And Suddenly, I'm Sinking | Violentine

Part Eight | Mistakes

On Tuesday night Clementine sits with her arms crossed on a rotting log in the clearing.

As she looks to and from each member of the group, the brunette inhales deeply and thinks over the events of the previous few days.

In less than a week, Clementine has met Violet, become her friend, slept with her, and ruined their friendship. Her head hurts as she thinks it all over. How hopeful she was just a few days ago, and how filled with despair she is now.

Louis is sitting to Clementine's left, sipping on a bottle of beer as he divides his attention between stirring the small campfire and chatting idly to Marlon on his other side. Brody's on her phone on the adjacent log, mindlessly scrolling through her mobile while she waits for the conversation around her to pick up.

By Brody's side is Violet.

The blonde is staring directly into the amber flames, watching as they flicker and crack, captivated by the way that orange and blood-red plumes lick at the night sky.

Clementine stares at Violet for a while longer, willing the other girl to acknowledge her. Violet bites her lip and keeps her gaze on the burning campfire, her cheeks reddened from the heat.

"Everyone's quiet tonight," mumbles Louis as he makes a point to look subtly between Violet and the brunette by his side.

"Maybe there are other things on people's minds," mumbles Clementine as she kicks her weathered boots into the dirt. This time, Violet looks up at her.

"Hey Clem," says Louis as he leans over to his friend. "Want to come with me to get more beer out of the boot of the car?"

Sensing that Louis's request has an ulterior motive, the brunette abandons her seat by the campfire as she follows the older teen towards his car parked in the clearing entrance.

While she waits for Louis to unlock his car and retrieve the beers, the brunette turns her gaze to the tangle of trees and branches that form a wild and unkempt forest just off the clearing. As night begins to settle, the light breaking through the trees begins to dissipate, leaving the forest a murky mass of shapes and shadows.

Anything could be hiding there in the dark. The thought makes Clementine shiver.

"The woods are so eerie tonight," she mumbles under her breath.

"Clementine, what's going on?" asks Louis as he thrusts a box of bottled beer against Clementine's chest. The brunette grasps onto the cardboard between her fingers and takes a step back to regain her balance.

She frowns at her friend and looks over her shoulder at Violet. The blonde is sipping at her half-empty bottle of beer, gazing aimlessly out at the dimming night sky.

"What's going on with what?" she asks, aware that she's simply drawing out a conversation that she doesn't want to have in the first place.

Louis leans into his car again, momentarily cutting off the conversation. When he re-emerges he's carrying the second box of beer in his arms. "What's going on with Violet?" he asks, raising one eyebrow.

"It's hard," says Clementine as she lets her gaze drop to the branding of the beer bottles in her hands.

"Well I would imagine that it's not the easiest conversation to have, but you two certainly can't talk if you're sitting on separate sides of the clearing with a campfire between you."

Clementine once again risks a glance over her shoulder, and when she sees that Violet is staring right at her, Clementine's heart begins to pound against her ribcage. "It's not that easy Lou," she mumbles as she pulls her eyes away from the blonde.