Halloween was today and I pointed out that I never celebrated it when I was a child or an adult.
"Suzy, I am not standing at that door. I hate kids especially when… *sigh* never mind." I mutter.
"Well, I'll do it with Holly. Has anyone told you that after this, were going to the Youtube costume party and I'd like to see you dance." Suzy said while heading to the door.
"Just tell me when we're going, mkay?" I say pulling my headphones and sketch pad out of my bag that was next to me on the sofa. I sat there creating abstract art while listening to My Chemical Romance, occasionally singing along. I'd been told to loosen up a little after the incident with Arin and I was really trying.
"Boo!" Dan came behind me and threw his hands on my shoulders.
"Oh, I'm so scared someone help." I say, sarcastically, rolling my eyes.
"What's the matter with you?" Dan asks.
"I don't know. I don't feel right." I reply. I turn my music off and put down the sketch pad.
"The world is upside-down, Alice. Inmates run the asylum - no offence - and worst of all... I'm left tea-less!" Dan was practicing one of the quotes I had told him about.
"That's the last of your worries Hatter, look at the state of you!" I say as two teenage girls come to the door and stare at me.
"Is that you, Alice Liddell?" One of the girls says.
And in my best 'Alice' accent I say- "Of course it is, I managed to retrieve my old memories of the Mad Hatter back." I call out and Danny comes through the door. "I have that wretched cat with me as well, oh yes and the White Rabbit." Kevin and Barry come through from the kitchen.
"I told you they were real!" The second girl said as the pair happily run away.
"See," Suzy turns. "This is why I like Halloween so much." I smile and go upstairs. Halloween was just not a good time to have a party, but I'd made the outfit and wasn't gonna waste the time to wear it. I just went to go and be alone in my room for like five seconds but when I sat on my bed Barry calls for me.
"Violet." He calls.
"What d'you want." I reply, this whole party thing was tearing me apart, I can't dance.
"Some help with the cats." He replies. I run down stairs and he just looks at me with a smile on his face. "Late-pril Fools!"
I just look at him with a blank, lifeless face. "You've gotta be fucking kidding me. Really? Was that at all necessary?" I was clearly not in the mood.
"What's gotten to you? Hmm?" He raises an eyebrow.
"Like, fucking everything, right now!" I complain.
"Be more specific." He continues.
"Well, my dad's in a coma, I can't dance but I'm going to the youtube party with like 5 videos on my channel, my metal enhanced fucking legs don't seem to want to be fair right now. Life suck a lot of ass right now. It's nothing to do with you… Or any of you for that matter."
"Lighten up a little, then."
"I'm not a fucking chandelier! I'm gonna sit in the back garden for a bit, I don't want to be disturbed until we go." I go out of the back door and sit in the darkness. It's just me, myself and I in the pitch blackness of their garden. An hour later and I am called upon. "Violet? It's time to go now." Arin calls.
"Fine, I'm coming." I sigh. This party was not going to be fun, it'll be too overcrowded. We at least that's what I thought.
I got in Dan and Barry's car and pretty much curled up in the backseat. Staring out of the window, I don't answer them whenever I get asked something.
"So, can you dance, Violet?" Dan asks but I completely blank him.
"What do you like most about parties?" Barry also asks. Ignoring him is the path I take.
"Earth to Violet… Hello-o?" Dan tries to get my attention. 'This party will ruin my fun reputation, I don't like massive groups of people. I really don't want to… maybe I should go in, loose them and come back out to wait until the party finishes. I probably shouldn't go next to the food, considering I'm allergic to nuts and all.' All of my thoughts were easier to think than to do.
"Violet? Is anybody in there?" I hear from my right. "The car stopped about 5 minutes ago. Is she still conscious?" Dan was looking in to my blank contact-covered eyes.
"Yes, I'm still conscious. Can't a girl think?!" I march out of the car and completely blank them.
"Is everything alright, Violet?" Ross asks.
"YES, I'M FINE!" I couldn't help it.
"You really don't seem like it." Holly adds.
