Chapter Text
violet likes to think she can handle her liquor.
the crazy thing is, she isnt technically old enough to drink it really, and with a family like her own and a half convincing fake ID it isnt so difficult to obtain but whatever.
for a week now she’s been curiously caught up in the moving trucks passing through the street every morning at about 7am and just after 10pm they’ll make one last trip a block away from her dingy little home just outside the start of the bigger, fancier homes within her neighborhood.
its pretty cozy she feels, after all the same people have lived in the neighborhood since she was a kid so it isnt so weird that she knows every widowed woman and older married couple in the area-everyone knows her and she knows them. so if anything its just down right odd when she discovers the pair of family that’ve yet to introduce themselves to anyone around after a whole seven days have passed.
she would like to investigate, but since the start of their arrival weirder things have happened.
her own precious territory has been invaded.
theres an infamous street light just off the corner of here and there where she likes to find solace sometimes, on hard days and harder nights after fights with her family or fall outs with girls whos names she cant be bothered to remember (she would rather not).
whats strange is that someone in the neighborhood must have messed with the wiring in it and going up the pole of the light theres spray paint, green and turquoise and blue. whats comforting is that occasionally the light itself will bathe her in yellow hues and red showers versus the angry pinks and neon greens that it will in fact change to since its been reworked.
just off the left of the light the sidewalk merges with the walkway towards the park a couple meters away, a bench just a foot away from the streetlight-bronze handles and cheap black paint that reflects every color her personal nightlight has to offer her.
sometimes she likes to believe that its almost in tune with how she’s feeling or maybe thats just the alcohol thinking for her. its always always empty since the light is technically unusable and the park is so close to the nicer homes in their neighborhood the noise would probably be a problem for the rich assholes shes assumes must live around there.
her issues are as follows, she has officially claimed that bench beside the light. as if stepping into her own untouched corner of the world late late into the night if not every night she will find herself sat in that cold and mercilessly hard loveseat bench long enough to lay out on if she really felt like it.
this was her seat and tonight after staring out on her balcony for an hour after one too many drinks with an obnoxious isha and jinx egging her on after she failed to call a girl she’d been hoping would call her first- she’s stood just a few feet away from her bench now long after her internal debate- completely stunned that someone is in her fucking seat.
she isnt sure whether to cry or to laugh at the sheer audacity so this is her dilemma except- well it isnt an issue for long because the second she takes a sharp breath of air to gather her thoughts the person laying snaps up in surprise and books it.
she sits there even after theyre gone to ponder the thought that maybe they just hadnt expected anyone there themself except she’s too drunk to even find the stupid bench comfortable so she takes off all but 20 minutes later. a permanent scowl and furrowed brow on her face all throughout the night.
very patiently she finds herself waiting around the next day on her balcony- an hour past the last of the moving trucks that drive by before she takes off towards the park.
shes slower when she approaches the end of the street tonight, quietly kicking at the pebbles beneath her boots and humming some kids colors song isha had been stimming all day long.
its sort of colder than the night before she notes, fingers curled up in tight balls in the pockets of her jeans, foggy breaths fanning out an arms length away from her. she watches the lights just a bit away from her flash a vibrant purple before she catches sight of a figure. the same as before just seated now but up and gone only a second later after turning in her direction and making off a second night in a row.
it isnt like shes a scary looking girl or anything.
short as she is shes got some muscle on her but when shes out and about in her red sweater and sweats she figures she must not look all that scary.
it must be obvious shes bothered by something when she returns home a third night in a row stumped and frustrated, kicking off her boots by the front door with a groan and a slam of her bedroom door.
on the fourth night the person doesnt even bother sitting, they’re just standing there from what violet can tell as shes crouched down by a bush a bit away like a crazy person but shes persistent if anything, dedicated really. a slender figure she notes, taller by a couple inches maybe, three or four, a simple black hood and jeans. whats annoying is that they just seem to be as bored as she is. long fingertips reaching out to pluck at a daisy in a bunch of them near the sidewalk, circling the pole with their head down but without fail-everytime the light changes color they will sit on that bench, her bench and just stare at the streetlight.
vaguely she wonders if she should be a bit afraid, except shes not because she isnt a loser and she knows just about everyone so she cant help wondering why it is they keep running away but today shes going to find out why.
