"Right, welcome to our first ever Apology Club session!" Pat enthusiastically began, beaming as he looked at everyone in front of him.
The other ghosts looked around nervously, trying to avoid the elephant in the room. Luckily for the rest of them, the Captain stood up next to Pat, swagger stick tucked under his arm as usual, and took in a deep breath.
"I think we all know that we should do the honourable thing. So I will start us off," the Captain began, looking at Violet squished in between Alison and Julian.
"I am truly sorry for doubting your loyalty to Button House. We all enjoy having you around, Violet, and I think that's why we felt the supposed betrayal so deeply," and with that he retreated back to his seat.
"It's ok, really, I just want to know why you thought I betrayed you all," Violet said, supporting her hurt arm in the grasp of her other hand.
"Well, it's a funny one really, Violet. You see, Kitty overheard you talking to the young lad and apparently you told him to 'take the whole lot'." Pat awkwardly explained, feeling guilty for revisiting the accusations against the young girl.
"Oh god," Violet facepalmed.
Alison watched on confused,
"You were talking to one of them?"
"One of the robbers, the younger one, his name is Nev. We used to go to school together, lived in the same area." Violet explained.
"But why did you engage in conversation with him?" Fanny asked, curious at how the events of last night had unfolded.
"I was asleep when he had come into my room, looking for something to take. He hadn't realised I was there."
Gasps rang out around the room.
"Disgraceful behaviour. Intruding into the chambers of a lady." the Captain muttered.
"Oh no! What if he hurt you? And I just walked away?" the others gave a look to Kitty, gazing back upon Violet's arm in a cast.
"Oh."
"Don't worry Kitty. Anyways, he tried taking my necklace, then I moved about because I heard something and next thing I know he shoves me back and we realise who each other are." Violet continues.
"It's almost romantic." Thomas pondered, looking off into the distance.
"Not really, Thomas." Pat reprimanded.
"And, umm, yeah. I had sarcastically said 'take the whole lot' after getting out of him how much they had already nabbed from us. I think Kitty just heard the wrong part of that conversation." Violet finished her story.
Alison sinks back into the sofa, taking everything in. She didn't know whether to feel happy the ghosts would of been loyal or sad for Violet's sake that they had so easily thought of her to betray them.
Maybe both. Both make sense.
"Oh please still be my best friend! I am ever so sorry Violet!" Kitty begs for forgiveness.
"Kitty I already told you it's fine."
"Oh yay!" the Georgian woman felt content once again.
"In fact, I forgive you all." Violet told all of them.
"Oh, thank god for that."
"Oh, good."
"Well that's good then."
"But I don't think it would harm anyone if the rest of you actually said sorry," Alison butted in, wanting them to give her an official apology.
"Right, sorry, I guess."
"Sorry!"
"Sorry Alison!"
"Not sorry to me Thomas, sorry to Violet," she rolled her eyes.
"Oh, yes, sorry Violet," he quickly blurted out, adjusting the cuffs of his shirt nervously.
"Now that we're all made up, is there anything else anyone would like to apologise for?" Pat asked everyone.
Everyone went silent.
"Oh come on, there's got to be something!" Pat said.
It was silent again, until unexpectedly, Mary spoke up.
"I'm sorry for watching your husband in privy!"
"Mary, I thought you said you were going to stop doing that!" Alison was shocked.
And soon, more revelations and apologies came out.
"I'm sorry that you have not yet understood the beauty within the words I speak, the words I preach to you, Alison, my sweet." Thomas dramatically paced in front of Alison as he apologised.
"Oh wow... thanks?" Alison was never sure on how to respond to Thomas.
Elsewhere, some more wholesome conversations were happening.
"I'm sorry for being mean to you when I first met you Robin." Violet said.
"That ok, it in past now," Robin responded.
But Julian doesn't do wholesome too often.
"You called me what?" Fanny was outraged, her jaw practically hitting the floor.
"It was one time!" Julian groaned, not caring too much for apology club. He'd much rather be playing a game of chess, or telling the others about what happens at a Moroccan tea party.
Kitty finally thought of something else to apologise for.
"Oh Alison, I'm sorry for beating you at hide and seek!"
"Kitty, that's sort of how it works," Alison exasperatedly responds.
"Where's Cap gone?" Violet wonders out loud.
~~~~~
"I'm sorry for hating you all when I first died. And for thinking you were ghastly to look at. And for thinking you smelt horrendous," the Captain quickly says.
The room was silent.
"Well I don't hate you now." he affirms.
And with that the plague ghosts felt indifferent.
"Fair enough."
"I can deal with that."
"We'll accept your apology."
"Smashing!" he grinned and marched out of the basement.
'It's nice to be nice,' he thought to himself.
He walks back in on the ghosts sat far apart from each other. He was glad to see Alison and Violet still sat next to each other, at least it seems they didn't fall out with each other.
Pat speaks up after a moment of silence,
"Well I suppose that just about wraps up apology club! Don't think we'll be doing this anytime again soon..."
Everyone agrees and leaves the room.
~~~~~
Violet was relaxing in her room and resting her arm on a fluffy cushion beside her. She scrolled through her phone finding nothing interesting, so she looked through the news before she'd inevitably go and find some food to occupy her.
Man rescues dog from river!
Pork chop recipe that's to die for!
Woman, 37, attacked in council estate flat
'Gosh', Violet thought, that's horrible. She couldn't help but click onto the article and read through it. It told of how a woman's flat was broken into and she was attacked and robbed, presumably drug related, the article had said.
What Violet wasn't expecting, was to see her own mother in the article.
YOU ARE READING
wings | bbc ghosts
Fanfiction"I am the very model of a modern Major-general-" "Will you give it a rest?!?" Violet Goodall miraculously arrives at Button House, much to the dismay of the ghosts that live there. But hey, it's the only place she's got. Running away from her past...
