I Did(n't Do) It

Chapter 20: Practice (3/3)

"So he was murdered?" Violet asked, hand covering her mouth. Officer Marissa nodded, folding her hands.

"He was found at the base of a mountain." She started, "It was near..." She flipped through her notes, trying to find it.

"Honey Harbor and Cider Circle?" Violet asked, not making eye contact with the officer.

The Officer glanced at her, then back at her notes, then up at Violet again slowly. "Yes..." She said, unsure. "How did you know that?"

"Just a funny feeling, I guess." Violet shrugged, looking at Officer Marissa. "Was he with anyone?"

"Yes."

She was right.

"A girl" The officer continued, "I can't go in to details with you-"

"-I understand." Violet said, sighing. "If that is all, I would like to leave."

"That is not all.'

"I would still like to leave."

Marissa sat there, pondering what to do. "Fine. But we will need to question you again, okay?"

Violet's stomach churned at the thought of having to go through this again.

"Violet!" Alex screamed when she saw her best friend, they all rushed towards her, pulling her into a giant group hug. There were strings of:

"We were so worried about you!"

"What happened?"

"We came as fast as we could."

"Where did you go?"

"Was it safe?"

"I'm glad you're okay!" — that's one that kept resonating with Violet. Because, the truth was that Violet wasn't okay. Sure she was home, safe and safe, but she wasn't okay; She was numb. You couldn't really say that she was hurt, because she wasn't. Even saying that she felt empty would be an understatement.

The car ride home was a mess; Jason, Joe, and Alex all took the bus to get to the Hospital when they heard the news, they didn't want to take the time to go home from the park and grab their cars. So, Violet was sitting up front in the passenger seat while her mother was driving, while all three of them were in the back. Quietly, staring with wide eyes at Violet. "Where's Emily?" Violet asked, turning back in her seat to face her friends. They all looked at each other, uncertain, then fixated their eyes back on her in sheer wonder that she was still alive.

"Who?" Joe asked, then shook her head. "Oh, yeah, Emily. She..." Joe's voice trailed off as they all shifted around, their eyes averting Violet's.

"She was with him, wasn't she." It wasn't a question, so much as it was a statement. Violet knew something was going on between them. When she showed up at Emily's house and Eric was there — that look on Emily's face wasn't a surprised Oh what is he doing here? It was a surprised Oh. We just got caught.

There was silence in the back seat, but Violet didn't need an answer to her non-question question.

"Is she in the Hospital?"

"I would imagine." Jason replied softly.

"We stopped talking to her." Alex piped up. "After you left she became a raging bitch-"

"-Well" Joe started, "She already was one. But even bigger."

Violet gulped, sighing and looking at her hands in her lap. She pursed her lips, her chest tightening with sorrow and guilt. "Did the funeral already happen?"

"It's supposed to happen on Monday." Jason quietly said

Margaret grabbed VIolet's hand, rubbing her thumb in circles on the back. Just like Eric had. It was at that moment that Violet realized this feeling was of depaysement. She had the feeling of being an outsider in her own life; A life she didn't ask for, a life she didn't want. Violet choked back tears, licking her lips. "I would like to go to the hospital and visit her." She told her mother, "We should stop and get flowers. I'm thinking we get her some... Oh, what is it called." Violet sat there, twisting her thoughts around. "Nerium Oleander." She finally settled on, smiling at her mother.