she moves like a cat with almost as much patience as one when she moves along the bushes quietly and quickly from behind, entire body frozen the moment she catches an irregular movement from them, moving forward when shes sure they wont be turning around to catch her.
its a miracle she gets as close as she does without so much as a peep but shes panicking now, palms wet as the sweat along the back of her neck, dripping past her temples despite the cold.
before she can chicken out she makes one last step from behind them, a single anxious breath and its too late for them to snap around she thinks- except shes wrong -shes so wrong. somehow in the second it takes her to exhale they’ve whipped around and caught her by her outreached hand.
in the time it takes her to blink they’ve got a solid hold on her, grasping violets entire arm now with two hot hands, yanking violet down towards their body in a flash and throwing her body weightlessly over the bench onto the ground in front of them.
it knocks all of the breath out of her in one swift motion, body bouncing off the concrete with a sick crack that echos until the next street over and profanities violet cannot recall if you paid her the- pain could not be described.
shes just managed to reach around and cup the back of her head after sitting up before shes found herself at the foot of the figure towering over her now.
“what-the-actual fuck-”
“you shouldnt just sneak up on people god are you insane?” voice high and pleasant as the sun breaking dawn.
there are revelations shes having this very moment, a few that go over her very injured head like the shade of blue the lights have turned which is weird since shes not exactly sad and theyre never ever blue. shes just been thrown on her ass so its within her right to be angry but she is far from angry. this girl, the biggest revelation, is for some reason calling her insane, with an english accent she cant fathom on top of everything. theres a lot going on, so she isnt so much in pain as she is confused and a little in awe.
“nothing to say?” she is visible exasperated at violet, black hoodie falling around her small shoulders when she takes a step away, leaning down to face violet head on now. her hair is dark, so dark violet nearly mistakes it for black before realizing it must just be the lights but her eyes- blue as the ocean and bright and narrowed and oh wow those cheekbones-
“hello? are you concussed? or just psychotic?”
thats the one shakes her, blinking wildly up at this beautiful, frankly a bit scary girl whos now completely knelt down to wave her hands in violets face.
“if i was it’d be your fault ya know-” she starts, knees and elbows cracking as she leans back on her hands to squint at the girl before giving up seeing her any better, groaning and lugging herself up onto the bench.
“well strangers dont usually approach people as you have-”
“and i’ve gotten tossed around for less but hey- i wouldnt exactly say thats a rash form of reaction on your part, cupcake.”
“i cant believe you’re blaming me -have you any idea of the time-” she trails on, expectant.
“vi.” the pink haired girl manages back, a deep sigh and a tilt of her head towards the back of the bench where shes sat upright. “wouldnt guess you’d like to share your name now would you?”
“i’ll pass.” she answers, arms stiff and shoved roughly into her hood pockets before she bounces upwards once on the heels of her feet with a nod and a quip, “glad we got a chance to meet then.”
“i’ve been seeing you here stranger.” vi starts, kicking one leg over the other with a hiss and a hand pressed into the small of her back to ease the ache, its throbbing painfully. “got bad news for you.” she has to yell since she’d been watching the girl walk off before she’d even finished her sentence. at this she stop in her tracks and turns around slowly from a foot away, just enough to catch what vi is saying with that same pointed expression. its cute.
“bad news?”
“this bench here-its mine. you’ve been layin around my precious seat for days now without so much as a word but you’ve seen me-”
“the seat doesnt say your name -” the girl argues back sarcastically.
“ah but it does .” vi follows up with a shit eating grin and a wave of her index finger, watching the girl move closer then, eyes trailing after her hand before she points right at the left arm rest of the bench.
“vi-o-let.” in bold pink letters clear as ever under the streetlights, the girl only takes a second to glance down where vi is showing off to her now, hands crossed over her chest and an exasperated roll of her eyes.
“well i couldnt have known we hadnt spoken-”
“but you know now. ”
“and it doesnt make any difference i’ll sit where i’d like.” and she does this with a stubborn upward point of her chin and a loud seat just beside vi, eyes challenging and unimpressed with the smile that spreads across the shorter girls face.
“suit yourself.”
“i will.”
