filled.
He had been replaced.
She squeezed her eyes shut. "I couldn't bear to be alone any longer!"
She wanted to hear him scream at her. She wanted to feel his wrath, the stinging slap of his hand against her face, forcing her to remember who she was, to knock sense into her! She wanted to escape this, to be free of all of this! Take her out of this horrible reality, make her remember who she was and who she belonged to! Remove her from the talons she was surrounded by; take away the blinding blue that encased her soul!
Get me back… I want to go back!
But… that couldn't happen. Because he was dead. He couldn't remind her of her happiness. He couldn't show her why he loved her, and why she loved him. Because he was dead.
Dead.
And the only thing that he could do was smile.
He smiled.
The picture frame grew hot in her hands and she flung it from her. It crashed against the wall, and she heard the distinct sound of glass breaking. Her arms wrapped around her, a broken cry choking her.
"No," she groaned. 'No… You can't… You can't do this to me…!" She fisted her hands in her hair, burying her face into her knees. "You can't do this to me!"
Her moment of escape… gone. The one chance she had to wake up from this horrible nightmare… gone. He was the only thing that could have possibly saved her, and now…
It sat broken against the wall, destroyed by her.
The memory she had preserved was shattered by her.
She was…
Free…
Her head slowly came up, her red and puffy eyes widening fractionally as realization slowly began to make it's way through her veins like sweet, sweet blood. Her arms and legs unfolded and she leaned forward, crawling towards the picture frame lying face down.
I'm… free…
Her hand came out, slowly turning it around. Glass tinkled as it fell, hitting the pieces below. She looked down at the picture. He still smiled. But…
He holds… no power over me…
He had… consumed her life. When he had died, that was all she had been able to think about. She had blamed herself, blamed her family, blamed the world, and she had even blamed God. He was all that she could think about, and it got to the point where the only way she could momentarily forget was by hurting herself, punishing herself.
And she had tried to do it again. She had wished- prayed- that he would hurt her, shame her for what she had done. She had wanted to return to that self abuse to make her feel better, to make her feel alive.
But she didn't deserve it.
She had committed no crime, had done no wrong.
So she denied him.
Her eyes traced a crack in the glass, up towards his ever sparkling eyes.
She denied his control over her… And she had set herself free.
A small smile crept into her face. Then, a chuckle. Soon, she was laughing, happy, joyous laughter. She leaned against the wall, laughing and laughing until tears streamed down her face.
"Oh my God," she chuckled, staring up with bleary eyes at the ceiling above her, "after all this time… it was you!" She looked down at the picture, and then, with a smile, turned it face down.
"I love you, Tony," she said, a gentle smile on her face, "and I always will. But I'm afraid… I'm afraid that it's time we both… moved on."
It's time to let yourself heal.
The words of her mother echoed through her head, and she shook her head wearily, smirking. She had been right all along.
She knew, as she stood up and began to wipe away her tears, that this process of healing would take a while. She knew that the remains of her love for him still lingered, and she knew that no matter what, he would always influence her in some way.
But she would no longer hurt herself for him. She did not deserve pain, physical or otherwise, because she loved another.
And she knew that that was what he would have wanted.
You know, Tony wouldn't like to see you like this.
"No, he wouldn't," said Violet, replying to the conversation that she had with her mother all those weeks ago. "And I won't let him, not anymore."
She straightened her back, pushed back her hair, and looked forward, a determined smirk on her face.
She had a prom to get ready for.
'Ding dong.'
"Vi!" he mother called. "Your date's here!"
Violet put down her lip gloss, her curls bouncing against her face as she turned her head. "Coming!" she called out, double checking her appearance in her mirror before she got up and grabbed her purse. She strode quickly out of her room, her heels preventing her from moving too fast. Down the hall, she saw her father looking down at someone with a fierce glare. It had to be Joshua.
Violet smiled impishly. "You're doing that to the wrong guy," she murmured to herself before wiping away her giggles and walking out of the hall.
"Oh, look who's here!" Her mom aimed and fired the first of many camera shots. "And she's looking so pretty!"
Joshua's head poked out from around the corner, and his eyes widened.
"Woah," he murmured, mouth going slack.
"Don't forget what I said," said her father without looking down at him, "and you might live past this night."
Joshua gulped and snapped his gaping jaw shut. Helen slapped her husband in the arm and said soothingly, "Don't worry. He's just playing."
