I got your back (Violetine)

Chapter 8

[Clementine's POV]

As soon as we all got inside the house I headed straight upstairs and called for Violet to come up too. I quickly got changed in my bathroom and came out to see Vi nervously sat on my bed.

"You look so awkward. Relax."

"Oh shush you. The more I hang out at your place the more used to it I get."

"Okay, fair. Do you want to watch a movie or something? We can order pizza later if you like."

"Sounds like a plan. As long as it's not some cheesy romance that you probably like."

"Actually, I was thinking a horror movie. You read me all wrong."

We decided on watching 'The Grudge' and I swear, neither of us are gonna sleep for weeks.

[Fun fact: After I watched that film I always keep a light on in my room now :) fucking nightmares]

"I hated every part of that." Violet said blankly. I hadn't realised that me and her had been holding hands until now. Probably a natural reaction to a scary scene.

"Me too. It was less scary watching it with someone else but...fuck. Next time we're watching 'The Purge' or some not-scary-but-still-good movie.

"Agreed. So, about that pizza..."

"Oh yeah, let's go and ask Lee and he can order the it."

We finished our pizza and were now binging an anime series that Violet liked called 'Tokyo Ghoul'. I always thought anime was cheesy and for kids because AJ would always watch Pokémon on TV. Clearly I was wrong, TG is actually really good.

We were up to the part now when Yoshimura was trying to teach Kaneki about making the perfect coffee. Violet spoke up. It seemed as if she'd been holding it in since the start of the episode.

"Hey Clem, can I uh...stay the night?"

"I'll have to ask Lee but I'm pretty sure he'll be cool with it. Do you need call your parents?"

"Uh...no...i'll just text them before I go to sleep. They never answer my calls and tend to reply to my texts really late anyway."

"Okay then. Pause it for me and I'll go ask Lee."

I went downstairs to catch Lee watching The Big Bang Theory. I swear he's re-watched the entire series at least 3 times.

"Lee, Violet's wondering if she could stay over tonight. Is that okay?"

"Sure, it's Saturday tomorrow so she can stay over on the weekend too if she likes." He said not turning away from the screen.

"Cool. I think we'll be going to sleep soon anyway. Night Lee." I reply walking off.

"Night Sweetpea."

I headed back upstairs and told Violet she could stay over the weekend. She immediately agreed and I gave her some Pyjamas that she could borrow.

"Uh...should I go into your bathroom or...?"

"No it's fine. I'll get changed in there. Just tell me when you're done."

I went into the bathroom and got changed into my PJs that had glow-in-the-dark stars dotted in random places.

"I'm done!" I hear Vi call from my room. I allow myself back in and sit on the bed next to her.

We continued binging Tokyo Ghoul until I started getting sleepy. I rested my head on Vi's shoulder as I started to drift off.

I sat in the back of the car listening to some songs by a band called daughter.
'Medicine' was one of my favourites.

As I was listening I scrolled through some boring online stories. Then my music suddenly felt quieter as the loud voices of my parents argueing overcame it.

"-because it's not right! We have a child and you're always going out drinking!"

I turned down my music but kept my earphones in so they wouldn't know I was listening. What my mom said was true. Dad was drinking all the time ever since he lost his job he had been caught by the police multiple times for drunk driving. He was drunk now too. I'd been picked up from school late as I had been on a school trip. Mom was in the car with him. I wasn't sure how long they had been argueing for as I had put on my music almost as soon as I got in the car.

"Well how would you fuckin' feel if you lost your job?!"

"I'd be devastated but I wouldn't be drinking! I would try and find another job. I would never let my daughter see me drunk...like you!"

My Dad wasn't a bad person. He was just really stressed and he believed his only coping mechanism was to drink. We should've gotten him help sooner, it's almost a daily thing.

"Fuck you. She's my daughter too! Don't tell me to go and find another fuckin' job. I'm done. And do you know what-"

"LOOK OUT!"

Why didn't I tell them sooner? My father was so distracted he hadn't noticed he had started driving in the wrong lane and that there was an incoming truck.

There was fire. So much of it. I could see the body of my father and I crawled over too him. I shook his body and called out his name so many times I couldn't even count.

Then he moved his body to face me.

The sight was horrific. He face was crisp, there wasn't any skin...blood everywhere. I looked down at my hands and they were covered in his blood.

I could feel my body burning as I cried out. Then he spoke.

"Clem...Clem...damn it, wake up!"

I woke up sweating tremendously. I could feel tears streaming down my face. The only thing that I couldn't feel was the heat...the burning.

It was the same fucking nightmare I always have. Some nights I wouldn't dream at all. And if it wasn't one of those nights then it would be that nightmare. No inbetween.

I looked up to see Violet with the most worried, sympathetic expression ever. I tried to say something but I just couldn't so I wrapped my arms around her neck and cried into her shoulder. She held my back so tightly like there was no tomorrow.

Eventually my tears dried enough for Violet to let go and for us to have a conversation.

"Hey Clem...you feeling a little better now?"

Her voice was so soothing. I could listen to her talk all day.

"I...ugh...I dunno. I'm just...can I...tell you?"

"Tell me what Clem?"

"What happened to my parents..."

Word Count: 1101