Generation 2, Chapter 9
'Just keep walking' I told myself. If I turned around I might do something stupid and I think I'd done enough stupid for one lifetime. With barely a pause, I pushed forward, not turning to greet him or even say goodbye.
"Violet, come on!" he was coming after me. Why was he coming after me?!
I punched the elevator button again and tapped my foot impatiently. "Come on!" I hissed under my breath. I heard the ding of it's arrival just as his hand landed on my shoulder. "Mirage - seriously...just let it go!" I practically shouted as I spun around to face him.
Only it wasn't Mirage at all. His face looked a little hurt and a lot confused.
"Nepal!" I screeched and threw my arms around his neck. "What are you...? Why...? I'm so glad to see you!" And then I kissed him....I told you I'd do something stupid if I turned around.
In the few seconds of our greeting, the elevator doors had opened and admitted a older lady who was now watching the whole scene with a disapproving look. She took in the kiss and the fact that Nepal was wearing only a towel (a fact which I'd missed until she brought it to my attention).
"And just what are you two doing out here in the hall?" she used her cane to accent her words. "Why in my day..."
"Ma'am..."
"Hush up you!"
"Parading around wearing only a towel...disgraceful!" Despite her words, I thought I saw her lips curl into a small smile for a second before it disappeared.
"I was trying to catch up to her is all...I didn't have a chance..." Nepal was trying not to laugh as he explained and I was just cringing.
"What? To put on clothes! Disgraceful!" she waved her cane at us again before turning from us - the riot act apparently over.
My cheeks were flushed as I turned toward Nepal, completely embarrassed. "Well that was..."
I heard a faint chuckle from the direction of the older lady and turned back but she was already gone; into her own room no doubt.
"Strange." Nepal finished. "Why don't we go back to my room now?"
"Yeah..." I said with a nod, my gaze lingering on the spot where the woman had been before. "Let's." I followed Nepal back to his hotel room and as soon as the door clicked shut behind me, I fell into his waiting arms.
"You alright Vi?" he asked, concern etched across his face.
"No...not really." I said with a pitiful smirk.
"But I have a question..." I said, diverting the subject.
"I bet you have more than one." He said with a smile. "I went to your apartment last night - looking for you. Your roommate told me where you were."
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Nepal's Point of View, the night before
It was impossible to hide my annoyance when I walked into the bar and saw her dancing with Mirage of all people. While she'd never told me the details, it hadn't taken much to piece together the facts over time. I hung back, staying in the shadows so she wouldn't see me, as they drank and danced. I almost left - I would have left if it were any less important. But I had to see her, I had to tell her. So I waited.
"So Vi..." Mirage was a smooth drunk. He'd put back at least a dozen drinks but he was stable on his feet and nearly unaffected - except he became more handsy with each drink. "How 'bout you and I...." he leaned forward. To her credit, Violet was coherent enough to dodge his move and say no.
"Been there, done that, got the t-shirt - soooo not interested Mirage." Violet said. Mirage was never one to take rejection well but he tried to brush it off before trying again.
When she got up on the counter to dance I was both afraid and amused. I couldn't take my eyes off her so I was the one who caught her when her heel slipped over the edge and she tumbled from the counter. She looked confused as she looked into my eyes but with a small smile, she closed her eyes and after assuring myself that she was fine, I set her down by the bar and turned toward Mirage.
"Hey get your hands off my girl!" he said, puffing out his chest.
"Your girl? Hardly! She doesn't seem particularly interested in you....or were you planning to drug her again?" His eyes flared with fear and anger before he lunged for me. I shoved him back and he was inebriated enough to stumble away from me for a second.
It was a full on brawl - just like the ones I was so often called in to break up but no cops were called before it was over. Mirage was nursing a fat lip and a quickly swelling eye in the corner as I scooped Violet up and carried her out of the bar. My arms and legs were screaming in pain as I did so but I wouldn't let Mirage see me limp.
After a block, I'd called a cab to get us back to the hotel. Violet slept from the moment I caught her until the next morning when she'd tried sneaking out of my room.
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Violet's Point of View
"He's such a berryhole!" I shook my head and cursed Mirage under my breath. "So that explains last night...thank you, for defending me and everything."