"No, I'm not," said Bob in a very serious tone.
Violet laughed nervously. Poor Joshua. With his luck, he'd be dead within the evening. She really needed to surround herself with more men that weren't so… lethal.
"Dad, stop that," said Violet, coming up to him and pressing his arm slightly. She smirked to herself, and pressed harder, near his shoulder.
"Ah- eh hem!" He recovered with a cough and quickly moved away from her, patting her on her arm. "Of course, Vi!"
She smiled happily at him, and then turned her attention to Joshua. Mild shock went through her when she saw just how handsome he looked. Dressed in a sharp black suit, hair slicked back, and a deep purple rose just above his breast pocket, he had been transformed into someone that could pass off as handsome.
But mostly…
"You actually paid attention when I told you my dress color," she said amazed as she pointed to his chest where the flower sat.
"Well, yeah," he said, his face turning a pink color, "I mean, that's what you're supposed to do…" Slowly, he reached out from behind him, and pulled forth a small, clear box. Inside sat a beautiful, matching corsage.
"Oh!" She reached out delicately, slightly brushing her fingers against the unexpected present, confirming that it was actually real. She noticed a flash of light behind her; her mother was consistent. She shook her head slightly and then smiled happily. "Thank you, Joshua."
"Go on, now," urged her mother, standing between them, camera ready, "put it on her!"
"Um… Okay." He fumbled with the package and managed to get the flower out with minimal harm done. He slipped it over her wrist and was momentarily blinded when a particularly close flash of light exploded in his vision. He blinked, swaying slightly, still holding onto Violet's hand.
"Mom," whined Violet, "stop, you're going to give him a seizure with all of that!"
"I don't think so, missy! You know the deal: I get you your prom things, and you have to subject yourself to unlimited pictures. And I expect you to hold up your end of the bargain! Now, get together you two!"
They were physically pushed together, arms linked. Her father, safe from her wrath momentarily, shot in a few comments every now and again about keeping his hands off of certain things that belonged to her. She apologized over and over to him, and he made an effort to return each apology with good nature, but she could tell that he was getting tired of her parents. But they powered on through the pictures, even though the poses were getting to be ridiculous.
She heard a snicker next to her and she looked over. Dash was leaning against the hall, smirking at her. His eyes sparkled with amusement. She shot him a warning look, and he put up his hands in a protective matter, shoulders shaking with suppressed laughter. He gestured to the door with a shooing matter.
"Get outta here," he mouthed, smirking.
She rolled her eyes, but she returned the smile, nodding. She turned back to her mother, slowly pulling Joshua backwards. He immediately got the hint and followed her without hesitation. They crept towards the door, her hand slowly reaching behind her for the doorknob.
"Alright, mom," said Violet, smiling as big as she could, "it's time to go. We're going to be late, you know!"
"But… But I still have a whole other roll of film to go through!" she exclaimed with a frown, pulling out said entire roll of film.
Violet paled. With lightning swift speed, she grabbed the doorknob, pulled, and flung open the door, the two teens stumbling out. Her mother's eyes widened and she raised her camera like a tranquilizer gun, finger on the trigger.
"Violet," she said warningly, "don't you do it!"
She laughed awkwardly. "It's been a blast," she said, squeezing Joshua's arm, a signal to get ready, "but I think we've documented enough memories, so…"
She tugged, and they bolted, running down the driveway. She saw his car parked next to the curb and she hoped that he had left her door unlocked. Behind her she heard her mother's indignant cry and then flashes of light as she chased after them, firing picture after picture, hoping to corner them and pin them with one good one where their faces were twisted and in mid blink, a picture she could show to everyone who came over. Her mother was going to punish her.
Thankfully Joshua did keep the car unlocked. She swung the car door wide open and practically leaped into the car, slamming the door behind her. Joshua got in next to her and fumbled with his keys.
"Hurry!" said Violet, seeing her mother's quick approach. "Hurry!"
He found the key with a cry of triumph.
Her mother was close, raising her camera.
Violet grabbed Joshua's arm. "Drive!"
The car roared to life and he hit the pedal for all he was worth. They sped off with a screech, the too late flash of the camera going off behind them. Violet rolled down her window and waved to her mother, laughing. Her mom may have looked angry, but they both knew that this game was the best sort of game. And sure enough, her mother waved back, her pleased smile getting smaller and smaller as they drove away. She put her head back into the car, rolling up her window, smiling to herself.
