Social Casualties - 1 [ 5SOS ]

19. Social Selflessness

° Violet °

I've purposely been keeping the information about Ashton from my friends for the main reason that there simply was far too much going on for them to even mention that small bit of news.

Of course I had wanted to tell them, but I felt as if I would be the least bit selfish if I were to. Especially with everything happening with Juliet, who has been pulled out of school for the next week in order to prepare for her move.

Thankfully, Juliet would not be moving far, actually not far at all since she will still be attending Canvick.

So, on this utterly boring week so far, all I could manage to have myself do was homework during lunch; which actually was harder than supposed since I had absolutely no homework for any classes today.

"Vi–" a soft voice pulled me out of my dull misery, "–are you busy?"

"Unless you call drawing stick figures all over my notebook paper busy, not at all" I sighed, spinning around on my desk chair to face Alicia, who was stood by my door.

"Then do you think we can talk?" she asked, walking in, and sitting herself on my bed.

"Any time" I responded, including sitting next to her as I prepared to listen.

"So, you obviously know that Michael and Jessa's birthdays are this month–" Alicia breathed out, placing her hands together atop of her lap, "–and I was wondering what we're to do for them"

I beamed, standing to rush next to her, "I've been waiting for someone to ask" I said excitedly, "I was thinking, with yours and Juliet's help, we can throw them some type of surprise get together"

"So, a surprise party?" Alicia asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Well, we're not supposed to throw noneducational parties on school grounds, so we're calling it a get together" I told Alicia, "But we should talk more about it with Juliet"

"Yeah—yeah" Alicia stuttered, "Once she gets back we can talk" she said, standing from the bed, and beginning her way to the door.

"Hey, Vi" she said before leaving through the door, "You've noticed Jessa and Juliet being M.I.A. a lot too, right?" she asked, to which I shrugged.

"Jessa's had study groups, and Juliet's been—" I began to say.

"At Michael's" Alicia finished, resting her head on my doorframe.

I titled my head, looking at her in a small squint, "Does that bother you, Ali?" I asked softly, pacing over to her.

"What? No, not at all. My best friend and boyfriend are close, that wouldn't bother me" she said hesitantly.

"Yeah, but there's such thing at becoming too close" I said, immediately shaking my head from the thought, "But that's ridiculous" I laughed out, "So we'll talk with Juliet after she comes back, get things planned out?"

Alicia nodded, turning to the corridor, "I'm going to start on lunch" she said as she walked down the hall, "Can you call Jessa so I know how much food to make? The least we can get is a decent meal"

I nodded, biting my lip to the undeniable tension created in this household.

° Luke °

"The time in the U.S., between 1865 and 1900, of extravagant wealth with extreme poverty hidden beneath it" I read off of one of Zander's printed flash cards from his teacher as I lied on my bed.