"I'll always defend you Vi." Nepal said.
I blushed and looked down at my hands. "That doesn't explain why you're here...in town I mean, though."
"Oh right...you need to come home. Your mom..." Nepal hung his head then.
I gasped and remembered all the missed calls from home over the last week, the ones I'd yet to get around to returning. "Is she...?"
"Not yet...but she's sick - really sick."
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I don't think I let go of Nepal's hand the whole way home to Sugar Valley. After I hadn't returned the calls of my Dad or my sister, he'd taken it upon himself to deliver the message personally and make sure I got home in time. "So you're a cop now?" I was trying to make small talk as the trees whizzed passed us.
"Yeah. I sort of fell into the job by chance and it suited..." he said. He didn't protest or try to pull his hand away from me.
The drive seemed to take forever but soon the familiar streets of Sugar Valley greeted us. I looked out of the windows filled with nostalgia and a twinge of regret as we drove through the town and finally pulled into the hospital parking lot.
Dad looked frail and drawn as he sat vigil by my mom's bed. He was too absorbed in his own thoughts to notice me for several minutes, allowing me to work up the strength to see them both again.
Finally Nepal tapped the ICU glass a couple times to draw his attention. Dad looked up sadly, probably expecting more doctors or nurses - the bearers of bad news. His face was quickly filled with surprise and he pushed himself out of the chair to come out.
"Violet." his voice was shallow and raspy, not at all likely I remembered it. I was suddenly faced with the fact that my parents were old - not just getting older but not likely to last much longer old.
"Daddy!" Tears were welling up in my eyes and I longed for him to reach out and hug me. To tell me everything was going to be fine and that Mom would go home soon - even if it was all a lie.
He put his arm around my shoulder and pulled me closer. "I'm glad you're home." he said sadly. "The children are in the children's waiting room one floor up." he said over my shoulder. Nepal nodded and touched my hand before departing. I started to question what was going on around me but Dad was directing me into Mom's room.
She was asleep the entire time I was there but I held her hand and talked constantly. I think I apologized at least a dozen times in the hour I sat by her bedside. "I'm sorry I left like I did Mom, I'm sorry I just cut you out...I miss you so much." I said through my tears.
"She missed you too Violet." My Dad had taken the opportunity to go home and get changed but I hadn't heard him come back in. "She was a little too stubborn to admit it but she missed you too."
"I'm..."
"I know." he gave me a smile but it didn't reach as high up as it used to, his faced was etched with age now. "You should take the kids home...I'm sure they'll be happy to see you. Cobalt hasn't stopped talking about your movie for months."
I nodded and gave him another hug as I left the ICU. Just past the nurses station I had to stop and catch my breath. My heart was hammering in my chest as I thought about everything - mostly my children - the ones I'd abandoned almost ten years before. What must they think of me?
Nepal was standing outside the door when I found the waiting room and I moved in next to him, instinctively grabbing his hand for support. "I am a terrible mother...how am I supposed to do this?"
"You just do. And you're not terrible - you weren't ready then."
"And I am now?" I asked. I didn't feel ready for anything, especially not this.
"I think you are." he said, squeezing my hand. Together we stepped into the waiting room and two pairs of curious eyes turned toward me. Cobalt's were wide with surprise and happiness but Lazuli was reserved. Even as Cobalt jumped up and ran toward me, Lazuli stayed by the block table.
She didn't say anything to me as we drove back to the house and as soon as we got home, she disappeared up the stairs. I heard a door slam upstairs and cringed.
"Well that went well." I muttered.
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The following weeks were just as awkward. Eventually Mom showed enough improvement to be released home but the doctors weren't optimistic about her long term prognosis. She spent most of her time upstairs in bed but once in awhile she insisted on coming downstairs to be with the family. She was the one who told me everything about the kids and insisted on watching dozens of home movies with me.
"Zuzu picked up walking pretty quickly..." Mom said between ragged breaths.
"That's because she was eager to get into trouble." Nepal said with a smirk. Everyone around me laughed.
I felt like a visitor in my own family. I'd been so disconnected from everyone I knew almost nothing about their lives.