“that attitude doesnt suit that pretty face of yours.” vi says offhandedly, bunching up the ends of her sweater sleeve in her hands. the girl laughs at her then, head shaking profusely like she cant believe vi or any of the things that she says without much filtering. the line of her nose is practically perfect vi considers, watching her shoulders shake a little when she laughs, a soft strand of indigo fallen just over her shoulder from out her short ponytail. and she’s red all over because of the cold. from the tip of her button nose, all along the highs of her cheekbones and the ends of ears. small and unpierced and endearingly elf shaped.
“-ver met anyone like you before.”
“huh?” vi tries with a shake of her head doing her best to remember they’re been talking, right.
“i’ve just moved here. i couldnt have known.”
vi isnt sure why she cant quite make out what the girl must be feeling now. it might be the fact that from what shes seen up until now this girl seems to be about as stubborn as her, if not more so. unafraid to fire back at vi but unable to comprehend the flirtatious sarcasm in half the things violet says.
she doesnt really know her but she can tell that she isnt going to fight her about this any longer, a sudden silence and far away look in her gaze when she stares up at the light, blue cast shining against her dark hair. its just a bit frustrating. shes bummed for some reason, violet guesses.
“getting married off or something?”
“i wish.” she mutters wistfully, head falling, eyes catching the twitch in vi’s fingers resting on her own thigh.
“go to school or anything?”
“in a few weeks or so when the start of the new year is in. but you-why do you ask?”
“i just like to know people. i live a block away.”
“oh-”
“i like to come here- to exist.” violet says with a shrug and the same amount of honesty the girl beside her is offering up. it isnt her favorite thing in the world, being open but oh well who else to be too unthinking with if not a complete stranger.
“its-different for sure.”
“its dark and quiet.” vi says simply, looking over to find the girl watching the light flicker once and fade to red. “not much to think about when theres no one else around.”
“like im the only person alive.” she says to violet but not really, poking at the holes in the bench beneath her hands with her head turned away. her neck is long and pale and a whiff of something floral flutters past vi when the girl turns to face her, hair flung over her shoulder.
“i-if only. maybe i wouldnt have gotten thrown around-”
“you scared me.” she hisses at vi, eyes refusing to meet the shorter girl who’s cursing with her hands on her back, hunched over in her best attempt to stand tall or to stand at all really.
“i find that hard to believe.”
the girl snorts at her.“you’re quite insufferable.”
“that isnt the right word. try playful? or charming or hm-”
“antagonizing. that suits you.”
“funny way to say irresistible but i’ll take it.”
“i didnt say that!” she groans turning away from violet completely and the pink haired girl cant help grinning at the little huff of cold air and stomp of her foot at all of violets teasing.
“right well, i better get to bed. if i cant walk tomorrow just know-you’ll be hearing from me, dollface-”
“ caitlyn. ” she tells her in a rush, refusing to face her still,“no more nicknames please.”
“oh darn. i thought that one was cute.” violet fires back, already making off in the direction she’d come from at the start of their meeting, hoping to catch a glance from caitlyn before she could no longer see her face. to her surprise she finds that in the distance she can make out caitlyn turned to watch her go.
its painfully obvious that something is off the next day.
with vi that is, having limped back and into the house at a timely 2:26am and sleeping till noon to combat the soreness throughout the entirety of her backside-vander first prods at her during lunch that she seems anxious.
“anxious?”
“itchin for something.” jinx adds, scooping up a pestering isha who’d been poking at vi’s back and watching for her reactions carefully.
“m’just tired.” she mutters watching isha escape from jinx’s grasp and run right back over to her, crawling into vi’s lap with a worried glare and a pinch to her left cheek. accusing.
“whatever you say, sis.”
throughout the rest of her day she finds herself wondering.
what she should do about her dirty sweater from the night before, whether or not to wear an extra layer of clothing underneath her new one in case she’s tossed around for a second night in a row. if she should go at all and think better of her choice in social interactions. if she should bring a heat pack for the taller girl.
doing her best to guess just how much taller she was and exactly what shade of blue her hair might be had she gotten a good look in white light, or maybe in the daytime-before she’d realized she’d passed a good bit of her time thinking about all the unimportant consistencies she’d been indulging in up until now.
promised calls to certain girls, watching the moving trucks from her balcony at the same time during each day. nothing held her interest quite like a certain dark haired stranger she’d wondered endlessly about. vi would press her today, about stupid things like a last name and a reason the her sudden sadness. what school she might be off to. what her reason for such dark clothes was. what she got up to when she wasnt swinging people over her shoulder and sneaking off at night to sit in violets seat except today-she was not sitting in violets seat.
