Temporary ✔️

Bonus Chapter: The Past

A/N: Here's another bonus chapter. Enjoy, people

To @CupidVictimFifteen who inspired me to write this chapter!

Third Person's POV:

"Alright, Vi, I'll meet you at the park?"

"Sure! See you," Violet smiled. Today was Noah's birthday and she had carefully picked out the present and toiled over his card.

It was about one year after her mother had met Connor. He was starting to behave rather strangely. He drank and shouted a lot at her mother, but always had an apology and a bouquet of flowers the next day.

Sometimes, he would say strange things to Violet and Jackson. Violet knew he really shouldn't have said things like that to a fifteen  year old, but Connor always apologised later on.

'But for that make it okay?' The forbidden thought often surfaced in her brain, but she pushed it down and far back as possible.

Violet decided that she would surprise Noah at the park. She spotted him talking with a few of his friends and grinned as she snuck up on them.

But that grin quickly faded when she realised what they were talking about.

"I don't know how you managed to do it," one of the friends- a big brute with a laugh like a hyena- kicked a stone, "that girl is so irritating." Violet recognised him as the boy she'd told on a few months ago for bullying younger students.

One of the others laughed and clapped Noah on the back, "That's why the bet was so hard! But Noah pulled through. Violet is just so desperate for attention isn't she?"

Noah laughed and the sound sent a thousand daggers through Violet's heart, but they weren't nearly as painful as the words that followed next.

"Yeah," Noah shrugged, acting like he was cool, "but I did it, right? Look, it won't take long for Violet to tell me something and then I'll win the bet, right? Now go. She'll be here-"

"Hey Noah," Violet said, her voice hard and unforgiving. Sadness and betrayal burned away to be replaced by anger.

She dropped the present and the card fluttered to the ground.

Noah paled and slowly turned around, "H-hey Vi! I didn't-"

"Shut up," she said coldly, "I have nothing to say to you."

She walked towards the brute who quickly stepped back. Even his friends backed away. Although none of them would admit it, they were all scared of the short girl.

"What was the bet about?" Violet asked, keeping her voice calm, unlike the raging turmoil inside her.

He averted from her fiery gaze, "I- um... we- we knew that Noah was kind of friends with you. So- so we asked him to become better friends with you. A- and he had to get a secret on you that we could- um, that we could spread." His voice got quieter towards the end.

"Why?" Violet turned on the second boy and he threw his arms up to cover his head. She realised he was the boy who had asked to copy from her English test, and had gotten annoyed when she didn't.

"We- we wanted to get revenge!" He nearly sobbed, "If- if Noah failed he would have to give us his video games and some money!"

Violet's breaths became laboured and she rounded on Noah. She felt so stupid- trusting this boy. They had known each other for over a decade and were friends for nearly five years. And this is what he thought of their
friendship?