I woke early because I'd forgotten to turn off my alarm/ change the time to the time in America. I got up and brushed my teeth. When I went down stairs, Arin was streaming subbed anime on the TV. I sat down and started rejoicing the Japanese speech as I liked this anime.
"おはよう、Violet、私はあなたが日本のスポーク知りませんでした。" Arin spoke in Japanese back, he said- 'Good morning, Violet, I didn't know you spoke Japanese.'
I replied with, "おはよう、Arin は、私はあなたがどちらか、それを話した知りませんでした。私はあなたがあまりにもこのアニメが好きだった知りませんでした！とにかく、どのように今朝あります？" In which means- "Good morning, Arin, I didn't know you spoke it, either. I didn't know you liked this anime too! Anyway, how are you this morning?"
"まあ、私は大丈夫ですよ。私はあなたをしたときに、日本を知って本当にサラウ驚いて..." Arin didn't know the rest of the sentence so I finished it for him. (By the way the Japanese there means- "Well, I'm ok. I'm really sur- surprised you know Japanese when did you...")
"When did you learn it, is that what you were gonna say?" I asked.
"Yeah, I just couldn't remember that bit." Arin replied.
"So I learnt it when I was 16, Marcel paid for my tutoring. Oh, Marcel is my dad."
"I see, I'm still learning it. You want coffee?"
"Urm, no thanks, I couldn't find my green tea yesterday, I mustn't have packed it."
"Oh, we don't have any cause nobody likes it here, aside from you. By the way, what are you doing up so early?"
"I forgot to turn my phones time to the right time, it wasn't near UK time at all, by the way, and I still had my alarm set for all weekdays… I'm as thick as a plank of wood."
There was a knock at the door.
"I'll get it," I said.
It was Danny rubbing his eyes, still in his pyjamas.
"Hey, Dan! What's wrong? You couldn't sleep either, could you?" I quizzed.
"No, I'm actually late this morning." I looked behind him, Barry was there.
"Oh, hi Barry, I'm guessing you're both late, right?"
"Yes and no really, we share an apartment but I had to wake Dan up and if that didn't take so long we would have been here on time." Barry looked up at his 6"3 friend with disgust.
Dan looked down at his roommate. "I'm sorry I like sleeping, ok?"
"Now, now boys calm down and get inside, it's cold this morning. It'll warm up later and cremate me!"
I moved aside for them and shut the door and they all ran in to the kitchen like little boys with gym type clothing and shut the door in my face when I was going to go to the fridge. I decided to grab my laptop so I could lie on my belly on the sofa and revise for some tests that enabled me to be an American citizen.
"What'cha doin'?" I hear Danny's voice over my head, when I flip down my laptop's screen, I was greeted by his crotch. I quickly look at his outfit, he's wearing all blue gym clothes and leopard print Y-fronts. Arin is wearing the same thing but instead of blue, his gym clothes were pink and Barry was wearing green instead of blue. I almost instantaneously push Danny away by his arm, flip my laptop screen back up and point to the sticky label on the front covering the brand name that reads 'Just no…' I'd put it on a while back. Arin started laughing.
"Danny, piss off. Get your crotch out of my face. I have standards." I look back at my screen and hear Arin and now Barry laughing strongly and Danny shuffles away with the most deliberate frown ever.
"Violet, you're a meanie." Daniel said like a child. I start cackling and that sends everyone into madness. Sooner or later I begin my descent from the sofa to the floor, in which only lasts a millisecond before they all hear a loud thud upon impact with the laminate flooring. The stairs start thumping and Danny goes to check if I'm ok but stumbles. The curly haired man's knee collides with the edge of the coffee table and he goes flying.
"MAY DAY! MAY DAY! DANNY DOWN, MAY DAY!" Shouts Arin who is on the floor, snot running out of his nose in fetal position, crying with laughter. Barry was drumming on the floor with his fist and that's all I see before a crotch to the face.
"DANNY-GET-OFF-MY-FACE-PLEASE-PLEASE-PLEASE… I THINK YOUR CROTCH IS IN MY MOUTH!" My speech was muffled.
"VIOLET ARE YOU O- DANNY GET OFF HER NOW!" Suzy bursts into the noise filled room, spins Arin around with the door because his feet were touching it and picks Dan up by the back of his vest top. "SUZY, IT'S NOT WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE!" Dan shouts.
"OBVIOUSLY NOT, OTHER WISE THESE TWO WOULDN'T THINKS IT'S SO FUNNY!"