What else would a super play? she thought with a giggle.
"Your family is insane," stated Joshua, looking over at Violet with serious eyes. "I mean it. Insane."
She smiled. "I know. That's why I love them so much."
He snorted. "Whatever floats your boat, Violet."
Violet shook her head, holding back bubbling laughter. Even if by some miracle, the universes tangled together and a new time stream was born and in that time stream she and Joshua were together, they'd never last. She and her family were just too much for him.
She pat him affectionately on the arm, like a mother would their child. "It's alright; you won't see much of them anyways."
He sighed with relief. "Good."
They drove in relative silence. Violet watched the houses and buildings go by, staring up at the twinkling stars above. She noticed his car look neat. The carpet appeared to have been recently vacuumed, and the dashboard was free of dust. It even smelled like spring.
"Did you just clean this car?" she asked curiously.
His mouth twisted. "Against my will," he grumbled. "The moment mom found out I had a date, she… Well, she's basically the reason why this night is going so well so far."
"Oh really?"
"Yeah. She's the one that made the corsages, the one who got me fitted for this tux, and the one who forced me to clean out my car." He sighed. "Moms. You can't change them."
Violet was trying to picture what his mom would look like in her head, but every time she tried, only a burbled mess of a chimera appeared. She was getting conflicting pieces of information. Joshua was a terror at school, and had the manners of a boar, and yet here he was, explaining to her how he had been forced to waltz with his mom for an hour the other day. She had figured that his mom didn't care how her son turned out and let him be the horror he was. But clearly, with the way he had cleaned up that night, that wasn't the case.
"Why are you so terrible at school?" asked Violet, amazed at him.
"What?"
"Look at you!" She gestured to him. "If you really tried, you could be something that all the girls would go after. But instead you'd rather make ketchup rockets and use innocent girls as white boards."
He blushed, and she knew it was out of shame. "Well," he said hesitantly, "I guess it's because… school's the only place where I can screw around. When I'm at home, I'm… not so screwy," he ended awkwardly.
"Meaning?"
"I'm sitting in front of a desk studying until my eyeballs bleed," he said dryly.
Violet leaned back in her seat, looking at Joshua with a whole new veil over her eyes. He had a whole new persona behind that troublesome class clown exterior. He was studious, he was polite, he was neat, and apparently he wasn't as stupid as he let everyone believe. He was living a double life, and Violet found a feeling akin to kinship between them grow.
Oh Joshua, she thought to herself, we are so much alike, more than you'll ever know.
He cleared his throat. "You won't… tell anyone?" he asked, an edge of hope on his words.
She smiled at him. "No," she said, "I won't."
He let out a sigh of relief. "Good, because I'd hate to have to be an ass to you in order to get my reputation back."
"Yes," she mumbled flatly, "we wouldn't want that."
The rest of the ride was filled with comfortable conversation. It wasn't awkward between them, and it was actually pleasant. They laughed and they joked and they had a good time. Before she knew it, they had reached the performing arts center. There was a valet at the entrance, waiting for them to pull in. A valet. Already she knew this evening was going to be something she wouldn't ever be able to forget.
"I… don't have any money," he said to the valet.
"Oh, no money required! It's completely complimentary!"
Joshua stared, struck dumb, but Violet was already getting out, her whole body itching to get inside. "Get out of the car, Joshua! He needs to park our car!"
Her words snapped him out of his reverie. "Our car?" he mumbled to himself as he got out, the valet quickly taking his place. "Don't you mean my car?" He came up beside her and offered out his arm. She took it happily and they both headed towards the doors, couples from the school headed in the same direction in an array of color and finery.
Of course they weren't going to be in the theatre, but Buddy had made sure to rent the entire center, just in case. But the main party was at the entrance, and that was more than enough.
The room was large and spacious, the ceiling hovering high above them, large, glass chandeliers tinkling slightly. The cool, blue light of the room reflected off their expensive crystals, reflecting it across the room in small little rainbows. Silk sashes of blues and purples hung across towering windows that reached all the way to the ceiling. A large, wide staircase swept upwards from the middle of the room, leading to the second floor where all of the tables were set, more silk hanging from its banisters. A string quartet was playing to the left of the staircase, music floating from them and into the air, rich and alive.
