Chapter 4
Violet woke up the next morning and sat up. Feeling the movement beside her, she panicked. Spinning around, and almost falling off her bed, she was relieved to see it was JC in her bed and not some creep. Memories of last night flooded her mind and she smiled. JC had always been so good to her. However, the memories stopped as soon as she felt the shooting pain through her head. She grabbed at it and winced in pain. Falling back down on the bed, Violet kept her eyes closed and rubbed her temples in small circles.
“Ow, ow, ow.”
“Hangover?”
“Major.” She whimpered.
“Come on. I have a concoction for that.”
“Ok.”
“But first, you wouldn’t happen to have an extra large t-shirt I could wear or anything, would you?”
“Yeah.” She got up and slowly made her way over to her dresser and pulled out a guy’s old navy shirt and pajama pants. “Here.”
“Oo thank you. I just didn’t want to go out there half naked again. I know you have a roommate.”
“Yeah. And what would she think if a guy came out of my room in just his boxers? You none-the-less.”
“Yeah. Come on.” He grabbed her hand and pulled her to her kitchen. Violet immediately sat down at the table and leaned over, putting her head on top of her hands which lied on the table. As soon as JC started the blender, Violet screamed in protest, covering her ears.
“Sorry Vi. But it will help.”
“It better.”
“Here. Try.” He shoved a glass full of orange-ish reddish stuff in front of her face. Her face curled in disgust.
“Ew! JC, that smells nasty.”
“Just try it. It really works.” Plugging her nose, Violet took a big gulp of the thick liquid.
“Gross.” Just then, Danni made her way into the kitchen.
“Hello hello. I didn’t know we had company.”
“Yeah. D, you remember JC, right?”
“Yes I do. How you doing?”
“Fine. You?”
“Oh I’ve been better.”
“How’d the talk go last night?”
“Eh. It was ok. I still don’t know where this relationship is headed besides the bedroom, but I really don’t care.”
“D!”
“What?”
“Don’t say that in front of company.”
“Oh JC doesn’t mind, do ya?”
“I hang around guys practically 24/7. I’m used to it. Not to mention the fact that I am a guy.”
“See?” Violet just rolled her eyes at her friends. “Anywho, I didn’t know you two were a couple.”
“Excuse me?” JC said, a little too fast, and loud, just as Violet choked on JC’s concoction.
“We are not a couple.”
“Oh. I just figured since JC stayed the night and was in your clothes.”
“I just stayed to make sure she was alright. And I’m in her clothes because she threw up all over mine.”
“Oh. Sorry, I feel like an ass now.” Danni stated as her face turned a shade of crimson.
“It’s ok. I guess it could have seemed that way.”
“Yeah.” there were a few minutes of silence but Danni couldn’t take it anymore.
“So, what are you guys up to today?”
“I’m probably gonna go to J’s. Spend some more time with him before they leave for tour.”
“Oh.”
“Oh he’s probably worse than me.”
“What do you mean?”
“J was wasted last night, kinda like Vi here. But add that with hating mornings to begin with and throw in a hangover.”
“Ah, I see.”
“Well, I’m gonna go take a shower.”
“I’ll go throw my clothes in the dryer.”
~*~
“And where have we been all night?” Lance inquired when JC walked into the house. Seeing very well that he was still in his clothes from the prior night.
“With her.” He said nonchalantly, pointing the woman behind him. “I’m gonna go take a quick shower.”
“So, anything happen with ya?” Joey asked, wiggling his eyebrows up and down and the bright red Violet.
“If you mean puking all over one of your friends, then yes.”
“Yuck! I did not need that image.” Violet laughed as Joey kept making faces.
“That’s why he didn’t come back last night. I puked all over his clothes so he threw them in the wash and hopped in the shower.”
“Ahh, I see.”
“Yeah. The terror up yet?” She plopped down on the couch and stole the television remote away from Joey.
“Hey! now I was watching that.”
“You’re right. You was.” She smirked.
“Wench.”
“Drama queen.”
“Bitch.”
“Man slut.”
“Woman slut.”
“No, you got me confused with Miss Anderson.”
“Oh yeah. Oh well, I love ya anyways.”
“Oh I love you too Joey!” Her voice thick with sarcasm. “Anyway, he up yet?”
“No. And I’m really not looking forward to when he gets up either.”
“Yeah, well, whatcha gonna do?” Just then they heard a crash and a loud “Fuck!”