vi waited around for what seemed like hours-in reality she’d hung out on the bench for about two hours. messed with the big button on the light. trimmed a patch of grass off the pathway with her hands for so long they turned green. eventually when the heat of all the hot packs combined fading away completely registered she stalked home without another thought.
she was sure caitlyn would be back tomorrow maybe. she had no clue what kind of things caitlyn must have been up to throughout her days to assume her schedule out of sheer habit.
she would not let this bother her. she wouldnt think of caitlyn any longer.
she would busy herself with things that took up her own day, drawing for hours with isha and combing and braiding a drunk and freshly showered jinxs hair at her request. cleaning her room. doing her laundry. changing the patches on her sore back. showering. buying more heat packs. caitlyn should be there, violet convinced herself, baited breath as she turned the corner of her street the next night and stared down towards her familiar spot.
the closer she got the messier the feeling-the sheer disappointment flooding her before she took a hopeless seat on her bench with what felt like a brick or two or ten million in the pit of her stomach.
tomorrow.
maybe tomorrow she would show.
passing by her balcony the next morning in search for a bit of normality in the moving trucks it was then that she realized it’d been a couple days since they’d come by at all.
whatever.
she didnt care.
“whats up your butt.” jinx pressed a day later, yanking at a few strands of violets hair as she made her way past her sister towards their kitchen for breakfast.
violet groans, half awake and irritated, “why are you so-”
“perceptive.” jinx says. jinx is right. vi wishes she wasnt.
“ annoying.”
“well i had to have learned it from someone -“
“vander. definitely.”
“vi.” jinx sighs with a raised brow and a seat on the countertop in the dimly lit kitchen. a mess of snacks and colored pages on the refrigerator. shoes strung along the wall beside the short auburn dinner table.
“i’m-im just-ugh.”
something about jinx she has always appreciated and equally despised is her ability to really see the people around her. shes awfully good at reading and reacting to those in their little family. when she’d been younger she’d been erratic and unable to handle the emotions others seemed to put off. for sometime violet was careful around jinx having realized it might have been too much to handle all your own and everyone else's feelings but she’d noticed it seemed to make jinx happy when she could provide some sort of comfort to the people she read. she would push and pick apart at vi’s exterior time and time again, cradle her heart in her arms when she got to the bottom of whatever the problem may be.
she was too good at being a sister.
an obnoxious and observant one at that.
“it isnt a big deal,” violet says, leaning back into the edge of the countertop besides jinx with a bowl of cereal in her hands, head fallen. “just met someone. thought i’d see them again.”
“well who says you wont. got her number?”
“nope. never got that far.”
“its not like you to act like such a whiny baby, vi. is she hot?”
“shut up.”violet laughs, failing to stay upset any longer and jinx ruffles her hair then. shes hopping down from the counter and stood just before her sister the next minute, kicking her calf lightly.
“she’ll come around. she’d be an idiot not to come back to you.”
she tells her this like a promise. kind and reassuring in the small smile she offers up, purple eyes undeniably certain. and it does something for vi, like shes smoothing out all the anxious wrinkles in her brain or rubbing along the planes of her shoulders with a cold but comforting hand. shes always been too good at this.
“shes pretty.” violet chalks up, watching jinx as she wanders off, give her a half hearted wink and blow her a kiss before the pink haired girl is left alone in the kitchen.
a week passes and violet stops waiting around now.
without any ill intent vander sits her down one night just chatting her up about the start of school and her growing attitude, all the distance she’d put between the two of them.
but she’d already talked and talked to jinx and even isha- in a sour mood and awfully unwilling to recount the details of her little run in she refuses to talk to him any longer, making for her room without a slam from her door because vander doesn't deserve that. but he seems to get not to press the issue any further and he doesn't ask her for any answers a day later when he servers her breakfast. a warm smile. a brief hug into her side and before she can breathe in the musky pine-y scent from his sweater hes pulled away.
