Violets

Rain Clouds

The doctors made Logan stay another day for further observation. Luckily, he was still allowed to visit the hospital garden, as long as he didn't strain himself. He took advantage of this privilege every chance he got.

He wasn't sure if Violet would visit him again. He felt like he screwed up big time, though he didn't know why. He could tell she took safety very seriously, but it seemed a bit excessive. Why would she care so much?

Logan knew that he had to make it right. If that meant promising to wear a seat belt on every drive, so be it. He didn't care either way. He was starting to care for her, so he wanted to make her happy.

Logan sat in the hospital garden, thinking about Violet. The tree blocked the sun, keeping Logan nice and cool. It had rained during the night, and the earth smelled soft and rich. Logan wondered if rain made those flowers happy. He wondered how it would be to live in the same spot your whole life, relying on the sun, ground, and water for life. He chuckled. It wasn't too much different from what many people already do.

A small "ahem" broke him from his philosophical trance. He looked up at Violet. She gave a shy smile. "Can I sit next to you?"

Logan blinked twice. "Umm, yeah."

She sat down. "I'm sorry about what happened yesterday. I wasn't very convincing about seat belt safety, was I?"

"Actually, you were," Logan said. She looked up at him. "If you care so much about it, I guess I don't mind doing it."

"But do you know why you're doing it?" she asked. Logan shrugged.

"I guess it could be helpful during a crash."

"You guess? It is helpful. It could save your life," she said. She looked away from him. "I lost someone very, very close to me, just because they didn't wear a seat belt."

Logan was silent for a minute. It all made sense. "I'm sorry," he finally said.

"It's- it's okay," she said. "I just get defensive about it. It's not just seat belts. It's that way of life. It's the cutting corners, speeding, and taking unnecessary risks. This person- they died because they weren't paying attention, and they purposefully didn't wear a seat belt."

"May I ask who it was?" Logan asked. Violet bit her lip.

"I- I don't want to talk about it."

Logan nodded. He leaned back on the bench, letting it creak and bend. He looked up at the sky. "You think it's going to rain again?"

Violet looked up as well. There were giant gray clouds rolling closer to the hospital. The birds had grown silent, too. "Yeah. We've still got time before the storm hits, though."

"That's good. I like sitting out here."

"What do you like about it?" she asked, tilting her head to look at him.

"I like the sounds and smells. It makes me feel safe, like the world is solid, real," Logan said. "Out here, everything has a purpose. Strange, isn't it? At school, everything seems fake. Sometimes I don't know what the point of it is, but hey, that's my world right now."

Violet nodded, smiling. "I'm glad you let me into your world."

Logan blushed, but he didn't know why. "Th- thanks. Umm, what do you like about the garden?"

Violet smiled, but this smile wasn't teasing. Her eyes seemed to sparkle as she gazed over the scenery. "I feel alive out here. I feel confined by walls and dull colors. This place," she swung her arm to gesture, "Is living. It's beautiful because it's alive."

Logan looked over the garden. The flowers and decorative grass bent in the breeze, dipping and swaying in a lazy dance. It really was alive. The clouds were coming closer.

"Say, Logan," Violet started, "I know I've been pestering you a lot, but why do you like doing risky things, anyways?"

"'Cause it's fun, I guess," Logan said.

"That's all?" she asked softly.

He paused. "No, that's not all. When I was young, I think it was to impress my brothers. I was a total wimp, but I forced myself to be brave. Now, I don't try to impress them as much."

"So, why do you still do it?"

"To get away."

"From what?"

"The world."

"No," she said, "your world. Not this world." She gestured to the garden again.

"You're right," Logan said. "It's the fake world I hate."

"Logan, you don't need to get away from it. Running won't solve anything. Trust me, I know."

"I don't think you do. You don't do reckless things like me."

She looked away and mumbled, "If only you knew."

But Logan didn't hear it.

Logan noticed the clouds growing closer. The wall of rain started to grow visible, but no thunder sounded. He smiled.

"Violet, I'm glad you found me. I've never told anyone these things before. I feel like I can trust you."

She smiled, but it was slightly sad. "I'm glad, too. I really like you."

Logan looked at her, smirking. "You like me? Like, like like me?"

"Yeah. I like like you."

Logan stopped smirking. She was serious. His heart beat a little harder. Blood rose to his cheeks.

"Well, I- I think I like you, too," he sputtered. He felt slightly lightheaded.

She smirked. "You look like a tomato."

"Ah, sorry," he said. He wasn't sure why he felt so flustered. He had confessed to people before. Heck, he once had a girlfriend. Why did this feel different?

A rain drop fell on his cheek. Then another. The wall of rain suddenly hit, assaulting them with rainwater, and the two teens dashed to the hospital doors.

They entered completely soaked. They watched as the garden soaked up the rain and turned a rich green. Violet looked at Logan, smirking again. He laughed pathetically.

Then Violet wrapped her arms around Logan and gave him a tight hug. He was stunned, but slowly wrapped his right arm around her. Her body heat offset the coldness of his soaked shirt. He rubbed circles on her back, and they stayed there, soaking up each other's warmth.

Eventually, they broke apart, and Violet left for home. Logan looked down at his left arm and hissed.

"Dang it! My bandages got all wet."