"I WAS-" I start gasping for air. "-DEEP IN TO MY STUDIES-" I gasp for air again. "A-AND NOW-" I burst out laughing. One minute later I am able to finish. "AND NOW I'M ON THE FLOOR CRYING MY EYES OUT WITH LAUGHTER, WHERE DOES THE TIME GO?"
Eventually we stop and Suzy is helping me revise because the tests are next week and she's making sure Danny doesn't make a move on me. Danny's band Ninja Sex Party's new song 'Road Trip' is what the outfits were for. They started practicing the routine. The first time I heard the line 'I banged-ladesh!' I couldn't concentrate for laughing.
We were like study buddies, I mean she knew all the answers and wanted me to get 'this' out of the way before any Youtube stuff. It was completely fair, this was more important for now.
"Suzy," I began.
"Yes, Violet." She replied.
"I've got a pounding headache and I do have another 5 days, could I maybe have the rest of the day off?"
"You know I wasn't gonna make you work the whole day, Violet. But okay, what kind of pills do you take?"
"Ibuprofen, Its okay if you don't have any…"
"No, no. We've got some, how many?"
"Two please," I say whilst saving my work, bookmarking the web page and then shutting down my computer.
"Do you want some water as well?" Suzy asks from the other room as I lay on the full of the sofa, dangle my left arm and leg off the side and put my two of my right hand's fingers and m right hand's thumb on my forehead.
"Yeah, please!" I reply. When she comes back in to the room I slowly sit up again only then do the boys notice from the other side of the room.
"Blackwell, you alright?" Barry calls.
"Yeah, I'm good. My brain just doesn't have enough power to learn and still be adjusting to the times now. Fuckin' jetlag." I joke and shove the tablets in my mouth, drinking some water while tipping my head back.
I rub my eyes and stretch while uttering a weird noise after I finish the glass of water. "Cheers, Suzy." I say.
"No problem,"
"I'm just gonna go and sit out on the porch for a bit. Okay?" I say, she just raises and eyebrow whilst I get my dressing gown from one of my suitcases, put it on and head out side. I shut the door behind me and start whistling a happy-ish tune. I begin to think 'Hmm, maybe Danny planned that whole thing, meh maybe not, I started it. Don't ever blame it on someone else, Violet, that's a bad trait to have. Danny's band's songs are actually alright, I don't know whether I should stay away from him or act like and adult about it… Acting like an adult for the win!' By now it's, like, 9:30 am and I've got my back pressed up against the wall, staring into the sky and yawn. The sky is soon covered by a figure standing over me, it was Ross and Holly was just behind him.
I jump and say, "Oh, hi guys. Good morning, how are you?"
"I'm good, thanks." Ross says.
"I'm great, how about you?" Holly asks.
"I've had one hell of a morning, one hell of a morning…" I reply whilst picking sleep out of my eye. I let them get through the door way and return to my original position.
I hear Suzy, talking to Arin. "She's been out there for a while, hasn't she?"
"Yeah, I'll go check on her."
"No, no you won't, not in that, if you want to you'd better get changed first."
"But, Suzy…"
"I'll do it then," Suzy replies as the door opens. "Hey, how are you doing?"
"Meh, I'm good…" I couldn't look at her so I just kept my attention at the sky hoping it wouldn't thunder and lightning.
"You're really not, are you?" Suzy said bending down to sit next to me. My black hair blew in the wind and the two purple strands in my hair were slotted behind each ear.
"I guess, you could say that, yes." I say while still keeping a happy look about myself.
"What's up? As you're manager, friend and grump family mother, you can tell me anything and no-one has to know." Suzy smiled at me and brushed back a bit of my hair that was sticking up.
"I'm beginning to miss my dad, a lot actually. Marcel, I miss you." I cried in to my hands. "The night he drove me to the airport, he had to head straight to the base with all of his stuff."
"Oh, Violet, I'm sure he'll be fine. And if any… News comes home we'll help you through it as a family." Suzy rubbed my back sympathetically. "Come on, it's still cold out, you'll freeze. Even when you have that gorgeously fluffy dressing gown on." She stood me up, hugged me and led me inside.
"Violet, it's alright big girl, let it out." Suzy was so supportive, I wished that my mother was like that. Weeping, I was lead in to the living room, where it was quite.
"Where is everyone?" I blubbered.
"They're probably playing some games in the recording room. Don't worry, that room is sound proofed. No-one hears in, no-one hears out… Unless the door is open, that is."
"Suzy, Violet when's- Oh my god Violet! What happened out there, Suzy?" It was Danny accompanied with Ross.
"It's no-nothing that Suzy did, I just miss my dad…" I burst out crying again.
"Aw, Violet it's ok. Considering your strength, you'll-" Ross was interrupted.