"Shut up and walk." I say heading to the other side of the car park. I kept my head down but my legs didn't want to play fair. I ignored the pain and was pretty much marching. I turned around to look how far away they were, smiled at them and shouted "I'll race you!" Considering I'd just had a right bloody go at them, I took Barry's advice from earlier on and decided to 'lighten up'. I just ran and they ignored me because they were talking. "Rude much?!" I call out but I guess I deserved it. I saw her in the party, I think she noticed me as well. My plan to escape nearly worked until I panicked and ran in to the bathrooms. I was the only one in there. I was determined to get outside. I saw this kinda Asian looking guy sporting a pink moustache when I left the bathrooms.
"Excuse me. Do you know who the game grumps are?" I ask him.
"Why, yes I do!" He said.
"Could you tell them that I'll be waiting in Barry and Dan's car? That's all, thanks very much." I try walking away.
"Who even are you? Wait up." He comes after me but I just run back to the car before he can catch me. When I was in in the car I just sat with my face up against my knees in the passenger seat, listening to Skyhill. Eventually I turn it off and listen to a very relatable song on my phone.
~~~~~~~~Arin's POV~~~~~~~
I don't know where the hell Violet is, but I was sure she was still in the party, talking to someone. For some reason she didn't seem like she wanted to be there. Later in the night Markiplier comes up to us. Danny, Barry, Ross, Holly and Suzy are with me.
"Hey man." He starts.
"Sup, Dude. How are you?" I ask.
"Good," He says. "By the way a young female with black hair, in an 'Alice: Madness Returns' type costume said that she'll be waiting in Dan and Barry's car."
"I'll go and get her." Dan says.
"I don't know, man. I don't think this is her scene. She was desperate to get out of here." Mark explains.
"I'm still gonna talk it through with her, we gave Violet the choice to come." Dan says.
"See ya later Dan, hopefully I'll get to see Violet too." Mark said turning to talk to us again.
~~~~~~Violet's POV~~~~~~~~
"Places, places, get in your places. Throw on your dress and put on your doll faces." I sang to calm my nerves. I just sat there cowering from the party. I didn't have to be there. I saw Dan heading to the car from far away and I scramble to the back seats an lie flat on my back, hiding. "Violet, I know you're in there. Mark told me you were." Dan said while sitting in the front seat.
"I can't go back in there…" I say coldly.
"Why not?" Danny asks as he turns to me.
"I saw her." I paused. "I saw Rose, my sister. I don't want to see her tonight. Not after 13 years."
"What did she do to you?"
"Leave me alone and go with my mother after the divorce. Is there a VIP thing going on tonight?"
"I believe so."
"Well, get the camera from my bag, in the boot. I'm gonna show her up!"
"Okay," Dan said fishing the recording camera from my bag.
"Let's go kick some ass Dan." I say marching back to the party dragging Dan by his wrist.
I couldn't have been more confident. I run past the grumps and Mark completely and head to the stage. "My name is Violet Blackwell but you may know me as TokyoTrooper. Can the VIP Rose Bush, get up here please. She's my sister and we need to finish something, after 13 years Rose! I think it's time." Rose was surprised to see me. She was previously talking to Tyler Oakley, but when she ran on stage she said. "What the fuck are you doing here, Violet?"
"Pfft, I'm living your dream. I work on the internet, with the Game Grumps."
"And we are wearing the same outfit. Eww."
"Bitch, it's not the same. Alice Liddell from 'Madness Returns' is able to cut a bitch. The Disney Alice is clueless and young. I maybe younger, but I'm not fucking stupid!"
"Violet, this is the last fucking time! Why don't you hop back over to your wonderland?"
I clear my throat. "Quite frankly. My wonderland is shattered, it's dead to me!"
"It would be so nice if something would make sense for a change."
"Oh, Rose shut up. You've used me and abused me, but you will not destroy me!"
"Oh, get your head out of the clouds, stop dreaming!"
"It's not a dream. It's a...memory. And it makes me sick!"
"Let's fucking start this, already!" Rose said with anger in her eyes.
"I know what's real! And this moment, well, it's better than I could imagine."
This was the moment that I had to be the better person and performer. "Can I just say, Rose?"
"What is it?"
"Dad's-in-a-coma. Let's get on this shit." I quickly mutter
"What?"