But, the thing that made it the most magical, and something that made her smile, were the stairs that floated around them, enveloping them in shining, soft, violet light. A familiar star, one that she knew very well, came floating towards her. She touched it lightly, and it blinked before floating away towards a crescent moon that rested above their heads amongst soft clouds that drifted around the chandeliers.
You've outdone yourself, Buddy, her thoughts whispered, her eyes softening. You truly have.
They had stood there for a long moment, simply staring at their surroundings, and they weren't the only ones. Couples around them awed with wonderment, whispering and looking around them with sheer amazement in their eyes.
"Let's get out of the way of the doors," Joshua said, leading her off to the side as more couples filed in, gasping just as they did. The dance floor was already filled with couples, but they were mostly teachers and people she knew who had fine tastes. The music was beautiful, but not very many people knew how to dance to it. Looking over at Joshua, she knew that even though he had to ability to do so, it didn't mean he wanted to show off his waltzing skills.
"Don't worry," she assured him, "we won't dance to this."
He gave her a relieved smile. "Thank God."
They went up the staircase and immediately Violet felt a bit claustrophobic. Mostly everyone was up here, talking and chatting, some of them eventually finding somewhere to sit. She swayed a little, the air around her closing in. Joshua felt her uneasiness and managed to break through the mass of teenagers and find them a table that was a distance away from the main crowd.
"Here." He pulled out a chair for her to sit in. "Relax. I'll go get us something to drink."
She sat down in it gratefully. "Thank you," she sighed with utter relief, placing her purse on the table. "And a drink would be lovely."
Joshua disappeared into the mass of color and bodies, leaving Violet to catch her breath. It had been so long since she had been around so many people. Jumping back into it so suddenly had been almost too much for her. But eventually, she became used to the crowd, and soon enough, she was relaxed and enjoying the conversations she was having with people who joined them at their table, just as relieved as she had been to finally get a seat.
"I'm telling you," said the girl sitting beside her, her red curls bouncing, "I've never seen a dance so packed! Even last year's prom wasn't this bad."
"You were at last year's prom?" asked Violet.
"Yeah. I'm a senior, you see. And while I'm so happy that Mr. Pine was able to put on a prom that is fitting for me to leave with, I'm absolutely stunned at how many people came! In fact, I'm almost positive there's more than just juniors and seniors here."
Violet nodded, knowing full well that was the truth. She had seen more than a couple sophomore's faces, and she swore she even saw a freshman's. But there was plenty of space to share, and she didn't think it totally fair that the underclassmen couldn't attend a once in a lifetime event, so she didn't blow the whistle on them.
"Here you go, Alice." Alice's date came from behind her holding two glasses of punch. He leaned down and kissed the top of her head, handing her her drink as he did so.
"Thank you, George," she said with a delighted blush, watching him take a seat next to her. "What happened to your date…? Ah, I'm sorry, I didn't catch your name."
"It's Violet," she said, "and as for my date, I don't know- oh, there he is."
Joshua struggled to get out of the crowd, protecting the drinks in his hands as if his life depended on it. Eventually he made it through, and with a flourish, presented her punch as if it were a victorious trophy.
"For you, my lady!" he declared, sweeping down and handing her her glass.
She rolled her eyes and took the neck of it. "Thank you Joshua," she said, "now sit down."
He did as he was told, and then the two couples began to chat, swapping stories and sharing comments about how much they loved this year's theme. Violet nodded and agreed with them, but hid her delighted smile behind her glass. She wouldn't brag about how the theme had come to be.
No, she thought to herself, looking down at her reflection in her glass, her large, violet eyes staring back at her, the color of her irises woven through every bit of fabric decorating the building, bragging is rude. We won't do that.
Violet heard an excited squeal. She looked up, her eyes catching the sight of bubble gum pink fabric, and then she found herself being pulled out of her chair, the air being squeezed out of her lungs.
"Kari," she wheezed, "you're killing me…"
"Oh Vi!" she exclaimed, Violet's raspy plea falling on deaf ears, "You look so beautiful! You really should wear more makeup more often, you know? You'd be so popular and steal all of the boys' hearts!" She paused. "On second thought, continue doing what you've been doing."