"Oh here she goes..." The subject of the video, Zuli, was no where to be seen. She'd been avoiding me and all family time since I arrived.
"Nepal..." I whispered as the video paused at the end, Nepal was holding one year old Zuli high in the air and praising her.
The rest of the video watching was cut short as Mom was racked with a coughing fit.
"I think I ought to lay down for a bit." she said, visibly weaker than she had been only a moment ago. Nepal and Minsk helped her up the stairs, with Dad following not far behind.
"Can we watch my video now?" Cobalt asked, curled up next to me on the couch. Unlike his sister, he'd had forgiven me in a heartbeat and asked me about everything I'd done in the last few years. He told me about their school and friends whenever he wasn't peppering me with questions.
It was a few hours later when we heard the strangled sob from upstairs. Most of the other had gone home so it was just Nepal and I thundering up the stairs, followed closely by Cobalt and even Lazuli came out of her room.
"Daddy?!" I threw the door to their bedroom open. Mom looked completely still and peaceful. She even had a small smile on her face as if she'd been having a wonderful dream at the time. But her chest was still and her eyes didn't flutter in the least.
Everyone reached the same conclusion at the same time and crying broke out around the room. Nepal quickly left the room, already pulling his cell phone from his pocket.
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Dad didn't come out of his room much after Mom's death, leaving the rest of us to make all the arrangements. We didn't mind of course - we were all just worried for his health now. I knocked on the door to his room a couple times and waited but he never spoke up. Finally I opened the door, afraid of what I might find.
He was sitting up, his back to me. "Dad, people are starting to arrive..."
He didn't respond for some minutes but finally nodded his head and waved me away.
By the time he came downstairs, most of the family had assembled and was milling around talking about old times, about our childhoods and catching up with each other. The chatter was, naturally, disturbed by the occasional cry or sob. Mom had lived a long, happy life but she was still our mom!
Throughout the afternoon, my phone kept buzzing irately in my purse. I ignored it until I could excuse myself without making a scene and slipping into the house. As the food was served, people were mingling both inside and out so I had to get upstairs to get away from all the noise.
With annoyance, I realized the phone calls were all from my agent. She'd been pestering me since I left town and despite telling her what was going on, she continued to call me with casting calls or readings. "It's my mother's funeral for crying out loud."
"If I didn't answer the first three times, I'm not wanting to talking right now...."
"They want to do a sequel!" she squealed over my protests. "You and Mirage are cult hits..."
"How do you do a sequel to a zombie movie? And Rose died remember...?" I shook my head in confusion. The last thing I wanted to do was ANOTHER movie with Mirage.
"Doesn't matter, they want to write the whole script around you and Mirage...or rather your characters. Apparently the audience sensed some tension and are eating it up..."
"No. Tell them I'm not interested!" I cut her off as she started to protest and snapped the phone shut as my dad stumbled inside.
"It's too much Violet, I just...I need to rest for a moment alright?" Dad said, sagging onto the bed.
"Of course. I'm done..." I showed him my phone before tucking it into the small purse. "I'll come check on you in a bit. I love you Dad."
"I love you too Violet..." He looked years older in the last week - as if he'd been holding off age for awhile and gave up the fight.
I closed the door silently behind me and nearly ran into Nepal on the landing. "Where's your dad? Haiti was asking..."
"He was feeling a little overwhelmed, he's resting..." I said pointing back to the door.
Nepal nodded but didn't take his eyes off my father's bedroom door. His face was hard to read but I sensed concern. "Vi..." Somehow I knew exactly what he was thinking and turned back toward my dad's room at the same instant he started to push past me.
Like Mom, Dad looked almost happy. Still, but happy. I think the weight of the world was lifted from his shoulders as he joined Mom once again. As sad as I was to lose them both so quickly, I was happy they were together. I turned into Nepal's side and he embraced me, stroking my hair.
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Dad's funeral was planned quickly and once again the whole family came together for it. Like me, the others were sad to have lost him but happy that he was with Mom again.
Once all the people were gone and the messes were all cleaned up, I was left alone with my children for the first time pretty much since they were born. What was I supposed to do now?