“im going.” violet says matter of factly that night, sat halfway over the rails of her balcony with isha in her doorway, shaking her head at violet. disapproving. disappointed.
after her hug from vander she’d spent the rest of her day sulking and drinking in her room with a pissed off air about her. isha had made several attempts to distract her and interact with violet all of which had fallen pitifully like a popped balloon.
violet is perhaps aware that she can only see things clearly with one eye closed, hardly making it down the tree just outside her balcony patio in one piece. a tad too drunk.
she forgets to bring her bag, having planned to raid the liquor store at the far end of the street a block away from her streetlight. shes shivering in the thin gray zip up and sweats she’d made out in, muttering to herself about ishas stupid stupid antics. stumbling over her own feet several times with her head fixed down, focused on just walking in a straight line, just getting there.
it feels like forever before she manages to get to that damn bench, sprawling out across it long ways, covering her eyes in hopes that when she opens them again the light will be blue again.
she gets distracted by a burning feeling in her chest from all the alcohol. shes very in tune with the rise and fall of each passing breath its so quiet out she feels like she should be relaxed here but shes just lonely.
“vi?”
it takes her a second, to peak out from beneath her arm up at the cloaked figure- theres two of them so she shuts one eye and thats much better.
“cupcake.” she slurs with a content sigh at the sight of the taller girl stood behind the bench, slightly bent over it to make out vi’s drunken faces at her.
violet wonders if she’s smiling as wide as she imagines she is. as wide as she feels , damn cheeks rising against her will and betraying her.
“you dont seem well.” caitlyn muses, arms bunched under her chin to support her head from where she rests casually along the bench, head tilted curiously towards violet.
“im fine now. ” a giggle and a bat of her lashes towards the taller girl. shes perfect now.
“right. how much have you had to drink? ” caitlyn presses.
“um- a lot. a fair amount.”
“why?” caitlyn asks her, seemingly unbothered by violets drunken state but she keeps twitching when vi twists and turns and gets too close to the edge of the bench.
“i was bored.” violet lies, sobering up the longer she finds herself yapping about the events of her day.
“do you always drink when you’re bored?”
“just when im lonely.” violet whispers without thought, hoping with all of her might that caitlyn hadnt heard her.
when she sits up she does so entirely too fast, a small whine leaving her accidentally when shes sat upright and her back aches from having laid on the bench too long, vision spinning violently.
violet thinks for one fearful second that she will in fact be falling off of this bench, entire body swaying and tilting off towards her unprotected side before shes caught in the same instant. caitlyn is fast, hands reaching out to grab hold of her sweater roughly and pull her back towards the back of the bench where she’d just been resting.
face just inches away and flushed wildly under blue lights when violet comes to and realizes caitlyn is still holding her there, the heat of her hands bleeding through vi’s sweater causing an embarrassingly obvious shiver. caitlyn searches violets face to make sure she’s alright before letting go a moment later when she’s sure the pink haired girl wont fall now. a stressed curse slips out from caitlyn, making violet laugh, low and lazy.
“what the hell. you need to go home .” caitlyn says, sighing at her.
“where have you been?” violet thinks aloud, head turning towards caitlyn with an expectant look on her face despite her unintentionally having asked. had she been sober she never would have dared to.
she doesnt know violet- she doesnt owe her anything.
and still, “unpacking-“ caitlyn begins with a breath of cold air fanning violets face when she leans back into her spot from before, head just above her arms, eyes shut in thought.
violet tries not to make it obvious that she is fact gawking at caitlyns form, the arch of her back curved inward perfectly, long legs spread just so behind her.
“we finished moving all of our things into the new house. my father wanted help with his study and to have my room finished just before the start of school which is- only about another week or so away i’d assume.”
“oh.”a perfectly reasonable answer violet thinks to herself this time. “sounds like a lot of work.”
“well with my mother gone there isnt anyone else to argue over where to leave the oven mittens in the kitchen.” she says nonchalantly, eyes flitting away anxiously like shes sure violet will ask what she means when she says gone.
“near the damn overn.” violet says instead, lips pressed into her knees in hopes of hiding her smile when she brings them up to her chest.
caitlyn laughs at her.
“i’d actually said the same thing. but he prefers them hidden away.”
“are they cute? got a matching apron too?”
“well i dont cook so it doesnt matter much.”
“ how will you ever find a husband? dont stress your poor dad any more.” violet teases, rocking back and forth in her seat, watching caitlyns expression teeter between anxious and alarmed that the shorter girl is drunkenly moving around so much.
“not really worried about that-violet!” caitlyn chides, grabbing the sleeve of her sweater again loosely and stilling the shorter girl in one motion.
“you’re not too daring are you?”
