Treat You Better

Chapter Forty-eight: Purple Girl.

Chapter Forty-eight: Purple Girl.

Ten Years Ago

"It's my birthday so I get to choose what game we play!" Little Hale Frances said to all his little friends who had come to celebrate with him. All the neighborhood kids were at the party, dressed in their best party clothes.

"But I want to play princes and princesses!" Little Cassie argued.

"That game is disgusting!" Hale replied and all the kids got into a big argument about what to play.

Meanwhile, somewhere at the back, Little Violet Adams stared at the giant blue cake in the middle of the huge dining table. It was gigantic! Even better, it was an ice cream cake!

Violet looked around to see if anyone was watching, then she carefully climbed up the nearest chair, reached one finger out to touch the blue icing and...

"What do you think you're doing?" A voice snapped and Little Violet quickly climbed down the table, fidgeting with the big sash bow on her purple party dress.

"N- nothing Hale's mom. I just wanted to..."

"Whose child is this?" A big male voice said and Violet looked up, up and up before she could see this person's chin. Actually, she'd never seen Mr. Manuel's face before, he was just too big and scary!

Franca Frances flipped her long blonde hair over her shoulder as she gave Violet a disdainful look. "It's that traveller girl, Olivia. The one from Blackwood."

"That explains the gold eyes." Mr. Manuel and Franca took seats at the dining table, foiling Violet's plans to taste the cake.

"Remind me why I'm here, Heather?" Cassie's Dad asked and Franca looked ready to strike him in the face.

"Franca, you mean, and we're to discuss our business partnership." She said, her voice a contrasting softness.

Violet went back to where all her friends were to find something else to eat and she passed by Cassie pummeling Jason on the floor.

"We're playing Prince and Princesses!" She screeched.

"She has cooties!" Hale screamed and all the kids screamed too, scattering in all directions and Jason pushed her so he could get up quickly.

"Aaah! Does that mean I have cooties?!" Jason asked, feeling his face in terror. "No!"

"I don't have cooties, you're lying!" Cassie cried. "I'm gonna go tell my Daddy!"

"Ooh, a feather." Little Violet said happily and she reached under a stool to pick it up. It was a white one and it was probably from someone's hat.

She could pretend she was a princess like from TV if she put it in her hair, but Hale snatched it out of her hand before she could do so.

"Guys I found a healing wand! If I touch you with it, you no longer have cooties." He called.

"I found it first!" Violet said, reaching for the feather.

"Well, it's my birthday!" Hale said and pushed her off him. "So I get to do whatever I want, and I say: You have cooties! Go to the cootie box!"

All the kids around her screamed and ran while Violet stomped her way to the 'cootie box' to sit next to Jason who was biting on red licorice.

From there Violet could see Little Cassie trying to get her Dad's attention by yanking on his pant leg. "Daddyyyyy, they're telling me I have cooties and I don't want to have cooties."

"Don't bother me, princess, Daddy's in a meeting." Mr. Manuel said, gently pushing Cassie away. But that only made her increase the intensity of her demand.