I'd just gotten off the phone with the moving company when Lazuli happened by. "So now we're moving? Should have guessed!" she stomped up her way up the stairs, a ball full of anger.
"Lazuli! Stop right there!" I said as she was almost halfway up.
"Why?" she whirled around. "Ready to play house now?!" her words were full of venom and her eyes were filled with tears she refused to shed.
"Or are you gonna leave and dump us on someone else? Not like you wanted us anyway..." she continued.
"I'm sorry. I am so sorry for everything I've missed in your life and I'm sorry I left but it's just us now; you, me and Cobalt..." I said. I had no idea what to say to make her hate me less.
"And me." Nepal said, coming up behind me and putting his arm around my shoulder.
"You're not my father!" she spat at Nepal, but he didn't flinch. "I don't know who my father is but I bet he's better than her!" she pointed in my direction and I did flinch - it's hard to be verbally assaulted by your 10 year old. "I hate her!"
"Go to your room Zuli, now." Nepal said firmly. He may not be her father but he'd been in her life more than I had. He had her respect - most of the time. "You don't speak to anyone like that. You know better. Go!"
After one more glare at me, she stomped up the stairs and slammed her door. "It's a miracle that door is still on it's hinges as many times as she's slammed it lately." Nepal said with a small smile.
"She hates me." I said, tears brimming in my eyes.
"No she doesn't. She's a kid and she's angry and she's sad and her whole world is being turned upside down. She just needs time to adjust." He pulled me into a comforting hug.
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Lazuli's Point of View
As soon as I got into my room, I threw myself on my bed and sobbed. I wouldn't let HER see me cry though. Cobalt may think it's cool having an actress for a mom but mostly it sucks. And now we were moving away from Sugar Valley! I heard her making the arrangements on the phone to pack up all our stuff. I guess Uncle Haiti would be moving into this house with his family after we'd left but Mom was eager to leave again. As much as I hated her for ditching us the first time - I wish she'd do it again. I didn't want to leave!
Everything snowballed pretty quickly from there and within a few days the moving truck and new purple SUV were sitting on the lawn. Most of the furniture was staying in the house for Uncle Haiti and Aunt Summer but our stuff and clothes were packed up and being moved out but a team of burly berries. "So it's true then." Turq and Lotus were dressed in their school uniforms - no doubt on their way to school.
"Yeah, Violet's making us move." I said. I'd recently started calling her by her name instead of Mom just because I saw how much it bugged her.
"Where to?" he asked, kicking at the rocks beneath his feet.
I just shrugged. "Back to the city I guess - she was living in Torea Bay before so I assume that's where."
"Well...call me when you get there...." he looked at the ground awkwardly. "I'll miss you and all..."
If I'd been a normal girl - ya know the non-tomboyish type - I'd probably be swooning over the fact that Turq would miss me. Fact is, there was a little bit of that normal girly-ness in me and I felt my stomach flutter a bit. "Sure..." Then I reached out and hugged him. Just a couple weeks ago he'd asked me to the school dance (as a friend) and I'd teased him mercilessly before saying yes. Now we'd never even get that far.
"Well..."
"yeah..."
"We better get going Turq." Lotus said from the sidewalk. "We're gonna be late as it is..."
"See ya..." they both said with pathetic waves at us.
"This sucks." I muttered to Cobalt.
"It won't be so bad..." he said, always the optimist.
"Yeah right. Why did she ever have to come back?"
"She's our MOM Zuli!" Cobalt turned and headed into the house.
"Whatever."
End Chapter
Generation 2 is coming close to wrapping up which means it's that time again! Who shall lead the Dust family in this new generation?
Will it be Lazuli Dust?
Lazuli, or Zuli to most, is a firey young lady who is harboring a pretty big chip on her shoulder in regards to her mother. Can she forgive Violet for abandoning them so long ago or will the gap just grow bigger between mother and daughter?
Current life stage: Child
Traits: absent minded, virtuoso, friendly
Or will it be Cobalt Dust?
Unlike his twin sister, Cobalt isn't particularly angry with his mom right now. He's got a pretty forgiving nature. He's unerringly loyal to Lazuli though and feels it's his responsibility as her brother to protect her - not that she'd ask for his protection or admit to needing it ever.
