Baggage

{Chapter Seven}

Quaint.

Quaint?

No, perfect. Absolutely perfect.

As Violet's eyes scanned Tyler's apartment, the grin on her face grew wider and wider until she no longer could feel her cheeks. The pale blue walls and cream sofa chairs embraced her as she stepped three feet past the door. She recognized pictures of her sister's old classmates plastered on the walls, and she even caught sight of teenage Shannon Weaver, red solo cup in her right hand and a boy in the other. This place had a 'home-y' feel to it, that was sure.

She smirked. Shannon probably had water in that cup. No way was she drinking.

"You hung out with Shannon at parties?" Violet quipped, tapping the frame that held a photo of her sister. "Did you ever see her plastered?"

Tyler rolled his eyes before letting out a husky laugh. "Shannon? Drunk? The strongest drink that she poured in her cup was Pepsi."

Violet's eyes continued to skim the myriad of photos on the wall. Shannon was in a multitude of these--actually, she was the focal point of most of the photographs. Shannon would be the center person in a group photo, usually the only female in the photo. 

"Did you have a thing for my sister?"

Tyler laughed, making his way to what Violet thought was a kitchen. She chucked her shoes and her baggage into the nearest corner and followed, enjoying the carpet in between her toes. He opened a cabinet, taking out two teal coffee cups and rose one of them up in the air, his eyebrow raised. Violet nodded in response.

"Who didn't have a thing for your sister? I definitely did. God, she was hot," he closed his eyes. "She was the kind of girl that you could bring home to your mother and have a great time with. The only thing was that she was a little too much of a perfectionist for my taste, but I mean, her other qualities outshone that fatal flaw of hers."

She raised her eyebrows. "But, you never asked her out?"

Tyler scurried across the kitchen, grabbing a bag of instant coffee in one hand, milk in the other, and a spoon in his mouth. "Ihadnoballs," Tyler mumbled through the spoon, gagging as he tasted the metal.

"What?"

"I had no balls," he coughed, taking the spoon out of his mouth. "I was a football player who was failing most of his classes. I was attractive, yeah," he paused, smirking, "but I didn't think that was enough for Shannon. Now I feel like I could be, so if she's not dating anyone..."

"Engaged."

Tyler rolled his eyes, placing the items on the kitchen table. "Yeah, of course, she is. She's a catch."

The blonde girl pursed her lips in response. Of course, Shannon was. Shannon was pretty, popular, talented, kind--and what about her sister Violet? Violet was not any of these things. Sure, she was attractive, but her sister was gorgeous. Sure, she had hobbies, but she was not particularly great at one of them.

Violet was average. Ho-hum. Normal. Nothing special.

"Yeah," she ran fingers through her hair, "I know. I've heard that a lot."

Tyler paused. "I mean, you are, too!"

She smiled. Why did guys think that all girls were so insecure? It was fine if others complimented her sister around her. 

"Thanks..." she trailed off, trying to find a way to leave this subject.

Tyler smirked, picking up his glass to take another huge chug. "This guy she's engaged to must be perfect too if Shannon allowed him to put a ring on her finger."