"Not now, Ross! It doesn't help." Suzy stopped him.
Thank god, I wasn't wearing any make-up. I started panting, catching my breath.
"To make up for this self-pittyment," I started. "Go ask the others what they'd like to eat for lunch. Do not tell them of this."
When Ross came back he claimed, "The guys said, Violet, if you're making it, what do you usually eat for lunch."
"Honestly, I don't eat much, like ever since I got the job my body has denied my ability to eat." I state.
"How many days has that been, Violet?! That's ridiculous! Don't ever starve yourself like that, it's not good for you!" Ross exclaimed. I wasn't paying any attention to what he was saying as I was just thinking of what to eat.
"Let's see what you've got in your kitchen and I'll see what I can do." I usually do a pick-your-own style meals when I can't think of recipes.
"What do you mean? I though you knew exactly what to cook." Suzy said.
"I have to see what's there and make sure no one has any allergies to things that I might use, and then were good to go. I cook several different meals at a time too. Get the guys out of that room and get them to follow us in to the kitchen, if you don't mind." I kept my cool and after my looking process and allergy concerns I was to make my special lasagne.
"You guys go through to the table and wait for me. You can't see my secrets." I started to make it, after cutting up the celery (beause Ross has a slight allergy to onions, apparently) and carrot and crushing the garlic cloves, I put them all in a pan with a tiny bit of cooking oil. The once they softened, I added the fresh mince and browned it. On the side, waiting for it, I made the cheese sauce. Once the meat had browned, I added the tinned tomatoes and tomato puree. Then it was time to put in my secret ingredients in which all have a purpose. The oregano adds flavour, basil goes well with tomato, salt boosts flavour and sugar sweetens it. See? I can cook.
Danny walked in the room just after I'd put my secret ingredients back in there places.
"Oh my Jesus, Violet, that smells gorgeous." He said whilst just reaching past the doorway leading in.
"Out!" I said pushing him back. "You wouldn't walk in to a hotel kitchen like that! Come on, out, scoot-a-loo!" I pushed Dan out of the room and bolted up the door.
"So feisty!" Dan sighed.
"No I'm not, I'm-Urm-strict!" I call back and then I hear the others' laughter. I whistle while Danny try's to pry open the door.
"Dan, stop trying to break my kitchen door down and sit down. Wait and be patient!" Arin demands.
"~Nearly finished, guys!~" I cheerfully call to them in song. Now to just put it together. After soaking the lasagne sheets I layer the cooking dish and put it in the oven. I get the plates and cutlery, unbolt the door and put my free hand out in front of me because my instincts told me that Dan was still hanging around by the door and I was right. I pushed him back, reached for the neck of his t-shirt, grabbed it and dragged him along with me.
"If you don't mind-" I start while putting the objects on the table, pulling Dan down and grabbing his 'Jewfro'. "-sort this impatient Wally out and give everybody what they need. I'm gonna go get your lunch."
"Alright, Dan. Calm down." Arin said whilst putting our Jewish friend in a loose head lock and Holly and Suzy arranged the table.
"Ahh, shit." I whisper as I get the burning hot glass cooking dish out from the oven with my bare hands, put it on the counter, shut the oven door and turned it off. I put the hot glass dish back into the safety of my bare hands and walk through in to the dining room.
"Holy shit, Dan your right, it smells awesome!" Arin says.
"Violet, you could burn yourself! There were kitchen towels in the kitchen you could have used." Barry said.
"Nah, I'm not scared of burning myself in that way, the sun is my mortal enemy though. The one thing I am afraid of-" I say whilst placing the dish on the table and finding the chair given to me, next to Barry. "-roads and traffic."
"Huh, roads and traffic, why is that?" Holly asks.
"I don't wanna talk about it, it's not appropriate for the dinner table. I'll tell you later if you still wanna know, though."
"Oh, okay. If it's something like that it's okay to wait." Danny said.
"Oh, by the way Violet, there are some open apartments available in the complex Danny and I live in. I think the closest one was actually the floor down from us." Barry suggests.
"Cool, what number door?" I ask.
"I think it was apartment number… 69. Yeah, it was apartment 69" He replies and I can't help but snigger.
"What's so fun- oh, eww! Violet, that's disgusting!" Ross says but then begins to chuckle. The whole table looks at me with surprise and then realize that I get dirty jokes and wasn't offended by them.
The dinner went down smoothly and it got later and later.
"I'm bored," I say. "What should I do?" I was talking to myself again, after dinner they played games again.
"Violet, didn't you say you were going to tell us why you are scared of roads and traffic." Danny said.
