It's So Easy | Buddy Holly

Love, Not Like

February 16th, 1959. 8:59pm. The Holly Apartment

"Ginger!" I call as I walk into our apartment.

I hear her meow and run into the living room.

"Hey, Ginger, I missed you so much!" Buddy flicks on the light and picks her up. "Good kitty."

I pet her in Buddy's arms. "Baby kitty, baby kitty, baby kitty." I mumble.

Buddy looks at me. "We made it home, doll."

"Thank god," I sigh. "That was rough."

"I love you, Violet."

"I love you too."

We keep petting Ginger in silence for a few minutes.

"Vi, you know what I'm gonna say?"

"Call Juliet and Vincent?'

Buddy nods. "You gotta."

"I know, I know. I guess I'll call Juliet?"

"You can wait until tomorrow, doll. Collect your thoughts and what you wanna say."

12:02 am

"I was raped." I blurt.

He slowly turns to me. "What?" He looks shocked.

"I was raped." I repeat quietly.

"Oh my God..." He mumbles. "You were?"

I nod.

"I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry," He looks horribly upset.

"I'm okay, Buddy. It doesn't bother me anymore."

"Why didn't you ever tell me?"

I shrug. "I wasn't ready, I guess."

"I love you, Vi. I love you."

I laugh. "I love you too, Buddy. Really though, I'm okay." I grab his hand. "I worked through it, I'm okay."

"Doll, I'm so sorry you had to go through that."

"No, it's okay. It bothered me for a really long time, but I really am okay. Haven't you noticed that I'm more open about my past recently?"

He nods. "I did notice, yeah."

"I don't know what happened. After I told you about Koch, the flood gates opened. I feel fine about it. For the first time in years, I think I'm okay."

"You're the strongest person I've ever met."

"Well, before you ask, yes, it was when they pulled me and Anne into the alley. Koch did come for us, but he was a little too late. Damage already done." I take a deep breath. "And I've overcome that."

He sits there quietly, listening to every word I say.

"And I think I killed someone." I squeeeze his hand. "That's harder to talk about, but it happened."

Buddy pulls me closer to him on the couch. "I feel so bad, that all sounds horrible."

"I was paid to slip some powder in someone's drink by another soldier. The one who paid me was called Herr Müller. I got around $150. Well, it was in German Reichsmarks, but it's equal to 150 dollars." I sigh. "Anyways, pretty sure it was poison because the man whose drink I spiked was dead the next day."

"Holy shit..."

"And now we're here. You're all caught up on the most traumatic things that happened to me."