"I said let's get on this shit. I'm not waiting for long."
"But you said-"
"LET'S DO THIS SHIT!" I shout gritting my teeth.
I ask for two electric guitars and once we got them I began to sing 'My Chemical Romance's 'Famous Last Words'. Surprisingly, Rose knew it. "Now I know, that I can't make you stay, but where's your heart? But where's your heart? But where's your…" I sang in her face, grimacing her. People in the crowd chose their side most of them chose my side.
"I am not afraid to keep on living! I am not afraid to walk this world alone!" I belted. Rose just stopped and looked at me because I was enjoying myself for the first time that she'd seen in her life. "I see you lying next to me, with words I thought I'd never speak, awake and unafraid, asleep or dead!" I repeat. My sister started clapping and smiling as I turned to face her. "Nothing you can say to stop me going home."
Out of breath, I sit on the edge of the stage. "Rose, sit with me." I pant without the microphone over the cheer of the massive crowd below us. "Thanks, you may not think so but I'm actually pretty introverted." I say to the crowd. "My sister could tell you that."
"We want more!" The crowd chanted.
"I honestly feel like I could pass out." I say in mid- jump off of the stage. "Ah, fuck… Nope the metal in my leg has not damaged me yet… Oh yeah, I have metal in both of my legs." I announce.
"Carry on, DJ, blast those beats. I need to catch up with my sister." Rose looked at me after jumping off the stage and being caught by me. I put her on the floor.
"Girl, it's been so long. How are you?" I was limping now.
"Let's get you sat down, your legs and vocals are gonna be the end of you I swear." Rose smiled.
"Remember, I'm allergic to nuts. We can't sit by the food table. Let's just sit on the floor in that corner. The grumps will find me eventually." I point over to the unoccupied part of the dance floor.
"Well, mum found it hard to cope after moving to America… I've been waiting every day for your calls." Rose sighed.
"What? Everyday. I'm so sorry Rose. I mean it. I deleted your number when I was 15 assuming you got a new phone."
"I've kept the phone I had when we separated from each other and I've always put it at the top of my bag, every day I always have it with me."
"You have pink in your hair don't you? Remember the promise we made when we were kids. I have the purple in my hair." The grumps and Mark heard me speak as they walked over.
"Of course I do, Violet. I'd be mad to break a promise." She said as the two sisters revealed the different colour streaks in their hair. "Do you have that tattoo that I created for you?"
"Hell yeah, do you have yours?" I ask, smiling at my sister.
"Yeah, where's yours?" The 29 year old asked.
"On my thigh… and you?" I ask.
"Same, mine's on my thigh as well." After Rose spoke I decided to interject with her next sentence with one of the last bets we placed.
"Remember the cup size bet?"
"Yeah, I'm a B." Rose says hopefully.
"Woo! Totally passed you by 2 sizes. I'm a D!" I shouted over the loud music.
"What! You can't be serious. Let me see the tag." She said in disbelief.
"Not in front of my friends and co-workers!" I yell.
"Hand over that 20 dollars!" After I receive the money from my sister there was an awkward silence that was soon filled with our laughter and slow music.
"Let's get out of here before one of your 'friends' asks you to dance." Rose smiles.
"Sis, I wanna dance with somebody!" I sing. "And that 'somebody' is you! C'mon, let's go!" I say whirling my sister on to the dance floor. We started laughing and deliberately started standing on each other's feet. My sister winks at someone behind us and twirls me. I end up being thrust into Danny and Barry. They decide that Dan gets to dance with me first.
"Was it worth it?" Dan whispers as if talking loudly would ruin the moment.
"Well worth it. I get to see my sister again, don't I? She still loves me too!" I say.
"N-no, I meant your time with the grump family and the UK to US moving. That's what I meant."
"Are you mad?!" I say yelling over the music. His face went pale. "If I wasn't with you guys now, I'd be in an asylum clinging to my sanity. My father's coma was inevitable. You guys have helped me so much. I can't even begin to thank you." Dan's face seeps into a more crimson colour and was probably hoping I hadn't noticed as he twirled me in Barry's direction.
"Hiya," Barry smiled down at me.
