The Paths That Tie (Clementine x Violet)

(4)

     Living in a small town had its perks. Schools weren't extremely crowded. You felt as though you knew everyone, and it overall just had a more homey feel to it. However, there was a bit of a negative to being so close-knit with everyone. When drama happened, or something of interest occured, it would always spread like a wildfire. Sometimes, the original truth would be repeated to so many different people, that like a game of telephone, the truth would become more blurred in place of something that sounded more narratively interesting.

    "Is it true one of the boarding students ditched school to go rob loot from their old school?"

    "That's stupid. They clearly ditched so they could destroy the building some more. That way they could stay longer. Obviously..."

    "I heard that the boarding kid might of not been alone. I bet one of the emo kids helped them out in escaping."

    The three girls whispered these ridiculous rumors amongst each other, giggling after each one. Clementine just rolled her eyes, as she walked past them.

    All conversations in Ericson High that day somehow related back to the incident two days ago. Everyone slowly became more desperate for answers to their questions about it, but it seemed as though no one had them. And if they did, they were completely twisted to the point of impossibility.

    None of it mattered though to Clementine, as she and Violet were the only ones who knew what really occurred that day. Unfortunately for the student body of Ericson, neither of them wanted to get into a deeper ditch by explaining the truth to someone.

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A few hours later

    Clementine had given her number to Marlon the day of the tour in case any of the Boarding students needed to contact her for emergency situations. She never expected to actually recieve a text, and only intended for it to be a curtious gesture. However, at one point during Calculus she could feel a small vibration coming from her bag.

     Checking it, it was a text from an unknown number.

(?): Hey, it's Marlon. Can you meet me and Louis outside of the downstairs bathrooms in 5?

    Clementine responded swiftly, hoping not to get caught by not only the teacher, but the other students as well.

Clementine: Sure.

    In the last few days, Clementine had become closer to the boarding transfers. They were all different and always seemed to have an entertaining story to tell. Even Omar, who seemed to be the most reserved in the group. However, the confusion of the last few days had left a rift in the group. They knew Violet was the one who went to the school, but the circumstances and details surrounding it were kept a secret even to them. Which caused not only distrust towards Violet, but also by the students surrounding them.

    "Hey guys! You wanted to meet up?" Clementine said, putting her phone in her back pocket.

    "Well, yes. We wanted to ask you something..." Louis began to allude to the Violet situation, which Clementine was ready to answer for. Having already dodged questions from Ericson students trying to get her side of the situation, she had become adept to maneuvering her way through those conversations. However...

    "Well, I guess it's more of a favor we're asking of you. Can you just...keep an eye out for Violet? We don't know what's going on with her these days, mentally. She's gone through a lot in the last year, and we feel like this whole break-in stunt is just a way for her to express her pain." Marlon began with, before looking over at Louis to help with his plea.