Shrinking Violet

chapter five

As it has been said:
Love and a cough
cannot be concealed.
Even a small cough.
Even a small love.
-Anne Sexton

***

"I have so much to tell you," I said to Sam over Sunday brunch. Sunday brunch was our tradition, and we used it as a way to re-examine the events of the week. We took it very seriously and thought of Sunday brunches as meetings. We only called for Sunday brunches after weeks when something particularly occurred, and Halloween weekend fit the category.

"No I have so much to tell you," said Sam. I raised an eyebrow.

"Okay you first." The waiter came up to our table just then, so both our stories had to wait.

"I'll have a black coffee and the stuffed French toast," said Sam.

"Truffle omelet and rose lemonade for you, miss?" Our waiter said with a smile before I could even order. I nodded sheepishly, too aware of my boring predictability.

"We need to switch things up soon. This is ridiculous," said Sam after he left.

"I like things the way they are!"

"Well you aren't going to like what I have to say then," said Sam. I raised an eyebrow, confused as to what she could be referencing.

"Spit it out!"

"I made out with someone at the Halloween party."

"I figured that was your news. Who?" I asked

"Violet." My mouth dropped.

"Less than a month ago you were making fun of her for being irrelevant," I reminded her.

"I was being a bitch. I think Violet's really cool. I always have," Sam said. I couldn't explain why it felt like my heart was sinking. Maybe it was due to the fact that I liked to think of Violet and Eli as mine, especially among my friend group. I liked that they were at the party as my guests. I was being stupid and selfish.

"Are you into girls?" I asked.

"I think so. Or at least I was into Violet."

"Huh."

"What are you thinking?" Sam asked.

"Just wondering how exactly this encounter came about?"

"It was when you and Eli were off somewhere. Everyone was playing spin the bottle, and it landed on us." I mentally breathed a sigh of relief. For some reason it made me feel better that it had happened during a game.

"Are you going to try to make this a regular thing?"

"I don't know. Should I? I don't want anything serious, but I wouldn't mind hooking up with her. Also to see if I actually like girls and all," said Sam.

"Is Violet into girls?"

"I don't know. That's what I wanted to ask you."

"We've never talked about it."

"I know this might be really awkward for you, but... could you ask her if she'd be down? I just really don't know her well," Sam asked. My heart felt like it had sunk to my shoes.

"Yeah. Of course!" I agreed in a chipper voice.

"You're an angel. Now what was your thing? We can table this."

"Oh. Yeah. Eli and I kissed," I said nonchalantly. I meant to tell her more, like about how I went home the next morning and danced around my room. But I didn't really feel like talking.

"Lulu what! That's huge! How did it happen? How was he? What happened after?" I smiled weakly.

"It happened out of the blue! But it was really nice. And a little after I started feeling the alcohol, and my head hurt so Eli asked Marcus which bed I could sleep in. He stayed with me for a while until he went home with Violet."

"So what now? Are you guys a thing? Is this finally happening?" Sam asked.

"I don't know."

"You like Eli right?"

"I think so. I think he likes me too."

"You think? Everyone's known that for ages now. That boy is as subtle as an atomic bomb," Sam said drily. I blushed.

"You don't think it'd be weird? Me dating Eli? We don't really have mutual friends or anything."

"Lu no one cares. And if they do, they suck. Plus Violet's a mutual friend, and I want to become better friends with Eli." I smiled, and it was genuine. I was just being a bad friend.

***

Author's note: I hope you guys like Sam as much as I do! We haven't seen enough of her yet!