Violet feebly hit Kari in the back. "Let… go… please…"
"What? Oh, sorry!" She let Violet go and she stumbled backwards, vision swaying. Then, Kari's arm was linked with hers and she was being drug away from her table, the people sitting at it staring after her with stunned expressions. Roger Lambert stood there too, completely forgotten.
"So you went to the prom with Joshua Bartelli? I thought you said that you wanted to go with someone else?" Kari barreled on before Violet even had a change to react. "Oh I get it. You wanted to go anyways. Well of course you wanted to do that! Who would want to miss this? I mean, come on, Vi, look at this place!" Kari's hand swept out, gesturing to the fabulously decorated room. "Mr. Pine really outdid himself, don't you think?"
"Mhmm," managed Violet, still trying to recover.
"Music needs to change, though," commented Kari with a small frown. "Classical's pretty and it makes people smarter, but I want some real tunes, you know?"
"Yes, Kari," said Violet, giving her friend a weak smile, "I know."
They wandered around for a while- well, Kari's wandered. Violet was just along for the ride. They surveyed the tables, oohing and awing at the different arrays of drinks and finger foods that were available. At the center of the dining area, a large ice sculpture stood. It was of a woman dressed in elegant robes, her long hair sweeping down her back. On her delicate finger rested a single butterfly.
"Wow," breathed Kari, matching Violet's amazed expression, "that's really good. I wish I could do that!"
Violet stared at the face of the woman for a long time. It was mature, and beautiful, and it caught her attention more than it should have. It seemed so familiar to her, as if she had seen this woman once before in her life, but she just couldn't remember who…
"Oooh, they have brownies!" exclaimed Kari with sheer delight, nearly yanking Violet's arm out of it's socket as they went to the dessert table, a large mass of females crowding around it as they sampled each of the desserts. Violet's nose was filled with the smell of chocolate, and her mouth immediately began to water; it was all Hershey's.
She indulged herself in small cubes of fudge, little wraps filled with light, sweet cream, squares of cakes filled with custard, and small, little candies that melted on the tongue. Finally, she made her way to an extravagant cake. It was half as big as the ice sculpture, and decorated with roses and stars and moons and ribbons all made of icing. This was familiar to her, and unlike the statue, she knew who made this.
She felt a smile behind her, and she couldn't help but grin in return.
"Geoffry," she said with a smirk, "you little braggart."
She turned around, and his arms were open for her to leap into and hug. He smelled of food, and she knew, without a doubt, all of this had been prepared by him.
"Miss Violet," he said, taking her hand in his and kissing it. His English accent was thick and filled with delight, "you look extraordinary tonight."
"Thank you, Geoffry," she blushed modestly. "And you look like you're dressed for a culinary war!"
"But I am dressed for war! And although I may not have very many troops, I have quite a few tricks up my sleeve." He winked at her and she wondered just how many people he had caused to slip into shock after eating a massive amount of his desserts.
"Heart attacks are bad for an evening out," she told him seriously, shaking her finger at him.
"Tell that to Emily," he murmured with a grin. "She's already eaten twelve of my blueberry tarts."
Violet's eyes widened with surprise, and a small feeling of happiness flickered through her. "Miss Patterson's here?"
"Of course," said Geoffry, slipping beside her and behind the table, reaching for a stack of trays against the far wall. "She's the organizer of this event."
"But what about-"
"Mr. Pine may have put forth the money," explained Geoffry as he slid out a sheet of crème puffs and brought it to the table, "but there's no way he'd be able to do this on his own, especially with all these children," he added with a murmur, as to not offend anyone who might be listening in.
Violet could definitely believe that, and recalling multiple conversations she had with him, she knew for certain that only Emily was capable of pulling all of this together.
"Is Bu… Er, Mr. Pine here?"
Geoffry caught her slight slip up, and he smirked at her, causing her to blush. "Is my company not enough for Miss Violet?" he asked slyly.
She felt herself grow dizzy from all the blood that was rushing to her head. "Geoffry, stop that, you know that's not what I mean."
He laughed. "I know, and I'm sorry. No one's been in the mood to joke with me lately, and you're always so fun to tease."
"Geoffry…"
"Alright, alright!" He laughed again as he gently placed individual crème puffs onto small dishes. "To answer your question… No. He is not here."
Her face fell.
"Not yet."
A flood of happiness filled her, a smile of relief gracing her features. But then, she became confused. "What do you mean, 'not yet?'"