Current life stage: Child
Traits: brave, hates the outdoors, artistic
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Have camera, will travel!
Lazuli, Lotus, Cobalt, Turq
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You can vote in comments or on the poll to the right. Thanks!
Generation 2, Chapter 8
Lazuli's Point of View
"I don't know Zuli..." Cobalt was looking rather queasy as we walked home from school that afternoon. I'd been telling him, in all the glorious details, about the upcoming frog dissections in biology. Any minute now he was going to throw up his lunch in the neighbor's bushes.
I shifted uncomfortably under the uniform sweater and thought longingly of my t-shirts at home. "I swear Cobalt! Next week Mr. Tangerine said we'd be pairing up and then he showed us all these slides! It was ghastly...and yet...not." I grinned. Cobalt was a brave kid - went along with just about everything I tried out of some twisted brotherly affection - but he had a weak stomach.
Lotus and Turq were already sitting on our front steps by the time we got home. They said they knew a shortcut and Turq and I made a bet about who would get home first. Of course given that Lotus was still trying to catch his breath, it's possible they ran the entire way. The four of us went inside and settled around the dining room table to do our homework.
The four of us went everywhere together and did everything together. Grandma had tried to get me involved in a girl's club of some sort a few months ago but I refused to go because the boys weren't "allowed". Besides, all the girls did was gossip and makeovers! No. Thank. You. So instead I joined the Berry Scouts. I was the only girl in Sugar Valley to EVER join the troop but after I showed up just about every boy in troop, they couldn't really refuse me. Cobalt joined with me - though I know he hated it. He wasn't really the outdoorsy type - Grandma says he takes after Mom in that respect. I wouldn't know seeing as she ditched us when we were babies.
After all the homework was done, we ran out into the yard to play until Grandma called us for dinner. "Okay Zuli - you lost the bet...time to pay up!" Turq said with a smirk.
Lotus and Cobalt both groaned but I shrugged. "Doorbell ditch?" I asked, practically reading his mind.
Turq nodded, "Doorbell ditch!" He scanned our neighbors' windows and houses until he picked the one place even I had never pranked. "Wonder if the ole colonel is in tonight? Only one way to find out!" And he took off toward old Colonel Frost's house.
Colonel Frost was probably the most cankerous men in all of Sweetland. He was retired military but had never really given up the regime and lifestyle. He was fastidious about his yard in particular and was known to turn the hose on kids who strayed just a bit too close to his finely tailored grass.
"This is a bad idea" Lotus whispered. They could have watched from the safety of our own yard but Cobalt, ever the loyal brother, had dragged Lotus along and Turq was always up for a bit of trouble.
Without a word to them, I started up the walkway, trying to stay out of the door's line of sight. Of course the Colonel had large glass doors so that was pretty much impossible without walking in the yard. The yard that was very likely wired with some sort of alarm...or explosive. The closer I got, the more I had to agree with Lotus. But ya know, I was a bit stubborn - a trait my Grandma also attributed to my mother - and refused to let Turq see me back down from a challenge. The stairs creaked under my weight and my breath caught with each movement I made.
There was no way to hide from the light spilling out of the glass door so I just had to hope the Colonel wasn't looking this way at this particular moment...he would be soon enough though. With a quick gulp of air, I pressed down the doorbell and flew off the porch, bypassing the creaking stairs completely. The boys were already on the run as I hit the sidewalk and I couldn't blame them.
I heard the door squeal open just as I turned around to the side of the yard. He could still see me if he stepped only a touch out of his house. Ignoring the cramp in my calf, I ran faster, hoping beyond hope that he looked the other way first...
The boys were panting on the steps as I ran up to them. Turq let out a whoop and Lotus rolled his eyes. Cobalt chuckled and patted the spot beside him on the steps so I could catch my own breath.
"So...think he saw you?" Turq asked, leaning back against the railing casually.
"Not sure, didn't stop to look back." I said.
"Good thing too, he may have set the dogs on ya." Lotus said a little grumpily. If anyone were ever going to leave our little group it would be Lotus. I think he only hung around because of Cobalt.
