CHAPTER 2: WILL HE SEE HER?
Charlie Brown was bringing in some groceries for his mother when Linus pulled up to the house. He saw his best friend walking up to them quickly. He looked like he had something important to say to the family.
"Charlie Brown," Linus began, "I wanted you to hear this from me before anyone else."
"Spit it out, man!" said Charlie Brown.
"Okay, I don't want to get you upset or anything when I say this."
"Linus, anything you have to tell me won't upset me."
"Violet's back in town."
Charlie Brown sighed. "That would do it."
"You did promise Marcie you'd at least talk to her and try to come to some kind of understanding."
"Yeah I did. Just didn't think she'd be back this soon. But I do need to confront my demons, o matter how big. And it doesn't get any bigger than Violet. I just need some time to think about what I'm going to say to her when I do see her."
"We all understand, Charlie Brown. With the history you two have, who can really blame you?"
Elsewhere, a woman with auburn brown hair was working at a grocery store. She was the manager and was checking out the sales of an employee. After counting the drawer they had, she said, "Okay, Fiona, you can clock out."
"Thank you," said Fiona, who then got up and left. Violet walked up to the doorway where the manager was still placing the money from Fiona's drawer into a safe. It was as if Violet knew this woman.
"Hello, Patty," Violet responded. The woman turned around and was shocked to see Violet at the door. It was her former best friend Patty Swanson who was working at the grocery store.
"Violet!" she said, shocked to see her old friend there. "When did you get in town?"
"A day or so ago. It's been a long time, Patty."
"Yes, it has. Where have you been keeping yourself?"
"Japan, mostly. Working for my father's company. Just brokered a deal with some Japanese businessmen. I see you've been working here."
"Pretty much running the store now."
The two old friends stood for a moment, not knowing what to say to each other. After the incident with Blake that Violet set up, which caused Charlie Brown to attempt suicide, and Violet's unrepentant response to it, Patty had severed ties with her bestie. The two of them hadn't seen each other after Violet was moved to the all-girls Catholic school. While Violet eventually turned her life around, none of the old gang saw her, let alone talked to her, including Patty. Violet carried that guilt for much of her adult life.
"Can we get together and talk, Patty?" Violet finally asked. "I'd really like to catch up with you."
"I don't think that's a good idea, Violet," said Patty.
"I've changed! I'm not that same snobby, selfish girl I was back in school. Just hear me out. If you want to continue to hate me afterwards, I won't seek you out again after this. I promise I'll stay out of your life. Just hear what I have to say."
Patty saw she was being sincere. She held out hope that Violet would change, when everyone else dismissed that she would always be a selfish bitch who thought of nobody else's feelings, especially Charlie Brown's.
"Talk to him first," Patty simply said. "You know he's back in town. Clear the air with him first, then I'll consider it. Promise?"
Violet sighed. "Yeah. I need to make things right with him more than anyone, I realize that. My father pretty much said the same thing." Violet began to leave,
"Violet?"
"Yeah, Patty?"
"Don't. Fuck. This. Up."
NEXT CHAPTER: A SIMPLE PHONE CALL