"Mr. Pine had some business to attend to," said Geoffry, focused on his task at hand. "As to what that business entails, I do not know."
Violet frowned. What could Buddy be doing at a time like this? Surely he knew that she wanted to see him that evening. What could possibly draw him away?
"Vi," said Kari suddenly, abruptly pulling her away from the dessert table, a fierce glare on her face, "we need to get out of here before I start bursting out of my dress."
"Wh-what? Uh, I guess this is goodbye, Geoffry!" She waved. "Bye! Oh, and thank you!"
He bowed. "Farewell, Miss Violet." He smiled up at her, his gaze sparkling with amusement before returning to his pastries, the sight of him disappearing once they went back into the crowd.
"What an evil, evil man," grumbled Kari as she shoved past everyone. "How dare he make such delicious treats and put them out there for everyone to eat, especially me!"
Violet smiled sympathetically at her friend. The will to stop eating was lost the moment one tasted Geoffry's food; it was just that good. And while she had gotten a little used to his dishes and style of cooking, these poor people were having their first tastes. They'd gain at least five pounds before the end of the night.
The crowd suddenly began to shift, nearly sending Violet tumbling down to the ground. She looked around, trying to find the source of the change, and then realized that the sounds of strings had disappeared. She struggled to get to the edge of the floor, reaching the banister. She peered down to the floor below and watched as everyone began to flood the staircase, heading down and waiting with anticipation as the DJ's equipment was beginning to be set up.
"Hey, look at that! They're switching the music!" Kari glanced around quickly. "Where's Roger? I need to dance to the first good song of the night with Roger!" She started to follow the crowd again, but then suddenly remembered Violet and managed to push her way back towards her, panting with effort. "I'll see you down there," she managed before she was swallowed back into the crowd, leaving Violet standing outside the dangerous current. She waved to her friend, shaking her head slightly. Kari was hopeless.
Violet leaned over the banister, playing with the silk wrapped around it as she watched the couples get together and begin to dance to the new popish tune that filtered through the room. It was easy to find Kari; she was roughly tugging poor Roger across the floor to the center, the prime area. It reminded her that she also had a date, and she looked around, trying to find him.
"Joshua?" She began to walk back towards the tables, searching for him. Their table was empty, their cups drained dry. Her eyes narrowed with slight confusion as they swept across the top floor. Besides some of the serving staff, the whole area was void of people, including Joshua.
"Excuse me," she asked a rather large bus boy, his hair a sharp buzz cut, "have you seen a guy with longish black hair? He's wearing a black tux with a purple rose on the front, here." She pointed to her own chest and showed him her corsage. "It looks like this."
The man looked like he could snap a human in half with his teeth, and when he was tossing wine glasses into a tray in his arm, the disgruntled expression on his face said that he was prepared to do just that. Thankfully, when she asked him her question, the look of death disappeared and he replied to her politely and without any sign that he was going to throw her over the side of the railing.
Talk about not judging a book by its cover.
"Ah, I remember him. Last time I saw him he was hanging around near the front doors." Another bus boy passed behind him, equally big, and Buzz Cut handed him his full tray. He murmured something to him, and then sent him on his way. "But that was about half an hour ago. I don't know where he is now."
"Oh." She pouted a little. "Well, thank you anyway."
He nodded to her, and then went back towards the food tables where a few other equally massive men were talking to each other, one of them laughing. At least they were having a little fun, even after the mess her fellow teenagers had made.
But she… She wasn't happy.
"He went dancing without me?" she mumbled irritably to herself. She went back to the banister, leaning over, scanning the enormous, living mass jumping and dancing beneath her. The colors were across the spectrum, and each face was recognizable. But no matter how hard she looked, she couldn't find him. She found the rest of their little group dancing together with Kari and Roger, but not him.
"Is he in the bathroom?" She hoped not, or else that guy had a very weak bladder.
But if that wasn't the case, then where in the world was he?
"Looking for me?"
The voice hit her, and immediately her knees went weak. And while she was slowly falling apart, the shivers running through her shaking her to pieces, a little voice in her mind told her that this wasn't the boy she was looking for. She still needed to find him, still needed to make sure he was okay, had to see that nothing was wrong with him, couldn't let him out of her sights because… because-!
His hand touched her shoulder, soft lips just barely touching her ear, and her eyes slid closed.
No, this wasn't the boy she was looking for.
But he would definitely do.