Young God [GirlxGirl]

6. Four Stages Of Immortality

So you can keep me // Inside the pocket of your ripped jeans // Holding me closer 'til our eyes meet // You won't ever be alone // Wait for me to come home // Photograph, Ed Sheeran

Violet did what she could to ease the door open silently, as not to wake her sleeping best friend. Much to her relief, Blake was out cold, and probably would be for at least another twelve hours. After what Ash had shown Violet, she just had to see Blake - had to see her without a bloody lip and without tears streaming from her eyes. She sighed softly and walked gently over to the bedside.

Standing there and looking down at her now, Violet thought that she looked extremely vulnerable. In her unconscious state she was able to put up no front. Then Violet had another thought, one that made her shiver despite the warmth of Blake's room. She wondered if Blake's father ever stood where she now found herself standing, and if he ever looked down at her and smiled knowing how exposed she was to his violence. Violet clenched her fists.

"I swear to you," Violet whispered almost silently. "He's never going to lay a hand on you again."

She didn't know how, but she had already decided that she would protect Blake, and that for as long as she lived, nobody would ever hurt her. Not anymore. Violet crouched down and pressed a light kiss on top of Blake's forehead. She'd have liked to sit in the chair in the corner of the room and watch over her friend all night, just in case her parents made a surprise return, but Violet knew that Ash was just downstairs.

So Violet left Blake to rest, then resolved that it was about time she went home to bed herself. Before she left, she decided to have one last word with Ash.

"Look after her while I'm away. If you touch a hair on her head..." Violet warned, allowing her sentence to trail off so that Ash's imagination might run wild with the creative possibilities of what Violet would be prepared to do to protect her friend.

"She's safe with me." Ash reassured her, and Violet was thankful that she hadn't attempted to make another condescending remark or charming quip. She didn't think she'd have been able to handle it. "Good night, Violet."

It was then that it suddenly hit Violet just how tired she was. She didn't know what time it was, but it was late, later than she'd usually stay out without calling her brother. So she bid Ash a good night, wondered again if she was making a mistake by leaving Blake alone with this stranger, but then cast her doubt aside and set off home.

Twenty minutes later she was at the door of her flat, which was on the fourth floor of a modern apartment complex. She tried desperately to fish her keys out of her bag without making a noise, and when she finally located the key, she turned it slowly in the lock. Unfortunately, the door always creaked, no matter how slowly or quickly it was opened. So when she pushed it open, she found herself cringing at the high-pitched noise, which somehow seemed louder at night than it did during the day.

At first,  Violet thought she was safe. The lights were off and it was silent in the apartment. But then she heard the flip of a switch and the room was suddenly illuminated by the dim yellow lighting of a tall, thrift shop lamp kept by the armchair that had once belonged to her father. Her brother was sitting in the chair with tired yet angry eyes. Violet guessed that the creaking of the door had woken him, leading her to silently curse herself for not having gotten around to oiling the hinges sooner.

"Violet..." Liam sat forwards and rubbed the sleep from his eyes. Then he glanced at the watch on his wrist, then back up at his sister. "Where the hell have you been? Do you know what time it is?"

All Violet could think about was her bed. "I'm sorry, Liam. Can we talk in the morning? I'm exhausted."

Liam scoffed. "You're exhausted? I came home from a six hour shift at work, went to the supermarket, ate by myself again and waited for you to come home - or at least call - for hours." He stood up now, and Violet knew that she wasn't going to get off lightly this time. "So I'll ask again: where have you been?"