“you assume so because..?”
“you’re always like-stiff.” violet says with a lick of her lower lip and a pout, eyeing caitlyn down. the girl is hovering. but anyway violet is saying too much. shes not sober enough for this unexpected late night meeting, she was sure she’d be alone.
“this is only our second time speaking.” caitlyn points out, confused by the sudden perk upwards of violets body, head snapping towards caitlyn in surprise.
“only?”
“well. im done unpacking.” caitlyn says like it makes a whole bunch of sense but violet just shakes her head, a question at the ready.
“so you’ll be back?”
“i dont know. maybe.”
caitlyn must be embarrassed, facing away from violet in a rush only turning back towards her when violet moves with a groan and a stretch from her seat, making to stand up, falling back down against the bench without realizing. shes sobering up but she isnt quite there yet.
“cool. well-uh- see you around then.”
“your shoes are untied.” caitlyn says with a short sigh, coming around in a few graceful steps, falling to the ground just in front of violet. she ties them like its nothing. long deft fingers carefully double knotting them and flattening them out, watching the laces fall before shes stood just as easily, a hand extended towards vi.
“if you fall and break your nose on your way home that is not my fault, violet.”
“you’re like warm all the time.” vi says instead in a daze staring up at her, shuddering at the contact when caitlyn takes her by the hand hauling her to her feet. violet doesnt want to let go.
caitlyn does first, much to her dismay.
she focuses on the first step away from caitlyn who watches her without looking away once. another step, a shy wave goodbye from vi and a fierce determination not to fall on her face while walking away-she takes the trail home slow and steady.
somehow she has enough sense to just knock on the door when she gets there versus’ climbing the tree to her balcony. shes answered with an unimpressed isha at her hip holding open the door and a little peak of her tongue sticking out at vi for coming home so late. but if she notices violet giggling to herself once more before kicking her shoes off and falling into bed with a string of hopeless, “so damn warm. so so warm.” she doesnt tease her in any way, seemingly pleased that violet is much happier than she’d been the whole week before she hugs her sister goodnight.
the following day she busies herself with pointless tasks and put off chores she’d avoided for some time now. anything to get her by. to pass her time until its a chilly 56 degrees out at exactly 12:24am, thirty minutes past vanders bedtime.
she feels good. she feels like despite her best efforts her smile cannot be hidden behind the arm of her black hoodie sleeve. regardless of the cold or the walk or even the effort to get in and out of her house she is in a much better mood than she’d managed for some time now. she knows why of course, she knows she shouldn't rely so much on another person’s presence to provide the little (gigantic) bit of dopamine caitlyns talks provide her. she doesn't like her or anything its just different and interesting getting to know someone new in town, thats all.
she doubles down on this when she shows up and realizes caitlyn’s hair is down tonight, stopping just beneath her shoulder in a perfect navy curtain. it makes her look like a picture. like something vi isn't supposed to be seeing what with the way she keeps brushing her hair behind her ear, eyes glassy and distant where they’re met by the streetlights in a perfect wave of aqua blues and turquoise.
shes dressed in something more casual than all the previous times too, a white zip up today, tight fitting against her slender frame, the ends of a stripped shirt just beneath it peaking out around her wrists. black leggings with little blue designs where her ankles meet her black socks and blue shoes. unblinking, almost frozen in time when she turns to violet at the snap of a twig under her feet.
“hey stranger. you look cozy.”
“you look-better.” caitlyn says with a slight grin that violet catches before she turns away from her.
“well i feel like shit and it’s practically the next day already so cut me some slack. heads still killing me.”
“simple solution: dont drink.”
“ha very funny.”
“are you young enough to be recovering fully anyway?” caitlyn asks will full interest now, watching violet make towards the streetlight just past her and lean up against it casually just a foot away.
violet throws her a feigned groan and clasps her hand over her heart at that. “how old do you think i am.”
“well as much as you drink i’d assume about 20. 21-“
“you’re ridiculous. i do not look 20.”
“so im wrong?”
“very wrong. im a senior in a week. 18 towards the end of the school year.”
“could have fooled me.” caitlyn jests.
“and you?”
“18 in just a couple months.”
“and you’re gonna sit here and tell me you haven't had a drink?” violet asks incredulously.
“never.”
“lo-ser.” violet presses, drawn out and cheeky and utterly entertained by the face caitlyn makes at her for that.