Joey and Violet just looked at each other while simultaneously saying, “He’s up.”
“You wanna go?” Joey just shook his head vigorously. “Great! Leave it up to the girl!”
“Hey, you’ve known him longest.”
“Whatever.” She made her way into the kitchen and got a glass of water and two pills and took them up to Justin’s bedroom.
“Knock knock. Whoa! Sorry, didn’t mean to scare ya J.” Violet said after seeing Justin practically leap out of his skin at the added presence in the room.
“Oh hey Vi. What you doing here?”
“I wanted to hang out with ya’ll before you gotta leave on tour again.”
“Oh.”
“Here. You look like hell.”
“Thanks. Don’t feel much better either.” He took the two pills gratefully then took a long look at his friend.
“What? You’re starting to give me the creeps.”
“You had way more to drink than me, and yet, you look and seem fine.”
“JC made me some concoction of his this morning when we got up. It really does the trick. Here, I’ll go get him to make it for you too.”
Before Justin had a chance to respond, Violet was out the door and making her way down the hall to JC’s room.
“This morning? He stayed the night?” Justin asked himself, clearly confused by what she meant, and what may have happened. “JC would not take advantage of her the way she was. It wouldn’t happen. He’s not like that at all.” That’s right Justin, you keep telling yourself that.
Justin threw on his shirt and went down the hall to find out what exactly had gone on the night prior. What he found, he was not expecting, at all. JC was walking around his room wearing only a towel that had been tied loosely around his waist. Violet was just slipping off her top as Justin got to the doorway. Shaking his head in disbelief, he turned on his heel and made his way downstairs as fast as his legs would carry him.
“I’m really sorry about that, Vi.”
“It’s ok JC. Don’t worry about it.” She handed JC the now soaked shirt and took the dry one from his hands. She couldn’t do it fast enough though. JC saw what was on her arm. He was wondering why she had been wearing a long sleeve shirt in the middle of summer in Los Angeles. She was about to turn away to slide the shirt on when he grabbed her arm. Staring blankly into her eyes, Violet didn’t know what to do.
“Are you ok, Jace? You’re starting to scare me.” He blinked a couple times before realizing he had to say something. He just couldn’t let it go.
“What is this?”
“What’s what?” She asked innocently. She knew exactly what he was talking about, but hoping he would drop it if she played stupid well enough. No such luck.
“This.” He turned her arm a little and pointed to the cut on her arm. The cut being among many scars. How could he have not noticed before?
Violet ripped her arm away from JC’s strong grip and pulled the large t-shirt over her head.
“It’s nothing.”
“I don’t call that nothing, Vi.”
“Well I do! I just burned myself on the stove. That’s all.”
“No that’s not all. And don’t you turn away from me.” He grabbed her arm again.
“Stop it! Don’t touch me.” He quickly let go of her arm upon seeing how scared she looked.
“Violet, you know you can talk to me, about anything. What’s going on? What are you doing to yourself?”
Violet looked at JC’s worried eyes. She could talk to him about anything and everything, she knew it. But this, it was different. She didn’t think anyone would understand. They’d probably begin to think she was suicidal or something and try to put her in a program. Over her dead body.
JC watched as Violet hugged herself and looked around the room, seemingly to avoid his eyes. He took a step closer to his scared friend and carefully placed a hand on her cheek.
“Hey, hey. Don’t cry.”
“I’m sorry JC. I can’t.”
“I won’t judge you, Vi. You can trust me.”
“I know.” Her voice was just above a whisper and her whole body shook as tears slipped down her cheeks, JC’s thumbs gently wiping them away.
“Come here.” With that, Violet threw her arms around JC’s neck and hugged him for dear life. The entire time, thoughts flooded her mind about how right she felt in his arms. She ran her hand up and down his bare back as she softly cried into his neck.
JC just stood there, holding onto her. He would be there for her as long as she needed him to be.
Against her better judgment, Violet pulled away from JC and wiped her tear stained cheeks. “I’m sorry. You don’t need this. I shouldn’t bring my problems on you.”
“Violet, I’m always here for you. It’s not a burden like you think it is. I love it when you talk to me. I hope you know you can talk to me and I won’t tell a soul if you don’t want me to.”
“You’re a great friend, JC.”
“Do you wanna talk about it?” She just nodded her head, again wiping her cheeks.
“Ok, sit and don’t move. I’ll be right back. I need to get dressed.”
“Ok.” She replied softly, sitting down in the middle of his rather large bed.