Hello again,
This short story is taking longer to get into than I'd initially thought so I just decided to upload the second part today. Next upload will get us a bit further in and a bit closer to a reunion. Take care and see y'all soon! Please leave any reviews on errors/improvements
S x
Tate just happened to be looking out of the window that overlooked the gazebo and Violet just so happened to be sat there at the moment he looked out. It wasn't intentional, no not at all. At least Tate would continue to tell himself that. He did not know how long he had been stood looking outside the window. All he knew was that his legs ached a little and his shoulders were tense with the effort of controlling his emotions.
"Hey Romeo, grow some ghost balls and talk to her."
Hayden. She seemed to find great joy in following him whilst he followed Violet. Ever since her and Travis had become a little more 'official' she had made it her mission to reunite Tate with Violet. It seemed every other ghost in the house wanted them together, apart from Violet.
Sighing he turned away from the window to face her, cocking an eyebrow at her. "Got no one else to bother?" He sneered at her.
"Nah, nobody is as easy to rile as you are. You're just pissy because you've waited twenty years to get some and now you doubt whether you'd get it up if she did find her way back to your sorry arse." The smirk that followed her words dampened the blow. This banter was the way they talked to each other and Tate valued it. It was better than the awkward, stilted conversation between the other ghosts. Although he did talk to the adult Harmons he could not say that it was an easy relationship.
Tate shrugged because what else could he do? "Just because you're obsessed with sex and 'getting some' doesn't mean that everyone else is."
Hayden laughed "touché" and turned dancing her way down the corridor. Turning halfway she called back over her shoulder "no, but seriously. It's between twenty years in this damn hell hole and we're all sick of y'all pining for each other". Here Hayden tailed off long enough for Tate to actually begin to wonder whether she seriously cared about his and Violet's emotional wellbeing before she continued "Plus we, being myself and Travis, have a wager on who will crack first. He reckons Miss Marble herself will split in two any day now, but I'd happily place my money on you going first. Viv and Ben are not so amused that we're 'betting on their daughter's happiness' so we'd both be happy if you kept this little bet on the quiet." Tate couldn't say he was surprised that they would bet on something like that. Laughing to himself he shouted to Hayden's retreating back that he would see what he could do.
Turning back to the window to train his eyes back on Violet he noted that she was no longer sat out under the gazebo. Sighing he ducked his head and walked down the corridor in the opposite direction to Hayden not noticing that the old maid had appeared from a doorway and was watching him go.
"Excuse me, Tate. There's something up in the loft that I'd hoped you'd be so kind as to help me receive." Moira smiled at him.
There was no reasonable reason for Tate to refuse and it would mean he'd get to speak to Beau earlier than he normally would. Joining Moira in the climb up the ladder he was greeted by an unusual sight. Where there was normally just a heap of dust he saw a large black stereo. It was undeniably old and beat up but it was a stereo all the same. When he and Violet had been together properly they'd spent many hours sat listening to something called Youtube, but then the Harmon's internet had been cut after their deaths so the house had been plunged back into silence. Tate regretted now watching Constance throw away all his music without protesting. What he'd give to listen to his Nirvana cds again. Realising that he'd not been listening to Moira he tuned back in to her voice.
"So I was thinking that this could be placed in the living room, we could push out the chairs and clear a space on the floor. Throw a little dance party. I've told Violet about my dancing days and I'd love to show her how it's really done with some of the music I remember. I know Violet loves dancing."
"She does?" Tate could not imagine Violet dancing. It seemed too normal for 'Violet' to have gone through a dance faze and she was anything but normal.
"Why yes, Ben and Viv paid for her to dance for years. She gave up just before she left Boston but she was saying she wanted to try it again. Did she not mention it?"
Come to think of it, she had once commented that when she started cutting she'd been forced to give up stuff to avoid being caught out. Tate had never dreamt that she actually meant dancing. The idea of her in dance clothes twirling round and round in his arms, smiling at him, sent rippling pains through his chest. If she ever talked to him again, he'd have to make an effort to get her to dance with him.
"Wow. She must have been good then" he was prying for information on her now and both he and Moira knew it. He sounded like such an idiot. "So did you want me to move this stereo down now while you send someone up to get the discs and get the others to clear space?"
Moira disappeared to round up the other ghosts humming to herself. By the time Tate had manoeuvred the stereo down the ladder he was lightly sweating and Moira had reappeared by his side with Ben who took the stereo from him and carried it down the stairs.
Running a hand through his damp curls Tate followed the pair and listened to them ramble about the baby and other pointless topics. He didn't have to follow so closely but a part of him had hoped for them to talk about Violet.
Ten minutes later all of the ghosts stood in a circle around the stereo. Nora looked at it in amazement, unsure of what exactly it was meant to do. Chad raised an eyebrow "that's cute but why exactly does it merit the family gathering?" Met by numerous eyes he backed down and watched Moira bent down searching the cds for a particular disc. "Okay, so I gather we're all having a little bit of a party minus any proper decorations, or reasonable outfits, or appropriate food and drink?" the distaste was evident.
More silence as all waited to see if someone would rise to the bait. A lot had happened that meant that the relationships between the ghosts was somewhat strained already. It would not take much for the tension to break. With Chad and Patrick angry at Tate for their murder, Tate angry at Nora for the baby problem, Violet remaining silent in the corner and Vivien and Ben trying to quieten Beau who had suddenly became very excitable at his freedom from the attic, emotions were running high.
Twenty years on Violet was struggling with being forced into the same room as Tate. She was on the verge of tears and it was getting harder to breathe. The silence was tangible. Knowing his eyes were glued to her, drinking her in, left her shaking. Even now he made her weak at the knees. It was a matter of minutes before she'd have to leave so smoothing her hands on her skirt she made herself busy on the floor with Moira searching the cds.
"Aha here it is" Moira emerged from the pile of discs with one case held high over her head. Turning to the stereo she clicked it in and as the music started she turned and held her hand out to Violet.
"This was my favourite song as a younger woman, may I have the first dance?"
