I Did(n't Do) It

Chapter 14: They Didn't Even Get My Name Right (1/3)

"I am not made for this!" Violet said, her face red and sweaty. Her heart was pounding in her chest as she threw one arm over the other, her muscles flaming with protest.

"You're not that far up!" Alex screamed, her voice echoed throughout the room.

"No!" Violet said, "No no no - no. I am coming down!" A wave of disappointment rolled over the crowd below.

"You're giving up?!" Mr. Benson asked, "Just like that?"

"Well-" Violet's voice was cut short as her hands slipped off the rope, gravity took a hold and Violet started to freefall. Her limbs were displayed outwardly, the various pieces of her body were acting against each other. She had no safety net, she was weightless, she was free.

And then the inevitable land happened, and she started gasping for breath. She couldn't move, she couldn't breathe, or speak. Her vision was blurry for a couple seconds.

"Dear God, woman!" Mr. Benson said, helping her to her feet. "You were only at the fifth knot up!"

Everyone crowded around her. "Are you alright?" Alex asked, once Violet nodded she took that as cue to begin laughing hysterically. Violet glared as Alex doubled over, wheezing. "You are so dramatic! It was the fifth knot! Violet, my little brother could make that."

"Again.." Violet said, finally catching her breath. "I am not made for..." She pointed up at the gym rope, hanging from the ceiling. "..this."

Alex laughed again, throwing her arm around Violet's shoulders and leading her towards the locker room.

"Come on." She said, "Let's get changed."

Violet rubbed her side, leaning lightly against the wall as she waited for Alex to finish up changing.

"Hey." Violet jumped, whirling around and backing up.

"Woah." Eric held his hands up in defense, "Sorry, didn't mean to scare you." He laughed.

"Come on." Alex said, her voice stopping when she saw Eric. "What in the hell do you want?"

"Excuse me?" Eric asked, raising his eyebrows at Alex.

"I'm sorry." Alex said, walking up to Eric. "Let me be more clear; what the fuck do you want?" She paused in between each word, her face inches from Eric.

His eyes flashed with anger, but he smirked. "I just wanted to see my girlfriend." Alex whirled around, staring at Violet.

"Girlfriend?" She repeated

"Yup." Eric said, walking over and pulling VIolet to his side. She flinched. "G-i-r-l-f-"

"-uck you." Alex cut him off. But she wasn't staring at Eric, she was staring at Violet.

"What?" Violet asked, taken back.

"You're really with him again? After what he did to you?"

"And what did I do?"

"You know." Alex stated.

Eric walked up, leaning down he whispered in her ear, "Where's your proof?" Then he took a step back, smiling as he kissed Violet on the forehead and walked into the locker room.

Violet just stared at Alex as she turned to leave. "Alex wait!"

She was in the hallway by now.

"Alex please!"

She stopped, twisting around and coming face to face with Violet. "You must really love being hated, huh?"

"Look it's not-"

"Not what?" Alex asked, "Let me guess, it's complicated?!"

"It..." Violet took a step back, "It is..."

"Bullshit."

"Alex we aren't really going out!"

"Then why did he call you his girlfriend?!" Alex screamed, her voice bounced off the walls in the silent hallway. The people in the classroom on the other side of the hallways all stared at them.

Alex looked over, sneering at them as she dragged Violet by her elbow into the bathroom just ahead.

Once in there she turned around, letting go of Violet. "What do you mean? Usually people put labels like boyfriend and girlfriend when they're going out."

"He messed up." Violet said, tears brimming her eyes. "But he-"

"I swear to God Violet, if you say he's changed." Alex's eyes were menacing.

Violet stood there silently as tears started falling down her cheeks.

Alex took a step back. "Unbelievable." She walked past Violet only to be grabbed by her.

"Alex please!"

She ripped herself from Violet's grasp. Tears were streaming down Violet's face now.

"Listen to yourself, Violet! What he did to you was unforgivable. And now look at you! You're crawling back to him and I can't even understand why?! What makes him so appealing that you would rip yourself limb from limb just to see him smile?"

"He's not-"

"I'm not done." Alex stated. "I know. He's not that bad, right? He gives you flowers and kisses, he takes you on dates and you get to confide your everything into one person and it's amazing. It's phenomenal. You guys have a fairytale relationship. But those "fairytales"? They're just that. Fairytales. Their fake, Violet. They're all in people's imaginations - the magic is all in the words. It's on the surface."

Violet stood there, taking in everything Alex was saying. "He's the only one I've ever had..."

She opened her mouth to say something, then closed it. Alexs stood there, complete disbelief shrouded her features. "He's the only one you ever had?" She asked, clenching her jaw.

Violet sensed her anger, "You know what I mean-"

Alex held her hand up, twisting it around to show her bracelet. "Remember this?" She asked, the black, red, and gold BFF VIOLET + ALEXANDER shined in the bathroom light. "I have kept this on. I don't ever take it off. Even though you didn't check if they spelled my name right, which they didn't. They thought you were talking about a guy when you said Alex." She held back tears as she took it off, throwing it to the ground. "You. had. me." She said, turning and walking out. "You had me." With that she was gone.