"Well I think you're King of the Doorbell Ditch!" Cobalt said with a laugh.
"King?! She's a GIRL!" Lotus was exasperated.
"Maybe so, but I could still beat you - any time." I grinned at him but he didn't return my smile. After a moment of silence we all went inside where dinner was waiting for us.
"And who is the King of tonight's feast?" Grandma asked once we'd all finished our plates. All their eyes turned toward me and I grinned. As "King of the feast", I was exempt from cleaning up the night's dishes - a tradition that seemed to have started before I could even remember. After everything was cleaned up, it was time to preside over my court, so to speak. Grandma and Grandpa were happy to get in on the act as we paraded around the house and climbed on the dining room furniture.
"Just be careful..." Grandma always cautioned us. "I think the four of you are getting a little too old to be climbing on the table though..."
"Ahh Grandma..."
"No no, she's right...you can preside over court from the ground." Grandpa chimed in, helping us climb down.
On the whole, she was the best Grandma ever. She was always up before dawn working in her garden so she had breakfast waiting for us when we woke up. I don't think she would have stood for us going to school without breakfast. "It's the most important meal of the day" she informed me as she placed a plate of french toast in front of me.
And as long as our homework was done and we came back for supper - she and Grandpa trusted us not to get into trouble...well not MUCH trouble at any rate. Perhaps their trust was a little foolish given the circumstances.
We spent a lot of the afternoons alternating between Peppermint Pier and the park. By we I mean Lotus, Turq, Cobalt and I of course. Despite his often sour attitude and growing need to remind the world that I was, in fact, a girl - Lotus was usually an okay person to hang around with. On his happier days he could come up with the best games.
It was near dark and I was in the middle of a high flying contest with Turq when the idea struck me. Once I was relatively certain I wouldn't break my leg, I let go of the swing and land in a small plume of sand. "I have an idea!" I said triumphantly.
Lotus shook his head and groaned but I could see the corners of his mouth twitch up a bit. Cobalt sighed "That can't be good for us."
"I'm in." Turq said, landing beside me with ease. I was a little sad I'd missed seeing his dismount but brushed it aside.
"You don't even know what it is." I pointed out.
He just shrugged. "Don't care. I'm always in." he said with a smirk.
"Good! Let's go!" I was off and running without explaining, leaving the others to decide if they wanted to follow along or not. Thankfully they all did!
"Suppose you tell us why we're standing outside the school now." Lotus said, his good mood seemed to be fading by the second.
"The frogs! We're gonna release the frogs!" I said proudly.
"Why?"
"Because we can...and they're gonna get dissected tomorrow so we'd be saving their little frog lives..."
"I thought you wanted to do the dissection?" Cobalt pointed out.
"Well I do...but I also wanna see Principal Sunshine's face when a frog jumps out at her." I replied with a giggle.
"Okay then, let's go!" Turq was always my biggest supporter in these adventures and Cobalt was my brother so I had my back up.
Getting into the school was surprisingly easy. Nothing was locked up except the offices really so we just had to avoid the cleaning crew. Thankfully a little recon revealed that they were busy in the new wing at the moment so we were good to go.
"On of these days I'm going to regret following you Zuli." Cobalt said with a laugh. He then popped open the top of the tank while I climbed up on a chair and started scooping the slimy critters out.
"Maybe...but not today!"
"You're assuming the cleaning crew won't get them all overnight ya know." he said, raining on my gleeful imagination.
"Point...we'll have to do something to make sure they don't...." After scooping them all out into a plastic bucket we'd borrowed from one of the cleaning closets, we deliberated on where best to let them loose.
"Library." Lotus said with a mischievous smile. "They librarian is one of the last to arrive but they clean it first since it doesn't need much usually. By the time it's opened, half the school will probably be here...it'll be chaos!"
"Perfect!" And so we set the plan in motion and then made a run for it!
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For the first time in years, Lotus and Turq had been sent away by Grandpa. He didn't really offer an explanation, "Just not today kids. Maybe tomorrow will be another day." He looked a little tired as he said it and disappeared upstairs.
