Memory Lane

Chapter 29: Ice

(Performed songs: Ice Ice Baby by Vanilla Ice (Glee version) Mentioned songs: Don't Stop Believin by Journey, Happy Birthday song, Lollipop by MIKA

The day was Jared's birthday. And Violet had never felt more like shit in her life in front of her friends.

Other than when she left them behind, of course.

It was rehearsals.

Violet was not sure when Falcon and Valerie got so close, when Miguel started hovering around Jared (probably because of yesterday), when Rachel and Rex got so, so... angry.

Much to Violet's surprise, Falcon was very relaxed. Even her threat sounded more like a joke than the actual threat... though the imperceptible press into a painful pressure point seemed to underline the message.

"I heard what happened yesterday," Falcon smiled, and it was no shark grin, no barely masked anger, no nothing of when she attacked the boys the day before. "Don't be too upset at Jared. I talked him through some proper etiquette even I know, heh. But what you said was totally uncalled for. So... don't do that again, or I'll wish you never came back into our lives to begin with." Then that terrible, threatening squeeze. "That clear?"

Something in Violet wanted to snap out, wanted to yell at Falcon for ordering her around like this. Who did she think she was, but she saw Falcon's eyes.

They were boring right into her eyes. And something about Falcon's direct eye contact was unsettling as Violet nodded meekly.

The smile was wider, more akin to her usual grin yet more unsettling. "Good. Now, let's go."

Valerie was coming up to them with a worried smile on her face, about to tell Falcon off. "Don't intimidate her! She's just been through a lot."

"I just gave a good ol' best friend threat," Falcon laughed, winking at Valerie before turning around to face Violet with that same smile on her face. "Isn't that right?"

Violet swallowed hard. "Yes."

Falcon, she decided, was way scarier than Miguel.

Valerie looked between them. "Okay, rehearsals."

Rachel was fuming silently at Violet even throughout the entire performance, glaring at Violet.

Rex kept pulling Jared away from Violet. Miguel always was within arms' length of Jared, even as he went around helping everyone with Rex's choreography.

Valerie still looked worried that Falcon was going to at some point snap Violet's neck, so she made it a point to be with Izzy and Falcon at all times.

This was causing tension. And while Valerie did a great job of distracting Falcon, no one could see the volcano that was Rachel about to erupt. Violet just knew Valerie was just keeping the people from murdering her, but Rachel was the one who was going to teach her a lesson, not fillet her in front of everybody.

Izzy was relatively calm, but she could only distract Falcom and Rachel enough before the tension boiled over when Jared's birthday cake was brought in.

"Get her out," Rachel snapped, pointing at Violet, who flinched. "She has no right to be here."

"No right?" Violet asked, ready to set her claws up, but Rachel was faster. "I'm sorry!"

"You called the birthday boy- your apple of your eye- retarded even though you know it hurts him. Even though you know better. And all you can offer is 'I'm sorry'?!" Rachel yelled.

"What else can I do?" Violet almost shouted back. "I can't take it back! It was only once!"

"Once!" Rachel yelled back. "It takes one fucking word to start a miserable life. It takes one fucking word to end lives, save lives, destroy and create... it takes one fucking word to drive somebody into suicide."