“i am not a loser. i’d rather not be hungover actually.”
“but its fun is the thing. have you ever had any of that?”
caitlyn is not as amused, kicking at a bit of grass just beside the sidewalk beneath her feet. “i have fun.” she complains.
“how? oh yeah-“ violet begins, eyes squinting at caitlyn, “ you’re the type to turn your books in a day late cause you were bad and re-read them one-last-time.”
“i sneak out dont i?” caitlyn protests.
“well sure but what does that do for you? how is that any fun if you aren't doing anything?”
“im talking with you.” caitlyn says with her eyes locked onto violets face. she must not notice the flush of pink along her cheeks is not because of the streetlight.
“w-well i guess im loads of fun so- i see your point.” she finishes lamely, refusing to look at caitlyn.
“im not sure i’d like the taste anyway, i’ve heard its awful.” she says casually, unknownst to the fact that violet is not particularly staring down to meet her eyes as she is gazing at the little bit of spit on caitlyns lips whenever shes done speaking and licks them out of habit. violet would love a taste.
“everyones different i guess, yeah. uh-“
“what is your idea of fun if you arent drinking?”
“smoking.” vi answers back too fast, pursed lips almost as if she should feel somewhat embarrassed by these statements but shes a useless teenager so what more is there to do in such a small town.
“weed?”
“yeah?”
“what!? have you any idea the effect that might have on your health-“
“calm down princess i swear it aint everyday i do loads of boring stuff,” vi says pushing her hands a little further into her pockets its so cold out.
“i have sisters. i hang out with them and i box with my dad. i dabble in writing.im not so bad at it i think.” she admits with a scrunch of her nose. this seems to please caitlyn as she visibly relaxes into her seat. shes picking at the laces of her shoes, unaware of the blush this causes vi at the memory of the previous day.
“im an only child.”
“yeah well what do you do for fun-“
“im not exactly sure.” caitlyn answers with an unhinged amount of honesty, “i’d only started sneaking off in a bout of rebellion but i think you’re right- it isnt so terrible.”
“like any music?” vi prompts.
“not particularly.”
“gardening maybe?”
“we have a gardener.” caitlyn says shyly and violet doesnt know whether to comment on that but she figures she shouldn’t judge considering caitlyn is sharing more about herself than she needs to at the moment.
“wow. well how about any art?”
“im a terrible painter.” she replies with a heave and a hopeless flop of her head into her knees.
“you’ll find your thing, cupcake. dont sweat it.” violet reassures her, shrugging nonchalantly.
“oh you're cool. know yourself inside and out, do you?” caitlyn laughs when violet takes a seat next to her and pats her shoulder in pity.
“sorta yeah. just a girl talkin to a stranger at uh-i dont have a watch- very late at night. secret rendezvous- scandalous- ”
“dont say it like that we arent up to anything.” caitlyn protests, knocking her knee into violets side like its just something they do. all this touching. whether she notices it or not violet doesn't mind it at all.
“you mean we arent getting up to anything.” violet teases, wiggling her eyebrows at caitlyn who gasps and shoots upright from her seat.
“w-well i wouldnt put it past you.”
“awe, come back.”
“i-i’ll stand thank you.” caitlyn stutters.
“i actually should probably head off to bed soon, my little sisters first day of school is tomorrow shes kind of a wreck. promised i’d go see her off ya know.” violet mentions begrudgingly standing up from her own seat to make her way off, noticing the pinch in caitlyns brow now.
but if shes bummed she doesnt show it any, just tucking a strand of her hair behind her ear glancing away before she inquires, “will i see you tomorrow?”
“got no plans of your own?” violet asks, fumbling around in her pockets for her phone, silently reminding herself again and again to ask for caitlyns number before she goes.
“if you mean showering or sleeping-“
“no plans, cupcake. im all yours.”
“my names caitlyn.” she tries without much fervour watching violet take several steps backwards, still facing her as they finish speaking but most definitely walking away now.
“but you’re so sweet.” violet calls back, sparing the taller girl a peak over her shoulder when shes far away enough and she finds caitlyn wandering off in the opposite direction, watching her go like always.
when shes stood at the foot of her bed all but ten minutes later with her phone annoyingly lighting up the entire room from on top of her pillow she realizes yet again , she hadn't remembered to ask for caitlyns number.
“dammit.”