Without them, homework was done and Cobalt and I were just plain bored. There was nothing on TV and every suggestion I made was shot down. "I'm going to go do...something." I said standing up and looking around the living room helplessly.
"What?"
"Don't know...but something. You can sit there and sulk..." I hurried away, sure he'd follow but for once...he didn't. It took awhile before I settled on something to do and then it took even more time to rig the sink. I was sure I'd be interrupted by Grandma coming in to make dinner at any moment but by the time it was all done, she was nowhere in sight. I returned to the living room to wait; Cobalt kept looking at me curiously but I offered nothing. To my surprise, Grandpa was the one to come down to make dinner though...but he'd work just as well. I grabbed Cobalt by the wrist and dragged him behind me, shushing him all the way.
We had to wait while Grandpa pulled out a number of things to cook and kept ducking out of sight but then the moment came when he moved to wash the vegetables...
Cobalt's eyes were wide and then we both started giggling as Grandpa sputtered in the water and attempted to shut it off.
When the water finally stopped spraying Cobalt grabbed me and yanked me away from the archway just as Grandpa turned around and would have seen us.
Of course we didn't consider the fact that he may have HEARD us. A few shouts later and we could hear the click of his cane on the fine wood flooring. "Cobalt! Lazuli!"
I grimaced but stood with Cobalt and looked up at Grandpa. "Yes?" And then he yelled at us in a way he'd never once yelled at us before. "I want you to tell me which one of you did this!"
We both stayed silent. I started to speak up but Cobalt shot me a look - I'm not sure if he wanted me to stay silent or if he was thinking I'd pin it on him but I shut my mouth and hung me head.
Dinner was downgraded to sandwiches and we were sent to clean up the puddles of water while he made them. "You could have just told him it was me..." I said quietly.
"No I couldn't." he said, fiddling with the mop again. "I'm your brother - we have to stick together." I would have hugged him if he weren't all wet and soapy.
After serving us our unglorious dinner of sandwiches, Grandpa slowly went upstairs, his shoulders slumped. Once again I noticed how tired he seemed. "Cobalt..."
"I don't know Zuli." he said, his eyes trained on Grandpa's retreating form as well. "I haven't seen Grandma all day either..."
I frowned and worried about them. It was no secret that our grandparents were far from young but it was hard to see them this way. And where was Grandma?
Neither of our grandparents came down for the rest of the night. Cobalt and I passed the time in silence, fearing what may be going on upstairs and trying to distract ourselves with the television. I think we were both too afraid to speculate out loud - as if speaking about it would give it more power.
I was barely paying attention to the commercials and in my own world of thought when Cobalt jumped out of his chair and started pointing frantically at the TV. "Hey look! It's Mom!" he was grinning from ear to ear as Mom's zombie movie commercial played. "So coooool!"
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Violet's Point of View
"Drive damnit!" I shouted as my costar landed in the back of the fake pick up truck. Mirage was at the wheel and I was loading the gun for another round. The truck roared and rumbled beneath me and I was hard pressed not to grin - I was supposed to be fleeing from zombies after all.
The zombies in question were expertly made up by a highly paid staff of artists. I don't think they could look more like zombies - ya know if zombies were real and all that. Apple and Cello were two of the "regular" zombies in the movie who seemed to have a personal mission to kill us. I don't think that was in the script exactly but we crossed paths...a lot. And then there was Jade who, I had the great pleasure in taking out in this particular scene. I had nothing against him of course...I just pretended he was Mirage and it made the whole thing so much better.
"Okay....and cut! Brilliant everyone! Let's take ten before we start the night shots..." the director called. Suddenly the zombies righted themselves and stopped groaning. They smiled and chattered as they made their way to the little catering table to grab a bite...of food, not brains obviously.
I climbed out of the truck as Mirage helped Rose out from the other side. I did my best to avoid contact with him between shots but that was pretty much impossible.
"Do you think we'll be here longer than another hour or two?" Apple asked, pulling out her phone to check the time.
"Why, hot date?" Jade teased.
Apple chuckled. "Hardly. I'd just like to de-zombiefy before I tuck my kids in tonight and it takes forever to get all this stuff off."
"You've got kids?" I asked. "How many?"