"Sup, dude." I smile back. This dance was a really silent one. Barry enjoyed Dan's jealousy as I rested my head in my dancing partner's chest. I enjoyed torturing him as well. I waved sarcastically at Dan as he began to grumble to himself.
"I'm gonna let Mark give you a whirl now, I don't do energetic stuff." Barry said before more upbeat music came on and he twirled me in to the safety of Mark's muscular arms.
"Hi, Violet." He said before we begin a more jive-esque dance. "Or should I say, Alice Liddell." He chuckled. "We are going through pretty similar lives, are we not?"
"Well, my dad's in a coma if that answers your question."
"My dad passed away." Mark said looking of into the distance.
"Oh, Mark." I say tugging on the brace of his candy man- like attire's pants. "That's in the past, I know you miss him dearly. His legacy will never forgotten and he'd probably prefer for you to be happy right now." I cheer the fake pink moustached man right up before doing an epic leap frog over him to a cartwheel.
I saw Suzy point to me and Mark while dancing with Arin. They chuckled as I stared right at them. They never noticed luckily because I looked a little menacing. Mark tried to twirl me back to Dan but the man in the Mad Hatter attire was eating my arch- nemesis: peanuts. I totter away and explain to Mark why I moved.
"Yeah, now I won't be able to sit next to him in the car, unfortunately for him." I giggle. "He shouldn't be such a dumb ass, amirite? Up top!" I yelled while asking for and receiving a high five from a chuckling Mark. I see Rose waving at me by the exit.
"Mark, I have to go and see my sister before she leaves. I need to say goodbye." I say before desperately running through the crowds. "ROSE! WAIT FOR ME!" My sister didn't hear me over the music. "ROSE!" I didn't know which way she'd gone. I run out to the car park and I can't see her. "ROSE!" I didn't have her new number or at least a picture with her. I ran down the steps all the way to Barry's car where I grabbed my phone only to then remember that I deleted Rose's number. When I ran out it was exactly 12 'o' clock in the evening, if I had of lost a shoe they would have been able to call me Cinderella.
I waited by the car, sitting in the boot while it was still open, of course. I texted Suzy. "Ran out to find Rose and failed with flying colours, I'm not coming back in: ("
Sooner or later she replies "Aw, Violet you're gonna miss out on the costume competition, yours is really good. Plz come back in."
"Fine, if they ask, I'll say you forced me to. So basically the truth." I text and made my way back.
I sigh as I arrive for the third time and join my friends in our costume group, wishing my sister was there. I was holding my pepper grinder machine gun prop while my vorpal blade, hobby horse, bunny bombs and tea pot cannon was in a tool belt I'd made to fit with the dress. The judge was coming around the room assessing the costumes. Mark came in 4th, two other people who I wasn't familiar with came in 3rd and 2nd. You'd never guess what, the Alice: Madness Returns crew came in at 1st. It's down to my performance earlier on, I betcha'.
When it ended we were awarded a trophy, some candy and prize money each. I tried to pay Suzy and Holly back with my prize money because they bought my materials but no means no. They wouldn't let me, especially not Suzy. We said goodbye to Mark and got in the cars but considering Dan was eating nuts at the party, he managed to complicate it.
"Suzy, Arin?" I ask while heading to where the three cars were parked.
"Yes, hunny?" Suzy asks.
"Can I have a lift in your car tonight, if you don't mind?" Suzy nods straight after I ask.
"WHY?!" Dan asks.
"You sir, were eating nuts." I explain.
"What does that have to do with you getting a lift from Arin and Suzy instead of Barry and me?!" Dan confronts me.
"I'm allergic, you prick!" I say hopping in to the back of the couple's car.
"How am I supposed to know that if you didn't say?" Dan asks.
"That's quite frankly the most stupid and ignorant question I've heard all night. If you want to be a true gentleman, you're supposed to ask, dick!" I shout, shutting the door. When Suzy and Arin get in the car, I'd sat in the back behind the passenger seat so they can't see me in the rear view mirror with my head down and arms crossed. That night at Arin and Suzy's place, they gave us all a couple of drinks and, trust me, Violet plus alcohol is and never has been a good thing.