"Did I? Wow I must be feeling very open today." I mutter. "So, it's because when I was 12… my family, when we still were a perfect family, got in to a car crash and umm…" I trail off and look at my legs. They gasped. "And I umm- How do I put it? I fucked up my legs completely so most of the bones are structured with metal. My voice box was forever changed as well." I continue.
"How?" Holly askes.
"Well, from then, I discovered that a malfunction allows my singing to –erm, peak and this second bit is really embarrassing…" I say.
"Go on…" Arin says.
"Umm, my voice can go higher and lower in pitch, than you, so I can, without effort…" I gulp and think that they'll think I'm a nerdy weird chick. "I can, erm, do the Pokémon voices, perfectly… Pika pi!"
"Oh my fucking god! That's amazing! Are you sure you aren't a voice actor in the anime?!" Ross asks.
"No," I say.
"There's a Nightcore song called Pika-girl are you sure you didn't voice act for it?"
"Nope." I look at the time. "I'm going up to my room."
"Why," Danny askes.
"I need to be alone!" I say marching up the stairs.
"What for?" Barry calls.
"To study. I have that test in 4 days. You guys originally distracted me."
"But were about to have a karaoke afternoon!" Arin calls.
"I don't do karaoke!" I shout back.
"I thought you said your voice improved!" Arin calls again.
"Yeah, it did, but it's still vile!" I respond, shut and lock my door. I had an electric guitar that, off by heart, I could play a few My Chemical Romance songs on. My other main instruments were drums piano and ocarina, although I could play almost every other instrument under the sun. When I plugged the guitar into it, the amplifier screeched.
I had no sense of volume is as I couldn't tell how actually loud I played it. 'Teenagers' by My Chemical Romance was really easy for me to play. I would be deafened if I didn't unlock the door. I stood in front of the mirror and began.
I sang louder than the lead singer in the actual record. I kept singing when I heard shouts and thumps coming up the stairs.
Eventually, they piled in to my given room with their fingers in their ears.
"Violet! Stop, for the 15th time. STOP!" Arin was furious. I turned around after unplugging the amplifier and setting the instrument down.
"I am SO sorry, I- I didn't realise I was that loud!" I ran past and slipped on my slippers and cardigan at the side of the bed. I rushed down the stairs and headed out the door but before I left I heard Barry say- "VIOLET, WAIT!"
I don't know why I thought that I had to run, I just did. I didn't know where I was going. It was raining, too.
"What was that?" I questioned. While running, I heard booming in the sky. I was near an empty, abandoned shed with a work bench in it. I hid under the bench, quivering and screaming anytime thunder crashed.
~~~~~~~~Barry's POV~~~~~~~~
She ran because she was scared. We put on our shoes, grabbed our phones and ran out to look for her.
"VIOLET? VIOLET!" Arin called.
"Guys," I said. "What if she ran to shelter?"
"Violet was running from us, she'd of kept going!" Arin said.
Danny and I looked together, Holly looked with Ross and Suzy looked with Arin.
"Violet! Violet!" I called. "Violet!" By now Danny and I had separated from the couples.
"Violet Blackwell?!" I yelled. It really felt like looking for a lost dog.
"Danny, there's no point on crossing the road!" I said as Danny looked both ways on the curb.
"Why?" Danny asked.
"VIOLET IS SCARED OF ROADS, I THINK SHE'D HAVE STAYED ON THIS SIDE! VIOLET? VIOLET!" I explained as I ran.
"What? Lightning… Oh no!" I knew that every tough girl has their weaknesses, hers might have been (and was) thunder and lightning.
"Danny, look for shelters!" I said.
"But Arin said-" Danny began.
"Screw what Arin said. Just do it! VIOLET!" I called for her.
~~~~~~~~Violet's POV~~~~~~~~~
I heard them calling for me but the thunders clatter paralysed me.
"Violet!" I hear faintly but close to me.
"Eeeck!" I shriek. I'd learnt to deal with lightning but that went out the window. Then this reminded me of anime and Haruhi Fujioka's fear of thunder and lightning.
"Violet?" The voice got closer. "Violet?"
"Eeeck!" I shrieked again. I heard footsteps in the shed.
"Violet, is that you?" It was Barry. I cowered under the bench, shivering and jumping when the thunder made a noise.
"Violet!" He said and sat beside me putting his arm around me. Barry pulled me closer towards his chest. "You don't have to run from us. Arin was only mad 'cause he was about to do a solo."
I just shivered, that was my reply. He pulled out his phone and spoke as he typed. "'Found- her- will meet up- at the- house.' And send." He sent the text to Dan, Arin and Ross.