"Three - all girls." She said with a proud mommy smile. I smiled weakly at her and looked away. I probably shouldn't have spoken up at all.
"What about you Violet? You have kids?" Mirage asked, with a cocky smile on his face. Berryhole.
"Shut up Mirage," I said simply, starting to get up and head for the catering table.
"Come on Vi..." he goaded.
"I said shut up!" I whirled toward him, unfortunately this wasn't the first time we'd ended up fighting on set, nor would it be the last.
Filming could not end soon enough for my tastes. Working with Mirage - despite the opportunities I had within the script to put him in his place - was not something I wanted to ever do again.
We'd been wrapped for almost a year when the premiere finally took place. As most of it was filmed in or around Torea Bay, there was a special premiere here first.
Every second of the red carpet was specially scripted - almost more so than the movie. Mirage, Rose and I were not allowed to arrive until our allotted time so they could have all the reporters and photographers ready and draw the whole spectacle out.
Of course Mirage and Rose had become an item during the last few months so it threw a monkey wrench into their schedule. Rose absolutely refused to arrive separately from her boyfriend so the two of them arrived together in what might be considered the "peak" time.
Unfortunately Jade's driver wasn't paying much attention to the time so he and I ended up arriving at nearly the same time and every seemed to assume we were there together.
After the flashes died down, I was yanked away from Jade by someone and pushed toward where Mirage and Rose were standing for a group picture. Rose pouted and then stomped away in a huff when all the agents and managers insisted that they NEEDED a picture with the three of us. Which left me standing with Mirage...fabulous.
Thankfully, after that we were ushered into the theater and I was allowed to put three would-be zombies between me and them.
A few days after the premiere, the news broke that Mirage and Rose had broken up. This news was quickly followed by Rose being found dead in her own swimming pool. There was no foul play involved but I couldn't help but feed my hatred of Mirage.
So when he called me just a day after her death, I was mostly inclined to hang up on him but Autumn suggested - re: the TOLD me - to answer the damn phone. "Can we talk?" he sounded broken even over the phone and my heart softened a fraction. "Please Vi..."
"Fine..." Which is how I found myself standing in a bar, drinking with Mirage as he talked constantly about Rose and himself.
"I think I'm a berryhole..." he said after three or four toxic green drinks.
"I could have told you that." I said, trying to hold back a burp.
"You have told me that." he pointed out with a sloppy grin.
"So I have." I could feel my head buzzing and shoved the drink in front of me away. Last thing I needed was to fall to pieces with Mirage as my only company. THAT could only end badly.
"Let's dance!" he slapped his hand down on mine and yanked me from the barstool.
"Violet! I think you'll wanna get down from th-there..." Mirage called up at me. Yes, up. I was dancing on the counter.
"I think you're very bad for me Mirage." I shouted back, still dancing awkwardly.
"Yeah well, I think I'm bad for everyone...Toxic really." he said. "Come on down now...please?"
"Would you catch me if I fell?" I asked with a giggle. I could just imagine Mirage as the white knight...then his armor changed to black and it made more sense.
"Probably not..." Mirage confessed.
"Nice...very nice." I muttered.
One wrong step...that's all it takes for your world to come crashing down around you.
Again.
My eyes fluttered open to complete darkness. I fumbled around in the dark for a light and after knocking over a book of some sort and an alarm clock, I found it and flipped the switch. That was a bad idea!
My head pounded under the harsh onslaught of the light and I started to reach back for it to turn it off. My hand stilled as I took in the now illuminated room. This was not my apartment...I quickly surmised that it was a hotel room of some sort and groaned. "Not good." I whispered.
I tossed back the covers only to find things were even worse than I thought. What had happened?!
My clothes from the night before were strewn over the chair and the other side of the bed was empty. As my head began to clear, I recognized the sound of water running in the shower. "I didn't do this again" I told myself. I had to believe that what I was afraid had happened...well hadn't.
I stumbled from the bed and pulled on my clothes quickly. If I was fast I could just leave before he came out of the shower. I didn't need to see his face right now or I might kill him on my way out the door.
I had the door swung open when I heard the shower cut off and the bathroom door opening. "Violet wait!" he said.
End Chapter
