2 | ONE MORE | MINIMINTER

TWO

TWO

"I can't believe you're finally back!" Violet squeals from beside her in the car. She was leant against the seatbelt, grinning just as widely as Dallas was. "How was LA? I bet there were so many wild parties." She lets out a groan, rolling her eyes back and dropping herself into the seat.

"They were wild, but the guys over there just didn't seem to cut it, y'know?" Dallas half heartedly smiles. "How is he anyway? Haven't heard anything from him since I left."

"He didn't contact you?"

"No."

"Oh, well he's doing very well. He's a youtuber now, a successful one too." Violet analyses her friend's reaction, but there is very little expression to go by. The only thing giving anything anyway was the twinge of a smile at her lips. "In fact, it's his three year anniversary with his youtuber group soon. You should tag along with me."

"I don't know, Vi, don't you think that's a bit rude?" Dallas' nose wrinkles as she turns her nose up.

"Why would it be rude? They'll all be happy to see you."

"I haven't spoken to them in goodness knows how long. I can't just crash their party."

"They're hardly going to turn you away," Violet reasons and Dallas sighs.

"Fine, I'll think about it," Dallas says, giving in. Although it wasn't how she wanted to see Simon again, it would have to do. Maybe it would make it easier. If both of them were a little tipsy then it might make it easier to say everything she wished she could have said to him before and all the things she'd been dying to tell him in the years they'd been apart.

-

"Dallas?" Violet asks softly from the other side of the table. She must have been hungry. She'd finished her food in what felt like seconds. Dallas, on the other hand, was only just beginning to pick at hers. She looks up at Violet's softer tone, her brows creasing into a frown.

"Yeah?" She mumbles as she stuffs another few pieces of pasta into her mouth and begins to chew.

"Why did you choose now to come back?" Violet questions, folding her hands in her lap. "Did something happen in LA?"

Dallas chews, swallows and wipes her mouth with the crimson napkin. Audibly, she draws in a breath and says, "My dad's getting remarried." She has to force her lips together to stop herself.

"And that's a bad thing?" Violet frowned, confused.

"No, I mean, I'm happy for him, but I just can't help but worry about... about it, y'know?" Dallas picks up her fork again, looking down into her bowl of pasta that she had absolutely no desire to eat.

"Why are you worried about it. You'll get to be bridesmaid!"

Dallas slams her fork down on the table. "What if I get replaced, Violet? What then, huh?" She blurts out, snapping even after her years of therapy. Breathing in, she forces a smile and continues. "It's not like I have anyone else to go to, so I'm trying to be independent so that when I get replaced-"

"Your dad isn't going to replace you!" Violet cuts in, reaching across the table for Dallas' hand. "He wouldn't do that to you."

"That's the thing: he wouldn't do it intentionally, but we all do things without realising it, don't we? Some people fall in love with strangers, others bite their nails as a force of habit, not even noticing they're doing it. That's the worst thing about it. He won't know he's doing it until it's too late to pull it all back into place."

"You worry too much. That's not going to happen to you."

"You can't promise me that."

"Maybe it's time we went home, Dallas."

"Ok."

-

622 words
dallas just doesn't get a break ever, does she?